SE540062C2 - Weight blanket with spherical elements - Google Patents

Abstract

A weight blanket (10) for therapeutic treatment has several elongate objects placed in corresponding channels (12) between fabric layers of the blanket to increase the weight of the blanket (10). The channels are parallel along the length of the cover. The objects have closed cavities (22) along their length which contain spherical elements (22) and follow the shape of the body of a user of the blanket. The cavities limit the movement of the spherical elements in order to controllably distribute the spherical elements and thus the weight of the weight blanket along a user's body. Distances are arranged between the channels and between the cavities to increase the compliance and formability of the weight blanket along the body. The weight blanket has an insulating textile layer (42).

Description

.20 Weight blanket with spherical elements Technical field The present invention relates to a weight blanket for therapeutic treatment, where the weight blanket contains a number of objects arranged in channels to increase the weight of the blanket.

Background of the Invention People suffering from anxiety, worry, depression or sensorimotor disorders have difficulty relaxing, finding peace or sleeping. People with cognitive impairments, for example, have difficulties with perception of time, remembering and planning their activities. Especially children with ADHD or Aspberger's syndrome have problems with learning, word comprehension and solving problems.

It is known that a weight blanket can provide a relief from the above-mentioned discomfort when it is used as a sleeping blanket during the night or wrapped around the body for relaxation during the day. Due to its weight, it covers a tactile stimulation that has a positive effect on the body's superficial and deep feeling and affects the central nervous system. The emotional experience strengthens the perception of the body as it helps to clarify the body's boundaries, which gives the user a feeling of security and an experience of peace.

Studies have shown that a pressure on the body stimulates the release of body-specific substances, e.g. a. oxytocin, which has a calming effect on the person. The pressure following the body's shape increases the tactile stimulus and enhances the beneficial result for the user. Especially for people who suffer from autism, dementia, hyper-activity or have problems with sensory impressions, the positive effects of a weight blanket have been proven by users, relatives and healthcare professionals.

Variants of weight blankets have plastic balls, sand, gravel, popcorn, metal balls etc. which filled the blankets. The problem with this type of filling is that it is difficult to maintain a controlled even pressure that follows a person's body shape as the filling ner surfaces down to the lowest part of the .s. Another disadvantage in this case is that the objects in the filling cause noise when they come into contact with each other. Other disadvantages are the awkwardness of the blankets during handling such as folding and storage or the difficulty in controlling their temperature-retaining ability. Another difficulty is to maintain hygiene requirements as the filling does not allow for ordinary washing in a washing machine.

Patent specification SE 532 402 describes a weight blanket for therapeutic treatment which contains linked objects in the form of chains, which are placed in longitudinal or transverse channels in the blanket to increase the weight of the blanket. The chains are attached to the edge of the blanket by means of riveting or by means of a loop and a band. A serious disadvantage of weight blanket-containing chains is the risk that the person using the blanket may injure themselves and other injuries. Easily accessible metal objects should be avoided in environments for the treatment of persons suffering from any type of behavioral disorder or dysfunction.

The international publication WO 2014/1666557 describes a blanket with channel-containing plastic balls. The plastic balls are arranged in close contact with each other and do not pass each other inside the channel. They give an occasional pressure on the user's body.

There is a need for a weight blanket that provides a controllable pressure increase on one user's body to thereby achieve a desired therapeutic effect through tactile touch. Furthermore, there is a need for a weight blanket that is comfortable for the user with respect to body adaptation and temperature, and at the same time provides an experience of enomfamning. In addition, the weight cover must be safe and easy to handle during transport, storage and washing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned disadvantages and to provide a weight blanket with the features according to claim 1.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a weight blanket for therapeutic treatment comprising a number of channels between a first and a second fabric layer of the weight blanket. The channels are arranged substantially parallel along the length of the blanket or width in that barriers are arranged through said fabric layers. the weight blanket includes spherical elements to increase the weight of the blanket.

A plurality of elongate objects are arranged in the channels, said elongate objects having closed cavities arranged along their lengths for enclosing a spherical element in each cavity. The cavities limit the movement of the spherical elements so that a controllable pressure can be obtained from each spherical element.

First distances are arranged between said channels by arranging a further barrier in each channel through said first and second fabric layers. The distances limit the lateral movement of the spherical elements and separate said elongate objects from each other in order to increase their compliance and formability.

Other distances are arranged between the cavities of said elongate objects across the width of the upper to limit the movement of the spherical elements in the longitudinal direction, where the distances act as joints. The cavities and the other spacers are formed by arranging a pair of welds, seams or stitches across the width of the elongate objects and along their entire length.

The weight of the spherical elements is constant per unit length and thus provides an uncontrollable therapeutic effect. The spherical elements are made of a high density mineral material. They are about 10 - 40 mm in diameter, preferably 15-25 mm.

The elongated objects are made of polyester or similar type of polymeric material. The number of spherical elements can be adapted to a user's needs, for example can be made heavier for an adult than for a child. Spherical elements of the same or different weight can be combined to adapt the weight cover to an individual's needs. The oblong objects weigh 100-1000 grams.

A preferred embodiment comprises the above-mentioned first and second distances for maintaining a controllable compressive force per unit length and thus a controllable therapeutic effect in the form of a specific tactile touch. The distances act as conductors between the cavities, which means that the compressive force from the weight of the spherical elements gives a more distinct point-by-point touch on a user's body.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings and the claims.

Brief Description of the Drawings The invention will be explained in detail in the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of a weight blanket according to the invention in a horizontal plane, Fig. 2 shows a schematic view of one of a number of elongated objects with cavities in a horizontal plane, which contain spherical elements and which are to be placed in a channel weight blanket according to Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows a schematic side view of a part of an elongate object with cavity-containing spherical objects according to Fig. 2; Fig. 4 shows an exploded perspective view of a cut-off part of the weight blanket according to Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 shows the arrangement of the elongate objects containing the spherical elements in channels in the weight cover according to Fig. 1.

The same reference numerals have been used to indicate the same parts of the figures to facilitate the readability of the description and to increase its clarity.

Detailed description of the invention A weight blanket according to the invention will be described in the following with reference to the tools. The weight blanket is intended to be used for therapeutic treatment of people who, for example, suffer from sensorimotor disorders, cognitive dysfunction, anxiety, depression or anxiety. People with various types of dysfunctions, such as ADHD and Asperger's syndrome, relax more easily at rest and fall asleep faster when using a weight blanket, which has been shown through studies. In particular, psychiatrists advocate weight blankets that provide an increased tactile effect for the treatment of patients with depressive diagnoses. The purpose of the weight cover is to increase the pressure against the body in such a way that a user experiences point-by-point pressure increases along the body. The construction of the shown weight blanket means that the weight from the blanket follows the contours of the body, which increases the tactile stimulus and thus increases the positive effect regarding relaxation before the user. In addition, the weight blanket shown gives an embracing feeling as the construction of the weight blanket contributes to an increased formability and compliance of the weight blanket along the body.

Fig. 1 schematically illustrates a weight blanket 10 according to the invention comprising a first fabric layer 11, a second fabric layer 40 (see Fig. 4) and a third fabric layer 41 (see Fig. 4), which is arranged against the second fabric layer 40. An insulating textile layer 42 (see Fig. 4). ) is arranged between the second 40 and the third 41 fabric layer.

A number of longitudinal channels 12 are arranged between the first 11 and the second fabric layer by a first barrier 13 being arranged through these fabric layers. The channels12 are evenly distributed over the width of the weight blanket and open out at its respective short sides14. The number of channels can be between 8 and 20. In a preferred embodiment, they are 16 pieces.

In a first embodiment, first spacers 15 are arranged between the channels 12 through a further first barrier 13 being provided through the fabric layers 11 and 40. In this way the width of the channels is reduced and thus the movement of the spherical elements laterally is limited. At the same time these first spacers help to improve the compliance of the weight cover and its formability along a user's body. The first barriers 13 can be created by ultrasonic welding, knitting or sewing or in another suitable way.

An edge band 16 encloses the short sides 14 and the long sides 17 of the blanket, which also encloses and holds together the three fabric layers 11, 40, and 41, respectively, as well as the insulating textile layer 42. The weight cover 10 has two parts which are assembled by means of a zipper 18 arranged parallel to the channels 12.

Fig. 2 shows one of the number of elongate objects 20 with closed cavities 21 containing spherical elements 22. The elongate objects are to be placed in the channels 12 in the weight cover 10 in order to increase its weight. The cavities 21 limit the movement of said spherical elements 22. The cavities 21 contain a constant number of spherical elements per unit length of the object20.

In the first embodiment, second spacers 23 are arranged between the cavities 21. The cavities 21 and the spacers 23 are formed by arranging a pair of welds, seams or stitches 24 across the width of the elongate object along its entire length. The welds or seams can be arranged by means of ultrasound , sewing or knitting or using other techniques. The spacers 23 act as guides between the cavities 22 to increase the compliance of the elongate object 20 and thereby improve the formability of the weight cover 10 along a user's body. The spacers 23 contain spherical elements 22. The outermost ends at respective short sides of the object 20 do not contain spherical elements to increase the comfort of a user.

Fig. 3 shows a side view of an elongate object 20 with cavities 21 containing spherical elements 22 to be placed in a channel 12 in the weight cover 10. The objects 20 are also made of fabric of polyester or similar polymeric material.

The spherical elements 22 are made of a high density mineral material, for example of glass, porcelain, ceramics, stone or the like. Alternatively, they may be of steel or other metal. A spherical member 23 is enclosed in each cavity.

The spherical elements 22 have a certain play of movement within the cavities 21. The function of the cavities is to limit the longitudinal movement of the spherical elements within an elongate object in order to obtain an even distribution of the spherical elements along the elongate object length. In this way, an evenly distributed point pressure is obtained along a user's body.

The number of spherical elements is constant per unit length of said elongate object in order to achieve a controllable compressive force per unit length and thus a controllable therapeutic effect.

The spherical elements within the number of cavities present in each elongated object may have different weights or have different weights. By combining balls of the same weight or of different weights, the pressure increase and thus the tactile effect from the elongated objects in the weight blanket can be distributed in a controllable manner. Weight blankets can be adapted to each individual's needs.

The spherical elements have a size of 5 to 40 mm, preferably 15-25 mm. A spherical element of, for example, glass with a diameter of 16 mm weighs about 5 grams, and with a diameter of 25 mm weighs about 20 grams. The size of the spherical elements and the number of spherical elements per elongated object affect the weight of the cover. Each elongated object has a weight of 100 - 1000 grams. The number of elongated objects per weight blanket can vary depending on whether the weight blanket is to be used for a child or an adult. The number of elongated objects can be 8 - 20, preferably 16 pieces.

Fig. 4 shows an exploded perspective view of a cut-off part of the weight blanket 10 according to Fig. 1. The first fabric layer 11 forms a first outer surface of the weight blanket 10. Fig. 4 further shows the second fabric layer 40, the insulating textile material 42 and the third fabric layer 41 forming a second outer surface of the weight cover 10.

In the manufacture of the weight blanket 10, the first fabric layer 11 is arranged with the second fabric layer 40, and the channels 12 are arranged between the fabric layers 11 and 40 by the barriers 13 being arranged through these two fabric layers. The first spacers 15 are arranged in the same way. The insulating textile layer 42 is arranged against the second fabric layer 40, and the third fabric layer 41 is arranged against the insulating layer of fabric 42.

The elongate object 20 is filled with spherical elements 22 of a selected size. By applying a pair of welds, seams or stitches 24 across the object, the form cavities 21 and the other spacers 23 therebetween while the spherical elements are enclosed and distributed in their respective cavities. The elongate objects are arranged in the channels, as illustrated in Fig. 5. Finally, an edge band 17 is sewn along the short sides 14 and the long sides 16 of the blanket 10 to enclose and hold together the three-layer layers 11, 40, and 41 and the insulating textile layer 42.

In a first embodiment, the distance between the centers of two successive cavities 21 within an elongate object 20 is about 100 mm, and the distance between the center of the cavities in two parallel elongate objects is about 100 mm. The other distances 24 the intermediate cavities act as joints in the objects. The first distances 15 between channel channels further improve the compliance of the cover along the user's body. In alternative embodiments, the distance between the centers of two successive cavities 21 within an elongate object 20 and the distance between the centers of the cavities in two parallel elongate objects may be 50 - 150 mm.

The weight blanket is produced in two parts, which are assembled by means of the zipper 18. In this way, the blanket can be more easily handled when washing in a washing machine.

The fabric layers 11, 30 and 31, respectively, are made of a textile material, preferably a non-slip cotton fabric. The insulating textile layer 32 can be varied in thickness depending on the season, for example it can be 10-15 mm. The weight blanket shown can be made in different sizes depending on whether it is to be used for an adult or a child. The sample viscose blanket has a width of 1000-1500 mm and a length of 1500-2300 mm.

The use of the duvet is adapted to a person's needs, such as a sleeping blanket at night with duvet covers or wrapped around shoulders and back when the person is sitting on a sofa or armchair. Each duct does not have to contain an elongated object containing spherical elements, or your ducts may be empty, or the objects have different weights in different channels to create a varying pressure over the blanket. It is easy to adjust the total weight to the person for whom the weight blanket is intended and tested due to the weight blanket construction with the objects containing spherical elements enclosed in cavities.

The overall benefit of the presented weight blanket increases the ability to treat people with special dysfunctions during rest and sleep in an effective way. This is done at the same time as requirements for vid flexibility in weight adjustment, hygiene and manageability are met.

The present description is to be considered as an illustration of the principles of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the illustrated specific embodiment. As will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art, embodiments other than those described may occur within the scope. For example, a variant of the blanket may contain the first and second fabric layers but not the third fabric layer. Another variant may have the channels arranged parallel along its short sides instead of as described above along their long sides. The requirements do not exclude the term "contains" and "includes" the presence of other elements.

The reference numerals in the claims are included as illustrative examples and should be construed as limiting the scope of protection.

Claims (8)

A weight blanket (10) for therapeutic treatment comprises a plurality of channels (12) between a first (11) and a second fabric layer (40) of the weight blanket, said channels (12) being arranged substantially parallel to the length or width of the weight blanket (10) through barriers (13) are arranged through said fabric layers, and comprise spherical elements (22) placed in said channels (12) to increase the weight of the blanket, characterized in that - a number of elongate objects (20) are arranged in said channels (12) where said elongate objects (20) have closed cavities (21) arranged along their lengths for enclosing a spherical element (22) in each cavity (21), said cavities (21) restricting the movement of the spherical elements (22) so that a controllable pressure can be obtained from each spherical element (22), and - first spacers (15) are arranged between said channels (12) by arranging a further barrier (13) in each channel through said fabric layers (11, 40), which limited the movement of the spherical elements in laterally and separating said elongate objects (20) from each other to increase their compliance and formability, and - other distances (23) are arranged between the cavities (21) of said elongate objects (20) across their width to limit the spherical elements ( 22) longitudinal movement, which act as joints, the cavities and the other distances being formed by arranging a pair of welds, seams or stitching (24) across the width of the elongate objects (20) and along their entire length. The weight cover (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the number of spherical elements (22) is constant per unit length of said elongate object (20) in order to have a controllable compressive force per unit length and thus a controllable therapeutic effect. The weight cover according to claim 1, characterized in that a distance between the centers of two successive cavities (21) within an elongate object is 50-150 mm. The weight blanket (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said spherical elements are made of a high density mineral material. The weight cover (10) according to claim 1, 2 or 4, characterized in that said spherical element (22) has a diameter of 10-40 mm, preferably 15-25 mm. The weight blanket (10) according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that each of said elongate objects (20) has a weight of 100-1000 grams. The weight blanket (10) according to claim 1, 2, or 6, characterized in that said elongate objects (20) are made of polyester or similar polymeric material. The weight blanket (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the weight blanket contains a third fabric layer (41) and an insulating textile layer (42) arranged against the second fabric layer (40), said third fabric layer (41) being arranged against the insulating textile warehouse (42).