Patent Application
20230276950
This disclosure relates generally to cushions and positioners. More specifically, this disclosure relates to multilayered cushions and positioners. This disclosure also relates to cushions and positioners that include compressible beads or another compressible medium. Methods of manufacturing elements of cushions or positioners and methods of using cushions or positioners according to this disclosure are also disclosed.
In various aspects according to this disclosure, a cushion or a positioner may include a plurality of superimposed layers, which may also be referred to as elements and as cushions. The cushion or positioner may include a base that conforms to and remains in place on a surface and an upper surface that conforms to a shape of an object to support and optionally cushion the object.
Such a cushion or positioner may include two or more layers at least partially superimposed with each other, with each layer comprising an element of the cushion or positioner. Without limitation, a two-layer cushion or positioner may include a stabilizing layer and an upper element. The stabilizing layer may also be referred to as a base layer or as a lower support layer. The upper element may also be referred to as a cushioning element and/or as a micro-adjustable element. A configuration of the stabilizing layer may enable it to conform to a shape of a surface against which the stabilizing layer is placed and to substantially retain its conformation to the shape of the surface; for example, as the stabilizing layer is placed against the surface and the weight of an object (e.g., part of a subject’s body, etc.) is placed on the upper element of the cushion or positioner, regardless of whether the object remains on the upper element of the cushion or positioner. By conforming to the shape of the surface and maintaining such conformation, the stabilizing layer may hold the cushion or positioner in place upon the surface. The upper element of such a cushion or positioner may receive an object to be supported by the cushion or positioner. As the upper element receives the object, the upper element may conform to a shape of the object. The upper element may even cushion the object.
A three-layer cushion or positioner may include a stabilizing layer and an upper element, as well as an intermediate element positioned between the stabilizing layer and the upper element; thus, the stabilizing layer, the intermediate element, and the upper element may be at least partially superimposed with one another. The intermediate element may isolate the conformation and/or cushioning provided by the base element from the conformation and/or cushioning provided by the upper element. Such isolation may prevent the application of pressure by the surface against which the base element of the cushion or positioner has been placed to an object that has been placed against the upper element of the cushion or positioner.
Cushions or positioners that include more than three layers, or elements, that are at least partially superimposed with one another are also within the scope of this disclosure.
In embodiments where a cushion or positioner includes three or more layers, or elements, the intermediate element may be smaller than the stabilizing layer and/or the upper element. Thus, the intermediate element may have at least one lateral dimension (i.e., a length, a width, a diagonal, etc.) that is less than a corresponding lateral dimension of the stabilizing layer and/or the upper element. In some embodiments, each lateral dimension (e.g., the length, the width, the diagonal, etc.) of the stabilizing layer and/or each lateral dimension of the upper element may exceed its corresponding lateral dimension of the intermediate element.
In more specific embodiments of such cushions or positioners, the lateral shapes of the stabilizing layer, the intermediate element, and the upper element may rectangular or even square. The stabilizing layer and the upper element may be substantially the same size as one another or the same size as one another.
In another aspect, the layers, or elements, of a cushion or positioner may include the same compressible media or different compressible media.
An element of a cushion or positioner, such as the stabilizing layer and/or the upper element, may include a breathable chamber that carries and contains a compressible medium. Together, the breathable chamber and the compressible medium may define a conformable layer. The breathable chamber may be formed from a suitable pliable material that will hold the compressible medium. In addition, air may readily pass through the breathable chamber or a portion thereof. The breathable chamber may be formed from a material (e.g., a fabric, etc.) that enables it to breathe. Alternatively, the breathable chamber may include one or more ventilation ports (e.g., breathable fabrics, filters, valves, etc.) that enable it to breathe. As another alternative, a combination of a material and one or more ventilation ports may enable the breathable chamber to breathe.
The compressible medium may have an uncompressed state and a compressed state. When uncompressed, the compressible medium may flow freely throughout the breathable chamber. When compressed, particles of the compressible medium may flatten as they are forced against each other. The coefficient of friction of the surfaces of particles of the compressed compressible medium may prevent them from flowing relative to one another, enabling the compressible medium to define a semi-rigid layer. Thus, the conformable layer (of which the compressible medium is a part) may transition between flowable and semi-rigid states.
In use, the compressible medium may be compressed under the weight of an object, such as a body part (e.g., as an individual’s head, back, torso, hips, legs, feet, etc., rests on the element, etc.). The breathable chamber and the compressible medium therein may contour to the shape of the object (e.g., the body part) and/or to a surface that supports the element. When compressed, air may be expelled from interstitial spaces between particles of the compressible medium and from the breathable chamber. As friction increases between the compressed particles, the compressible medium may define a semi-rigid layer that conforms to a shape of the object and/or to a shape of the surface that supports the compressible layer and/or the element of which the compressible layer is a part. A volume of compressible medium within the breathable chamber may be sufficient to enable a portion of the compressible medium to remain between the object and a surface upon which the cushion rests.
Upon removal of a compressive force (e.g., by lifting the object, etc.), particles of the compressible medium may expand when compressive force is removed, pulling air into the breathable chamber and the interstices between the particles. As the particles of the compressible medium return to their initial, relaxed shapes, the surface contact and, thus, the friction between adjacent particles of the compressible medium are reduced. Thus, the particles may again flow relative to one another.
Alternatively, one or both of the stabilizing layer and the upper element may comprise a fluidized medium, such as lubricated microspheres (e.g., microspheres lubricated with liquid silicone, etc.), in a sealed bladder (e.g., a polyurethane bladder, etc.). While an element that comprises a fluidized medium may be compressible due to the ability of the fluidized medium to flow from one location to another within the sealed bladder, the fluidized medium of such an element may be substantially incompressible.
The intermediate element (or intermediate elements) may comprise one or more air cells. The air cell(s) may allow for some movement (e.g., micro-movement, etc.) of the upper element (e.g., a micro-adjustable layer, etc.) and, thus, an object supported by the upper element (e.g., when the object is at least partially surrounded by, or immersed in, the upper element 40, etc.). The air cell may attenuate the forces generated by the object (e.g., by the force of gravity on the object, etc.) and disperse them into the underlying stabilizing layer. In this regard, the air cell(s) may spread the force applied by the object over a much larger surface area than the area of the upper element occupied by the object. For example, the air cell(s) may spread the force applied by the object across an entire area of the stabilizing layer of the cushion or positioner.
In addition to including two or more layers, or elements, that are at least partially superimposed with one another, a cushion or positioner according to this disclosure may include a cover, or an outer shell, that surrounds the at least partially superimposed layers, or elements. In various embodiments of a cushion or positioner according to this disclosure with three or more layers, one or more peripheral edges of an outer cover may be secured to one or more corresponding peripheral edges of each intermediate layer and the stabilizing layer, while the upper element may be positioned between, but detached from, or “float,” between the outer cover and the intermediate element(s). The upper element may be removably positioned between the outer cover and the intermediate element(s).
In a specific embodiment, a cushion or positioner may include a first side and a second side. The first side may include a breathable chamber and a compressible medium within the breathable chamber and may be conformable to an object placed thereagainst. A force of the object on the compressible medium may increases a coefficient of friction between elements of the compressible medium and increase a rigidity of a portion of the micro adjustable layer against which the body part is placed. The second side of the cushion or positioner, which is located opposite from the first side, may include a pliable bladder containing a fluidized medium. Together, the pliable bladder and the fluidized medium may define a cushion. Optionally, one or more intermediate layers or elements may be provided between the first side and the second side. The one or more intermediate layers or elements may be pressurized or pressurizable (e.g., they may comprise air bladders, etc.). A cover may be provided over such a cushion or positioner.
In some embodiments, a positioner may be designed for placement beneath a chest of a subject while the subject is in a prone position to assist a subject in breathing. Such a positioner may include a first cushion, a second cushion, and a third cushion. The first cushion, which may be an upper element of the positioner, may comprise a pliable, breathable chamber containing a compressible, conformable medium. A force of a body part of the subject against the compressible, conformable medium may increase a rigidity of the first cushion and/or the third cushion. The second cushion, which may be an intermediate element of the positioner, may be located adjacent to the first cushion and comprise an air chamber. The third cushion, which may be a stabilizing layer of the positioner, may be located adjacent to the second cushion, on an opposite side of the second cushion from the first cushion. The third cushion may comprise a pliable, breathable chamber containing a compressible, conformable medium.
In other embodiments, the first cushion of a positioner designed for placement beneath a chest of a subject in a prone position to assist the subject in breathing may include a pliable bladder containing a fluidized cushioning medium, while the second may comprise an air chamber and the third cushion may comprise a pliable, breathable chamber containing a compressible, conformable medium.
Other aspects of the disclosed subject matter, as well as features and advantages of various aspects of the disclosed subject matter, should be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art through consideration of the ensuing description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.
In the drawings:
With reference to
The stabilizing layer 20 and the upper element 40 may be superimposed relative to each other. In some embodiments, such as that depicted by
While
Turning now to
The stabilizing layer 20, the intermediate element 30, and the upper element 40 may be superimposed relative to each other. In some embodiments, such as that depicted by
While
In various embodiments, one or both of the stabilizing layer 20 and upper element 40 of a cushion or positioner 10 (
The outer shell 52 of breathable chamber 50 may be formed from a pliable material. The pliability of the outer shell 52 may enable it to conform to the shape of an adjacent object, such as an individual’s body part (e.g., a head, a back, a torso, a hip or hips, a leg or legs, a foot or feet, etc., rest on the cushion, etc.) and/or to a surface on which the conformable layer or the cushion 10, 10′, 10″, 10‴ of which the conformable layer is a part rests.
In some embodiments, the outer shell 52 may be formed from a material (e.g., a fabric, etc.) that enables the outer shell 52 to breathe. For example, the outer shell 52 may comprise a fabric (e.g., a loosely knit fabric, etc.), a breathable film, a mesh, or the like. Alternatively, the outer shell 52 may be formed from a material through which air may not readily pass, but it may include one or more ventilation ports 54 (e.g., breathable fabrics, filters, valves, etc.) that enable air to pass into and/or out of the breathable chamber 50. As another alternative, a combination of a material of the outer shell 52 and one or more ventilation ports 54 may enable the breathable chamber 50 to breathe.
The outer shell 52 may be defined by cutting a material and securing edges of the material together in a manner that defines the outer shell 52 and its interior 58. The edges of the material may be secured together in any suitable manner to define seams 53 of the outer shell 52. A few examples include conventional sewing, ultrasonically sewing, heat-sealing, and radiofrequency (rf) welding. The manner in which edges of the material are secured together may depend upon the material used to form the outer shell 52.
In a specific embodiment, the breathable chamber 50 may include an outer shell 52 that comprises a pliable material that provides a barrier to microorganisms (e.g., viruses, bacteria, fungi, mold, etc.), including harmful pathogens. The outer shell 52 may comprise a suitable polymer (e.g., a polymer-coated (e.g., waterproof, etc.) fabric, a polymer film, etc.) that enables its seams to be sealed (e.g., ultrasonically sewn, heat-sealed, rf welded, bonded, etc.). In addition, the breathable chamber 50 may include at least one ventilation port 54 through the outer shell 52, which may enable air to flow into and/or out of an interior 58 of the breathable chamber 50. More specifically, a cover 56 over the at least one ventilation port 54 may enable air to flow into and/or out of the interior 58 of the breathable chamber 50 while preventing microorganisms outside of the breathable chamber 50 from entering into the interior 58 and/or while preventing microorganisms within the interior 58 from exiting the breathable chamber 50. The cover 56 over the ventilation port 54 may comprise a filter, such as that disclosed by U.S. Patents 8,561,233 and 8,950,028 of Pneuma Pure L.P. Limited and marketed as PNEUMAPURE® filters.
The compressible medium 60 may comprise a collection of particles 62. The particles 62 may flow when uncompressed but provide a more rigid structure when compressed. Such particles 62 may have three-dimensional shapes in their normal, natural, or relaxed states and be flattened when forced into compressed or stressed states. For example, particles 62 that are round (e.g., spherical, spheroid, etc.) in their normal, natural, or relaxed states may be compressed into more flattened shapes (e.g., ovoid, spheroid, ellipsoid (e.g., pancake), shapes, etc.). The particles 62 may substantially return to their normal, natural, or relaxed shapes upon removal of a compressive load (e.g., an object, such as a body part, etc.) therefrom.
In a specific embodiment, the particles 62 of the compressible medium 60 may comprise compressible beads. The compressible beads may be porous. In some embodiments, the compressible beads may comprise foam beads. More specifically, the foam beads may comprise expanded polyethylene beads. The polyethylene beads may be of any suitable size; for example, they may have diameters as small as about 1 µm to as large as about 2 mm. The foam beads may comprise the polyethylene beads available from JSP International Group, Ltd, of Wayne, Pennsylvania, such as the white polyethylene beads having a density of 14.4 g/L to 18.0 g/L and sold as ARPAK® 4313 polyethylene beads.
As an alternative to compressible beads, other compressible media 60 can be used. For example, the particles 62 that have non-linear, three-dimensional, elongated shapes (e.g., nonlinear fibers, such as polyfiber, microfiber, etc.) in their normal, natural, or relaxed state may be compressed into more flattened shapes.
In some embodiments, a material that enables temperature regulation (e.g., a phase change material, etc.) may be used in place of the compressible medium or in addition to compressible medium.
When such a conformable layer serves as a stabilizing layer 20, the conformable layer may conform to a contour or shape of a surface against which the stabilizing layer 20 is placed, or surface that supports the stabilizing layer 20 and the cushion or positioner 10, 10′, 10″, 10‴ of which the lower stabilizing layer is a part. When the conformable layer serves as an upper element 40, the conformable layer may conform to a body part of an individual or another object placed on or forced against the upper element 40.
As the conformable layer is forced against a surface or as an object is forced against the conformable layer (e.g., under force of gravity acting upon the object, etc.), the compressible medium will initially flow away from any protruding features of the surface or the object. As the compressible medium flows away from the protruding features or the object, it may enable the protruding features or the object to be received by, or immersed in, the conformable layer. As the conformable layer receives the protruding features or the object, at least some of the compressible medium that receives the protruding features or the object is forced is compressed. As the compressible medium is compressed, the coefficient of friction between adjacent particles of the compressible medium increases, reducing the ability of the compressible medium within the compressed, conforming portion of the conformable layer to flow relative to each other and causing the compressed, conforming portion of the micro-adjustable layer to become semi-rigid. As the rigidity of the compressed, conforming portion of the conformable layer increases, it secures the cushion or positioner laterally in place against the surface or supports the object and may maintain a position and/or an orientation of the object.
The compressible medium 60 of such a conformable layer flows when uncompressed but experiences regional rigidity (i.e., rigidity at each location where compressive force is applied) when compressed. Thus, such a conformable layer may be referred to as a “micro-adjustable layer.”
In embodiments where both the upper element 40 and the stabilizing layer 20 of a cushion or positioner 10′ (
As an alternative to including a compressible medium 60, a stabilizing layer 20 and/or an upper element 40 of a cushion or positioner 10 (
The intermediate layer(s) 30 of a cushion or positioner 10′ (
The intermediate element(s) 30 may be pressurized to enable it (them) to support the object without allowing the object to bottom out through the intermediate element(s) 30. Pressurization of the intermediate element(s) 30 may impart the intermediate element(s) 30 with bounce or buoyancy; i.e., the intermediate element(s) 30 may not be inflated to a maximum pressure, which may otherwise render it (them) substantially rigid. Pressurization of the intermediate element(s) 30 may provide structural stability for the upper element 40. In addition, the extent to which the intermediate element(s) 30 is (are) pressurized may limit the rigidity of the upper element 40. Pressurization of the intermediate element(s) 30 may enable a cushioning medium (e.g., a compressible medium 60 (
In some embodiments, each intermediate element 30 may comprise a static air chamber. In other embodiments, each intermediate element 30 may include a valve to enable adjustment of the pressure within the intermediate element 30. In still other embodiments, each intermediate element 30 may comprise a perforated bladder, which may be associated with a continuous source of positive pressure (e.g., an air pump, etc.) to provide a low air loss system that provides some ventilation.
Turning now to
In various embodiments of a cushion or positioner 10′ (
In other embodiments, as shown in
With such an arrangement, in embodiments where the upper element 40 comprise a compressible medium 60 (
Although the preceding disclosure provides many specifics, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of any of the claims that follow, but merely as providing illustrations of some embodiments of elements and features of the disclosed subject matter. Other embodiments of the disclosed subject matter, and of their elements and features, may be devised which do not depart from the spirit or scope of any of the claims. Features from different embodiments may be employed in combination. Accordingly, the scope of each claim is limited only by its plain language and the legal equivalents thereto.
A claim for priority is hereby made to the Feb. 14, 2022 filing date of U.S. Provisional Pat. Application No. 63/310,090, titled MULTI-LAYER CUSHIONS (“the ‘090 Provisional Application”), the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63310090 | Feb 2022 | US |
