Patent Application
20160331583
The embodiments herein relate generally to medical devices, and more particularly, to a rigid container configured to accommodate cold or frozen fluids for distributing cooling temperatures to a user's limbs.
Common cooling methods after exercise or injury, such as the use of ice or freezable compresses are sloppy and potentially burn the skin. Specifically, although ice wrapped in a towel provides cooling, the ice melts and causes a mess. Moreover, ice is not always available and takes time to freeze. Furthermore, ice can irritate or burn the skin and does not provide even cooling, since it is composed of irregular shaped cubes. Soft gel packs are thin and tend to have the same burning/irritation affect as ice on exposed skin.
Therefore, what is needed is a container configured to accommodate a volume of cold or frozen fluids, wherein the container comprises a surface that accommodates a user's limb.
Some embodiments of the present disclosure include a container for cooling a portion of a user's body. The container may include an outer shell with an inner cavity configured to accommodate a volume of fluid, the outer shell comprising at least one limb slot configured to accommodate a user's limb and a fill spout extending from the outer shell, wherein the fill spout is configured to provide an opening into the inner cavity into which the fluid can be poured. The fluid may be any suitable fluid that can be cooled using conventional cooling devices.
The detailed description of some embodiments of the invention is made below with reference to the accompanying figures, wherein like numerals represent corresponding parts of the figures.
In the following detailed description of the invention, numerous details, examples, and embodiments of the invention are described. However, it will be clear and apparent to one skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the embodiments set forth and that the invention can be adapted for any of several applications.
The device of the present disclosure may be used to distribute cooling temperatures to a user's limb and may comprise the following elements. This list of possible constituent elements is intended to be exemplary only, and it is not intended that this list be used to limit the device of the present application to just these elements. Persons having ordinary skill in the art relevant to the present disclosure may understand there to be equivalent elements that may be substituted within the present disclosure without changing the essential function or operation of the device.
1. Outer Shell
2. Inner Cavity
3. Fill Spout
4. Limb Slot
The various elements of the container for distributing cooling temperatures over the limb of a user of the present disclosure may be related in the following exemplary fashion. It is not intended to limit the scope or nature of the relationships between the various elements and the following examples are presented as illustrative examples only.
By way of example, and referring to
In some embodiments, and as shown in
As shown in
In some embodiments, the securing device may comprise a first strap 40 configured to removably engage with a second strap 48, wherein the straps 40, 48 are configured to wrap around the user's armpit, securing the container 30 in place. The first strap 40 may extend from a first strap slot 38 in the outer shell 32, and the second strap 48 may extend from a second strap slot 46 in the outer shell 32. A first strap post 42 may secure the end of the first strap 40 proximal to the first strap slot 38, such that the first strap 40 is securely attached to the outer shell 32. Similarly, a second strap post 50 may secure the end of the second strap 48 proximal to the second strap slot 46, such that the second strap 48 is securely attached to the outer shell 32. The straps 40, 48 may include complimentary fasteners configured to engage with one another such that the straps 40, 48 may be wrapped around a user's body, such as the armpit, and secured. In some examples, and as shown in
In any embodiment, a volume of fluid may be placed into the inner cavity of the container, and the container may be cooled by placing it in, for example, a refrigerator or freezer. Once the fluid in the container is sufficiently cooled, the container may be positioned to accommodate a user's body part, such as an arm, leg, shoulder, or the like. When needed, the container may be secured to the user's body using the securement straps.
The container of the present disclosure may be made of any suitable material and, in some embodiments, comprises a rigid material configured to retain its shape. For example, the container may comprise a plastic material. Similarly, the fluid may comprise any desired fluid, such as a liquid, like water, or a gel.
Persons of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate that numerous design configurations may be possible to enjoy the functional benefits of the inventive systems. Thus, given the wide variety of configurations and arrangements of embodiments of the present invention the scope of the invention is reflected by the breadth of the claims below rather than narrowed by the embodiments described above.
