Patent Application
20090217458
The present invention generally relates to sleep aids and, more particularly, to cushions, sleep positioners, and bedding systems that include reticulated foam pads and breathable polyester coverings.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden unexplained death of an infant under one year of age. SIDS is sometimes referred to as crib death and strikes nearly 5,000 babies in the United States every year. While much research has been conducted to understand what causes SIDS, there are no clear answers. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends, among other things, that a baby should be put to sleep on his or her back. One theory that has been proposed to explain SIDS is that small infants with little or no control over their heads may, while face down, smother themselves on their own bedding. With that in mind the academy also recommends that babies sleep on a firm mattress or other firm surface and without overly soft or fluffy blankets, pillows, or toys, as an infant may be smothered by these items.
Infant sleep positioners have been developed in an effort to reduce the risk of SIDS. One example is the INFANT SUPPORT SYSTEM described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,877,176 issued Apr. 12, 2005 to Houghteling. This infant sleep positioner includes a cushion for supporting an infant and includes positioning support members for maintaining the infant in a safe sleeping position. Houghteling provides a head panel made of a material that enhances the breathability for an infant, since the head panel serves as the general location for the infant's head. Thus, the enhanced breathability of the head panel may provide some help in the event an infant is incorrectly placed on the cushion by providing an air permeable buffer between the infant and the underlying foam pad of the cushion.
The underlying foam pad in many types of sleep positioners has historically been formed of regular closed or open cell foam. Closed cell foam is comprised of cell membranes that are completely closed. Open cell foam, on the other hand, is typically comprised of both open and closed cell membranes with varying degrees of air and liquid permeability. In both cases the air and liquid permeability characteristics of these types of foams is less than ideal when one considers the need for a cushion with improved breathability. Closed cell foam is particularly unsuited for this application because the closed cell membranes provide very low air permeability. While open cell foam has somewhat better air permeability characteristics, it has the disadvantage of allowing liquids to pass through the open cell membranes and become trapped in other partially closed cell membranes.
While it is believed that current products may be helpful in reducing the instances of SIDS by maintaining an infant in a safe sleeping position, there is still room for improvement in the area of sleep aids and in particular infant sleep positioners and cushions. It is believed, for instance that the breathability features of infant sleep positioners can be enhanced to further reduce cases of SIDS. Furthermore, it is believed that infant sleep positioners can be improved with respect to their ability to maintain a dry environment for an infant as well as their ability to be easily cleaned. Accordingly, there is a need for cushions, sleep positioners, and bedding systems that have enhanced breathability and/or cleanability.
Provided herein is a cushion generally comprised of the combination of a fluid permeable reticulated foam pad having a base and an upper surface along with a layer of breathable polyester sandwich fabric covering at least a portion of the upper surface. Preferably the foam pad is resilient and is sized as a standard crib pad.
In one embodiment a cushion for supporting an infant on a support surface includes a reticulated foam pad having a base surface and an upper surface that extends upwardly therefrom, the pad being fluid permeable. The cushion also includes a covering surrounding the pad that includes an upper layer constructed, at least partially, from a breathable polyester sandwich fabric confronting the upper surface whereby fluid introduced onto the covering permeates through the covering and through the pad to the support surface. The reticulated foam has a porosity of between 5 and 20 pores per cubic inch, thereby being sufficiently resilient to support the infant above the support surface and sufficiently permeable to allow fluid to move through the pad.
An improvement is contemplated for a cushion that supports an infant upon a support surface. Such a cushion includes a pad having a lower surface adapted to confront the support surface and an upper surface opposite the lower surface and oriented at an acute angle from a first end portion to a second end portion such that the upper surface inclines upwardly relative to the support surface along an axis extending between the first and second end portions. The pad has a width extending transversely of the axis. A top panel is disposed on at least a portion of the upper surface of the pad. The improvement is comprised of the pad being constructed from fluid permeable reticulated foam and the top panel being comprised of polyester sandwich fabric.
In another embodiment, a formable sleep positioner includes an outer covering comprising a breathable polyester sandwich fabric. An inner pad is formed, at least partially, of reticulated foam and received in the outer covering. The inner pad includes an upper surface, a bottom surface, and a forming member embedded in the pad between the upper surface and the bottom surfaces. The forming member is manually conformable into a formed state so that side portions of the positioner flare upwardly to form a trough-shaped channel for placing an infant. The positioner also includes a head portion selectively conformable to change the elevation of the infant's head. The outer covering and inner pad of the head portion may be in close confronting relation to one another.
A bedding system for supporting an infant in a dry environment is also provided herein. The bedding system includes a mattress, such as a crib mattress, having a lower surface and an upper surface defining a support surface. A cushion is supported upon the support surface, the cushion includes a reticulated foam pad having a base surface and an upper surface, the pad has a porosity that allows fluid permeation through the pad. An absorbent layer is interposed between the support surface and the cushion that is operative to collect fluid permeating through the pad. A barrier layer may be interposed between the support surface and the absorbent layer.
The foregoing and other features, utilities, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of the embodiments of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles thereof. Like items in the drawings are referred to using the same numerical reference.
The detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings describe the exemplary embodiments of sleep aids in the form of cushions, sleep positioners, and bedding systems that have enhanced breathability and/or cleanability.
Referring first to
Foam pad 40 is preferably a reticulated foam material. Reticulated foam is a particular foam structure that may be formed by one of at least two methods described below. Conventional foam is formed of thousands, if not millions, of plastic bubbles called cells. These cells intersect with each other creating a lattice or framework of interconnecting ligaments with window membranes extending therebetween. Reticulation involves removing the window membranes from between the ligaments leaving only the framework. The resulting foam structure is a framework having completely open cells. This type of foam has a high degree of breathability and permeability. In other words, air and fluids may flow easily through the foam structure. The foam's permeability is of course affected by the number of cells in a given volume, known as porosity, which is generally measured in pores per cubic inch (PPI). The porosity of the foam can range from about 5 to 100 PPI. In this embodiment, the preferred range of porosity for the reticulated foam is between about 5 and 20 PPI. Reticulated foam may be made of various materials such as polyether polyurethanes and polyester, for example. One example of a suitable reticulated foam material is available from Foamasters located in China and marketed under the part number NF264040. This foam has a density of 23-25 kh/m3, a hardness of 7.5-9.5, and a porosity of 11.55.
One method of creating reticulated foam is a thermal process known as zapping. Zapping involves placing a selected quantity of closed cell foam in a chamber that is evacuated of air and subsequently filled with an explosive gas mixture. The gas is ignited and the resulting explosion passes through the foam melting the window membranes and leaving the framework structure intact. Zapping results in smooth, clean, and polished ligaments. Another method of reticulation is a chemical process known as quenching. In quenching, a quantity of conventional foam is exposed to a caustic bath that attacks and dissolves the window membranes of the foam thereby leaving only the framework of interconnected ligaments.
With continuing reference to
As is discussed in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/014,645 entitled SLEEP AID ALONG WITH METHOD INCORPORATING SAME, which was filed Jan. 15, 2008, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, utilizing such a breathable fabric casing in conjunction with a reticulated foam pad allows bodily fluids to pass through cushion 10, which helps to provide a dry support surface for an individual, such as an infant, to lie on. Cleaning reticulated foam is also much easier because fluids do not absorb into the pad, given the nature of the interconnected ligament framework. It has been found that when reticulated foam is used in conjunction with a 100% polyester sandwich fabric, or other similar material, there is an additional advantage of breathability which can help prevent suffocation. Accordingly, one of the aspects of the teachings herein is the provision of a sleep aid which exhibits one or a combination of the characteristics of breathability to help reduce the risk of suffocation, fluid absorption, and relatively fast drying, as compared to other sleep aid products. The ordinarily skilled artisan will appreciate that various articles of manufacture having suitable configurations could be designed to accomplish such objectives including, but not limited to, pads, blankets, mats, positioning members, sleep positioners for individuals such as infants, support systems, and bedding systems for infants and other individuals. The additional embodiments that follow are examples of such articles of manufacture that may fall into one or more of the above listed categories.
The infant sleep positioner's cushion 210 is generally constructed of an outer covering 220, which receives a resilient reticulated foam pad 240 in a close-fitted relationship. Outer covering 220 can be constructed of various panel sections including a head panel 223 and foot panel 225, which have respective confronting edges and are stitched or otherwise joined (permanently or releasably) together. Head and foot panels 223 and 225, thus, form a continuous, two-piece top panel 222 which may be joined to a surrounding sidewall 224, which is in turn joined to bottom panel 226. Wedge shaped positioning members 215 (see
The construction of cushion 210 may be better appreciated with reference to
Accordingly, the present invention has been described with some degree of particularity directed to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention. It should be appreciated, though, that the present invention is defined by the following claims construed in light of the prior art so that modifications or changes may be made to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention without departing from the inventive concepts contained herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60897740 | Jan 2007 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 12014645 | Jan 2008 | US |
| Child | 12372075 | US | |
| Parent | 12013382 | Jan 2008 | US |
| Child | 12014645 | US |
