Patent ID: 7216388
Filing Date: 2007-05-15
Classification: A47C,A61G

Abstract:
1. A cushion having an upward facing support contour adapted to interact with a pelvic area anatomy of a person and support the person in a seated position while offloading support pressure from skin covering the ischial tuberosities and the greater trochanters and the coccyx and sacrum while transfering the support pressure to tissue masses on opposite lateral sides of the posterior buttocks and beneath the proximal thigh bones, when the person is seated on and supported by the support contour, wherein: the support contour includes support areas and relief areas are separate from one another, the support areas are at locations adapted to be adjacent to skin at the tissue masses on the opposite lateral sides of the posterior buttocks and beneath the proximal thigh bones, the relief areas are at locations adapted to be adjacent to skin covering the ischial tuberosities, the greater trochanters and the coccyx and sacrum, and the support areas and the relief areas are spaced relatively more toward and relatively more away from the anatomical shape of the pelvic area of the person when the person is seated on and supported by the support contour, the cushion and the support contour are formed by an integral piece of resilient support material having the necessary resilience to establish and maintain the support areas and the relief areas in the manner herein recited when the person is seated on and supported by the support contour; the cushion extends longitudinally from a rear wall to a front edge and extends transversely between opposite transverse edges, each transverse edge extends longitudinally between the rear wall and the front edge, and the rear wall has a general midline contour which represents the anatomical shape of a rear portion of the pelvic area of the person; the support contour is defined relative to a longitudinal midline which extends midway between the opposite transverse edges, and is further defined relative to the horizontal and the vertical, the horizontal having a component which extends longitudinally and transversely and the vertical having a component which extends perpendicular to the horizontal; the support contour includes a cavity forward of the rear wall and extending downward to a lower surface which is adapted to be located beneath the ischial tuberosities when the person is seated on and supported by the support contour; the lower surface of the cavity constituting an ischial tuberosities relief area which is spaced from the ischial tuberosities to substantially offload pressure and shear force from the skin adjacent to the isohial tuberosities when the person is seated on and supported by the support contour; the support contour includes two transverse relief areas spaced transversely to the outside of the cavity and which are adapted to be located beneath the greater trochanters when the person is seated on and supported by the support contour, each transverse relief area is spaced vertically above the lower surface of the cavity; the transverse relief areas each constituting a greater trochanter relief area which is spaced from each greater trochanter to substantially offload pressure and shear force from the skin adjacent to the each greater trochanter when the person is seated on and supported by the support contour; the support contour includes a channel in the rear wall at a location approximately centered transversely about the longitudinal midline and recessed rearward into the rear wall relative to the midline contour of the rear wall, the channel is adapted to be located behind and transversely to the sides of the coccyx and the sacrum when the person is seated on and supported by the support contour; the channel constituting a coccyx and sacrum relief area which is spaced sufficiently from the coccyx and sacrum to substantially offload pressure and shear force from the skin adjacent to the coccyx and sacrum when the person is seated on and supported by the support contour; the support contour including two rear support areas located on the rear wall on respectively opposite transverse sides of the longitudinal midline and between the channel and the greater trochanters relief areas, each rear support area protruding forward relative to the midline contour of the rear wall, each rear support area is adapted to be located adjacent to the skin and tissue masses on opposite lateral sides of the posterior buttocks when the person is seated on and supported by the support contour; the rear support areas each constituting lateral posterior buttocks support areas which induce upward support pressure on the opposite lateral sides of the posterior buttocks when the person is seated on and supported by the support contour; two forward support areas located forward of the cavity and spaced transversely on opposite sides of the longitudinal midline, each forward support area located vertically higher than the greater trochanters relief areas, the forward support areas are adapted to be located beneath the proximal thigh bones at a position which is closer to the greater trochanters compared to the location of knee joints on the thigh bones when the person is seated on and supported by the support contour; the forward support areas constituting proximal thigh support areas which induce upward support pressure while interacting in a fulcrum-like manner with the proximal thigh bones to create elevational force at the hip joints from weight of the distal legs to elevate the greater trochanters relative to the greater trochanter relief areas when the person is seated on and supported by the support contour; and the upward support pressure induced from the lateral posterior buttocks support areas and from the proximal thigh support areas transferring substantially the entire support pressure to tissue masses on opposite lateral sides of the posterior buttocks and beneath the proximal thigh bones while substantially offloading support pressure from skin covering the ischial tuberosities and the greater trochanters and the coccyx and sacrum when the person is seated on and supported by the support contour.