SUPPORT PAD FOR NONAMBULATORY PERSONS

Abstract: An open cell foam pad is ripple-cut to create a convoluted face of hills (39) and valleys (41). A plurality of air-flow channels (43) are cut through the pad in each valley (41) formed. The channels (43) with plugs therein provide the user of the pad with the ability to direct air circulation through the pad to certain parts of the body. These air channels (43) also function to dissipate excess body fluids or medicines. For situations demanding the highest possible amount of air circulation, the ripple-cut pad with open air-flow channels (43) is flat-topped. The size of the flat area (49) on each hill (39) is determined by the weight of body to be supported. For a body weight under 100 pounds (45 kg), a maximum area of 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch (12,7 mm x 12,7 mm) across is used with a contact surface to open space ratio of 1 : 3. For a body weight between 100 and 150 pounds (45 - 68 kg), a maximum area of 1 inch by 1 1/4 inch (25,4 mm x 31,7 mm) is used with a contact surface to open space ratio of 1 : 1. For a body weight greater than 150 pounds (68 kg), a maximum of area of 1 1/4 inch (31,7 mm) across is used.

Description: The present invention relates to specialty pads or cushions, and more particularly pertains to padding used by nonambulatory persons to soften the impact or contact between parts of their body and a reclining surface. Those concerned with manufacturing and selling pads to be used by nonambulatory persons as bed pads or chair pads, for example, have been aware of the need for providing for ample air circulation around the injured or immobile area of the body. Actually, an injured area of body requires more air circulation than a healthy part which is simply immobile. Pads used for this purpose prior to the present invention have made little if no distinction between this difference in airflow demand for injured versus noninjured parts of the body. From GB-A-2 025 234 a health promoting mat is known, which is intended to have very good air permeability and to be capable of producing digital compression and a magnetic effect good for health. For these purposes the mat comprises a flexible plate-form core which may be made of plastic foam, foam rubber or the like, having a plurality of holes therethrough, a plurality of cylindrical projections provided on one or both sides of the core, and a plurality of magnet pieces bonded to said one or both sides of the core. The projections may be freely designed as to their shape, arrangement and number, there being no particular limitation in such respect. According to the present invention, the shortcomings and failure of the prior art are overcome by an open cell foam pad having the features as claimed in claim 1 or 2. The pad is convoluted on one face forming a series of protruberances or hills and valleys therebetween, is then press cut to from a plurality of appropriately sized channels from one face to the other in the valleys. The plugs formed as a result may remain in the channels, but are readily and selectively removable to provide for increased airflow or circulation in selected parts of the pad. These channels also perform the additional function of quickly dissipation run-off of body fluids and medicinal liquids. For nonambulatory situations demanding as much air circulation as possible, the invention provides a flat-top open-cell convoluted foam pad with channels in the valleys therethrough wherein each independent flat-top area is no larger than 1 1/4 inches (31,8 mm) in diameter. Many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the invention becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the figures thereof and wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view, partially exploded, of an embodiment of a pad differing from the invention. Figure 2 shows a section of the embodiment shown in Figure 1 taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows. Figure 3 is a plan view of the bottom of the pad shown in Figure 1. Figure 4 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a pad according to the present invention. Figure 5 is a sectional view of the embodiment shown in Figure 4 taken along line 5-5 of Figure 4 looking in the direction of the arrows. Figure 6 is a perspective view of an alternate preferred embodiment of a pad according to the present invention. Figure 7 is a sectional view of the embodiment shown in Figure 6 taken along line 7-7 of Figure 6 looking in the direction of the arrows. Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a pad 11 having a body 13 composed of a foam material such as open cell foam or the like. Figure 1 shows face 15 ripple cut to create a convoluted surface composed of hills 17 and valleys 18 over the entire face. The opposite face 16, on the other hand, is flat. Although this is a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a foam pad that is wedged can utilize the present invention with equal advantage. In other words, face 15 that is convoluted, would, for example, be cut at an angle to bottom face 16 to provide an inclined rest surface. Or, face 15 could be parallel to face 16, thereby providing a flat pad. A plurality of air channels 19 are stamped, press cut or laser cut into the foam pad body 13, leaving the plugs 22 formed thereby located in the newly-formed channels. Removing the individual plugs 21 from certain areas of the pad body 13 causes air channels 19 to be created in that area. Only the plugs 22 that remain in the pad body 13 function to effectively block air passage in the respective channel. The air trapped in the air channels without plugs 21 functions to aerate the skin of the nonambulatory person resting on the pad, and specificially that part of his body resting on the pad having open channels. Besides trapping air, these channels provide for increased aeration of body parts overlying them. The channels cause a reduction in body heat, as well as dissipating excess body fluids and liquids such as medicines through the pad, away from the skin surface. These advantages are of great utility to nonambulatory persons such as burn victims or persons with other skin disorders. In nonambulatory situations, it is imperative that as much air as possible reach all parts of the body in repose in the pad, including those parts that are in contact with the pad. In such a case, it is not enough to simply have an undulating surface pad with air-flow channels therethrough. The hills 17 of a ripple cut surface tend to fold into the valleys and obstruct the air channels 19 in the pad. In addition, the relative size of the hills and valleys, and the air channels, must be optimized to not only provide as much air circulation as possible but to reduce pressure on all areas of the body, thereby preventing decubitus ulcers. The preferred embodiment shown in Figures 4 and 5 provides a support pad with passive thermocline air-flow near the body parts contacting the pad at a volume that has been thought impossible until the present invention. The nonambulatory support pad 25 shown in Figure 4 has a body 27, a convoluted surface 31 and a flat surface 32. The hills of the convoluted surface 31 have been topped to create a broken flat surface 31, interposed with valleys 29, each valley having a channel 33 therethrough from the valley floor to the opposite flat face. In an improved version shown in Figures 6 and 7, in order to reduce the pressure exerted by each individual flat top area 31, the flat tops are raised above the common plane 45 to a higher contact plane 47. This leaves each flat top area independent from the other flat top surface 49, providing for individual movement. The pad shown in Figures 6 and 7 is arranged to provide the least amount of pressure to any one part of the body while providing for maximum air circulation to those areas of the body contacting the surfaces of the pad. The area of each valley 41 at the contact plane 47 is about 1 1/2 inches by 1 1/2 inches (38 x 38 mm), the depth of the valley from the contact surface 47 to the air channels 43 is about 1 inch (25,4 mm). Each flat top area 49 on each hill 39 is 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch (12,7 mm x 12,7 mm). The overall height of the pad from the flat top plane 47 to the other major side 51 is about 3 1/4 inches (82,5 mm). The airflow channels 43 throughout the pad are at least 5/8 inch (15,9 mm) in diameter. This arrangement of hills and valleys supports a 100 pound (45 kg) body evenly throughout the contact area with maximum air flow to the contact area. No closure of the air channels occurs due to folding of the hills into the valleys. The ratio of contact surface area to open area of contact is about 1 : 3. This provides for a very soft, highly aerated pad that virtually eliminates decubitus ulcers. For bodies that are heavier, the individual flat-top hills 49 must be made larger in area. For a body between 100 and 150 pounds (45 - 68 kg), a 1 inch by 1 inch (25,4 mm x 25,4 mm) flat top area 49 is preferred. In this instance, the contact surface area to open area at contact is on a 1 : 1 ratio. For bodies heavier than 150 pounds (68 kg), the individual flat-top hills 49 may be made a little larger. But in no event shall they exceed a diameter larger than 1 1/4 inches (31,7 mm). This is the upper size limit of contact surface for the individual flat-top hills 49. It has been discovered that a skin area of 1 1/4 (31,7 mm) inches in diameter, even though denied air circulation, can sustain itself from air circulating in an adjacent area, whereas larger areas can not. By limiting the individual flat-top contact surfaces to this size or smaller, the user of the pad is assured of obtaining sufficient oxygen to all parts of his body surface. This virtually eliminates the occurrence of decubitus ulcers, even for the most immobile patients. By removing the tops of the hills of the convoluted surface leaving the broken flats and valleys, the air channels remain unobstructed even when supporting the weight of a body portion resting on it. A pad that provides both soft, cushioned support and maximum aeration of the body part resting on it is the result. In order to reduce as much as possible the pressure exerted on any one spot on a body in repose on such a pad, the flat top hills and valleys are arranged to be evenly distributed throughout the support surface of the pad. The relative size of each of the flat surfaces with respect to the voids created by the valleys, is such that each valley at the contact surface is at least equal, and preferably larger than the area of each flat top. The embodiment of fig.1 differs from the invention in that the top surfaces of the hills 17 are not flat.

Claims: A pad (11) for nonambulatory persons, said pad having a foam body (13) with a first and a second major side (15,16) for supporting an human anatomy, the pad comprising: a substantially uniform distribution of hills (17) of substantially uniform height and cross-section on the first major side (15) of said foam body, said hills being separated by valleys (18) of a substantially uniform depth and a uniform cross-section, each of said hills having a flat top being circular, the flat tops defining a contact surface, each of said valleys (18) having an airflow channel (19) terminating at the valley floor and extending through the foam body (13) to the second major side (16) which is flat, characterized in that a plurality of plugs (21) are located in a plurality of said airflow channels (19; 33; 43) in a manner that permits ready and selective removal of each plug and that the pad has a thickness, as measured by the distance between the first and the second major sides (15, 16), of about 82,5 mm (3 1/4 inches); said valleys (18) have a depth of about 25,4 mm (1 inch); each of the flat tops on each of said hills (17) are at least 12,7 mm (1/2 inches) in diameter and are no larger than 31,7 mm (1 1/4 inches) in diameter. A pad (25) for nonambulatory persons, said pad having a foam body (27; 37) with a first and a second major side (31, 32; 47, 51) for supporting an human anatomy, the pad comprising: a substantially uniform distribution of hills (39) of substantially uniform height and cross-section on the first major side (31; 47) of said foam body, said hills being separated by valleys (29; 41) of a substantially uniform depth and a uniform cross-section, each of said hills having a flat top (31, 49) the flat tops defining a contact surface, each of said valleys having an airflow channel (33; 43) terminating at the valley floor and extending through the foam body to the second major side (32; 51) which is flat, characterized in that a plurality of plugs (21) are located in a plurality of said airflow channels (19; 33; 43) in a manner that permits ready and selective removal of each plug and in that the pad has a thickness, as measured by the distance between the first and the second major sides (31;47;32;51), of about 82,5 mm (3 1/4 inches); said valleys (29;41) have a depth of about 25,4 mm (1 inch); each of the flat tops (31,49) being square, and each of the flat tops (31, 49) are 12,7 x 12,7 mm (1/2 by 1/2 inch) with the ratio of contact surface area to the absence of contact surface area being about 1 : 3, or are 25,4 x 25,4 mm (1 by 1 inch) with the ratio of contact surface area to the absence of contact surface area being about 1 : 1. The pad of claim 1 or 2, wherein each of said plugs (21) is at least 15,9 mm (5/8 inches) in diameter.

Inventors: BEDFORD, PETER H.
Applicants: BEDFORD, PETER H.
Application year: 1987
Main classification: A61G7
IPC codes: A47C27