Patent Publication Number: US-2013233326-A1

Title: Floating wound pads

Description:
REFERENCE TO CO-PENDING APPLICATIONS 
     Priority is claimed as a 371 of international application number PCT/IL2011/030880, filed on Apr. 1, 2011; which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 61/321,741, filed on Apr. 7, 2010. 
    
    
     The present invention relates to the field of protective covering for shielding a body part or an object. 
     Protective coverings often have padding useful for protecting a wearer&#39;s body parts from injury. Protective coverings are also used for shipping fragile objects. Most commonly, these protective pads are made to include an outer shell that is hard and an inner shell that is soft. Such devices are typically strapped to a desired degree of tightness around the body part or object requiring protection, e.g., a wearer&#39;s elbow, knee, shin, etc. Accordingly, the interior of the devices are usually cup-shaped so as to comfortably receive the body part requiring protection. These protective coverings are fixed in place and do not accommodate differences in the shape of various parts of a body or objects. The pads found in protective coverings currently available do not adjust to irregular wound sites or irregularly shaped objects. 
     Therefore, a need remains for an improved protective covering device that has pads which to fit a wearer&#39;s body part even when a wound is present or accommodate an irregularly shaped object. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to a broad aspect, the invention seeks to provide a device, comprising a fixed surface attached to a protective covering for shielding a body part, an at least one enclosed pad comprising a pad having an exterior cover, the exterior cover having a means of adhering on a part of the exterior cover but not on the entire exterior cover, and the means of adhering of the fixed surface contacts the means of adhering of the pad, and the pad can be detached, moved, and contacted on any location of the fixed surface. 
     According to another broad aspect, the invention seeks to provide a device, comprising, a fixed surface attached to a shipping container, an at least one enclosed pad comprising a pad having an exterior cover, the exterior cover having a means of adhering on a part of the exterior cover but not on the entire exterior cover, and the means of adhering of the fixed surface contacts the means of adhering of the pad, and the pad can be detached, moved, and contacted on any location of the fixed surface. 
     For purpose of this invention the pad has a thickness of about 1.50 mm to about 75.0 mm and the pad is made of a material that provides a yieldable resilient interior having a consistent memory. Examples include, but are not limited to, an open cell or close cell foam material, an inflatable material, polyurethane, a combination of polymers, and a combination of co-polymers. The pad can be removed from the fixed surface and washed. 
     The pad is covered with an exterior cover substantially enclosing the pad (enclosed pad). The exterior cover has a means of adhering on a part of the exterior cover but not the entire cover. The overall material of the exterior cover is flexible. The exterior cover may consist only of a means of adhering in which case the exterior cover does not enclose the pad but instead is fixed to some portion of the pad. 
     The device can serve many functions including the following non-limiting functions; an orthotic, a bandage, a pad that is movable to surround a wound and is made to subjectively fit any body part. 
     In a non-limiting embodiment of this invention the fixed surface is attached to the protective covering with adhesive, stitching or snaps. 
     In a non-limiting embodiment the protective covering has a body contacting inner side and an outer side, and a plurality of fastening elements affixed to said outer side. The fixed surface optionally has an opening to accommodate a wound. 
     In a non-limiting embodiment the pads are movable to support an object within the shipping container and the fixed surface is fixed to the shipping container with an adhesive. The shipping container can be, for example, a carrying device such as a backpack and the movable pads can be placed on the straps of the carrying device. 
     In a non-limiting embodiment the means of adhering is a hook texture, a loop texture, or a combination of hook and loop texture. In another embodiment the means of adhering can be a non-drying adhesive. 
     In a non-limiting embodiment the fixed surface can optionally have an exterior cover independent of the pad covering all or part of the fixed surface. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       While the invention is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the intention is not to limit the invention to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a device configured and arranged in accordance with an implementation of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is the device in  FIG. 1  used in association with a shipping container or protective covering. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       FIG. 1  shows an example of the device  10  made in accordance with the invention. The device  10  includes a fixed surface  12 . The fixed surface  12  ( a ) is or ( b ) is covered by a first means of adhering  17 . At least one pad  20  has an exterior cover  25  enclosing the pad  20 . A second means of adhering  30  is located on the exterior cover but is not part of the entire cover. The enclosed pad  40  includes the exterior cover  25 , the pad  20 , and the means of adhering  30  and can be detached, moved, and contacted at any location of the fixed surface  12 . 
     A body or an object needs protection from trauma during recovery from an injury, performing a sports activity, or in the process of moving from one location to another. A body is considered the entire material or physical structure of an organism or object, especially of a human or an animal. A body part is any portion of the body. 
     A means of protection for the body or object is in the form of a protective covering or shipping container  50 , as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . The protective covering or shipping container  50  can be hard or soft and often requires a cushion to surround the body or object. The at least one enclosed pads  40  (also referred to as pad  40 ) can be one pad  40  or any number of pads needed to provide a cushion or a source of pressure application on the interior of a protective covering or shipping container  50 . The pad  40  can be any shape or size needed to serve as a cushion like mass of soft material used for protection. The pad  20  has a thickness of about 1.50 mm to about 75.0 mm and the pad  40  is made of a material that provides a yieldable resilient interior having a consistent memory. Examples include, but are not limited to, an open cell or close cell foam material, an inflatable material, polyurethane, a combination of polymers, and a combination of copolymers. The pad  40  material can be removed from the fixed surface  12  and washed. 
     The pad  40  has an exterior cover  25 . The exterior cover  25  occupies some portion of the surface of the pad  40 . The exterior cover  25  is an additional part that is spread over, envelops, or coats the surface of the pad  20 . The exterior cover  25  provides a way to attach the pad  40  to a part of the fixed surface  12 . 
     The pad  40  and the fixed surface  12  adhere to each other in a way that allows the pad  40  to be removed from one location on the fixed surface  12  to another location on the fixed surface  12  or removed from the fixed surface  12  altogether. For use in any device  10  of this invention at least one pad  40  must be adhered to the fixed surface  12 . The second means of adhering  30  is not on every bit of the exterior cover  25 . On the fixed surface  12  the first means of adhering  17  covers the complete surface and no part is left out. The fixed surface  12  may have the exterior cover  25  with no pad  20  therein in places where no pad  40  is adhered to the fixed surface  12 . 
     The fixed surface  12  is securely fastened and non-removable from the protective covering or shipping container  50 . The fixed surface  12  is located on the interior of the protective covering or shipping container and faces the body part or object. The fixed surface  12  is composed of a material having adhesive properties  17 . 
     The device  10  subjectively fits any body part which means it is generally conformable to anatomical surfaces (shielding). As such, it conforms to the surface even when the surface is moved even when a joint is flexed and then returned to its un-flexed position. 
     The shipping container  50  is a receptacle for holding items. The shipping container  50  may be composed of a variety of materials and may be for example metal, plastic, wood, cardboard, fabric, or a combination of materials. 
     The fixed surface  12  may be attached to the protective covering  50  by snaps, buttons, adhesive, stitching, or any other permanent attachment device  52 . When an adhesive is used it may be a low adhesion coating (adhesive). The adhesive can be single sided or double sided. When the adhesive is double sided the adhesive is characterized as adhering to the protective covering  50  and the enclosed pad or an exterior cover. 
     The first and second means of adhering  17 ,  30  can have a hooked and/or loop texture, for example, but not limited to VELCRO, or a non-drying adhesive surface. The first and second means of adhering  17 ,  30  has the characteristic of adhering more then one time without loss of texture or adhesive character. 
     A wound is any body part that has experienced a trauma. The trauma can manifest as an ulcer, a bedsore, a blister, an incision, a burn, a fistula, a fracture, or a hematoma. A trauma can also be internal (i.e. torn ligament) in which case the device can serve to apply pressure. The protective covering  50  and the fixed surface  12  can have an open area  54  that allows the wound to be exposed to air circulation. The enclosed pads  40  attached to the fixed surface  12  elevate the wound away from the surface of the protective covering thereby offering protection to the wound while still allowing air circulation to the wound.