Patent Publication Number: US-2003221260-A1

Title: Moving pressure support

Description:
[0001] The support product repeatedly moves points of maximal pressure between the product and a weight supported by the product, which is especially useful for avoiding problems such as bed sores. 
     
    
    
     [0002]FIG. 1 depicts the product in use supporting an object, for example a leg.  
     [0003]FIG. 2 is a view across line  2 - 2  depicting a chamber, beads in the chamber, an optional second chamber, and moving means.  
     [0004]FIG. 3 depicts motions of beads which move points of maximal pressure between the chamber and the object being supported. 
    
    
     [0005] The product  10  comprises a chamber  30 , beads in the chamber, for example  11  and  12 , and moving means moving the beads. The beads provide a changeable configuration of points of maximal pressure between the chamber and an object— 91  for example—supported on the chamber. There can be a lubricating fluid  21  in the chamber for easing moving the beads.  
     [0006] For example—as depicted in FIG. 3—bead  11  contacts the chamber at point  51 . The chamber contacts the object at point  52 . The pressure between the chamber and the object is maximal at point  52 . The pressure at point  53  is less.  
     [0007] When bead  11  moves to the position indicated by  11 A the bead contacts the chamber at point  51 A and the chamber contacts the object at point  52 A. Then the pressure between the chamber and the object is maximal at point  51 A and is less at point  53 A.  
     [0008] As other beads move similarly—for example  12  moving to  12 A—the beads provide a changeable configuration of points of maximal pressure between the chamber and the object. Thus, the pressure between parts of the object and the chamber change so that the parts of the object are not subject to the constant pressure which causes harm such as bed sores.  
     [0009] The beads are not moved by motions of the object. The product has moving means for moving the beads in the chamber to cause the changeable configuration of points of maximal pressure to change repeatedly while the object is supported.  
     [0010] The product is especially useful for supporting objects which will not move for an extended period of time. The points of maximal pressure move many times while the object is supported. The rate of moving in this use depends on many factors such as the properties of the object being supported. For example, when the object is a part of a person&#39;s body, then factors such as weight, age, skin condition are important for determining the rate of moving of the beads.  
     [0011] The moving means—depicted schematically as  41 ,  42 ,  43 —can be in indirect contact with the beads as depicted in FIG. 2. There the chamber is defined by walls  31  and  32  and the moving means is in a second chamber  40  defined by walls  32  and  44 .  
     [0012] The moving means can be in a second chamber which is independent of the chamber. Then the chamber can be supported on the second chamber.  
     [0013] The moving means can be in direct contact with the beads. For example the wall  32  can be absent so that the moving means is in the chamber, where the chamber is now defined by walls  31  and  44 .  
     [0014] Moving means can be any means which does move beads in a chamber so that points of maximal pressure move many times while an object is supported on the chamber. For example, moving means can be electro-mechanical, can be fluidic, can be fluid flow interacting directly with the beads, and can be combinations of these and other means so long as the required function is provided.  
     [0015] The chamber can be made of various materials in various configurations so long as the needed functions are provided. The portion of the chamber on which objects are supported should be flexible to maximize the difference between points of maximal pressure and the pressures elsewhere.  
     [0016] The beads can be made of various materials in various configurations so long as the needed functions are provided. For example, beads can be solid, hollow, spherical, non-spherical, faceted, fixed in a regular, moving array, fixed in an irregular, moving array, and various combinations of these and other properties so long as the beads provide the moving points of maximal pressure.  
     [0017] The moving means can be any means which does move the beads to provide moving points of maximal pressure. The moving means can cause motions of the beads which are regular, which are irregular, which are random, and which are various combinations of these.  
     [0018] The product can be made to support various objects. For example the product can support a body part such as the leg depicted, can support a sitting person, can support all of a prone, and semi-prone, person, can support other animate beings, and can support various inanimate objects. Specific details of the chamber, the beads, the moving means, the motions, and any lubricating fluid can be determined by the specific use of the support product.