DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING HUMIDITY AT THE SURFACE OF A SUPPORTING ITEM OF THE MATTRESS TYPE

• US 20080098529A1
• Filed: 10/23/2007
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hill - Rom Industries SA (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill - Rom Industries SA (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Camus, Gilles, Flocard, Thierry
• Granted Patent: US 7,975,331 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 5/652.2
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 21/044 with active means, e.g. by using air blowers or liquid pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 21/048 for heating
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05769 with inflatable chambers
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05784 with ventilating means, e.g. mattress or cushion with ventilating holes or ventilators

Abstract

The present disclosure concerns a device for controlling humidity at the surface of a supporting item (3) of the mattress or cushion type and in the vicinity of the body (13) of an individual resting thereon, comprising an envelope (1) formed by at least two parts (1₁, 1₂) connected with each other at their peripheral edges (1a, 1b), such as being sealed by welding (1c), defining an inner chamber (1₃), the two parts having a first part (1₁) intended to be positioned on the side of said body of the individual, and a second part (1₂) intended to be positioned on the side of said supporting item (3) of the mattress or cushion type, the first part including a material forming a barrier impervious to air and liquid water and pervious to water vapor, the second part including a material pervious to water vapor, the second part comprising at least one air injection port (4) and means for discharging air comprising perforated or porous areas pervious to air, such as perforations (5).

Claims

1. A device for controlling the humidity at the surface of a supporting item (3) of the mattress or cushion type and in the vicinity of the body (13) of an individual resting thereon, comprising an envelope (1) formed by at last two parts (1₁, 1₂) connected with each other at their peripheral edges (1a, 1b), defining an inner chamber (1₃), said two parts consisting in a first part (1₁) intended to be positioned on the side of said body of the individual, and a second part (1₂) intended to be positioned on the side of said supporting item (3) of the mattress or cushion type, said first part consisting of a material forming a barrier impervious to air and liquid water and pervious to water vapor, said second part consisting of a material pervious to water vapor, said second part comprising at least one air injection port (4) and air discharging means comprising perforated or porous areas pervious to air.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the water vapor perviousness of said second part is less than that of said first part.

3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the water vapor transfer of said first part is of 750 to 2,000 g of water/m²/24 hrs, and the water vapor transfer of said second part from 300 to 500 g of water/m²/24 hrs.

4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that said discharging means are perforations (5) and are positioned relatively to said injection port(s) so as to be able to generate a flow of incoming air in said chamber (1₃) through said injection port (4) and discharged from said chamber (1₃) by said perforations (5), in the whole volume of said chamber, when said envelope is inflated with continuously injected pressurized air through said injection port so as to generate overpressure in said chamber.

5. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that said second part is substantially airtight between said injection port and said perforated or porous areas pervious to air, the latter being positioned sufficiently far from said injection port(s) so that substantially the whole volume of said chamber is covered by air flowing between said injection port(s) and said perforated or porous areas.

6. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the ratio of the sum of the sections of the perforations or pores of said perforated or respectively porous areas for discharging air, to the sum of the sections of the said injection ports is at least 2.

7. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that said air discharge perforations (5) are positioned on the periphery of said second part.

8. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that said second part is of a substantially rectangular shape and the device comprises a single said injection port (4) in proximity to the middle of a longitudinal edge of said second part, said air discharge perforations (5) being positioned in proximity to the side edges and to the longitudinal edge opposite to that of the said injection port.

9. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises an intermediate part (2) inside said chamber (1₃) between said first (1₁) and second (1₂) parts, said intermediate part being pervious to air and water vapor, said intermediate part (2) consisting of a layer of non-woven fiber material (2₁).

10. The device according to claim 9, characterized in that said intermediate part is a polyester wadding.

11. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that said first part consists of a non-watertight and non-airtight porous or perforated substrate (1₁b), said substrate being coated on a least one face with a continuous layer (1₁a) of polymer, impervious to liquid water and air, and having water vapor molecular transfer properties.

12. The device according to claim 11, characterized in that said first part consists of a fabric (1₁b) coated over at least one of its faces with a layer (1₁a) of a polymer of the polyurethane type, on the outer face on the side of said physical body.

13. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that said second part consists of a fabric (1₂b) coated on at least one of its faces with a polymer layer (1₂a) having water vapor molecular transfer properties, on the face turned towards the inside of said chamber (1₃).

14. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that said first and second parts are connected together on their peripheral edges (1b, 1c) by welding, directly with each other or via a connecting strip (6) coated with a polymer layer, the different polymer layers of said first and second parts and of said strip, if necessary, being weldable with each other by thermowelding or welding by irradiation.

15. The device according to claim 9, characterized in that said intermediate part (2) consists of a layer of non-woven fiber substrate (2₁), held in shape by a holding device (2₂).

16. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a device for injecting compressed air (8) feeding said envelope (1) with air through said injection port (4).

17. The device according to claim 16, characterized in that said supporting item (3) consists of at least one inflatable compartment filled with air.

18. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is integrated to a protective cover (7) of a said supporting item of the mattress or cushion type, at least at the portion of the cover intended to cover the portion of the face of the supporting item, on which at least one portion of the body of an individual is intended to rest.

19. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises at least a device selected from a device for heating and a device for cooling air.

20. A method for controlling humidity at the surface of a supporting item (3) of the mattress or cushion type and in the vicinity of the body of an individual (13) resting thereon, by means of a device according to claim 1, characterized in that the following steps are performed wherein:

1) said envelope (1) is positioned flat between said supporting item (3) and said body of an individual (1₃) so that said first part (1₁) is turned towards the side of the body of an individual and said second part (1₂) is turned towards the side of said supporting item, and

2) pressurized air is injected in said chamber (1₃) through said injection port (4) with a pressure and a flow rate, such that said envelope remains inflated and overpressurized in spite of the discharge of air by said discharge means and of the pressing of the body on said envelope.

21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that an overpressure of air is established inside the envelope relatively to the outside, sufficient so as to allow air to flow in the whole volume of said chamber.

22. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that an overpressure of air is established inside the envelope relatively to the outside, from 500 to 1,000 Pa.

23. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that the air flow rate in said chamber is of at least 20 l/min.

24. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that air is further injected between said second part and said supporting item, from a same compressed air injection device (8) feeding said envelope through said injection port.