Inflatable splint

• US 3,164,152 A
• Filed: 02/05/1962
• Issued: 01/05/1965
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1962
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Vere Nicoll Esmond D
• Original Assignee: Vere Nicoll Esmond D
• Inventors: VERE NICOLL ESMOND D
• Application Number:
  US04/171,198
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• US Class Current: 602/13
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/05816 Inflatable splints
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/20 Inflatable splint

Claims

1. AN INFLATABLE SPLINT FOR SUPPORTING AN INJURED LEG AND SUBSTANTIALLY IMMOBILIZING THE INJURED PORTIONS THEREOF COMPRISING TWO SHEETS OF PLIABLE GAS IMPERVIOUS PLASTIC MATERIAL OF SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME SIZE AND SHAPE AND HAVING UPPER AND LOWER END EDGES AND SIDE EDGES AND SEALED ALONG SAID EDGES TO FORM AN INFLATABLE SPACE THEREBETWEEN, A PLURALITY OF LATERALLY SPACED NARROW SINGLE HEAT-WELDED SEAMS SPACED FROM SAID EDGES AND EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY AND GENERALLY PARALLEL TO SAID SIDE EDGES AND EACH OTHER, SAID SEAMS THEREBY FURTHER JOINING SAID TWO SHEETS OF PLASTIC MATERIAL TOGETHER AND SEPARATING THE SAID ENCLOSED SPACE INTO A PLURALITY OF INFLATABLE, GENERALLY PARALLEL, LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING TUBULAR PORTIONS, EACH OF SAID TUBULAR PORTIONS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY WIDER THAN SAID SEAMS, SAID TUBULAR PORTIONS FORMING WHEN INFLATED A PLURALITY OF STIFFENING PIECES TO SHAPE THE SPLINT ON INFLATION AND FROM SUPPORT FOR THE LEG OF THE WEARER, FASTENING MEANS FOR RELEASABLY ATTACHING ONE OF SAID SIDE EDGES TO THE OTHER OF SAID SIDE EDGES TO FORM FROM SAID SHEETS A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL SPLINT FOR COMPLETELY ENCASING THE LEG THEREIN, THE PORTION OF SAID SHEETS BETWEEN SAID FASTENING MEANS FORMING A MAIN PANEL, AND AN EXTENSION PANEL EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY AT AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE LOWER