Bendable thermal pack unit

• US 4,108,146 A
• Filed: 05/16/1977
• Issued: 08/22/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Theodore Alan Golden
• Original Assignee: Theodore Alan Golden
• Inventors: Golden, Theodore Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Trapp, Lawrence W.
• Application Number:
  US05/797,029
• Time in Patent Office: 463 Days
• Field of Search: 128/399, 128/400, 128/402, 128/82.1, 128/258
• US Class Current: 607/104
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0054 with a closed fluid circuit, e.g. hot water
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/02 Compresses or poultices for effecting heating or cooling

Abstract

A thermal pack unit or compress is formed by adhesively securing two relatively thin pieces together. The first piece is a plastic sheet having one or more interconnecting channels or grooves formed in a surface thereof to form a path for the circulation of the thermal fluid. The second piece is a relatively thin sheet of non-resilient bendable metal which is secured over the channeled surface of the plastic sheet for sealing the top portion thereof so the fluid inputted at one end of the channeled space is able to flow or circulate therethrough and then be outputted from an outlet in the channeled space. The metal sheet is bendable so that the pack unit can be readily conformed to a given contour of the human body such as the irregular areas about the eyes, nose and ears of a person and the characteristics of the metal insure that the contoured shape will be retained to aid in keeping the pack unit positioned while in use.

Claims

1. A relatively thin bendable thermal pack unit adapted to be molded to conform closely to the contours of a portion of a human body and to retain the molded shape when positioned to circulate a thermal fluid to heat or cool adjacent skin areas to aid in healing and the like, said thermal pack unit comprising a bendable plastic-like web having at least one channeled space formed in a surface thereof to form a fluid path for the circulation of a thermal fluid, a relatively thin sheet of non-resilient bendable material secured over said channeled surface of said plastic-like web for sealing the top of said channeled space, said relatively thin sheet being bendable to conform to a given contour and adapted to retain that contour to aid in keeping the positioned thermal pack unit in place upon a portion of a human body, and means coupled to outlets in the channeled space for circulating thermal fluid therein to heat or cool areas of the human body adjacent the non-channeled surface of said plastic-like web.

2. The bendable thermal pack unit of claim 1 wherein said relatively thin sheet of non-resilient bendable material includes a dead metal which is easily bent and which retains the shape of the bend even after the bending force is removed therefrom.

3. The bendable thermal pack unit of claim 2 wherein said thin sheet of non-resilient bendable metal includes aluminum.

4. The bendable thermal pack unit of claim 1 includes inlet means at one end of the plastic-like web for communicating with an input portion of the channeled space formed therein for receiving said thermal fluid for circulation within said channeled space and an output at another portion of said channeled plastic-like web for receiving the circulated thermal fluid after it has been circulated within said pack unit.

5. The bendable thermal pack unit of claim 1 wherein said at least one channeled space includes a plurality of parallel channels separated by pedestal portions integral with the floor of the plastic web for providing circulation paths within said channeled space.

6. The bendable thermal pack unit of claim 1 wherein said at least one channeled space includes a continuous serpentine channel having an input and an output coupled to said means for circulating thermal fluid within said pack unit.

7. The bendable thermal pack unit of claim 1 wherein said bendable plastic-like web includes a plurality of spaced pedestal portions integral with a portion thereof for dividing said at least one channeled space into a plurality of paths for circulating said thermal fluid therethrough.

8. The bendable thermal pack unit of claim 1 further including adhesive means for sealably securing said relatively thin sheet of non-resilient bendable material over the channeled surface of said plastic-like web to prevent the escape of said thermal fluid from said channeled space.

9. The bendable thermal pack unit of claim 1 wherein said thermal fluid is maintained at a termperature lower than the temperature of a human body for enabling said pack unit to be used in an area having recently undergone plastic surgery, skin graft and the like to reduce the tendency of the skin cells to die while giving time for the new blood cells to take over and aid in the healing process.

10. The bendable thermal pack unit of claim 1 wherein said bendable plastic-like web includes a highly durable, relatively soft, bendable plastic material such as cast polyvinyl.