Transparent pressure garment

• US 4,531,516 A
• Filed: 02/07/1983
• Issued: 07/30/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: David Clark Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: David Clark Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Hansen, David G., Poole, Forrest R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancene, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shedd, C. W.
• Application Number:
  US06/464,662
• Time in Patent Office: 904 Days
• Field of Search: 128/DIG. 20, 128/87 R, 128/89 R, 128/90, 128/118, 128/327
• US Class Current: 602/13
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/05816 Inflatable splints
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/34 Pressure pads filled with air or liquid valves specially adapted for medical use A61M39/00; connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00; valves per se F16K
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/20 Inflatable splint

Abstract

A pressure garment has a transparent exterior panel with a pair of lower sections adapted to be operatively positioned around the legs of the wearer, and with an upper section adapted to be positioned around the abdomen of the wearer. Transparent inner panels cooperate with each of the exterior panel sections to define pressure chambers therebetween. A pressurized gas such as for example compressed air, is introduced into the pressure chambers in order to inflate the same and apply pressure to the wearer'"'"'s body.

Claims

1. A transparent pressure garment comprising:

a flexible transparent exterior panel having a reinforcing mesh embedded therein, said mesh being an open scrim which permits a substantially unhindered view therethrough, said exterior panel having a pair of lower sections adapted to surround the legs of a wearer, and an upper section adapted to surround the abdomen of the wearer;

means for detachably connecting said lower sections to said upper section;

transparent inner panels sealingly secured at their peripheral edges to respective ones of said exterior panel sections in a manner such as to define pressure chambers therebetween, the pliability of said inner panels being greater than that of said exterior panel; and

means for introducing a pressurized gas into said pressure chambers to inflate the same.

2. A modular pressure garment comprising:

three separate transparent exterior panels, three separate transparent interior panels, each of said interior panels being joined peripherally to a respective one of said exterior panels to form three separate inflatable chambers, the exterior panels having at least some of their peripheral portions extending beyond the peripheries of their associated interior panels, one of said exterior panels being dimensioned and configured to be operatively applied at a position encircling the abdomen of the wearer, and each of the other two of said exterior panels being dimensioned and configured to be operatively applied at a position encircling a leg of the wearer;

each of the thus operatively applied exterior panels having its associated interior panel facing inwardly and having overlapping peripheral portions, the transparency of said interior and exterior panels providing a substantially unhindered view therethrough;

means for detachably interconnecting and overlapping peripheral portions of said exterior panels; and

means for inflating said chambers, said means including an air pump, a hose network connected to said pump and having segments adapted to be connected to each of said chambers, said segments each including a pressure relief device and a manual shut off valve, whereupon through appropriate adjustment of said valves, said pump may be employed to pressurize one or more of said chambers.

3. The pressure garment of claim 2 wherein said inner panels are more pliable than said exterior panels.

4. The pressure garment of claim 2 wherein said exterior panels are provided with a reinforcing mesh embedded therein.

5. The pressure garment of claim 4 wherein said mesh includes interwoven warp and woof filaments, with one of either of said warp or woof filaments being oriented in substantially parallel relationship to the direction of stress imposed on said exterior panels as a result of said units being inflated.

6. The pressure garment of either claims 3, 4 or 5 wherein said inflatable units are detachably interconnected.

7. The pressure garment of claim 6 wherein slide fasteners are employed to detachably interconnect said inflatable units, said slide fasteners being arranged to enable said garment to be opened at the junctures between the unit covering the wearer'"'"'s abdomen and the units covering the wearer'"'"'s legs in order to gain access to the underlying area of the wearer'"'"'s body while said units remain inflated.