Foot and elbow cushion device

• US 4,730,610 A
• Filed: 01/21/1986
• Issued: 03/15/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Roho Incorporated (Permobil Holding AB)
• Original Assignee: Robert H. Graebe
• Inventors: Graebe, Robert H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafer, Robert A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/820,211
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 128/77, 128/85, 128/87 R, 128/89 R, 128/90, 128/DIG. 20, 128/149, 5/455
• US Class Current: 128/882
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/069 Decubitus ulcer bandages
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/102 Openable readjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/15024 for protecting the body against ulcers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/51492 having specially shaped gas or air bubbles or bag-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/20 Inflatable splint

Abstract

A cushion device shaped into a configuration suitable for supporting the foot and ankle in a normal position or for supporting the elbow, and comprised of a flexible sheet material having adjacent major and minor panels joined by a web to allow the panels to be formed into the necessary shape to match the normal angular position of the foot and ankle, or elbow bend. The sheet material is provided on one surface with an array of pressure fluid cells organized to give the necessary support without causing the formation of sores usually associated with long periods of inactivity of movement. The sheet in its shaped configuration is secured by adjustable cooperating devices of the Velcro type.

Claims

1. A cushion device for supporting a part of a human body such as a foot or elbow, said cushion device comprising:

(a) flexible sheet material having face and back surfaces and being shaped initially in flat form to provide a major panel, a minor panel smaller than said major panel, and a web joining said major and minor panels;

(b) cushion means carried by said face surface of said major and minor panels, said cushion means consisting of an array of pressure fluid containing cells distributed over the face surfaces of said major and minor panels and being in spaced apart arrangement and projecting outwardly to different heights from said face surface to present a plurality of individual support surfaces to the human body part, said cells having freedom of movement to adapt the surfaces thereof to move with the motion of the body parts supported thereon;

(c) first cooperating attachment means carried by and between said major and minor panels for securing said minor panel in position to form said major panel into a partial channel configuration; and

(d) second cooperating attachment means carried by said major panel in position for further shaping said major panel into a channel configuration.

2. The cushion device of claim 1 wherein said first cooperating attachment means includes Velcro patches on the face surface of said minor panel at each side of said web, and cooperating Velcro patches on said major panel at each side of said web and on the back surface such that said Velcro patches on said minor panel engage said Velcro patches on said major panel and embrace said major panel from said opposite surface.

3. The cushion device of claim 1 wherein said second cooperating attachment means includes a flexible member extending outwardly from a margin of said major panel to reach the opposite margin, and means on the opposite margin to retain said flexible member so that the major panel is releasibly fixed in said channel configuration.

4. The cushion device of claim 1 wherein said first and second cooperating attachment means are selectively adjustable to conform the channel configuration of said panels to suit a human body part.

5. The cushion device of claim 1 wherein said array of pressure fluid containing cells include a group of such cells in said face surface of said major panel arranged in a V-configuration and having a height dimension differing from others of said cells.

6. The cushion device of claim 1 wherein said array of cells in said face surface project to different heights from said major panel, certain of said array of cells being arranged in a V-configuration define a support area and have a greter height then other adjacent cells for supporting a body part adjacent a bend of such body part.

7. A cushion device formable into a sleeve configuration for supporting a foot or elbow body part, said cushion device comprising:

(a) a sheet of flexible material having an inner and an outer surface;

(b) cushion means carried by said inner surface of said panels consisting of an array or pressure fluid containing cells distributed over said inner surface of said panels and being in spaced apart arrangement and grouped according to height to present a plurality of support surfaces, certain of said groups having a V-configuration for selective support of a body part;

(c) first securing means distributed between the inner and outer surfaces of said flexible material and so located as to form said material into a partial sleeve configuration closed at one end; and

(d) other securing means operatively disposed on the outer surface of said flexible material in position to cooperate to complete the sleeve configuration, said other securing means being spaced from said closed end of said sleeve configuration.

8. The cushion device of claim 7 wherein said first and other securing means are each selectively engageable for altering the size of said sleeve configuration.

9. A cushion device for receiving a body part to be supported comprising:

(a) a sheet of flexible material having an array of individualized and intercommunicated inflatable cushioning elements on one surface, said sheet being foldable into a sleeve configuration shaped to the body part to be received such that each cushion element of such elements has freedom to move with a body part;

(b) a flexible extension member connected at one end to said flexible sheet and positioned when said flexible sheet material is folded into the sleeve shape to effect an end closure for the sleeve shape;

(c) other individual cushioning elements carried on said extension member to cooperate with said first mentioned array of individual cushioning elements, certain ones of said first array of individual cushioning elements present a surface raised above the remainder of said individual cushion elements;

(d) cooperating retainer means on said flexible sheet material and on said extension member for holding the sheet extension member in its position as an end closure for the sleeve shaped flexible sheet; and

(e) means on said flexible sheet in position to communicate with said inflatable cushioning elements and adjust the pressure in said inflatable elements to provide hydrostaticlike loads on the soft tissues of a person'"'"'s body part for transferring suspension loads to the skeletal elements of the body to the extent required for support of the body part.

10. In a cushion device for supporting and at least partially enclosing a human body part, said cushion device comprising:

(a) flexible sheet material having an inner and an outer surface;

said sheet material being foldable into an elongated U-shaped configuration with said inner surface partially closed at one end and open at the opposite end, said U-shape having a bottom and opposite opposed sides;

(b) means on said sheet material in position for adjustably retaining the U-shaped configuration and partially closed one end in such configuration;

(c) a first array of individual fluid filled cells distributed over said inner surface so as to be positioned on the bottom of said U-shaped configuration, and second arrays of individual fluid filled cells distributed over each of said opposite sides of said U-shaped configuration, said first array of fluid filled cells having certain of said cells therein arranged in adjacent positions so as to be formed into a V-shaped pattern in which the cells in said V-shaped pattern project from said inner surface farther than the cells of said first and second arrays; and

(d) fluid pressure admission means on said sheet material in communication with said cells, whereby said first array of cells contain fluid pressure for supporting a body part in position such that the body part is variably supported by said V-shaped array of cells, and said second arrays support the sides of a body part.

11. The cushion device set forth in claim 10 wherein said outer surface of said sheet material has a lower coefficient of friction than said inner surface to permit substantial mobility of said cushion device simultaneously with movement of the body part.