Pressure relief support system for a mattress

• US 5,412,821 A
• Filed: 11/18/1991
• Issued: 05/09/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Span-America Medical Systems Inc. (Savaria Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Span-America Medical Systems Inc. (Savaria Corp.)
• Inventors: Wilkinson, John W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Saether, Flemming
• Application Number:
  US07/793,576
• Time in Patent Office: 1,268 Days
• Field of Search: 5/455, 5/457, 5/462, 5/480, 5/236.1, 5/237, 5/238, 5/241, 5/448, 5/449, 5/474, 5/464, 5/465, 5/481
• US Class Current: 5/709
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 23/065 by fluid means

Abstract

The pressure relief support system contains longitudinal air cylinders having wood slats extending across the air cylinders along the length of the air cylinders forming the shape of a mattress. Foam strips may be included on each of these slats to provide an improved pressure relief mattress system for optimal patient comfort.

Claims

1. A pressure relief support system for a mattress, comprising:

a substantially rectangular casing, said casing including an inner area removably supporting a plurality of respective sealable fluid filled elongate cylinders therein in a predetermined substantially parallel arrangement along the length of a longitudinal first direction of said casing so as to substantially define the shape and size of said mattress;

a plurality of substantially mutually parallel sleeves formed on a selected first side of said casing, said sleeves being situated over the length of said elongate cylinders and extending in a lateral direction substantially perpendicular to said first direction of said casing, and said sleeves being formed for removably receiving respective independent slats therein for providing independent lateral slat user support for reducing longitudinal shear forces on such user;

a plurality of individual relatively firm slats respectively and removably received in said plurality of sleeves such that selected of said slats may be easily alternately inserted into and removed from respective of said sleeves without disturbing the remainder of said slats and without disturbing said predetermined arrangement of said cylinders;

selective closure means for selectively exposing said casing inner area such that selected of said elongated cylinders with selected amounts of fluid therein may be easily alternately inserted into and removed from said casing inner area without disturbing said arrangement of the remainder of said cylinders in relation to said casing and without disturbing said slats received in their respective sleeves; and

support means within said casing inner area for forming predetermined compartments for the insertion of at least selected of said elongate cylinders therein so as to form said predetermined arrangement thereof.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said support means compartments are integrally formed with said casing.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said support means comprise at least a pair of said compartments located within said casing inner area and fixed in respective predetermined locations so as to correspondingly fix their respectively received elongate cylinders with a predetermined air space therebetween.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising foam located atop said sleeves, with an upper side of said foam providing a user support surface.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said foam includes a single foam piece covering said plurality of sleeves.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein said foam includes a plurality of respective foam strips associated with corresponding respective individual slats and supported thereabove such that respective slat and foam strip pairs collectively form respective individual user supports for reducing longitudinal shear forces on a user received on said user support surface.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said foam strips are removably secured and have preselected support characteristics so as to be arranged in selected positions for selected support of a user thereon.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said preselected support characteristics include a selected thickness and density for each foam strip so as to select the stiffness and contour of the user support surface formed therewith.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein said single foam piece further comprises a foam border received around the perimeter of said casing.

10. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

a foam border received around the perimeter of said casing; and

a removable outer cover received around said casing, said sleeves, said foam atop said sleeves, and said foam border around said casing.

11. The system of claim 10, further including a protective liner situated inside said outer cover and beneath said cylinders.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said removable outer cover comprises air and moisture permeable material.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said fluid contained in said cylinders is a gaseous fluid.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said plurality of cylinders comprise at least four respective air cylinders removably received in said casing inner area; and

said support means are formed in said casing inner area for securing at least a pair of said air cylinders in predetermined locations therein such that predetermined air spaces are formed between such air cylinders.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein:

said air cylinders are respectively sealed with valves for adjustment of the amount of air therein; and

said support means include at least a pair of sleeves on respective lateral sides of said casing inner area for receiving respective air cylinders therein.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of slats are respectively arcuately shaped in cross section, and situated so that convex sides thereof face opposite said cylinders.

17. An improved patient support system with laterally self-equalizing static air pressure relief, said system comprising:

a selectively closable inner casing comprised of air permeable material and forming a generally rectangular inner chamber;

at least four generally cylindrical respectively inflatable air bladders removably received in parallel inside said inner casing inner chamber, said bladders having respective valves for selected respective inflation thereof;

compartment means integrally formed in predetermined locations within said inner casing for positioning of said air bladders in a longitudinal direction relative to said inner casing and with a predetermined air spacing among said bladders, said compartment means and said inner casing collectively permitting individual bladders to be removed, adjusted, and reinserted relative to said inner casing inner chamber without disturbing other of said bladders therein;

a plurality of sleeves integrally formed on an upper side of said inner casing, and in spaced, mutually parallel relationship along the full longitudinal direction of said inner casing and perpendicular to such longitudinal direction;

a plurality of slats corresponding with said sleeves and respectively removably received therein, said slats independently providing longitudinal shear force relief to a patient using said system while also providing lateral transmission of patient pressure forces across the longitudinally positioned air bladders therebeneath, so that such forces are laterally self-equalized, said slats also being selectively and respectively removable and insertable relative to said sleeves without disturbing other of said slats;

a border of resilient foam material formed around the perimeter of said inner casing and extending thereabove;

a main body of foam having a first surface received on top of said sleeves, said main body of foam being situated within said border and having an upper patient support surface opposite said first surface thereof; and

a selectively closable outer casing received about all other elements of said system, and comprised of air and moisture permeable material for coolness and comfort of a patient using said system.

18. An improved patient support system as in claim 17, further including:

a protective liner received within said outer casing and beneath said air bladders; and

wherein said main body of foam comprises resilient foam material integrally associated with said border.

19. An improved patient support system as in claim 17, further including:

a protective liner received within said outer casing and beneath said air bladders; and

wherein said main body of foam comprises a plurality of individual foam strips respectively removably supported above each respective slat and extending substantially along the length of such slat, so that respective foam strip and slat pairs operate collectively though independently from other foam strip and slat pairs for providing individual patient supports which reduce longitudinal shear forces on a patient using said system, said foam strips each having selected support characteristics so that preselected patient support can be established for each given patient using said system by selective positioning of said individual foam strips.

20. An improved patient support system as in claim 17, wherein said compartment means comprise a pair of generally circular sleeve arrangements at respective lateral locations within said inner casing inner chamber, such that a corresponding two of said air bladders are respectively received by said sleeve arrangements while the remaining two air bladders are received therebetween.