Inflatable gripping or support device
First Claim
1. A tool comprisingan elongated housing member defining a distribution chamber for receiving a pressure medium and having a plurality of port openings communicating with said chamber,a first hollow body portion of non-elastic flexible material on one side of said housing member, said hollow body portion having a plurality of parallel partition walls extending transversely of said housing member to define a plurality of parallel chambers in said hollow body portion, each said chamber in said hollow body portion being in communication with a respective port opening in said housing member to receive pressure medium therefrom;
- a second hollow body portion of non-elastic flexible material on an opposite side of said housing member relative to said first hollow body portion, said second hollow body portion having a plurality of parallel partition walls extending transversely of said housing member to define a plurality of parallel chambers in said second hollow body portion, each said chamber in said second hollow body portion being in communication with a respective port opening in said housing member to receive pressure medium therefrom;
each said hollow body portion being responsive to an increase in pressure on a pressure medium therein to deform from an inactive condition with said body portions spread apart from each other to an active condition with said body portions bent towards each other; and
a plurality of leaf springs, each leaf spring being disposed in a respective chamber of a respective hollow body portion for biasing said respective hollow body portion from said active condition towards said inactive condition in response to a decrease in pressure in said chambers of said hollow body portions.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In one embodiment, a tool is provided for gripping an object while in another embodiment, the tool is provided for supporting or tuning a person or object resting on a bed or other support. The tool is comprised of a hollow body which can be deformed under a pressure-loaded condition into a concavely curved main surface with an opposite convexly curved back surface. The hollow body has a plurality of parallel chambers on opposite sides of a housing which is transversed to the chambers so as to receive a pressurized medium via the housing. When pressure medium is applied to the chamber, the chamber deforms from a rectilinear condition into a curved condition.
35 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A tool comprising
an elongated housing member defining a distribution chamber for receiving a pressure medium and having a plurality of port openings communicating with said chamber, a first hollow body portion of non-elastic flexible material on one side of said housing member, said hollow body portion having a plurality of parallel partition walls extending transversely of said housing member to define a plurality of parallel chambers in said hollow body portion, each said chamber in said hollow body portion being in communication with a respective port opening in said housing member to receive pressure medium therefrom; -
a second hollow body portion of non-elastic flexible material on an opposite side of said housing member relative to said first hollow body portion, said second hollow body portion having a plurality of parallel partition walls extending transversely of said housing member to define a plurality of parallel chambers in said second hollow body portion, each said chamber in said second hollow body portion being in communication with a respective port opening in said housing member to receive pressure medium therefrom; each said hollow body portion being responsive to an increase in pressure on a pressure medium therein to deform from an inactive condition with said body portions spread apart from each other to an active condition with said body portions bent towards each other; and
a plurality of leaf springs, each leaf spring being disposed in a respective chamber of a respective hollow body portion for biasing said respective hollow body portion from said active condition towards said inactive condition in response to a decrease in pressure in said chambers of said hollow body portions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A tool comprising
a first elongate housing member defining a first distribution chamber for receiving a pressure medium and having a plurality of port openings communicating with said chamber; -
a first hollow body portion of non-elastic flexible material on one side of said housing member, said hollow body portion having a plurality of parallel partition walls extending transversely of said housing member to define a plurality of parallel chambers in said hollow body portion, each said chamber in said hollow body portion being in communication with a respective port opening in said housing member to receive pressure medium therefrom; a second elongated housing member adjacent and parallel to said first housing member, said second housing member defining a second distribution chamber for receiving a pressure medium and having a plurality of port openings communicating with said second chamber; a second hollow body portion of non-elastic flexible material on one side of said second housing member, said second hollow body portion having a plurality of parallel partition walls extending transversely of said second housing member to define a plurality of parallel chambers in said second hollow body member, each said chamber in said second hollow body portion being in communication with a respective port opening in said second housing member to receive pressure medium therefrom; each said hollow body portion being responsive to an increase in pressure on a pressure medium therein to deform from an inactive position with said body portions disposed in co-planar relation to an active condition with said body portions bent relative to each other; and a plurality of leaf springs, each leaf spring being disposed in a respective chamber of a respective hollow body portion for biasing said respective hollow body portion from said active condition towards said inactive condition in response to a decrease in pressure in said chambers of said respective hollow body portion. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
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8. A tool comprising
a bendable plate; -
a plurality of pins rigidly secured to said plate in upstanding manner; a planar body connected to said pins at points in spaced relation to said plate, said body including a pair of layers secured together about the periphery thereof, said layers having a plurality of partition walls defining a plurality of parallel chambers between said layers for receiving a pressure medium; and a conduit communicating with said chambers to selectively deliver a pressure medium thereto for expanding said chambers in a direction perpendicular to said plate while shrinking said chambers in a direction parallel to said plate and transverse to said chambers to effect movement of said points of said pins towards each other with a corresponding bending of said plate transversely of said chambers. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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11. A mattress comprising
a hollow body having a plurality of partitions defining at least four longitudinally extending chambers for receiving a pressurized medium, each said chamber having an upper surface defining a part of a continuous upper supporting surface of said body and a lower surface defining a part of a continuous lower back surface of said body; -
each said partition being disposed between a respective pair of chambers and extending between said upper supporting surface and said lower back surface; each said partition having at least one passage communicating said respective pair of chambers with each other to convey a pressurized medium therebetween; and a bendable plate secured to one side of said body in facing relation to said lower back surface whereby upon expansion of said chambers in response to a pressurized medium therein said plate is bent transversely of said longitudinally extending chambers to deform said lower back surface in a convex manner and to deform said upper supporting surface in a concave manner. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A bed rest comprising
a hollow body having a first plurality of partitions defining at least four longitudinally extending chambers for receiving a pressurized medium, each said chamber having an upper surface defining a part of a continuous upper supporting surface of said body and a lower surface defining a part of a continuous lower back surface of said body; -
each said partition being disposed between a respective pair of chambers and extending between said upper supporting surface and said lower back surface; a housing member for receiving a pressurized medium, said housing member being disposed transversely of said chambers and having port openings communicating in common with said chambers to convey pressurized medium thereto; and a plurality of leaf springs, each spring being disposed in a respective one of said chambers adjacent said upper surface thereof to shape said respective chamber into a flattened shape whereby upon expansion of said chambers in response to a pressurized medium therein said springs are bent longitudinally of said chambers to deform said back surface in a convex manner and to deform said upper surface in a concave manner. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A mattress comprising
a hollow body having a plurality of partitions defining at least four parallel chambers for receiving a pressurized medium, each said chamber having an upper surface defining a part of a continuous upper supporting surface of said body and a lower surface defining a part of a continuous lower back surface of said body with said continuous lower surface of said body being of greater longitudinal extent than said continuous upper surface of said body; -
each said partition being disposed between a respective pair of chambers and extending between said upper supporting surface and said lower back surface; each said partition having at least one passage communicating said respective pair of chambers with each other to convey a pressurized medium therebetween; and at least one port for conveying a pressurized medium into said chambers whereby upon expansion of said chambers in response to the pressurized medium therein said continuous lower surface deforms in a convex manner and said continuous upper surface deforms in a concave manner. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
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Specification