Inflatable boot and method for its manufacture

• US 5,868,690 A
• Filed: 04/30/1997
• Issued: 02/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Clement G. Eischen Sr
• Original Assignee: Clement G. Eischen Sr
• Inventors: Eischen, Clement G. Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): DeMille, Danton D.
• Application Number:
  US08/850,751
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 601/148-152, 601/55, 601/27, 601/15, 606/202, 128/DIG. 20, 602/13, 602/14, 602/2
• US Class Current: 601/151
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 9/0078 with intermittent or alternately inflated bladders or cuffs mattresses for preventing bed-sores with alternated pressurized chambers A61G7/05776
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 9/0085 Inflated by user's body movement, e.g. ambulatory devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/20 Inflatable splint

Abstract

An inflatable boot and method for its manufacture, in which the boot includes a bladder for encasing at least a portion of a human foot and at least a portion of an ankle. The bladder is defined by an inner and an outer layer of substantially gas-tight material, and includes fluidically interconnected wall and sole portions. The wall portions are sized and shaped for collectively encasing a human ankle and the sole portion is sized and shaped for encasing a sole of a human foot. A structural interconnection joins the inner layer of the bladder substantially directly to the outer layer at a location interposed the sole portion and one of the wall portions to create a foot-supporting contour for the sole portion of the bladder when the bladder is inflated. The bladder for the boot is manufactured in a flattened condition, and then folded over and joined at seams to define a boot.

Claims

1. An inflatable boot, comprising:

a bladder for encasing a human foot, including an inner layer and an outer layer of substantially gas-tight material joined by a continuous seal, and including fluidically interconnected wall and sole portions, the sole portion having a heel and a toe each said heel and toe having outer ends;

an island seal in the bladder formed by a substantially direct connection between the outer layer and the inner layer at a location on an external surface of the bladder interposed the sole portion and one of the wall portions and the heel and the toe, independent of the continuous seal said island seal having a heel end and a toe end spaced from respective outer ends of the heel and toe; and

a first inflatable passageway and a second inflatable passageway fluidically interconnecting the wall portion and the sole portion between the heel end and the toe end of the island seal and respective outer ends of the sole portion.

2. An inflatable boot comprising:

a bladder for encasing at least a portion of a human foot and at least a portion of an ankle, the bladder defined by an inner and an outer layer of substantially gas-tight material, and including wall portions fluidically interconnected to a sole portion, the wall portions sized and shaped for collectively encasing a human ankle and the sole portion sized and shaped for encasing a sole of a human foot, the sole portion having a heel region and a toe region each said heel and toe region having outer ends;

a pair of spaced apart structural interconnections, each structural interconnection joining the inner layer of the bladder substantially directly to the outer layer at a location interposed the sole portion and one of the wall portions and interposed the heel region and the toe region, each said structural interconnection having a heel end and a toe end spaced from respective outer ends of the heel and toe regions each structural interconnection creating a foot-supporting contour for the sole portion of the bladder when the bladder is inflated and defining at least a first and a second passageway, the first passageway fluidically interconnecting the toe region of the sole portion substantially directly to one of the wall portions between the toe end of each structural interconnection and the outer end of the toe region and the second passageway fluidically interconnecting the heel region of the sole portion substantially directly to one of the wall portions between the heel end of each structural interconnection and the outer end of the heel region, allowing relatively unobstructed fluid flow between the sole portion and the one of the wall portions within portions within the heel region and within the toe region.

3. The inflatable boot according to claim 2, wherein:

the inner and outer layers of the bladder encompass an inflatable interior;

the bladder is folded over upon itself about a fold line and joined at a front seam and a rear seam; and

the structural interconnection is intermediate the front seam and the rear seam, displaced from the fold line.

4. The inflatable boot according to claim 2, wherein:

the inner and outer layers of the bladder encompass an inflatable interior;

the bladder is folded over upon itself about a fold line to define left and right sides of the bladder relative to the fold line, and portions of the left side of the bladder are joined to matching portions of the right side to define a front seam and a rear seam;

the structural interconnection is in the left side of the bladder, intermediate the front seam and the rear seam, displaced from the fold line; and

an additional structural interconnection joining the inner layer of the bladder substantially directly to the outer layer at a location interposed the sole portion and the wall portion is in the right side of the bladder, intermediate the front seam and the rear seam, displaced from the fold line.

5. The inflatable boot according to claim 2, wherein a notch is included in the periphery of the bladder to provide a visual reference indicating the proper placement of a heel of a human foot, prior to inflating the bladder, so that an inflated cushion may form properly under a sole of a foot when a heel of a foot is held approximately aligned with the notch and the bladder is inflated.

6. The inflatable boot according to claim 2, further comprising a pocket on the inner layer of material of the bladder so that a thermal treatment device may be held in the pocket, and may be sandwiched between the bladder and at least a portion of a lower leg, ankle or foot that is inserted into the bladder, when the bladder is inflated.

7. An inflatable boot comprising:

a first layer of substantially gas-tight material folded over upon itself to create an inner boot for encasing a human foot when so folded; and

a second layer of substantially gas-tight material folded over upon the first layer to create an outer boot for encasing a human foot and the inner boot when so folded, the second layer joined to the first layer along a continuous seal to define a substantially gas-tight bladder;

wherein

the first and second layers of material encompass an interior of the bladder;

the bladder includes fluidically interconnected wall and sole portions, the sole portion including a heel region and a toe region;

the first layer is connected substantially directly to the second layer to form a structural interconnection for the bladder substantially separate from the seal, the structural interconnection operating on the bladder so that a fluid-filled cushion may be caused to form under a foot that is inserted into the inner boot, when the bladder is inflated and defining at least a first and a second passageway the first passageway fluidically interconnecting the toe region of the sole portion substantially directly to one of the wall portions and the second passageway fluidically interconnecting the heel region of the sole portion substantially directly to one of the wall portions, allowing relatively unobstructed fluid flow between the sole portion and one of the wall portions within the heel region and within the toe region.

8. The inflatable boot according to claim 7, wherein:

the first and second layers of material encompass an interior of the bladder;

the region of noninflation is a first region of noninflation; and

the first layer is connected substantially directly to the second layer to form a second structural interconnection for the bladder substantially separate from the seal and the first structural interconnection.

9. The inflatable boot according to claim 7, wherein a notch is included in the periphery of the bladder to provide a visual reference indicating the proper placement of a heel of a human foot, prior to inflating the bladder, so that an inflated cushion may form properly under the sole of a foot when the heel of a foot is held approximately aligned with the notch and the bladder is inflated.

10. The inflatable boot according to claim 7, further comprising a pocket on the first layer of material of th bladder so that a thermal treatment device may be held in the pocket, and may be sandwiched between the bladder and at least a portion af a lower leg, ankle or foot that is inserted into the bladder, when the bladder is inflated.

11. A bladder for an inflatable boot, the bladder comprising:

an inflatable leg portion having an opening through which a human foot may be inserted, the leg portion defined by an inner layer of flexible material and an outer layer of material, a portion of the outer layer defining an external surface of the bladder;

an open-looped, inflatable sole portion contiguous with the leg portion, the sole portion having a toe and a heel each said toe and heel having outer ends, the sole portion being defined by the inner layer of material and the outer layer of material;

a structural interconnection connecting the inner layer substantially directly to the outer layer on the external surface of the bladder, the structural interconnection located between the leg portion and the sole portion of the bladder, and located between the toe and heel of the sole portion each said structural interconnection having a heel and a toe end spaced from respective outer ends of the toe and heel; and

a first and a second passageway, the first passageway fluidically interconnecting the toe of the sole portion substantially directly to the leg portion between the toe end of the structural interconnection and the outer end of the toe and the second passageway fluidically interconnecting the heel of the sole portion substantially directly to the leg portion between the heel end of the structural interconnection and the outer end of the heel, allowing relatively unobstructed fluid flow between the sole portion and the leg portion within the heel region and within the toe region.

12. The bladder according to claim 11, wherein:

the inner and outer layers of material encompass an interior of the leg portion and sole portion;

the structural interconnection is a first structural interconnection; and

the inner layer is connected substantially directly to the outer layer to form a second structural interconnection substantially separate from the first structural interconnection.

13. The inflatable boot according to claim 11, wherein a notch is included in the periphery of the bladder to provide a visual reference indicating the proper placement of a heel of a human foot, prior to inflating the bladder, so that an inflated cushion may properly form under the sole of a foot when the heel of a foot is held approximately aligned with the notch and the bladder is inflated.

14. The inflatable boot according to claim 11, further comprising a pocket on the inner layer of material of the bladder so that a thermal treatment device may be held in the pocket, and may be sandwiched between the bladder and at least a portion of a lower leg, ankle or foot that is inserted into the bladder, when the bladder is inflated.

15. An inflatable boot comprising:

a first layer of substantially gas-tight material folded over upon itself to create an inner boot for encasing a human foot when so folded; and

a second layer of substantially gas-tight material folded over upon the first layer to create an outer boot for encasing a human foot and the inner boot when so folded, the second layer joined to the first layer along a continuous peripheral seal to define a substantially gas-tight bladder, at least two folded-over, adjacent portions of the bladder substantially directly interconnected to form a seam defining a portion of the inner and outer boots;

wherein the folding over of the first and second layers defines a fold line;

the first and second layers include a substantial inwardly extending notch along a portion of the seal and including an end of the seam;

the seam extends along only approximately an upper one-half of the notch;

paired portions of the seal extend along approximately a lower half of the notch, separate from the seam so that the paired portions of the seal may extend in approximately opposite directions relative to each other, approximately perpendicular to the seam; and

a portion of the seal forms a loop extending from the seam to the fold line and back again, the loop allowing the bladder to expand outwardly to form a fluid-filled cushion under a foot that is inserted into the inner boot, when the bladder is inflated.

16. The inflatable boot according to claim 15, wherein:

the first and second layers of material encompass an interior of the bladder;

the first layer is connected substantially directly to the second layer to form a region of noninflation for the bladder substantially separate from the notch, located along a line that extends through the notch and is approximately parallel to the fold line.

17. The inflatable boot according to claim 16, wherein the region of noninflation for the bladder is substantially separate from the seal.

18. The inflatable boot according to claim 16, wherein:

the region of noninflation is a first region of noninflation;

the first layer is connected substantially directly to the second layer to form a second region of noninflation for the bladder substantially separate from the seal and the first region of noninflation.

19. The inflatable boot according to claim 15, further comprising a pocket on the first layer of material of the bladder so that a thermal treatment device may be held in the pocket, and may be sandwiched between the bladder and at least a portion of a lower leg, ankle or foot that is inserted into the bladder, when the bladder is inflated.

20. An inflatable boot comprising:

a bladder for encasing a human foot, the bladder defined by an inner and an outer layer of substantially gas-tight material, the inner layer being substantially the same size as the outer layer, and the bladder including fluidically interconnected wall and sole portions, the wall portions sized and shaped for collectively encasing a human leg and the sole portion for encasing the bottom of a human foot; and

a platform-defining sling suspended within the bladder, the sling including a pair of elongate sides connecting a heel region and a toe region of the sling, each elongate side of the sling being attached to the inner layer interposed a respective wall portion and the sole portion, and being located inwardly of the inner layer of the bladder so that a human foot that is inserted into the bladder may be supported by the sling when the bladder is uninflated and held by the wall portions, and so that a human foot that is inserted into the bladder may be supported by a cushion formed by the sole portion of the bladder when the bladder is inflated, the cushion defined between the sling and the outer layer.

21. The inflatable boot according to claim 20, further comprising a structural interconnection joining the inner layer of the bladder substantially directly to the outer layer at a location interposed the sole portion and one of the wall portions, the structural interconnection, in cooperation with the sling, creating a foot-supporting contour for the sole portion of the bladder when the bladder is inflated.

22. The inflatable boot according to claim 20, further comprising a pocket included on the bladder so that a thermal treatment device may be held in the pocket, the pocket oriented so that a thermal treatment device may be sandwiched between the bladder and at least a portion of a lower leg, ankle or foot that is inserted into the bladder, when the bladder is inflated.