Multi-walled gelastic material

• US 7,823,233 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2010
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Purple Innovation LLC (Global Partner Acquisition Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Gaymar Industries Incorporated (Stryker Corporation)
• Inventors: Jusiak, Joel T., Flick, Roland E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Santos; Robert G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Polito; Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US12/767,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20100207294A1
• Time in Patent Office: 190 Days
• Field of Search: 564/4, 565/21, 565/3, 565/4, 565/55, 572/4, 572/7, 572/9, 573/0, 590/9, 267/81, 267151-153, 297/452.27, 428/138
• US Class Current: 5/655.5
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/085 of liquid type, e.g. filled with water or gel
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/021 Detachable or loose seat cushions
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05715 with modular blocks, or inserts, with layers of different material
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05738 with fluid-like particles, e.g. sand, mud, seeds, gel, beads
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 5/909 Flowable viscous, e.g. gel material containing

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a gelastic cushion. The gelastic cushion is made from a conventional gelastic composition. The gelastic cushion has a structure having a first wall that defines an opening area and buckles when a force is applied to the first wall. When the first wall buckles a predetermined amount, a second wall, interconnected to the first wall, also buckles. The second wall decreases the chance that the first wall bottoms out. Bottoming out increases the pressure on the patient (a.k.a., the force) overlying the gelastic cushion. That increased pressure is undesirable.

Claims

1. A method to produce a gelastic cushion comprising:

A. selecting a mold material;

B. cutting the mold material to create a gelastic structure having

(1) a first set of buckling walls

(i) define a first bottom open-ended opening area wherein there is no gelastic skin material positioned on or across the entire first set of buckling walls'"'"' bottom surface,

(ii) are the tallest walls in the gelastic cushion with a first height ranging from the first set of buckling walls'"'"' bottom surface to the first set of buckling walls'"'"' top surface,

(iii) have a first width that allows the first set of buckling walls to buckle, when a force is applied at the first set of buckling walls'"'"' top surface to the first set of buckling walls, into the first opening area or into

(a) an adjacent second opening and/or

(b) exterior to the perimeter of the gelastic cushion;

(2) a second wall

(i) positioned within the first opening area,

(ii) interconnects to

(a) a first interconnection area that extends from the first set of buckling walls'"'"' bottom surface a distance greater than zero along the first wall toward the first set of buckling walls'"'"' top surface and

(b) a second interconnection area that extends from the first set of buckling walls'"'"' bottom surface a distance greater than zero along the first wall toward the first set of buckling walls'"'"' top surface wherein the first interconnection area is diametrical to the second interconnection area;

(iii) has a second height, which is less than the first height of the first set of buckling walls and the difference between the first height of the first set of buckling walls and second height of the second wall is a first differential distance;

(iv) has a second width that allows the second wall to buckle into the first opening area if the force applied to the first set of buckling walls buckles the first set of buckling walls a distance greater than the first differential distance;

C. pouring a gelastic material into the mold to form the gelastic cushion.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the second wall has a top surface having a shape selected from the group consisting of convex, concave, planar, and combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first set of buckling walls has a top and bottom open-ended opening area wherein there is no gelastic skin material positioned on or across the entire first set of buckling walls'"'"' top and bottom surfaces.

3. A method to produce a gelastic cushion comprising:

A. selecting a first mold material, and cutting the first mold material to create

a first set of buckling walls

(i) define a first bottom open-ended opening area wherein there is no gelastic skin material positioned on or across the entire first set of buckling walls'"'"' bottom surface,

(ii) are the tallest walls in the gelastic cushion with a first height ranging from the first set of buckling walls'"'"' bottom surface to the first set of buckling walls'"'"' top surface,

(iii) have a first width that allows the first set of buckling walls to buckle, when a force is applied at the first set of buckling walls'"'"' top surface to the first set of buckling walls, into the first opening area or into

(a) an adjacent second opening and/or

(b) exterior to the perimeter of the gelastic cushion; and

(iv) forms a first interconnection area that extends from the first set of buckling walls'"'"' bottom surface a distance greater than zero along the first wall toward the first set of buckling walls'"'"' top surface and a second interconnection area that extends from the first set of buckling walls'"'"' bottom surface a distance greater than zero along the first wall toward the first set of buckling walls'"'"' top surface wherein the first interconnection area is diametrical to the second interconnection area;

B. selecting a second mold material, and cutting the second mold material to create a second wall that

(i) is positioned within the first opening area,

(ii) has a first interconnection projection that fits within the first interconnection area and a second interconnection projection that fits within the second interconnection area;

(iii) has a second height, which is less than the first height of the first set of buckling walls and the difference between the first height of the first set of buckling walls and second height of the second wall is a first differential distance;

(iv) has a second width that allows the second wall to buckle into the first opening area if the force applied to the first set of buckling walls buckles the first set of buckling walls a distance greater than the first differential distance;

C. pouring a first gelastic material into the first mold to form the first set of buckling walls and a second gelastic material into the second mold to form the second wall;

D. interconnecting the first set of buckling walls to the second wall.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the first set of buckling walls has a top and bottom open-ended opening area wherein there is no gelastic skin material positioned on or across the entire first set of buckling walls'"'"' top and bottom surfaces.