Single patient, personal use air mattress having a single perimeter seam

• US 7,712,170 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2006
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DT Davis Enterprises Limited (ETAC AB)
• Original Assignee: Woodlark Circle
• Inventors: Davis, David T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Safavi; Michael
• Application Number:
  US11/279,359
• Publication Number:
  US 20060162086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,491 Days
• Field of Search: 5 8/11.R, 565/21, 565/53, 562/5, 570/6, 571/1, 571/2, 571/3, 571/4, 571/5, 573/1, 573/2, 565/4
• US Class Current: 5/711
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 1/013 foldable or collapsible A61G1/017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05769 with inflatable chambers
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/1021 Inflatable cushions
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/1026 Sliding sheets or mats
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/1028 by a support moving on air cushion

Abstract

A single patient, personal use patient transfer mattress is provided including at least a substantially permanently stainable top sheet having a width, a length, and longitudinally oriented peripheral edges and a bottom sheet having the same width, the same length, longitudinally oriented peripheral edges and a plurality of perforations. The longitudinally oriented peripheral edges of the top and bottom sheets are sealingly fastened to one another. A plurality of baffles, each having a width and a length, are attached to an inner surface of the top sheet and an inner surface of the bottom sheet so as to be transversely oriented between the top sheet and the bottom. The baffles along with the widths of the top and bottom sheets define a radially-outwardly curved perimeter wall that is disposed between an edge of the baffles and the sealed peripheral edges of the top and bottom sheets. The radially-outwardly curved perimeter wall has a width y that is determined by the following relationship:

$\frac{d\pi -x}{2}\le y$
where d comprises a height of the longitudinally extensive pontoon and x comprises the width of the baffles.

Claims

1. A single patient, personal use transfer mattress comprising:

a single use top panel having a width, a length, and longitudinally oriented peripheral edges; and

a single use bottom panel having said width, said length, and longitudinally oriented peripheral edges and a plurality of perforations wherein said longitudinally oriented peripheral edges of said top and bottom panels are sealingly fastened wherein at least a portion of said top and bottom panels are formed from sheet of fabric having at least one outer surface comprising a substantially permanently stainable fiber formed from a material selected from the group consisting of acetate, acrylic, anidex, aramid, azlon, cotton, elastoester, fluorocarbon, fur, glass, melamine, metallic, modacrylic, mosacrylic, nylon, nytril, olefin, polyetheretherketone, polyester, polyester-polyarylate, rayon, saran, spandex, sulfar, triacetate, vinal, vinyon, and wool or blends thereof; and

further comprising a plurality of baffles each having a width and a length and being attached to an inner surface of said top panel and an inner surface of said bottom panel so as to be transversely oriented between said top panel and said bottom panel, thereby defining a radially outwardly curved longitudinally extensive pontoon disposed between an edge of said baffles and peripheral edges of said top and bottom panels said radially outwardly curved longitudinally extensive perimeter pontoon having a width y that is determined by the following relationship;

$\frac{d<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{\pi <br><br>}-x}{2}\le <br><br>y$

wherein d comprises a height of said longitudinally extensive pontoon, and x comprises said width of said baffles.

2. A single patient, personal use patient transfer mattress according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of baffles each comprise a substantially rectangular sheet.

3. A single patient, personal use patient transfer mattress according to claim 1 wherein said baffles are fastened transversely to a portion of an inner surface of said top sheet and to a portion of an inner surface of said bottom sheet.

4. A single patient, personal use patient transfer mattress according to claim 1 wherein said longitudinally oriented peripheral edges of said top and bottom sheets are sealingly fastened along their interface.

5. A single patient, personal use patient transfer mattress according to claim 1 wherein said sealingly fastened interface comprises at least one of sewn, glued, or heat and ultra sonic energy.

6. A single patient, personal use transfer mattress comprising:

a single use top panel having a width, a length, and longitudinally oriented peripheral edges; and

a single use bottom panel having said width, said length, and longitudinally oriented peripheral edges and a plurality of perforations wherein said longitudinally oriented peripheral edges of said top and bottom panels are sealingly fastened wherein at least a portion of said top and bottom panels are formed from sheet of fabric having at least one outer surface comprising a substantially permanently stainable fiber formed from a material selected from the group consisting of acetate, acrylic, anidex, aramid, azlon, cotton, elastoester, fluorocarbon, fur, glass. melamine, metallic, modacrylic, mosacrylic, nylon, nytril, olefin, polyetheretherketone, polyester, polyester-polyarylate, rayon, saran, spandex, sulfar, triacetate, vinal, vinyon, and wool or blends thereof; and

further comprising a plurality of baffles each having a width and a length and being attached to an inner surface of said too panel and an inner surface of said bottom panel so as to be transversely oriented between said too panel and said bottom panel, thereby defining a radially outwardly curved longitudinally extensive pontoon disposed between an edge of said baffles and peripheral edges of said top and bottom panels said radially outwardly curved longitudinally extensive perimeter pontoon having a width y that is determined by the following relationship;

$\frac{d<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{\pi <br><br>}-x}{2}\le <br><br>y$

wherein d comprises a height of said longitudinally extensive pontoon, and x comprises said width of said baffles, wherein said top and bottom panels are entirely formed from a sheet of substantially permanently stainable fabric formed from an entangled web of fibers.