U.S. patent application number 10/777621 was filed with the patent office on 2004-08-19 for washable protective pad.
This patent application is currently assigned to The HipSaver Co., Inc.. Invention is credited to Goodwin, Edward L..
Application Number | 20040158913 10/777621 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32853032 |
Filed Date | 2004-08-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040158913 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Goodwin, Edward L. |
August 19, 2004 |
Washable protective pad
Abstract
A thin, lightweight, flexible, washable protective pad is
incorporated into a pocket of a washable garment, such as at the
hip. This pad comprises an air-holding envelope extending
substantially throughout the pocket, a compressible insert having a
configuration that extends substantially throughout the envelope
and a junction arrangement between the insert and the envelope. The
arrangement is such that the extent of the configuration of the
insert is maintained substantially throughout the envelope. The
arrangement remains intact when the pad is repeatedly bent, twisted
or otherwise deformed during washing or wearing, maintaining the
pad's protective function. In other configurations, the insert may
be captured by a seal that joins the sheet or sheets that form the
walls of the envelope. The disposition of the insert with respect
to the envelope may thereby be maintained.
Inventors: |
Goodwin, Edward L.; (Canton,
MA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BROMBERG & SUNSTEIN LLP
125 SUMMER STREET
BOSTON
MA
02110-1618
US
|
Assignee: |
The HipSaver Co., Inc.
Canton
MA
|
Family ID: |
32853032 |
Appl. No.: |
10/777621 |
Filed: |
February 12, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
10777621 |
Feb 12, 2004 |
|
|
|
10685647 |
Oct 15, 2003 |
|
|
|
10685647 |
Oct 15, 2003 |
|
|
|
10273985 |
Oct 18, 2002 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
2/267 ;
2/465 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41D 13/0506 20130101;
A41D 13/0593 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
002/267 ;
002/465 |
International
Class: |
A41D 027/26 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A washable protective pad for incorporation into a garment, the
pad comprising: a. a water-impermeable envelope, the envelope
comprising overlaid sheets joined by a seal, the sheets defining a
chamber; and b. a compressible insert at least partly disposed
within the chamber such that part of the seal holds the insert.
2. A pad according to claim 1, wherein part of the insert is stuck
to an interior surface of the envelope.
3. A pad according to claim 1, wherein part of the insert is stuck
to the envelope by an adhesive.
4. A pad according to claim 1, wherein part of the insert is stuck
to the envelope by a weld.
5. A pad according to claim 4, wherein the weld is a radiofrequency
induced weld.
6. A pad according to claim 1, wherein the envelope includes a
coated fabric.
7. A pad according to claim 1, wherein the envelope includes a
plastic.
8. A pad according to claim 1, wherein the envelope includes a
polyurethane film.
9. A pad according to claim 8, wherein the polyurethane film is
unsupported.
10. A pad according to claim 1, wherein the envelope is
air-impermeable.
11. A pad according to claim 10, wherein the envelope includes a
polyurethane film.
12. A pad according to claim 11, wherein the polyurethane film is
unsupported.
13. A washable protective pad for incorporation into a garment, the
pad comprising: a. an air-impermeable envelope, the envelope
comprising overlaid sheets joined by a seal, the sheets defining a
chamber; and b. a compressible insert disposed within the chamber,
a part of the insert stuck to the envelope and no part of the seal
holding the insert.
14. A pad according to claim 13, wherein part of the insert is
stuck to the envelope by an adhesive.
15. A pad according to claim 13, wherein part of the insert is
stuck to the envelope by a weld.
16. A pad according to claim 15, wherein the weld is a
radiofrequency induced weld.
17. A pad according to claim 13, wherein the envelope includes a
coated fabric.
18. A pad according to claim 13, wherein the envelope includes a
plastic.
19. A pad according to claim 13, wherein the envelope includes a
polyurethane film.
20. A pad according to claim 19, wherein the polyurethane film is
unsupported.
21. A washable protective pad for incorporation into a garment, the
pad comprising: a. a water-impermeable envelope, the envelope
comprising a sheet folded upon itself, the edges of the sheet
joined by a seal, the sheet defining a chamber; and b. a
compressible insert at least partially disposed within the
chamber.
22. A pad according to claim 21, wherein at least part of the
insert is stuck to a wall of the chamber.
23. A pad according to claim 21, wherein the envelope is
air-impermeable.
24. A pad according to claim 21, wherein the envelope includes an
unsupported polyurethane film.
25. A method for protecting a portion of a body from a force, the
method comprising: a. providing a protective pad, the pad
comprising i a water-impermeable envelope, the envelope comprising
overlaid sheets joined by a seal, the sheets defining a chamber,
and ii a compressible insert at least partly disposed within the
chamber such that part of the seal holds the insert; and b.
incorporating the pad into a garment, the pad incorporated such
that the pad is disposed between the portion of the body and the
force when the garment is worn.
26. A method according to claim 25, wherein the portion of the body
is a bone.
27. A method according to claim 25, wherein the portion of the body
is a patch of skin.
28. A method according to claim 25, wherein the envelope is air
impermeable.
29. A method according to claim 25, wherein the envelope includes
an unsupported polyurethane film.
30. A method for protecting a portion of a body from a force, the
method comprising: a. providing a protective pad, the pad
comprising i an air-impermeable envelope, the envelope comprising
overlaid sheets joined by a seal, the sheets defining a chamber,
and ii a compressible insert disposed within the chamber, a part of
the insert stuck to the envelope and no part of the seal holding
the insert; and b. incorporating the pad into a garment, the pad
incorporated such that the pad is disposed between the portion of
the body and the force when the garment is worn.
31. A method according to claim 30, wherein the portion of the body
is a bone.
32. A method according to claim 30, wherein the portion of the body
is a patch of skin.
33. A method according to claim 30, wherein the envelope includes
an unsupported polyurethane film.
34. A method for protecting a portion of a body from a force, the
method comprising: a. providing a washable protective pad, the pad
comprising, i an envelope, the envelope including overlaid film
sheets joined by a seal, the sheets defining a chamber, and ii a
compressible insert at least partly disposed within the chamber;
and b. incorporating the pad into a garment, the pad incorporated
such that the pad is disposed between the portion of the body and
the force when the garment is worn and such that the garment with
the incorporated pad is capable of repeated machine washing without
damage.
35. A method according to claim 34, wherein the film includes
unsupported polyurethane film.
Description
[0001] The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S.
application Ser. No. 10/685,647, filed on Oct. 15, 2003, entitled
"Washable Protective Pad," attorney docket 2820/101, itself a
continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/273,985, filed
on Oct. 18, 2002, entitled "Washable, Protective Hip Pad
Construction," each of which is incorporated herein by
reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates to protective anatomical pads
that may be worn to guard against injuries from impact or
pressure.
BACKGROUND
[0003] What might be a minor injury to a young person might
constitute a serious trauma to an elderly or infirm person.
Injuries to the hip are a relatively common and important case in
point. Protective pads have been provided for incorporation in
patch pockets of underbriefs for elderly and/or infirm men and
women. These patch pockets and the protective pads they contain
cover the hip bones and overlap adjacent anterior and posterior
regions, particularly of the buttocks. Such patch pockets position
the protective pads to protect against physical shock due to
inadvertent falling or other physical contact. For this purpose,
one example of a protective pad of the prior art is a thin
assemblage that comprises a hermetically sealed plastic envelope
and an open cell foam insert contained freely therein. In a
particular prior art example, the envelope is in the form of a thin
film, composed for example of polyurethane backed by nylon fabric,
and the insert is in the form of a thin solid foam stratum having
an internal phase composed of open cells of air, and an external
phase composed of elastomeric polyurethane.
[0004] The pad should be sufficiently flexible for comfort. On
impact at any point or region of the pad, air inside the insert and
in the space between the insert and the envelope distributes the
force of the impact and reduces its intensity at the impact point.
A problem with such pads has been a tendency of the insert to
crumple and/or roll up during the tumbling that occurs when the
garment and pad are machine washed. Specifically, when the insert
is not substantially fully extended within the envelope but is
crumpled into a mass, the product may become unwearable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] In a first embodiment of the invention there is provided a
washable protective pad. The pad is constructed from overlaid
sheets joined by a seal to form an air impermeable envelope. A
compressible insert is disposed at least partially within the
chamber formed by the envelope. Part of the seal joining the
overlaid sheets holds the insert, reducing movement of the insert
with respect to the envelope. This arrangement permits the pad to
maintain its shape and protective attributes after repeated
washings. In a specific embodiment of the invention, the surface of
the insert is also stuck to the inner surface of the envelope
through adhesive or thermoplastic adhesion or other means.
[0006] In another embodiment of the invention, a compressible
insert is disposed within the chamber formed by overlaid sheets.
The seal between the overlaid sheets of the envelope does not
capture the insert. Part of the surface of the insert is stuck to
the inner surface of the envelope through adhesive or thermoplastic
adhesion or by other means. In this embodiment of the invention,
movement of the insert with respect to the envelope is reduced by
adhesion of the insert to the envelope wall, allowing the pad to
maintain its shape and protective attributes after multiple
washings.
[0007] In a further embodiment of the invention, a single sheet is
folded upon itself with the edges of the sheet sealed to form an
air impermeable envelope. A compressible insert is disposed at
least partially within the chamber formed by the envelope. The
insert may be captured by the seal that joins the edges of the
sheet and/or the surface of the insert may be stuck to the walls of
the chamber.
[0008] In another embodiment of the invention, a method is provided
to protect an individual from a force. The force may be an impact
from a fall or pressure from a mattress for a bed-ridden individual
or any other force. A protective pad according to any of the above
embodiments is incorporated into a garment worn by the individual.
The pad may be incorporated by insertion into a pocket in the
garment or by attaching the pad to the garment or by other means.
The pad is disposed between the portion of the individual's anatomy
to be protected and the site where the force may impact the
individual.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The foregoing features of the invention will be more readily
understood by reference to the following detailed description,
taken with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hip pad according to an
embodiment of the present invention;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a view of a washable underbrief that incorporates
a pair of washable hip pads in accordance with an embodiment of the
present invention;
[0012] FIG. 3 is an exaggerated cross-sectional view of the hip pad
of FIG. 1, taken along the lines 3-3 of FIG. 1;
[0013] FIG. 4 is an exaggerated cross-sectional view, analogous to
that of FIG. 3, illustrating details of another embodiment of the
present invention;
[0014] FIG. 5 is an exaggerated cross-sectional view, analogous to
that of FIG. 3, illustrating details of a further embodiment of the
present invention;
[0015] FIGS. 6A-6C illustrate several configurations of the insert
captured by part of the seal; and
[0016] FIG. 7 is an exaggerated cross-sectional view, analogous to
that of FIG. 3, illustrating an insert partially captured by a seal
that joins the sheets.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS
[0017] Note that, as used in this description and the accompanying
claims unless the context otherwise requires, the word "part" will
take its normal meaning as meaning at least a portion but less than
the whole. Likewise, the words "air impermeable" will have its
ordinary meaning in the context of protective padding: an air
impermeable envelope or enclosure will be air tight during the
duration of an impact that might be sustained by the enclosure in
normal use. For example, the envelope described in example I below
is considered "air impermeable." Further, as used in this
description and the accompanying claims, unless the context
otherwise requires, "washable" as applied to a protective pad will
have its ordinary meaning as a pad that is capable of being
repeatedly machine washed without damage.
[0018] In embodiments of the present invention, a washable pad
protects part of a human's anatomy, such as a hip, from a force.
For example, the force may be an impact from striking a surface
during an accidental fall. Another exemplary force is pressure from
a mattress or from a wheelchair seat for an infirm individual,
which may lead to bedsores. The pad is constructed to allow
multiple washings while maintaining its shape and its protective
features.
[0019] For example, in an embodiment of the present invention, as
illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 2, an underbrief 20 has a pair of opposed
patch pockets 22 and 24. Each pocket extends over a hip and
overlaps regions of the body that are anterior and posterior with
respect to the hip. Confined within and extending throughout the
pockets are washable, protective pads 26 and 28. While each pad
illustrated is round, pads in other shapes, such as oval or
rectangular may be used. Generally, the area and thickness of the
pad may be less than 90 square inches and less than 1 inch,
respectively, so that the pad may be worn comfortably. In other
embodiments of the invention, the pad may be any size, shape and
thickness necessary to protect an area of the body.
[0020] A washable protective pad may be made in a variety of
constructions according to embodiments of the invention. As shown
in FIG. 3, a protective pad 26 generally comprises an external
envelope 30 and an insert 32. The envelope is impermeable to air
and may be made of any suitable material, such as plastic or a
coated nylon fabric. The envelope may be advantageously formed from
separate sheets that are sealed together, at least at their edges,
or may be made from a single sheet that is folded upon itself and
sealed at its edges. The seal that joins the sheets may be adhesive
or thermoplastic molding or a weld, such as a radiofrequency
induced weld, or another sealing technique suitable for the
materials forming the envelope. Preferably, the external envelope
and the insert are substantially coextensive. The inner surface of
the walls of the envelope defines an inner area, which may be a
laminar region 38 as shown in FIG. 3, or a chamber of any arbitrary
shape. Insert 32 may be an open cell, solid foam having a laminar
configuration that extends substantially throughout inner laminar
region 38 in contiguity with the opposed inner faces of walls 34
and 36. In other embodiments of the invention a wide range of
compressible materials may be used for the insert. The insert
preferably is also resilient, so that the pad may sustain multiple
impacts and maintain its protective function.
[0021] In embodiments of the present invention, the insert may be
attached to the envelope at one or more points so that the
disposition of the insert with respect to the envelope may be
substantially maintained when the pad is washed. Thus, the pad will
retain its wearability and protective function throughout its
lifetime. As shown in FIG. 3, the edges of the envelope may be
sealed together as at 40 and 42 throughout their peripheries,
providing an outwardly extending peripheral flange shown at 44 and
46. In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 3, no part of
the flange or seal between the faces of the envelope holds the
insert--movement between the insert and the envelope is reduced by
sticking the insert to the inner walls of the envelope
[0022] FIGS. 3-5 show embodiments of the invention in which the
surface of the insert is bonded to the inner wall of the envelope.
The bonds between the surface of the insert and the inner surface
of the envelope walls may be made by any convenient technique, such
as by gluing or by thermoplastic melting or by other techniques as
are known in the art. As shown in FIGS. 3-5, the opposed faces of
the insert 32 are generally contiguous with, i.e. in free contact
with or slightly spaced from, the inner faces of walls 34 and 36 at
cleavage regions 35 and 37. Insert 32 is bonded to the inner face
of wall 36 by four spot junctions 48, 50, 52 and 54, which are
located equidistantly around the circumference of the envelope, as
shown in FIG. 1.
[0023] Another embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 4.
Here, the envelope walls are shown at 56 and 58 as being bonded
around their periphery, as at 60 and 62. Within the envelope is an
insert 64. One face of insert 64 is bonded to the inner face of
wall 56 by four spot junctions, two of which are shown at 66 and
68. The other face of insert 64 is bonded to the inner face of wall
58 by four spot junctions, two of which are shown at 70 and 72.
[0024] A further embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 5.
Here, the envelope walls are shown at 76 and 78 as being sealed
around their periphery, as at 80 and 82. Within the envelope is an
insert 84. One face of insert 84 is connected to the inner face of
wall 78 by a junction in the form of a bonding stratum 86 between
the contiguous faces of insert 84 and wall 78. The other face of
insert 84 is free.
[0025] In other embodiments of the invention, the seal, which joins
the sheets or the portions of a single sheet that comprise the air
impermeable envelope, captures and holds the insert. The seal may
be made preferably by radio-frequency induced welding or by other
joining techniques as are known in the art. This technique for
holding the insert may be used alone or in combination with
sticking the insert to the wall of the chamber formed by the
envelope, as illustrated by FIGS. 3-5. The insert may be held by
any part of the seal or by the entire seal. The seal may be
contiguous, in a manner similar to the flange shown in FIGS. 1 and
3 or may be any combination of spot or strip seals. When the seal
between the faces of the envelope captures the insert, movement
between the insert and the envelope is reduced, maintaining the
disposition between the envelope and the insert, when the pad is
worn or laundered.
[0026] By way of example, insert 132 may be circular in shape with
tabs 170 extending from the body of the insert, as shown in the
top-down partial view in FIG. 6A. These tabs may be captured in the
seal 140, 142 (shown as the area between dotted lines) as the seal
is joined. Alternatively, the insert may be circular in shape and
the diameter of the insert may be such that the insert edge 150 is
captured by the seal around the periphery of the pad, as shown in
FIG. 6B The edge of the insert 150 may be beveled so that the
portion of the insert captured by the seal is thin, facilitating an
air-tight seal. As shown in FIG. 6C, the insert may be circular in
shape with a diameter such that the seal around the periphery does
not capture the insert, but spot seals 180 adjacent to the
peripheral seal do capture the insert. Other arrangements of seals
with various size, shapes and placements may be made and all such
arrangements are intended to be within the scope of the invention
as described in the appended claims. FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional
view of the pad for the configuration of FIG. 6B. The pad may have
a thin space 138 between insert 132 and envelope wall 130.
[0027] The following non-limiting examples further illustrate
embodiments of the present invention.
EXAMPLE I
[0028] In the example of the assemblage illustrated in FIG. 3,
details of the various components are as follows. Each of the
envelope walls is composed of a laminate having an outer fabric
stratum and an inner thermoplastic stratum. The insert is composed
of an open cell solid foam having an internal air phase and an
external thermoplastic phase. Preferably, the inner thermoplastic
stratum of each wall and the external phase of the insert are
composed of essentially the same thermoplastic, for example,
polyurethane. Preferably, the fabric stratum is composed of a
textile produced from a high melting point plastic (450.degree. F.)
sold by DuPont.TM. under the trade designation, "NYLON". The fabric
typically is in the range of from 50 to 200 denier, and preferably
is approximately 70 denier. The thickness of the laminate of each
wall ranges from 1 to 6 mils and preferably is approximately 3
mils.
EXAMPLE II
[0029] In furtherance of EXAMPLE I, the junctions are formed by
welding together the thermoplastic faces of the walls throughout
their perimeters, and spot welding the walls to the insert at a
temperature above the softening point of polyurethane and under a
pressure necessary to achieve coalescence and integration of the
polyurethane surfaces. Typically, the diameter of each of the spot
welds range from 1/2 to 11/2 inch, and preferably no greater than 1
inch. In essence the diameters of the junctions are limited to
preserve lateral flexibility and free flow of air between the open
cells of the insert and the adjacent cleavage regions.
EXAMPLE III
[0030] In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the materials of the walls and
the insert are respectively identical to their counterparts in FIG.
3. However, here there area two sets of four equidistantly spaced
junctions. Two of the junctions of one of the sets are shown at 66
and 68 between insert 64 and wall 56. Two of the junctions of the
other of the sets are shown at 70 and 72 between insert 64 and wall
58.
EXAMPLE IV
[0031] In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the materials of the walls and
the insert are respectively identical to their counterparts in FIG.
3. Here, chemical bonding is achieved with a flexible polymeric
adhesive, preferably a flexible polyurethane adhesive. As shown,
one of the faces of insert 84 is bonded by flexible polyurethane
adhesive stratum 86 to the inner face of wall 78. The other of the
faces of insert 84 is free for the purpose of maintaining
flexibility. Also, the two walls 76 and 78 are bonded by flexible
polyurethane adhesive throughout their peripheries as shown at 80
and 82.
Application
[0032] In embodiments of the invention, a protective pad as
described in any of the preceding embodiments may be incorporated
into any garment worn by an individual. The pad may be inserted
into a pocket or may be attached to the garment, such as by
fasteners made of Velcro.TM. or by other suitable fasteners. For
example, a suitably-sized pad may be incorporated into pajamas for
a bed-ridden subject. The pad is attached to the pajamas so that as
the subject lies in bed the pad serves to cushion the subject's
skin from pressure due to gravity acting on the bed's mattress.
Bedsores and other skin irritations may be avoided. As another
example, the pad may be inserted into a pocket in underbriefs, as
shown in FIG. 2, and may protect an individual from hip injury
should an accidental fall occur.
[0033] Surprisingly, we have found that, although an envelope that
is generally suitable for incorporation into a protective pad may
be fabricated from a coated nylon fabric, abrasive wear from the
coarse weave of the nylon in a garment carrying the pad can render
the garment unwearable, as when such wear causes one or more holes
in the garment to develop allowing the pad to slip out of the
garment. Accordingly, we have found it desirable to use an
unsupported plastic film for the envelope. Many plastic films,
however, are unsuitable for this purpose because: (1) the plastic
film's melting point is so low that the film cannot survive washing
and drying in an ordinary laundry in a garment with the pad, (2)
the film employs plasticizers that migrate out of the film leading
to early deterioration and/or (3) the film has other unsuitable
physical characteristics. We have found that use of an unsupported
polyurethane film, such as, for example, unsupported polyurethane
films from manufacturers such as American Poly Film, Inc.,
Deerfield Urethane, Inc. and Omniflex, can address these problems.
Thus, in preferred embodiments of the invention, including in any
of the embodiments described above, the film sheets included in the
enclosure may advantageously be an unsupported polyurethane
film.
Water-Impermeable Protective Pads
[0034] As used in this description and the accompanying claims
unless the context otherwise requires, the term "water-impermeable"
will have its ordinary meaning in the context of protective
padding: a "water-impermeable" envelope or enclosure will be liquid
tight to water and other liquid solutions that may be encountered
during normal use in a protective pad including repeated machine
laundering while incorporated in a garment.
[0035] In preferred embodiments of the present invention, a
protective pad is constructed that includes an envelope or
enclosure with a compressible insert. The enclosure is
water-impermeable: the pad enclosure does not admit water or other
liquid solutions that could be encountered in normal use, e.g.
water, urine, saliva, detergent, blood, or various beverages that
may be spilled, etc. Further, the pad enclosure must not admit
liquids during repeated machine washings and dryings. To spread the
force of an impact, the air inside the enclosure must be
substantially retained inside the enclosure during an impact such
as that produced by a human falling on the pad, but substantial air
transfer may occur over a longer period of time or under greater
force on the enclosure. Such an embodiment of the invention may be
made, for example, by introducing a pinhole or other small fissure
into the enclosure of any of the embodiments described above. All
such embodiments are within the scope of the invention as described
by the appended claims.
* * * * *