WO2002071997A1

WO2002071997A1 - Seating or lying element

Info

Publication number: WO2002071997A1
Application number: PCT/NL2002/000169
Authority: WO
Inventors: Dennis Marco Patrick Kleijn
Original assignee: Hans Voorwinde Beheer B.V.
Priority date: 2001-03-12
Filing date: 2002-03-12
Publication date: 2002-09-19
Also published as: EP1367974B1; DE60204434D1; ATE296602T1; EP1367974A1; NL1017562C2

Abstract

Seating or lying element, said element comprising an envelope of a membranelike material, which at least partly is filled with a stuffing of a granular material and having an upper surface, an under surface as well as a circumference surface, interconnecting the upper and under surfaces. The element is provided with one or more expansion areas (4, 5, 6, 7; 10), said areas resiliently yielding as a pressure is exerted thereon by the stuffing of granular material, said pressure being achieved by the weight of the user and the expansion areas elastically return to their initial shape as said pressure diminishes or is removed. The expansion areas may be formed as elastically stretchable wall portions (4, 5, 6, 7) of the envelope or as a fill piece (10) of a easy compressible material arranged within the envelope.

Description

Seating or lying element

The present invention relates to a seating or lying element, comprising an envelope of a membranelike material, which is at least partly filled with a stuffing of a granular material and having an upper surface, an under surface, as well as an circumference surface interconnecting the upper and under surfaces. Such element are known in a wide range of embodiments and an important object of said elements is to support the user as equally as possible and over a surface as large as possible, in order to avoid pressure zones.

An important field for the application of such elements is the use as therapeutic seating of lying element for patients, which are confined to their beds or wheel chair, in order to avoid the development of decubitus ulcers.

An example of such an element is disclosed in the German Patent Specification DE 22 00 823. Herein a mattress is disclosed, comprising one or more separate compartments, which are connected to one another and each compartment has been partly filled with a stuffing of granular material. The upper surface of the mattress will distort under the weight of the patient until the entire space of the compartment is filled and the granular stuffing is put under pressure. Due to said pressure the configuration of said stuffing will be maintained and the same pressure will be exerted on all members of the body of the patient, independent on how far these members are penetrated into the mattress.

A disadvantage of such a mattress is that if the patient assumes a different position, the pressurised stuffing will not or hardly adapt itself to the changing circumstances, so that local pressure zones may arise, which may affect the comfort of the patient and may lead to decubitus ulcers.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a lying of seating element, which provides a better comfort for the user, which is suitable to avoid decubitus ulcers and which is also cheap and simple to manufacture.

According to the invention this object is achieved in that the element is provided with one of more elastic expansion areas, said areas resiliently yielding as a pressure is exerted thereon by the stuffing of granular material, said pressure being achieved by the weight of the user and the expansion areas elastically return to their initial shape as said pressure diminishes or is removed.

In this way the stuffing of granular material will be allowed to deflect locally at the elastic expansion areas as the cushion is loaded by the weight of the user. The stuffing is able to adapt itself to the contours of the user, so that the user is supported over a larger surface and therefore is more uniformly supported. In other words the user sinks deeper into the lying or seating element. As the pressure on the stuffing totally or partly is removed the expansion areas will return elastically to their original shape and push back the stuffing. When the element is used again or when the user moves to another position, said stuffing is able to adapt itself again to the contours of the user.

According to the invention, the elastic expansion areas are formed by wall portions of an elastic stretchable material, preferably an elastic fabric, said portions being integrated in the envelope. So the envelope will bulge out at the locations of the elastic wall portions due to the pressurising of the stuffing, in order to make it possible for the stuffing to adapt itself to the contours of the user.

According to another suitable embodiment of the invention the elastic expansion areas are formed by one or more fill pieces of an easy compressible material, said fill pieces being arranged inside the envelope. In this embodiment the stuffing of granular material will be able to deflect inside the envelope by compression of said fill pieces. According to further embodiment of the invention the lying or seating element is formed by a number of joined and interconnected parts, each parts consisting of an envelope of a membranelike material with a closable fill opening, and one of more of said parts being provided with at least one elastic expansion area. The separate parts also allow an individual adaptation to the demands or needs of the patient by varying its degree of filling.

In a further embodiment of the invention, which is extremely suitable for use as an anti-decubitus cushion for a wheel chair, the element comprises an oblong front part, which extends over the total width of the element and two back parts extending peφendicularly to the front part, both end walls of the envelope of the front part consist of a elastic stretchable material, and the rear end wall of the envelope of each of said back parts also exist of an elastic stretchable material. This arrangement allows that the stuffing is allowed to bulge out sidewards and backwards, that is under the armrests and the backrest of the wheelchair, in such a way that said bulging out does not hinder the user.

The invention will be explained more in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show as an example two embodiments of the invention. In the drawing is:

Figure 1 diagrammatically a perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention as an anti-decubitus cushion for a wheel chair; Figure 2 a view from the rear of the cushion of figure 1 ; and

Figure 3 a view from above of the cushion of figure 1 , in which the bulges of the cushion are shown with dot-lines, in case the cushion is loaded with the weight of a patient, and Figure 4 a sectional view of a second embodiment of a seating or lying element according to the invention, comprising an internal expansion area. Figures 1-3 show a seating element in the embodiment of an anti-decubitus cushion for a wheel chair, said cushion comprises three interconnected cushion parts la, lb, lc. Said parts each consists of an envelope of a membranelike material, said envelope being filled with granular material, preferably polystyrene grain having a diameter of ca. 0,5-1 mm. In the shown embodiment the parts la, lb, lc are each formed as a rectangular box and are arranged side by side, so that said parts form together the substantially rectangular cushion, having an upper surface for supporting the user and an under surface which rests on the seating of the wheel chair and a circumference surface interconnecting both surfaces

The parts la, lb and lc are interconnected by a mutual under wall 2 and substantially abut one another, although in the drawing they are for the sake of clarity shown with some space between them. Each part is furthermore provided with a fill opening 3, which for example can be closed by a zipper, provided in the under wall 2

(figure 2).

In the shown embodiment the cushion is formed by an oblong front cushion part la, extending over the total width of the cushion and is intended for supporting the upper part of the thighs of the patient. Two parallel extending oblong back parts lb and lc abut perpendicular the front portion and are intended for supporting the bottom of the patient. The envelope of the front cushion part is at both end walls 4, 5 provided with a material that is elastic in all directions, like a knitted stretch material. In the same way the rear end walls 6, 7 of the envelope of both other cushion parts lb and lc are also made of this material, which is elastic in all directions. The above-described arrangement of the anti-decubitus cushion according to the present invention has at one hand the advantage that said cushion can be adapted individually to the needs of the patient by varying the degree of filling of the different cushion parts. Besides the resilient wall portions of the envelope of each cushion part allow that the stuffing can deflect sidewards in case a load is applied by the weight of the patient. In figure 3 a view is shown from above of the cushion in the loaded situation, in which the elastic wall portions bulge outwards, as indicated by dash lines 5', 6 'and 7'. The stuffing is allowed to adapt itself to the contours of the patient, so that no pressure zones are developed, which might give rise to decubitus ulcers. The bulging out of the wall portions, which are made of elastic material can be performed without difficulty, because said bulges are directed backwards (6' and 7') into the free space between the backrest and the seating of the wheelchair, while the deflection sidewards (4', 5') is made possible by the free space under the armrests of the wheel chair.

In figure 4 a second embodiment is shown of the seating element according to the invention, said seating element comprises a membranelike envelope 8, which contains a stuffing 9 of a granular material. Within the envelope adjacent to its under surface a expansion area 10 is provided, consisting of a fill piece of an easy compressible material, like polyether with a low density and open cells. The stuffing of granular material can deflect, as it is pressurised by the weight of the user, due to the compression of the fill piece and adapt itself to the contours of the user. As the pressure is removed the fill piece will return to its initial shape. Of course it is also possible to arrange said fill piece at other positions inside the envelope.

It will be apparent that the invention is not limited to the shown and disclosed embodiment, but that without departing the scope of the accompanying claims various modifications and variants will become possible for those skilled in the art. It is of importance that the stuffing of granular material may resiliently deflect under pressure of the user and is able to adapt itself to the contours of the user. The number and mutual arrangement of the cushion parts may be varied. The cushion part does not need to be box shaped, but dependent on the application also other shapes may be used. The cushion parts also may be separately manufactured and bonded to one another in a suitable way. The expansion areas may be shaped as desired and have a resilient capacity that is dependent on the desired use of the concerning element.

Claims

1. Seating or lying element comprising an envelope of a membranelike material, which at least partly is filled with a stuffing of a granular material and having an upper surface, an under surface as well as a circumference surface, interconnecting the upper and under surfaces, characterised in that, said element is provided with one or more elastic expansion areas, said areas resiliently yielding as a pressure is exerted thereon by the stuffing of granular material, said pressure being achieved by the weight of the user and the expansion areas elastically return to their initial shape as said pressure diminishes or is removed.

2. Seating or lying element according to claim 1, characterised in that, the elastic expansion areas are formed by wall portions of an elastic stretchable material, said portions being integrated in the envelope.

3. Seating or lying element according to claim 2, characterised in that, the elastic stretchable material consists of an elastic fabric.

4. Seating or lying element according to claim 3, characterised in that, the wall portions of elastic stretchable material are arranged in the circumference surface of the element.

5. Seating or lying element according to claim 1, characterised in that, the elastic expansion areas consist of one or more fill pieces of an easy compressible material and are arranged inside the envelope.

6. Seating of lying element according to claim 5, characterised in that, the fill piece or fill pieces of an easy compressible material is or are arranged against the under surface of the envelope.

7. Seating or lying element according to claim 5, characterised in that, that the easy compressible material consists of a polyether with a low density and open cells.

8. Seating or lying element according to claim 1, characterised in that the element is formed by a number of joined and interconnected parts (la, lb, lc), each part consisting of an envelope with a closable fill opening and one or more of said parts being provided with at least one expansion area.

9. Seating or lying element according to claim 8, characterised in that the envelope of one or more of the parts in its side wall, which forms a part of the circumference surface of the element, comprises the elastic stretchable wall portion (4, 5, 6, 7).

10. Seating of lying element according to claim 8, characterised in that, that the parts of the element are connected to one another near the under surface of said element.

11. Seating or lying element according to claim 8, characterised in that, the parts of the element are arranged on a common under wall (2).

12. Seating or lying element according to claim 8, characterised in that, the element consists of an oblong front part (la), extending over the entire width of the element, and of two oblong back parts (lb, lc) extending peφendicularly to said front part, both end walls (4, 5) of the envelope of the oblong front part consist of an elastic stretchable material that is elastic in all directions, and the rear end wall (6, 7) of the envelope of each of the both oblong back parts also consists of an elastic stretchable material.