US3538910A - Pneumatic pulsating body supporting construction - Google Patents

Description

2,684,672 7/1954 Summerville Inventor Henry Geneste de Besine Buffalo, New York Appl. No. 682,018 Filed Nov. 13, 1967 Continuation of Ser. No. 333,510, Dec. 26, 1963, abandoned. Patented Nov. 10, 1970 Assignee By mesne assignments, to O.E.M.

Medical, Inc., Princeton, New Jersey corporation of New Jersey.

PNEUMATIC PULSATING BODY SUPPORTING CONSTRUCTION 3 Claims, 9 Drawing Figs.

128/33 Int. Cl. A6lh 1/00 Field oi'Seareh 128/24, 33, 60, 64, 40, 44; 5/348, 349-, l37/625.11, 625.68

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,719,986 10/1955 Rand 128/33X 2,998,817 9/1961 Armstrong. "1128/33 3,238,937 3/1966 Stein 128/40 Primary Examiner-L. W. Trapp Attorney-Ostrolenk, Faber, Gerb & Soffen ABSTRACT: A pulsating air mattress having first and second sets of alternate air cells, the first set of air cells having air directed to them through a first inlet conduit and the second set of air cells having air directed to them through a second inlet conduit; the air inlet to the mattress is connected with a bore within which is positioned an axially slidable spool that includes a compressed air inlet conduit which empties into a space between two air seals; the seals are spaced apart a greater distance than the spacing between the two inlet conduits. whereby axial shifting of the spool permits compressed air to pass into either of the inlets alone. or into both of the inlets; and when the spool is in position to permit compressed air to pass into both inlets, transfer of air occurs from the more inflated cells to the less inflated set of cells.

Patented Nov. 10, 1970 Sheet 1 of 3 lwvlszgm. HENRY GENESTE BESME MM FIG 3 ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 10, 1970 Sheet of3 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 10, 1970 3,538,910

Sheet 3 of 3 INVENT R. HENRY GENESTE BESME BTW Q ATTORNEY PNEUMATIC PULSATING BODY SUPPORTING CONSTRUCTION This is a continuation of abandoned application Ser. No. 333,510, filed Dec. 26, 1963.

The present invention relates to an improved body supporting system for use by persons who maintain a sitting position or a substantially immobilized lying position for prolonged periods of time.

It is well known that the maintaining of an immobilized lying position or a sitting position by a person for a prolonged period of time generally has deleterious effects resulting from impaired blood circulation. Carried to extremes, as with an invalid, the prolonged lying of such a person in one position may cause the impaired circulation to result in bed sores. In addition, relative to people who maintain a sitting position for a long period of time, such as aircraft pilots orthe like, the impaired circulation through the legs may accelerate general fatigue.

In the past pulsating mattresses have been utilized in an attempt to alleviate the detrimental effects of general immobility on invalids who had to maintain a lying position for prolonged periods of time. In certain of these pulsating mattresses there were staggered series of air cells which were alternately periodically inflated and deflated by the use of a pulsator to prevent the same portions of the invalids body from always being subjected to the pressure of his weight. However, these prior art systems which included a pulsator and a mattress were subject to certain shortcomings. First of all, in many of them the alternate inflation and deflation of the cells was controlled solely in response to the buildup of pressure in the cells. Obviously if the mattress was punctured, as could readily be the case in hospitals or the like where it is common to use pins regularly, there could be no required'pressure buildup 'which would cause the alternate inflation and deflation.

foregoing condition so that the person who was previously supported by one set of cells dropped abruptly as soon as that set of cells was vented and before sufficient pressure could be built up in the previously deflated set of cells. Therefore the person being supported on a mattress which operated in the foregoing manner was subjected to the objectionable sensation of being intermittently raised and lowered. During the foregoing lowering, a person who had painful injuries such as burns or bed sores on his body was subjected to excruciating pain when his body dropped abruptly onto the base which supported the pulsating mattress. In addition, the rapid changes in pressure of the pulsating mattress itself, caused the pain sensitive burns and bed sores also to be subjected to pain. It is with the providing of an improved pulsating body supporting system which overcomes the shortcomings of prior devices that the present invention is concerned. It is accordingly one object of the present invention to provide an improved pneumatic pulsating body supporting system and an improved pulsator thereforwhich intermittently supports different parts of a persons body inv an extremely gentle manner by causing the pressure of the mattress thereon not to vary rapidly and therefore does not subject painful injuries such as open bed sores or severe burns to the excruciating pain which they would otherwiseexperience as a result of abrupt changes in supporting pressure thereon.

Another-object of the present invention is to provide an improved pneumatic pulsating body supporting system and an improved pulsator therefor which intermittently supports dif ferent partsof the body without raising or lowering the body appreciably in'the process and therefore cannot cause the body to be dropped onto the base on which the pulsating supporting pad rests with an attendant subjecting of painful injuries such as bed sores and burns to excruciating pain.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved pneumatic pulsator which is relatively small and which utilizes a relatively small compressor for supplying compressed air in that the air is handled in a unique manner which permits the requirements for the size of the compressor to be reduced. Other objects andv attendant advantages of the present invention will readily be perceived hereafter.

The improved pneumatic'pulsating body supporting system of the present invention may include a mattress pad or seat pad which has two staggered sets of alternately inflatable and deflatable cells, which preferably extend longitudinally of a person's body. A pulsator is provided which includes a compressor for supplying compressed air. In accordance with the present invention, the pulsator also includes a valve which is operated by a timing mechanism, and this valve causes communication between the compressor and one set of cells for a predetermined period of time, to thereby cause this first set of cells to be in an inflated condition. During the time that this communication is effected, the other set of cells is vented to the atmosphere and is therefore deflated. Thus the portions of a persons body which are contiguous to the deflated second cells do not bear on the mattress and can therefore have unimpaired blood circulation. After the flrst set of cells has been inflated for a predetermined period of time, the timing mechanism causes the valve to shift slowly from a position wherein it caused inflationof the first set of cells to a position wherein it causes the first and second cells to be placed in communication with each other. Therefore the compressed air which is in the first set of cells is caused to flow into the second set of cells, thereby causing a certain amount of inflation of the deflated second set of cells by the use of air which was previously in the inflated first set of cells. During such inflation, the compressor also provides air to the set of cells being inflated. Thereafter the continued shifting of the valve causes the second set of cells to be placed in sole communication with the compressor and the previously inflated first set of cells is caused to be vented to the atmosphere. The subjecting of the deflated cells to two sources of compressed air, namely, both the compressor and the reservoir provided by the inflated cells, causes rapid inflation of the deflated cells during the initial stages of their inflation to thereby rapidly raise the level of said cells. However in the last stages of inflation of the cells beinginflated, only the compressor is utilized so that the cells being inflated change their pressure at a slower rate without causing discomfort to the person supported thereby. Furthermore, the fact that the cells being deflated are not vented directly to the atmosphere, but to a source of rapidly increasing pressure, namely, the other set of cells, prevents the deflat ing cells from dropping abruptly. Thus the combined action of the deflating and inflating cells causes a very gently shifting of mattress supporting areas on the body without an appreciable raising and lowering of the person supported on the mattress, thereby obviating the excruciating pain on injuries such as bed sores and burns which otherwise results from both abrupt changes of pressure of the mattress on the body and from the dropping of the body onto the base which supports the mat tress. Thereafter the second set of cells maintains its communication with the, compressor until such time as the timing motor causes a shift of the valve from a position wherein said communication was effected with said second set of cells to a position wherein it causes communication between the first and second set of cells and thereafter sole communication with the first set of cells and causes the second set of cells to be vented to the atmosphere whereupon the above described action is again repeated.

The present invention will be more fully understood when the following portions of the specification are read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view of the improved unit for supplying compressed air to a pulsating body supporting device, said view being partly in cross section and being taken substantially along line 1--1 of FIG. 3',

FIG. 2 is a view of a portion of the subject matter of FIG. I and being taken substantially along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end view of a portion of the apparatus of FIG. 1 and is taken substantially along line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing the relationship between the timing motor and the valve of the apparatus;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a body supporting pad such as a mattress having two sets of alternately inflatable and deflatable cells, said mattress being adapted to be used with the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view of the improved valve structure shown in FIG. 4 with portions thereof cutaway;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 4 with the valve structure cut away and showing the valve structure in a position wherein it supplies air to a first set of cells while permitting the second set of cells to be vented;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 but showing the valve structure in a position wherein it permits communication between the first and second sets of cells and also causes each set of cells to be in communication with the source of compressed air; and

FIG. 9 shows the valve structure in a position wherein it supplies compressed air to the second set of cells while permitting the first set of cells to be vented.

In FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 general views are shown of the improved pulsator which is utilized for alternately supplying compressed air to a first set of cells of a body supporting pad such as a mat tress and for permitting a second set of cells to be vented, as will become more apparent hereafter. The improved pulsator 10 includes a base plate 11 on which is mounted a compressor 12 of any suitable type. The compressor has a series of rubber legs 13 which bear against base 11 and the bottom portion 14 of compressor 12 is secured to said base 11 by brackets 15 which are secured to base 11 by nuts and bolts 16. Sponge pads 17 are interposed between brackets 15 and base 14 of compressor 12 to securely mount said compressor on said base in a resilient manner. Compressor 12 includes an adjustment knob 18 which is utilized for varying the output thereof.

A cover 19 having a handle 20 thereon is provided for covering all of the components within pulsator 10 and is secured to flanges 21 (FIG. 3) of base 11 by sheet metal screws 22. It is to be noted, at this point, that base 11 has rubber legs 23 which in combination with rubber legs 13 and sponges l7 greatly minimize the vibration of the device when compressor 12 is in operation The knob 20' of electric switch 21' is located on the outside of cover 19 for selectively energizing the electrical components, all of the wiring having been omitted in the interest of clarity except the lead-in wire 22 for connecting pulsator 10 to a source ofelectricity.

An improved timing and valving construction is associated with the instant pulsator for the purpose of controlling the flow of compressed air to mattress 46, FIG. 5. The valving and timing construction is mounted on bracket 24 (FIG. 1) which is secured to base 11 by nuts and bolts 25, and includes an electric timer motor 26 having a gear box 27 attached thereto for reducing the output of the motor. The combination gear box and timer motor are commercially available as a unit. The output shaft 28 of gear box 27 is shown in FIGS. 4, 7, 8, and 9 and carries a crank mechanism including disc 29 having a pin 30 extending therefrom. The crank mechanism will rotate in response to the operation of timer motor 26. Pivotally attached to pin 30 is one end of a link 31, the other end of which is pivotally secured by pin 34 to extension 32 of spool 33 of spool valve 36. Spool 33 is mounted in spool valve housing 35 which is also mounted on the vertical portion of bracket 24, as can be seen from FIG. 1.

In order to supply compressed air to spool valve 36 a conduit 37 extends from compressor output 38 to nipple 39 (FIG. 4) which forms the end of spool 33. Check valve 37' is located in conduit 37 to prevent flow of air through conduit 37 toward compressor 12. As can be seen from FIGS. 7, 8, and 9, spool 33 has a bore 40 therein which extends between nipple 39 and aperture 41, which in turn is located between 0- rings 42 and 43 which are held on spool 33 by integrally formed collars 44 on opposite sides of each O-ring. O- rings 42 and 43 route the compressed air as will become more apparent hereafter, it being noted that said O-rings are movable with spool 33 in chamber 45 of spool valve housing 35.

When spool 33 is in the position shown in FIG. 7, there can be communication between the source of fluid pressure, namely, the compressor 12 and cells A of mattress 46 through conduit 37, bore 40 of spool 33, aperture 41, the portion of chamber 45 between O- rings 42 and 43, nipple 47 extending from spool valve housing 35, conduit 48, outlet nipple 48', conduit 48" and the manifold leading to the set of cells A. At this time it will be noted that the set of cells B in mattress 46 are vented to the atmosphere through the manifold in communication therewith, conduit 49" (FIGS. 4 and 5), nipple 49', conduit 49, nipple 50, aperture 53, the portion of chamber 45 to the right of O-ring 43 (FIG. 7), and vent aperture 51 (FIG. 4) in spool valve housing 35. Thus when the spool valve is in the position shown in FIG. 7 as a result of the operation of the crank 29-30 associated with gear box 27', the series of cells A will be supplied with compressed air from the compressor and the other series of cells will be vented to the atmosphere. This condition will be maintained for as long as O- rings 42 and 43 are on the opposite sides of aperture 52 (FIG. 4) leading to nipple 47, and as long as aperture 53 leading to nipple 50 is to the right of O-ring 43. While cells A are inflated, a persons body is supported on them but is not supported on deflated cells B which are spaced between cells A, and the nonsupported parts of the body can experience unimpaired blood circulation.

In response to the rotation of disc 29 and pin 30, spool valve 33 will be caused to move to the right. This movement will continue until such time as O-ring 43 (FIGS. 7 and 8) passes across aperture 53 leading from nipple 50. At this time communication will be initiated between the nipples 47 and 50 through the portion of valve chamber 45 between O- rings 42 and 43, inasmuch as O- rings 42 and 43 are spaced a greater distance apart than apertures 52 and 53. Furthermore, the source of compressed air will be in communication with nipple 50 so that there will immediately be a flow of compressed air into cells B through conduit 49 from both cells A and from the compressed air source. This causes pressure in said cells to equalize relatively quickly and in addition causes compressed air to be fed to both sets of cells for the short period that nipples 47 and 50 are in communication with each other. Thus, there is an initial inflation of cells B at a relatively fast rate because it not only receives compressed air from the compressor 12 but also from the reservoir of compressed air supplied by cells A. Therefore cells B are inflated relatively rapidly so that they can provide support to a body thereon. Furthermore, cells A are deflated relatively slowly, while cells A and B are in communication with each other because cells A are in communication with the increasing pressure in cells B, rather than being vented to the atmosphere. In view of the foregoing action, there is no appreciable dropping of a body supported on mattress 46 during the initial stages of deflation of cells A and during the simultaneous initial inflation of cells B. Cells A and B remain in communication with each other long enough to permit the pressure in said cells to equalize.

Continued movement of spool 33 to the right will move 0- rings 42 and 43 until such time as aperture 52 lies to the left of O-ring 42 (FIG. 9) and aperture 53 leading to nipple 50 will lie between O- rings 42 and 43. At this time the output of compressor 12 will be supplied to cells B through conduit 49. Furthermore at this time cells A will be vented to the atmosphere through conduit 48", nipple 48', conduit 48, nipple 47, aperture 52, the portion of valve housing chamber 45 to the left of O-ring 42, and vent 54 in spool valve housing 35. At this time cells A will become completely deflated so as to provide no pressure against a portion of a persons body lying thereon whereas cells B will become fully inflated to support the persons body.

It is to be especially noted that during the foregoing deflation of cells A and inflation of cells B, the fact that these cells were placed in communication with each other for a short period of time during the time that cells A were being deflated and cells B were being inflated caused a relatively fast inflation of cells B during the initial portion of the inflating action thereof to thereby cause said cells B to come up into contact with a persons body before cells A deflated appreciably, thereby eliminating objectionable lowering of the top surface of the mattress which might have given the patient an undesirablesensation and also may have caused all portions of his body to bear on the support underneath the mattress instead of being supported on only select portions of the mattressLFurthermore, it is to be noted that at the terminal portions of inflation of cells B, only the source of compressed air is in communication therewith and not both the source of compressed air and cells A. Therefore the terminal inflation of cells B occurs at a rather slow rate and therefore said cells to vary their hardness against the persons body gently. in the same vein, it is to be notedthat theinitial portions of deflation of cells A occurs slowly inasmuch as these cells are not vented to the atmosphere, but are vented to cells B and against the pressure therein, and therefore cannot deflate rapidly but deflate rather slowly until such time as cells B come up into engagement with the persons body. Thereafter cells A are vented to the atmosphere, but only after cells B are already supporting the persons body. Thus cells A are vented slowly at first and rapidly at the end, said latter venting insuring that they move out of contact with the portions of the persons body with which they are associated to thereby insure optimum circulation in such portions. The combined effect of the deflation and inflation of the foregoing cells is to cause support to be shifted from one set of cells to the other in an extremely gentle manner and without an appreciable lowering of the upper surface of the mattress.

Summarizing the foregoing action, there is therefore a relationship wherein the deflated cells are inflated rapidly at first and the inflated cells are deflated slowly at first. Thereafter the inflated cells are inflated more slowly as they come up into contact with a persons body and the deflated cells are deflated more rapidly as they recede from a persons body, to thereby provide an action wherein the engagement of the persons body by the inflating cells is gentle but positive and the loss of contact between the persons body and the deflating cells is also gentle but positive, and in addition because of the above-described action there is no appreciable raising or lowering of the persons body which may cause attendant discomfort and objectionable sensations.

After crank 29-30 has reached the position shown in FIG. 9, so that cells B are in communication with the source of compressed air, the continued rotation of the crank mechanism will cause spool 33 to move back to the position wherein there is communication between the conduits leading to both cells A and B for a period of time until spool 33 moves back to the position shown in FIG. 7 wherein only cells A will be in communication with the source of compressed air and cells B will be vented, as described above.

The foregoing action is thereafter cyclically repeated to cause the alternate support of a persons body by cells A an It has been found that optimum results are obtained when each set of cells is in sole communication with the source of compressed air for approximately 2 minutes and 30 seconds and there is a period of approximately 30 seconds during the transition where the sets of cells are in communication with each other and the compressor. The foregoing result is achieved bycausing crank pin 30 to have 1 complete revolution every 6 minutes.

It will be appreciated that while the instant pulsator has been disclosed as having an electric timer motor 26 and associated mechanism for shifting valve 36, other types of valve shiftingmechanisms may be utilized within the scope of the present invention to provide the above described alternate inflation and deflation of the cells of abody supporting pad.

It is to be emphasized that the instant pulsator is intended for use with any type of body supporting pad, whether it be a seat pad or a mattress and it is not restricted to use with a mattress, as illustrated.

While a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed, it will readily be appreciated that it is not limited thereto, but may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A pulsating air mattress comprising a source of compressed fluid, a valve body having an internal bore and first and second ports communicating with the bore in axially spaced relation to one another, a spool slidably mounted in the bore, first and second seals carried by the spool for engaging the surface of the bore, the seals being spaced apart an axial distance greater than the axial distance between the first and second ports, a first conduit communicating at its one end with the bore at a point therein intermediate the seals and connected to the source of compressed fluid at its opposite end, means for reciprocating the spool within the bore in such a manner that the first seal is disposed between the ports at one end of the stroke and the second seal is disposed between the ports at the opposite end of the stroke, whereby the ports will be in communication with each other during an intermediate portion of the stroke, said air mattress having first and second sets of alternately spaced air cells, a second conduit interconnecting the first set of air cells and the first port, and a third conduit interconnecting the second set of air cells and the second port.

2. A pneumatic pulsating body supporting system for slowly and gently shifting the support to a person between substantially adjacent areas on his body comprising a compressor, a body supporting pad having first and second series of cells, valve means, means for periodically actuating said valve means to cause said first and second series of cells to be alternately placed in communication with said source of compressed air for approximately two minutes to thereby cause inflation thereof and to cause the other of said set of cells to be vented for this period to thereby cause said first and second series of cells to alternately support said body, said valve means providing a transition period of approximately one-half minute wherein said first and second cells are simultaneously in communication with said compressor and with each other to thereby cause the set of cells which was previously inflated to act as a compressed air reservoir for inflating the other of said sets of cells which was deflated and to cause the com pressed air in said set of cells which is being inflated to resist the deflation of said set of cells which is being deflated to thereby prevent abrupt changes in the level of said pad during said alternate placing of said source of compressed air in communication with said first and second series of cells, said means for periodically actuating said valve means comprising an electric motor, a gear reducer coupled to said electric motor, an output shaft coupled to said gear reducer, crank means mounted on said output shaft; said valve means comprising a valve housing-having a chamber therein, a spool valve in said chamber of said valve housing, a pair of ring seals mounted on said spool valve and spaced axially on said spool valve a first is less than said first distance, said crank means including link means coupled to said spool valve for causing said spool valve to reciprocate in said chamber in response to rotation of said crank means, a third conduit in communication with said chamber for effectively placing said compressor in communication with said chamber in an area located between said first and second ring seals, said crank means being dimensioned to cause said ring seals to place said third conduit means in communication with either said first aperture or said second aperture or both through said chamber incidental to said reciprocation of said spool valve to thereby sequentially effect communication between said first and third conduit means and to claim 2, said third conduit means comprising a longitudinally extending bore formed in said spool valve and terminating at an aperture located between said first and second ring seals.

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