An improved pad or liner for overlaying a mattress, including at least one panel having a flexible thermoplastic elastomeric honeycomb core encased within a permeable fabric covering. The honeycomb core is formed of undulated strips of resilient thermoplastic material, thermal compression bonded together to form cell walls defining a plurality of contiguous regularly shaped cells having an upper and a lower extremity. The cell walls of the core are formed with a plurality of perforations. The upper extremities of each cell wall are planarized and a perforated facing sheet is thermal compression bonded to the lower extremities of each cell wall. The planarized extremities and the facing sheet maintain and retain the cells of the honeycomb core in their expanded configuration so that the core can anisotropically flex to stabilize and spread the load exerted by a user of the mattress pad.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of our U.S. application Ser. No. 08/080,745 filed Jun. 22, 1993 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,444,881, which is a continuation-in-part of our U.S. application Ser. No. 07/974,474 filed Nov. 12, 1992 now abandoned which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 717,523 filed Jun. 19, 1991, now our prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,180,619 entitled "Perforated Honeycomb," which is a continuation in part of Ser. No. 446,320 filed Dec. 4, 1989, now our prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,039,567 entitled "Resilient Panel Having Anisotropic Flexing Characteristics and Method of Making Same."
A patient support system having multiple patient support layers for reducing and preventing the development of bed sores in bedridden patients. A top patient support surface is provided by an anti-shear cover layer. The anti-shear cover layer being operable to reduce lateral shear forces experienced by a patient moving across the patient support surface. One or more fluid pouches or bladders are provided to form a fluid bladder layer for reducing normal pressures and forces experienced by the patient. The fluid bladder layer being releasably or integrally secured to the top surface of an inflatable air mattress. Means are provided operable to secure the anti-shear cover layer and fluid bladder layer in overlapping relation to the inflatable air mattress. Also provided is a means for adjusting the temperature of the fluid contained within the fluid bladder layer.
A patient support system having multiple patient support layers for reducing and preventing the development of bed sores in bedridden patients. A top patient support surface is provided by an anti-shear cover layer. The anti-shear cover layer being operable to reduce lateral shear forces experienced by a patient moving across the patient support surface. One or more fluid pouches or bladders are provided to form a fluid bladder layer for reducing normal pressures and forces experienced by the patient The fluid bladder layer being releasably or integrally secured to the top surface of an inflatable air mattress. Means are provided operable to secure the anti-shear cover layer and fluid bladder layer in overlapping relation to the inflatable air mattress. Also provided is a means for adjusting the temperature of the fluid contained within the fluid bladder layer.
Composite sheet material comprises a core (12) formed from cellular material having a respective skin of continuous sheet material on each side thereof. Both the core and the skins are formed of thermoplastic materials and the skins are attached to the core by a thermoplastic adhesive having a fusion temperature less than that of both the core and the skins.
An improved inflatable medical patient transfer apparatus has a combination of transverse partition members and a raised perimeter section to reduce deleterious ballooning and uneven inflation as well as quick emergency deflation and provide additional security for a patient supported upon such transfer apparatus. Additional differentially inflatable patient rolling chambers are preferably supplied on the top of the transfer apparatus to provide assistance to medical personnel in beginning to roll patients reclining or lying upon the transfer apparatus particularly in a deflated condition on a hospital bed. An improved air inlet arrangement is also provided along with certain indicia upon the surface of the transfer apparatus to expedite use by hospital personnel.
A multi-section mattress or mattress overlay including a first generally rectangular section made from a first honeycomb core having a first core face and a second core face, the first core having a first facing sheet bonded to one of the first and second core faces, a second generally rectangular section made from a second honeycomb core having a third core face and a fourth core face, the second core having a second facing sheet bonded to one of the third and fourth core faces, the second section being positioned with one side thereof immediately adjacent an opposing side of the first section; and a seam joining the first and second sections together along the lengths of the one side and the opposing side, the seam being formed by bonding a portion of the first face extending along the one side to a portion of the third face extending along the opposing side, and by orienting the bonded portions of the first and third faces such that they extend away from a plane including the first and third faces and toward a plane including the second and fourth faces.
