ES2579858T3 - Adaptive inflatable cushion - Google Patents

Abstract

Adaptive inflatable cushion (1), in particular intended to be located at the base of a seat or rest area comprising a flexible main base (2) provided with a plurality of inflatable cells (3) arranged matrixally protruding in an upward direction and inflation means (15), including pressure regulation means (6) managed by a programmable control unit (5) that are associated with the inflation means, such that a plurality is defined in the flexible main base (2) of independent regions each defined by one or more inflatable cells having pressure values equal to or different from each other, in which the pressure regulating means comprise a plurality of secondary pipes (20) relative to the different independent regions that they branch off from a main pipe (4) coupled to the swelling means, each of the secondary pipes being associated at least one solenoid valve (6) and a pressure sensor that are electrically connected to the programmable control unit, characterized in that each of the secondary pipes is linked to two solenoid valves, one of the solenoid valves being associated with a air passage condition and the other solenoid valve associated with an air extraction condition.

Description

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DESCRIPTION

Adaptive inflatable pad OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention relates to an inflatable adaptive pad with a "massage" effect that incorporates notable innovations and advantages.

More specifically, the invention proposes the development of an inflatable adaptive cushion, in particular intended to be located at the base of a seat or rest area, such as, for example, a vehicle seat with the aim of preventing the formation of pressure ulcers in users with spinal cord injury, limited mobility and / or professionals who must remain long periods of time in a static sitting position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is well known in the medical field that pressure ulcers, also referred to as UPPs, are a serious complication secondary to a spinal cord injury that significantly affects the user in terms of physical, psychological and social well-being, thus affecting the quality of life. After a modular injury, changes occur, highlighting the lack of voluntary mobility, muscular atrophy in the paralyzed extremities, changes in muscle fibers, through reduced resistance to fatigue, which contribute to the development of complications, such as ulcers of pressure, as mentioned above. The formation of these ulcers can be caused due to the pressure, that is, the tensions generated on the tissues due to the effect of compression, shear, chafing, etc., the time in which the user adopts the same position and environmental factors, such as the temperature and humidity of the environment.

Therefore, the prevention of such ulcers is an important objective in the rehabilitation of people with spinal injuries.

The cushions that are usually applied to wheelchairs are initially intended to relieve pressure and reduce the risk of pressure ulcers, however, in practice it has been proven that they are not entirely efficient since they are not intended to distribute a different pressure in different regions of the same cushion, so that the patient or user ends up suffering from ulcer formation, especially those who, due to reduced mobility of the lower extremities, must be in a wheelchair for a long time. Therefore, there is still a need to solve this problem in a satisfactory way.

Examples of inflatable adaptive cushions are described in US 2011/094040 A1, US 2011/252570 A1 and JP 2008 05470 whose common features are defined in the preamble of claim 1. However, none of the known prior art documents It is provided with secondary ducts linked to two solenoid valves to allow a continuous air flow for the entry and exit of said air flow.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been developed in order to provide an inflatable adaptive pad that is configured as a novelty within the field of application and resolves the aforementioned drawbacks, also providing other additional advantages that will be apparent from the description to be described. Join next.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an inflatable adaptive pad, in particular intended to be located at the base of a seat or rest area comprising a flexible main base provided with a plurality of matrix-arranged inflatable cells protruding in a ascending direction and swelling means.

More specifically, the invention is characterized by the appended claims and includes pressure regulation means managed by a programmable control unit that are associated with the inflation means, such that a plurality of defined independent regions are defined on the flexible main base each of them by one or more inflatable cells that have equal or different pressure values between sf.

Thanks to these characteristics, a pad is obtained that satisfactorily prevents the appearance of pressure ulcers in people with a spinal cord injury or serious physical limitations of movement (for example, elderly people) by achieving a “massage” effect, avoiding the Give us a capillary level and improve the blood flow. The aforementioned cushion is especially suitable for mounting in a vehicle seat or a wheelchair, so it allows a person with a spinal cord injury, for example, to perform racing competitions of vehicles that need to remain inside the vehicle. room for a considerable period of time, being a very effective solution that also allows to be placed and removed with greater

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ease.

Highlight that the disposition of the programmable control unit (CPU) allows to modify the pressure value of the cells or groupings of cells in a completely automated and continuous way without needing to be the user concerned to control and modify the pressure or different pressures present in the main base.

According to the invention, the pressure regulating means comprise a plurality of secondary pipes relative to the different independent regions that branch from a main pipe coupled to the inflation means, each of the secondary pipes being associated with two solenoid valves and a pressure sensor that are electrically connected to the programmable control unit.

Advantageously, the flexible main base comprises a sheet of flexible material having a plurality of primary grooves that define multiple paths, in which each inlet area of the grooves is coupled to a secondary channeling through which the air from The swelling means.

Preferably, the flexible material of the aforementioned sheet layer is neoprene.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a second sheet layer of flexible material provided with a plurality of holes is provided, in which each hole is related to an inflatable cell, said sheet being interposed between the flexible main base and the sheet layer. . In the case of presenting the grooves a height equal to the height of the laminar layer, a third flat laminar layer is included adhered and disposed inferiorly to the laminar layer. In this way, a structure of simple manufacture is achieved and that allows to obtain a high degree of flexibility which facilitates the manipulation during the operations of placing and removing the pad, for example, in a wheelchair.

In this way, the flexible base is formed by a stratified structure provided with different layered layers underlyingly bonded to each other that facilitate the construction process by reducing the number of necessary components, such as flexible pipes, joints, fittings and the like, and by at the same time they lighten the total weight of the cushion assembly.

Advantageously, the regulating means are disposed within a separate housing of the flexible main base, so that the elements that are part of the regulating means can be adequately protected against possible shocks and presence of dirt in the surrounding medium, thus increasing the useful life of the various components.

Advantageously, the programmable control unit includes an interface for data transmission and exchange. In this way, a medical specialist can quickly or easily modify or manipulate the operating parameters of the control unit involved in the inflation and deflation of the cells of the main base in order to adapt them to the user's needs of the cushion

In a preferred embodiment, the interface consists of a USB input port and / or at least one button with ON / OFF functions.

Additionally, the programmable control unit includes a wireless data exchange connection.

In a preferred embodiment, the inflation means comprise a compressor that is in data communication with a programmable control unit, whereby the swelling and deflation operation can be carried out uniformly, simply and quickly.

Advantageously, it also includes autonomous power supply means, such as a rechargeable battery, that supply electric current to the programmable control unit, the pressure regulating means and the inflation means, thus facilitating its use in any place where the User requires it.

Additionally, indicators of warning of the state of charge of the rechargeable baton are included, which may consist of acoustic and / or luminous indicators, so the user is informed at all times of the situation of the battal's status.

Preferably, the cushion of the invention may have a removable type sheath that wraps the flexible main base so that there is no direct contact between the main base and the user.

Other features and advantages of the adaptive cushion object of the present invention will be apparent from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment, which is illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1.- It is a schematic plan view of the inflatable adaptive pad according to the present invention;

Figure 2.- It is an exploded perspective view of the different layered layers that are part of the flexible main base provided with the cells;

Figures 3a and 3b.- They are a detailed plan view and a cross section along the line A-A of Figure 3a;

Figure 4.- It is a schematic perspective view of the housing including the pressure regulating means where an upper cover has been omitted for reasons of clarity; and Figure 5.- It is a map of pressures in a pad according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In view of the aforementioned figures and, according to the numbering adopted, an example of a preferred embodiment of the invention can be observed therein, which comprises the parts and elements indicated and described in detail below.

Thus, as shown in the figures, a preferred embodiment of the adaptive inflatable cushion of substantially rectangular plan is shown, which is especially intended to be placed in a wheelchair, at the base of a seat or rest area for the purpose of create a "massage" effect continuously during its operation, being formed from a plurality of overlapping layers or laminar bodies fixedly one above the other, as can be seen from the following explanation.

Thus, as the inflatable adaptive pad is shown, it comprises a flexible main base indicated in general with the reference (2) and shown in greater detail in Figure 2, provided with a plurality of inflatable cells (3) arranged matrixally protruding in an upward and substantially vertical direction, inflation means, and pressure regulation means which are controlled through a programmable control unit (5) associated with the inflation means. In this way, a plurality of independent regions defined by inflatable cells having equal or different pressure values between sf defined in the main base (2) is defined.

With particular reference to the pressure regulating means they comprise a plurality of secondary pipes (20) relative to the different independent regions that branch from a main pipe (4) coupled to the inflation means, each of the pipes being secondary (3) associated with two solenoid valves (6), one of the solenoid valves being associated with an air passage condition and the other solenoid valve associated with an air extraction condition. In addition, there are also pressure sensors (7) related to the various secondary pipes (20) that are electrically connected to the programmable control unit (5).

As shown in Figure 2, the flexible main base (2) comprises a sheet layer (8) of flexible material having a plurality of primary grooves (9) defining multiple paths, in which each entrance zone of the grooves is coupled to a secondary pipe (20) through which the air from the swelling means that will be explained later passes.

A second sheet layer (10) of flexible material is provided provided with a plurality of through holes (11) arranged in matrix, in which each through hole (11) is related to an inflatable cell (3), said second sheet layer being ( 10) interposed between the flexible main base (2) and the laminar layer. To ensure inferior tightness, a third flat laminar layer (12) adhered and arranged inferiorly to the second laminar layer (10) is included.

Mention that the flexible material used in the various layers mentioned above is neoprene.

The above-mentioned regulation means are arranged inside a housing (13) separated from the flexible main base (2), which can be made of a nigged material. This housing can include a lockable cover (not shown) that allows access to the interior of the same in case of having to replace any of the components. In order to ensure a good seal in the area of the cover, sealing gaskets can be provided that prevent the entry of water or dirt into the housing (13).

The programmable control unit (5) includes an interface for data transmission and exchange. The interface consists of a USB input port (not shown) as well as a plurality of buttons (14), being one of the buttons with the ON / OFF functionality.

The programmable control unit (5) includes a wireless data exchange connection, such as Bluetooth®, so that the parameters or operating program can be modified through a

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mobile or portable device, such as a mobile phone, portable tablet, etc.

The inflation means comprise a small compressor (15) located inside the housing (13) that is in data communication with a programmable control unit (5) and in fluid communication through the main pipe (4). ) to allow the flow of pressurized air.

In addition, autonomous power supply means are provided, such as a rechargeable battery that supply electric current to the programmable control unit, the pressure regulating means and the inflation means.

In order for the user to be informed of the status of the battery, warning lights (16) of warning of the charge status of the rechargeable battery have been included, although it may also be complemented with acoustic indicators.

Additionally, the flexible main base (2) can be wrapped and protected by a cover, for example, of woven or non-woven textile material (not shown) that prevents dirt or wear by contact of the flexible main base (2) .

Mention that the flexible main base may have fixing means to firmly hold the pad over the area where it should be located. Thus, in a possible embodiment it is possible that the flexible main base (2) has a through hole (18) that allows the passage of a belt while alternatively, it may have additional elements such as VELCRO® tapes, buttons, clipping elements or similar.

Figure 5 shows a particular embodiment of a pressure map where there are eight zones or regions with different pressure that have been indicated with the letters A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H. Obviously, there may be other multiples configurations of possible pressure maps, allowing this pad to adapt according to the needs of each user.

Mention that it is also possible for the control unit to notify the user if there is a malfunction of any main part that is part of the pad described herein.

The details, shapes, dimensions and other accessory elements, as well as the materials used in the manufacture of the cushion of the invention may be conveniently substituted by others that are technically equivalent and do not depart from the essentiality of the invention or the defined scope. by the claims included below.

Claims (16)

5 10 fifteen twenty 25 30 35 40 Four. Five fifty 55 60 65 1. Adaptive inflatable pad (1), in particular intended to be located at the base of a seat or rest area comprising a flexible main base (2) provided with a plurality of inflatable cells (3) arranged matrixally protruding in one direction ascending and inflation means (15), including pressure regulation means (6) managed by a programmable control unit (5) that are associated with the inflation means, such that they are defined in the flexible main base (2) a plurality of independent regions each defined by one or more inflatable cells having equal or different pressure values between them, in which the pressure regulating means comprise a plurality of secondary pipes (20) relative to the different regions independent branches branching from a main pipe (4) coupled to the swelling means, each of the secondary pipes being associated with at least to a solenoid valve (6) and a pressure sensor that are electrically connected to the programmable control unit, characterized by the fact that each of the secondary pipes is linked to two solenoid valves, one of the solenoid valves being associated with a condition of air passage and the other solenoid valve associated with an air extraction condition. 2. Inflatable adaptive cushion (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the flexible main base (2) comprises a laminar layer (8) of flexible material having a plurality of primary grooves (9) defining multiple paths , in which each inlet area of the grooves is coupled to a secondary pipe (20) through which the air from the swelling means passes. 3. Inflatable adaptive pad (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the flexible material of the sheet layer is neoprene. 4. Adaptive inflatable cushion (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that a second sheet layer (10) of flexible material provided with a plurality of through holes (11), wherein each through hole (11) is provided ) is related to an inflatable cell, said second sheet layer (10) being interposed between the flexible main base (2) and the sheet layer (8). 5. Inflatable adaptive cushion (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the grooves (9) have a height equal to the height of the laminar layer (8) such that a third flat layered layer adhered and arranged is included inferiorly to the second laminar layer (10). 6. Inflatable adaptive pad (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the regulating means are arranged inside a housing separated from the flexible main base (2). 7. Inflatable adaptive pad (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the programmable control unit (5) includes an interface for data transmission and exchange. 8. Inflatable adaptive pad (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the interface consists of a USB input port. 9. Inflatable adaptive pad (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the interface consists of at least one button (14). 10. Inflatable adaptive pad (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the programmable control unit (5) includes a wireless data exchange connection. 11. Adaptive inflatable pad (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the inflation means comprise a compressor (15) that is in data communication with a programmable control unit (5). 12. Adaptive inflatable pad (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it includes autonomous power supply means that supply electric current to the programmable control unit (5), the pressure regulating means and the inflation means . 13. Inflatable adaptive pad (1) according to claim 12, characterized in that the autonomous feeding means comprise a rechargeable pad. 14. Inflatable adaptive pad (1) according to claim 13, characterized in that it includes warning indicators of the state of charge of the rechargeable battery. 15. Adaptive inflatable pad (1) according to claim 14, characterized in that the warning indicators consist of acoustic and / or luminous indicators. 16. Inflatable adaptive cushion (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it has an extrafole type sheath that wraps the flexible main base (2).