Support apparatus and method with shear relief

An apparatus comprising:

• a first set of elongated pressure cells;
• a second set of elongated pressure cells, each pressure cell in the second set being interleaved with the pressure cells of the first set in a single layer;
• a lower sheet layer having a planar upper surface that forms a lower interior sidewall surface of each of the first and second set of elongated pressure cells, each of the elongated pressure cells having an upper portion sealed to the planar upper surface of the lower sheet layer and having an interior surface area sealed to the planer upper surface and forming an enclosed pressure cell therewith;
• a cover layer coupled to an upper sidewall each pressure cell of the first and second sets of elongated pressure cells;
• and
• fluid delivery componentry configured and arranged with the first and second sets of pressure cells to provide shear relief, alternately using the first and second sets of pressure cells, by:
• inflating the first set of pressure cells, evacuating the second set of pressure cells and, via the evacuating, creating space between adjacent ones of pressure cells of the first set to facilitate shear deflection thereof, and
• inflating the second set of pressure cells, evacuating the first set of pressure cells and, via the evacuating, creating space between adjacent ones of pressure cells of the second set to facilitate shear deflection thereof.

A method comprising:

• providing first and second sets of elongated pressure cells in a single layer and connected to a lower sheet layer and an upper cover layer, each pressure cell in the second set being interleaved with the pressure cells of the first set, the lower sheet layer having a planar upper surface that forms a lower interior sidewall surface of each of the elongated pressure cells, each of the elongated pressure cells having an upper portion sealed to the planar upper surface of the lower sheet layer and forming an enclosed pressure cell therewith, the upper cover layer being coupled to an upper sidewall of each pressure cell of the first and second sets of elongated pressure cells;
• in a first step, inflating a first set of elongated pressure cells while evacuating a second set of elongated pressure cells, and creating space, via the evacuating, between adjacent ones of pressure cells of the first set to facilitate shear deflection thereof, each pressure cell in the first set being interleaved with the pressure cells of the second set;
• and
• in a second step, inflating the second set of pressure cells while evacuating the first set of pressure cells, and creating space, via the evacuating, between adjacent ones of pressure cells of the second set to facilitate shear deflection thereof.