Apparatus with a repeating trapezoidal mechanism that enables an alternating pressure support surface for preventing pressure injury

An apparatus for preventing pressure injury, the apparatus comprising:

• (a) a foundation layer which supports the apparatus;
• (b) a dynamic layer comprising a plurality of mechanism panels, wherein each mechanism panel comprises a plurality of legs extending from a base to a strip formed by a series of adjacently connected top bars on either side of said strip, wherein said base of each said mechanism panel is connected to extend orthogonally from said foundation layer;
• (c) wherein each said mechanism panel in said plurality of mechanism panels comprises a unit cell, said unit cell comprising said first and second legs in said plurality of legs, said first and second legs having proximal ends attached to rotatable joints at said base, said first and second legs having distal ends attached at rotatable joints at said strip, said first and second legs arranged in a trapezoidal shape wherein the proximal end of each said leg is attached to either end of the said base and wherein the distal end of each said leg is attached to either end of said strip thereby forming a trapezoid, wherein movement of said strip in a first direction causes said first rigid leg to create a peak in said strip and said second leg to create a valley in said strip, and wherein movement of said strip in a second direction causes said first leg to create a valley in said strip and said second leg to create a peak in said strip which creates undulations in a top surface of the apparatus;
• (d) a stop which limits the extent to which the first and second legs can move at their respective rotatable joints and that said strip can move in said first direction and said second direction;
• and
• (e) wherein said dynamic layer of said apparatus upon being moved between said first positional state and said second positional state, in response to application of horizontal force, alternates the pattern of pressure being applied to a body of an occupant received thereon, wherein pressure peak points become pressure valleys, and pressure valleys become pressure peak points, to prevent bed sores which can arise when the pattern of pressure peak points remains static.