Moisture Management and Transport Cover
OwnerCharles A. Lachenbruch, Christopher R. O'Keefe +2inventors
InventorsCharles A. Lachenbruch, Christopher R. O'Keefe, Timothy J. Receveur, Rachel Williamson
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Abstract
An occupant support (20) includes an intermediate layer (26, 30, 120) and a wicking layer (52) atop the intermediate layer. The wicking layer comprises a first region (62) having a lower moisture wick rate (W1) and a second region (64) having a higher wick rate (W2). A moisture management cover (52) for use with an occupant support article has discrete higher (64) and lower (62) wick rate regions. A related method for transporting moisture away from a target region of an occupant support comprises distributing the moisture over an area beyond area A and exposing the distributed moisture to a fluid stream capable of receiving the moisture.
Claims23
An occupant support comprising:
- a intermediate layer defining at least part of a fluid flowpath and having a vapor permeable occupant side;
- and
- a wicking layer atop the intermediate layer, the wicking layer comprising a first region having a first moisture wick rate and a second region having a second moisture wick rate that exceeds the first moisture wick rate.
A moisture management cover, the cover being cooperable with an occupant support article having an occupant support side so that the occupant support side and an opposing portion of the cover define a fluid flowpath, the cover having discrete higher and lower wick rate regions, the higher wick rate region having a higher moisture wick rate than that of the lower wick rate region.
A method for transporting moisture away from a target region of an occupant support, the region having an area A, the method comprising:
- distributing the moisture over an area beyond area A;
- and
- exposing the larger area to a fluid stream capable of receiving the moisture
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.