Body support foam pad with adaptive shear stress control
OwnerJohn E. Rogersinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A body support mattress of compressible foam has a body supporting surface sliced to define an array of contiguous polygonal blocks each having a load bearing surface. The blocks are interconnected by foam links integral with the pad, and the foam links are individually rupturable under load to adapt to the support requirements of particular users and relieve shear stress on a body resting on the mattress.
Claims15
In a body support pad of compressible foam having a supporting surface and substantially uniform thickness, the improvement wherein:
- at least a portion of said supporting surface is sliced without removal of foam material to a select depth lesser than said thickness in a pattern defining an array of contiguous polygonal blocks each having a load bearing surface and a plurality of corners extending normally to said surface into said pad;
- each said block being connected to each other block immediately adjacent thereto by foam links integral with said pad said foam links defined by discontinuous cuts also defining sides of each said polygonal block;
- said foam links being adapted and configured to rupture in response to predetermined shear force applied to said load bearing surface relative to any other of said adjacent blocks;
- whereby said portion of said supporting surface is characterized by initially uniform load bearing characteristics for each said block but is permanently adaptive to the support requirements of particular users for relieving shear stress on a body resting on said supporting surface by selective rupturing of said foam links.
In a body support pad of compressible foam having a supporting surface and substantially uniform thickness, the improvement wherein:
- at least a portion of said supporting surface is cut to a select depth lesser than said thickness in a grid pattern defining an array of contiguous rectangular blocks each having a load bearing rectangular surface and a four corners extending normally to said surface into said pad;
- each said block being connected to each other block immediately adjacent thereto by foam links integral with said pad;
- said pattern comprising discrete cuts defining sides of each said polygonal block, said cuts being discontinuous and defining said foam links;
- said foam links being adapted and configured to rupture in response to predetermined shear force applied to said load bearing surface of one block relative to any other of said adjacent blocks;
- whereby said portion of said supporting surface is characterized by initially uniform load bearing characteristics for each said block but is permanently adaptive to the support requirements of particular users by selective rupturing of said foam links for relieving shear stress on a body resting on said supporting surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.