Method, device and padded product for maintaining an object
AssigneeLepinoy Industrie
InventorDominique Lepinoy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and a method are disclosed for cushioning and maintaining an object by a device having a quantity of granular material that is located in a retaining element. The retaining element is divided into compartments which contain the quantity of granular material. The retaining element and the granular material are located within an inner volume of a sealed housing. The retaining element is made from a material that is permeable to gas, but impermedable to the granular materials, while the sealed housing is made from a material that is impermeable to gas the effect of such compartmenting is to keep the granular material in place within the retaining elements, even when the housing is at atmospheric pressure in order to preserve a constant thickness of the device.
Claims11
A device for cushioning an object comprising:
- (a) a quantity of granular material;
- (b) a retaining element defining a plurality of closed chambers, each closed chamber enclosing a portion of the granular material such that the entire quantity of granular material is enclosed by the retaining element the retaining element made of material that is permeable to gas and impermeable to the granular material;
- (c) a sealed housing defining an enclosed inner volume and enclosing the retaining element within the enclosed inner volume, the sealed housing being made of a supple material impermeable to gas;
- and
- (d) means to depressurize the enclosed inner volume of the sealed housing, the retaining element preventing any excessive accumulation of the granular material in a particular part of the enclosed inner volume before depressurization.
A method of cushioning an object comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a cushioning device comprising:
- (i) a quantity of granular material;
- (ii) a retaining element defining a plurality of closed chambers, each closed chamber enclosing a portion of the granular material such that the entire quantity of granular material is enclosed by the retaining element the retaining element made of a material that is permeable to gas and impermeable to the granular material;
- (iii) a sealed housing defining an enclosed inner volume and enclosing the retaining element within the enclosed inner volume, the sealed housing being made of a supple material impermeable to gas;
- and
- (iv) means to depressurize the enclosed inner volume, the retaining element preventing any excessive accumulation of the granular material in a particular part of the enclosed inner volume before depressurization;
- (b) placing the object in the cushioning device;
- and
- (c) depressurizing the enclosed inner volume.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.