Air chamber-type patient mover air pallet with multiple control features

An inflatable, flexible pallet for frictionless movement of a load on an underlying, substantially planar support surface comprising:

• top and bottom generally rectangular, elongated sheets connected together at peripheral edges thereof, the connected sheets defining an inflatable main cavity therebetween, the main cavity having a longitudinal axis and transverse axis;
• inlet means for communicating a pressurized inflating fluid into the main cavity whereby the main cavity is inflated;
• a generally rectangular array of chambers formed within the main cavity, the array including a plurality of side-by-side, laterally extending, elongated chambers formed by a plurality of spaced apart partition members having laterally extending portions and longitudinally extending portions attached to the top and bottom sheets, the longitudinally extending portions being at opposite ends of the lateral extending chambers;
• the array of chambers being spaced from, and framed within the peripheral edges by a continuous, rectangular chamber including a pair of opposed, laterally extending end portions and a pair of opposed, longitudinally extending side portions;
• means for permitting the inflating fluid introduced into the inlet means, under pressure, to communicate freely throughout the main cavity including the end and side portions of the rectangular chamber and the array of chambers;
• and
• the bottom sheet including a portion, substantially defined by the array of chambers, having a plurality of closely spaced, small inflating fluid escape ports opening directly into the main cavity, whereby when the main cavity is inflated, the inflating fluid therein flows through the ports to create a thin film between the bottom sheet and the support surface and,
• whereby an increased load support surface area is provided through reduction of shrinkage of said pallet in the transverse direction to both of said lateral and longitudinal axes.

An inflatable flexible pallet for support of a load on an underlying, relatively fixed support surface, when the pallet is in a first inflated mode, and for frictionless movement of the load on the support surface when the pallet is in a second inflated mode, the pallet comprising:

• top, intermediate and bottom generally rectangular, elongated sheets connected together at peripheral edges thereof, the top and intermediate sheets defining an inflatable main cavity therebetween, the main cavity having a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis, the intermediate and bottom sheets defining an inflatable plenum therebetween, the plenum having a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis;
• first inlet means for communicating a first pressurized inflating fluid into the main cavity whereby the main cavity is inflated;
• second inlet means for communicating a second pressurized inflating fluid into the plenum, whereby the plenum is inflated, the plenum being sealed from fluid communication with the main cavity;
• a generally rectangular array of chambers formed within the main cavity, the array including a plurality of side-by-side, laterally extending, elongated chambers formed by a plurality of spaced apart partition members having laterally extending portions and longitudinally extending portions attached to the top and intermediate sheets, the longitudinally extending portions being at opposed ends of the laterally extending portions;
• the array of chambers being spaced from, and framed within the peripheral edges by a continuous, rectangular cavity including a pair of opposed, laterally extending end portions and a pair of opposed, longitudinally extending side portions;
• means for permitting the inflating fluid introduced into the first inlet, under pressure, to communicate freely throughout the main cavity including the end and side portions of the rectangular cavity and the chambers therein;
• and
• the bottom sheet including a portion, substantially defined by the array of chambers, having a plurality of closely spaced, small inflating fluid escape ports opening directly into the plenum whereby when the plenum is inflated, the inflating fluid therein flows through the ports to create a thin film between the bottom sheet and the support surface,
• whereby an increased load support surface area is provided through reduction of shrinkage of said pallet in the transverse direction to both of said lateral and longitudinal axes.