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US 9,132,057 B2Granted
Therapeutic wrap
OwnerMichael L. Wilford, David Slackinventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The subject matter of the invention relates to therapy wraps for the application of compression and/or thermal therapy to a patient. The wraps are formed of at least two layers of material which are sealed together to form at least one cavity between them. The wraps may be used in conjunction with a therapy machine which fills the cavity or cavities of the wraps with fluid such as a gas and/or a liquid. The unique shapes of the wraps are particularly suitable for providing therapy to the human body. The shapes permit the manipulation of the wraps around various portions of the human body such as the shoulder, back and foot.
Claims23
A therapy wrap comprising:
- a first layer of material, a second layer of material, a third layer of material, a fourth layer of material, a first hose, a second hose, and a third hose, each hose including an exterior perimeter and an interior pathway;
- wherein the first layer of material is a front side of said therapy wrap and the fourth layer of material is a back side of said therapy wrap;
- wherein the first layer of material and the second layer of material are sealed together along a first cavity seal such that a first cavity is formed between the first layer and the second layer, the first cavity seal defining a shape of a first cavity;
- wherein the third layer of material and the fourth layer of material are sealed together along a second cavity seal such that a second cavity is formed between the third layer and the fourth layer, the second cavity seal defining a shape of a second cavity;
- wherein the first cavity seal and the second cavity seal have substantially the same shape and said first cavity seal and said second cavity seal are sealed together such that said first cavity seal and said second cavity seal are a single continuous seal that joins said first layer, said second layer, said third layer, and said fourth layer together and defines a shape of the therapy wrap;
- wherein the shape of the therapy wrap is approximately the shape of a capital letter T, having a horizontal cross member which crosses a vertical base member, the cross member including a first lobe corresponding to a first half of the cross member and a second lobe corresponding to a second half of the cross member, said first lobe and said second lobe connecting to a third lobe, corresponding to the vertical base member, at a junction;
- wherein said first hose is provided in said third lobe and between said first layer and said second layer such that said first cavity seal is formed around the exterior perimeter of said first hose such that said first hose provides an access pathway to said first cavity;
- and
- wherein said second hose and said third hose are provided in said third lobe and between said third layer and said fourth layer such that said second cavity seal is formed around the exterior perimeter of said second hose and around the exterior perimeter of said third hose such that each of said second hose and said third hose provides an access pathway to said second cavity;
- said therapy wraps further comprising a first fastener section and a second fastener section;
- wherein said first fastener section is located along the lower half of the first lobe and said second fastener section is located along the lower half of said second lobe, the first fastener section and the second fastener section being on either side of the third lobe such that when the first fastener section and second fastener section are fastened together, the third lobe is either partially behind said first lobe and said second lobe or partially in front of said first lobe and said second lobe;
- wherein said first lobe includes a first back side fastener section seal extending from a first point along the second cavity seal defining the shape of said first lobe to a second point along the second cavity seal defining the shape of said first lobe so as to separate an area of said first lobe fastener section from said first lobe;
- wherein said second lobe includes a second back side fastener section seal extending from a first point along the second cavity seal defining the shape of said second lobe to a second point along the second cavity seal defining the shape of said second lobe so as to separate an area of said second lobe fastener section from said second lobe;
- and
- wherein said first back side fastener section seal and said second back side fastener section seal are formed on the back side of said therapy wrap and not on the front side of said therapy wrap.
12 more elements
A therapy wrap comprising:
- a first layer of material, a second layer of material, a third layer of material, a fourth layer of material, a first hose, a second hose, and a third hose, each hose including an exterior perimeter and an interior pathway;
- wherein the first layer of material is a front side of said therapy wrap and the fourth layer of material is a back side of said therapy wrap;
- wherein the first layer of material and the second layer of material are sealed together along a first cavity seal such that a first cavity is formed between the first layer and the second layer, the first cavity seal defining a shape of a first cavity;
- wherein the third layer of material and the fourth layer of material are sealed together along a second cavity seal such that a second cavity is formed between the third layer and the fourth layer, the second cavity seal defining a shape of a second cavity;
- wherein the first cavity seal and the second cavity seal have substantially the same shape and said first cavity seal and said second cavity seal are sealed together such that said first cavity seal and said second cavity seal are a single continuous seal that joins said first layer, said second layer, said third layer, and said fourth layer together and defines a shape of the therapy wrap;
- wherein the shape of the therapy wrap is approximately the shape of a capital letter T, having a horizontal cross member which crosses a vertical base member, the cross member including a first lobe corresponding to a first half of the cross member and a second lobe corresponding to a second half of the cross member, said first lobe and said second lobe connecting to a third lobe, corresponding to the vertical base member, at a junction;
- wherein said first hose is provided in said third lobe and between said first layer and said second layer such that said first cavity seal is formed around the exterior perimeter of said first hose such that said first hose provides an access pathway to said first cavity;
- and
- wherein said second hose and said third hose are provided in said third lobe and between said third layer and said fourth layer such that said second cavity seal is formed around the exterior perimeter of said second hose and around the exterior perimeter of said third hose such that each of said second hose and said third hose provides an access pathway to said second cavity;
- said therapy wrap further comprising a first pathway seal, a second pathway seal, and a junction seal;
- wherein said first pathway seal extends from the first cavity seal into the third lobe and divides said third lobe into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, said upper chamber being joined to said lower chamber by a third lobe gap existing between a distal end of said first pathway seal and said first cavity seal, said first hose providing an access pathway for fluid to enter to said lower chamber of said third lobe such that fluid flowing from the first hose into the upper chamber must flow into the lower chamber of the third lobe and then flow through the third lobe gap before flowing into the upper chamber of the third lobe;
- and
- wherein said second pathway seal extends from said first cavity seal through said first lobe and into said second lobe such that said second pathway seal divides said first lobe into a top first lobe chamber and a bottom first lobe chamber and divides said second lobe into a top second lobe chamber and a bottom second lobe chamber such that the top second lobe chamber is joined to said top second lobe chamber by a second lobe gap existing between a distal end of said second pathway seal and said first cavity seal, and such that fluid flowing into either the top second lobe chamber or the top first lobe chamber must first pass through the second lobe gap;
- wherein said junction seal is formed along the junction between said third lobe and said first lobe and said second lobe, said junction seal having a junction seal horizontal length between a first termination point and a second termination point of said junction seal, such that a first lobe junction gap exist between a point along the first cavity seal and said first termination point of said junction seal and a second lobe junction gap exists between a point along the first cavity seal and said second termination point of said junction seal such that the junction seal horizontal length is greater than the length of the first lobe junction gap and is greater than the length of the second lobe junction gap;
- wherein fluid flowing from said third lobe into said first lobe or said second lobe must flow through either said first lobe junction gap or said second lobe junction gap;
- and
- wherein said first pathway seal, and said second pathway seal are formed on the front side of the therapy wrap and not on the back side of the therapy wrap.
14 more elements
A therapy wrap comprising:
- layers of material, wherein a first layer of material forms a front side of the therapy wrap and a second layer of material forms a back side of the therapy wrap, wherein the layers of material having a continuous seal between them that defines a shape of the therapy wrap;
- wherein said shape of the therapy wrap is approximately the shape of a capital letter T, having a horizontal cross member which crosses a vertical base member, the cross member including a first lobe corresponding to a first half of the cross member and a second lobe corresponding to a second half of the cross member, said first lobe and said second lobe connecting to a third lobe, corresponding to the vertical base member, at a junction;
- a first pathway seal having a length extending from the continuous seal across the third lobe to a distal end such that the distal end of said first pathway seal and a point along the continuous seal bounding the third lobe form a third lobe gap such that said third lobe gap is shorter in length than the length of the first pathway seal;
- a second pathway seal having a length extending from the continuous seal across the entirety of the first lobe and into the second lobe to a distal end such that the distal end of said second pathway seal and a point along the continuous seal bounding the second lobe form a second lobe gap such that said second lobe gap is shorter in length than the length of the second pathway seal;
- a junction seal formed along the junction between said third lobe and said first and second lobes, said junction seal having a junction seal horizontal length between a first termination point and a second termination point of said junction seal, wherein a first lobe junction gap exist between a point along the continuous seal and said first termination point of said junction seal and a second lobe junction gap exists between a point along the continuous seal and said second termination point of said junction seal such that the junction seal horizontal length is greater than the length of the first lobe junction gap and is greater than the length of the second lobe junction gap;
- and
- wherein said first pathway seal and said second pathway seal are formed on said front side of said wrap and not on said back side of said wrap.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.