Inflatable splint

Claim 1

AN INFLATABLE COLLAR OR BRACE FOR SUPPORTING THE NECK AND HEAD OF THE WEARER, COMPRISING A SHEET OF FLEXIBLE AIR-IMPERMEABLE PLASTIC MATERIAL, SAID SHEET BEING GENERALLY SYMMETRICAL ABOUT AN AXIS OF SYMMETRY EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF ITS LENGTH AND HAVING CURVED SIDE EDGES WITH A WIDTH IN ITS MIDDLE REGION LESS THAN THE WIDTH OF ITS END REGIONS, AND FOLDED ALONG SAID AXIS OF SYMMETRY TO FORM A FOLDED STRAIGHT SIDE EDGE; MEANS SEALING TOGETHER ADJACENT EDGES OF SAID FOLDED SHEET ALONG THE ENDS THE CURVED SIDE THEREOF SO AS TO FORM AN ELONGATED ENCLOSED CHAMBER HAVING A FOLDED STRAIGHT SIDE EDGE, A CURVED SEALED SIDE EDGE, TWO SEALED END EDGES AND TWO OPPOSING SIDE WALLS HAVING A CENTRAL REGION NARROWER THAN THE END REGIONS; MEANS FURTHER SEALING TOGTHER THE SAID OPPOSING SIDE WALLS OF SAID CHAMBER AT A PLURALITY OF SPACED STRIPS, SAID STRIPS EXTENDING GENERALLY TRANSVERSELY TO THE LENGTH OF SAID CHAMBER AND INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF AND OF A LENGTH LESS THAN THE WIDTH OF SAID CHAMBER AT THE LOCATION OF SAID STRIP; ADJACENT PAIRS OF SAID STRIPS FORMING WITH THE PORTIONS OF THE OPPOSING SAID SIDE WALLS LOCATED THEREBETWEEN AN INFLATABLE CELL; SAID STRIPS FURTHER PROVIDING MEANS FOR CURVING SAID CHAMBER WHEN INFLATED; GENERALLY ENCLOSED TUBULAR CHANNELS BEING ALSO FORMED EXTENDING INTERIORLY LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID CHAMBER, FROM ONE OF SAID END EDGES TO THE OTHER OF SAID END EDGES, ONE OF SAID TUBULAR CHANNELS EXTENDING ALONG SAID FOLDED SIDE EDGE, AND THE OTHER OF SAID TUBULAR CHANNELS EXTENDING ALONG SAID SEALED SIDE EDGE, EACH OF SAID CHANNELS BEING IN OPEN COMMUNICATION WITH EACH OF SAID CELLS; MEANS PERMITTING INFLATION OF SAID CHAMBER TO INFLATE SAID CELLS AND SAID CHANNELS WHEREBY A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL GENERALLY VERTICAL AIR COLUMNS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF THE LENGTH OF SAID CHAMBER ARE FORMED, SAID AIR COLUMNS TERMINATING AT THEIR ENDS IN THE INFLATED CHANNELS EXTENDING ALONG THE EDGES OF SAID CHAMBER, RESISTANCE TO COMPRESSION OF SAID INFLATED AIR COLUMNS PROVIDING VERTICAL SUPPORT TO THE HEAD OF THE WEARER AND AT THE SAME TIME PROVIDING GENTLE LATERAL SUPPORT TO THE NECK OF THE WEARER, THROUGH THE RESTING OF SAID INFLATED CHANNELS AGAINST THE SHOULDER AND HEAD OF THE WEARER, AND SAID CENTRAL NARROWER REGION OF SAID CHAMBER SUPPORTING AND PARTIALLY SURROUNDING THE CHIN OF THE WEARER TO RESTRICT ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT OF THE SAME; AND FASTENING MEANS FOR CONNECTING AND DISCONNECTING THE ENDS OF SAID CHAMBER TO EACH OTHER AND TO SECURE SAID COLLAR ABOUT THE NECK OF THE WEARER.