Air support cushion

Claim 2

A lightweight and portable support alliance comprising: a) at least one cushion having a top surface, a bottom surface and at least one side surface attached continuously along the periphery of both the top and bottom surface to form an impermeable seal, the cushion having at least one internal segment formed by at least one internal diaphragm, which internal diaphragm provides a flexible support to prevent cushion deformation caused by inflation and which also allows the cushion to be collapsed to a substantially flat configuration when deflated, the internal diaphragm attached by attachment means to the internal sides of the top surface, bottom surface and at two different points on the side surfaces of the cushion, wherein the attachment means consists essentially of internal stitching such that the top surface and edges thereof are free of external seams and obstructions to eliminate sources for ulcers or the like on the user's body, at least one internal diaphragm having at least one opening through which the gaseous mixture can freely pass and in which liquids also can freely pass to facilitate cleaning of the support apparatus; b) at least the top surface of the cushion being formed from a material bearing microscopic apertures, wherein the apertures are less than about 10.0 microns and greater than about 4 Angstroms, allowing substantial permeability to the gaseous mixture and rendering the material substantially impermeable to solids and liquids to provide an ulcer-free air flow microenvironment for the user while simultaneously eliminating the need for a separate gaseous mixture outlet or exhaust port, wherein also at least the top surface of each cushion is formed of a single contiguous sheet of the material bearing microscopic apertures, which sheet is attached by attachment means so as to be integral with the cushion side walls and which joins one or more cushions without intervening gaps or spaces between cushions which could cause ulcers or the like on the user's body or liquids or solids to penetrate there between; c) a means for gaseous mixture inlet penetrating either one of the side surfaces or the bottom surface of the cushion, the inlet means being sealed around its periphery at the point of cushion penetration; and d) a means, sealably connected to the gaseous mixture inlet means, for generating a pressurized flow of a gaseous mixture to the cushion, having the capacity to produce from about 30 liters to about 3,000 liters per minute of the gaseous mixture to the cushion at a pressure of from about 0.3 centimeters to about 40 centimeters of water thereby inflating the cushion to form a flexible, ulcer free support for at least a portion of the body of the user without the need for an ancillary external support structure, wherein said pressurized flow means comprises:

Claim 3

a motor; 2. a blower attachment connected to the motor; and 3. a valve, sealably connected to the inlet means provided for the cushion.

Claim 4

a motor; 2. a blower attachment connected to the motor; and 3. a valve, sealably connected to the inlet means provided for the cushion.

Claim 5

The support appliance according to claim 1 wherein the cushion comprises a plurality of internal segments formed by at least one internal diaphragm.

Claim 6

The support appliance according to claim 1 wherein the cushion has one side surface and top and bottom surfaces substantially arcuate in shape, or three side surfaces and top and bottom surface substantially triangular in shape, or four side surfaces and top and bottom surfaces substantially rectangular in shape.

Claim 7

The support appliance according to claim 1 wherein the microscopic apertures have diameters of from about 4 Angstroms to about 0.5 microns in the top surface material of the cushion.

Claim 8

The support appliance according to claim 1 wherein a detachable attachment means holds more than one cushion together in the support appliance.

Claim 9

The support appliance according to claim 5 wherein the detachable attachment means is selected from the group consisting of buckles, clasps and hook and loop tapes.

Claim 10

The support appliance of claim 1 wherein the diaphragm is arranged transversely to the position taken by the user when the appliance is in use.

Claim 11

The support appliance of claim 1 wherein the cushion comprises a plurality of internal segments formed by at least one internal diaphragm, and wherein the cushion has one side surface and top and bottom surfaces substantially arcuate in shape or three side surfaces and top and bottom surfaces substantially triangular in shape or four side surfaces and top and bottom surfaces substantially rectangular in shape, and wherein the diaphragms are arranged transversely to the position taken by the user when the appliance is in use.

Claim 12

A lightweight and portable support appliance comprising: a) at least one cushion having a top surface, a bottom surface and at least one side surface attached continuously along the periphery of both the top and bottom surface to form an impermeable seal, the cushion having one side surface and top and bottom surfaces substantially arcuate in shape or three side surfaces and top and bottom surfaces substantially triangular in shape or four side surfaces and top and bottom surfaces substantially rectangular in shape, the cushion having a plurality of internal segments formed by at least one internal diaphragm arranged transversely to the position taken by the user when the appliance is in use, which internal diaphragm provides a flexible support to prevent cushion deformation caused by inflation and which also allows the cushion to be collapsed to a substantially flat configuration when deflated, the internal diaphragm attached by attachment means to the internal sides of the top surface, bottom surface and at two different points on the side surfaces of the cushion, wherein the attachment means consists essentially of internal stitching such that the top surface and edges thereof are free of external seams and obstructions to eliminate sources for ulcers or the like on the user's body, at least one internal diaphragm having at least one opening through which the gaseous mixture can freely pass and in which liquids also can freely pass to facilitate cleaning of the support apparatus; b) at least the top surface of the cushion being formed from a material bearing microscopic apertures, wherein the apertures are about 4 Angstroms to about 0.5 microns allowing substantial permeability to the gaseous mixture and rendering the material substantially impermeable to solids and liquids to provide an ulcer-free air flow environment for the user while simultaneously eliminating the need for a separate gaseous mixture outlet or exhaust port, wherein also at least the top surface of each cushion is formed of a single contiguous sheet of the material bearing microscopic apertures, which sheet is attached by attachment means so as to be integral with the cushion side walls and which joins one or more cushions without intervening gaps or spaces between cushions which could cause ulcers or the like on the user's body or liquids or solids to penetrate there between; c) a means for gaseous mixture inlet penetrating either one of the side surfaces or the bottom surface of the cushion, the inlet means being sealed around its periphery at the point of cushion penetration; and d) a means, sealably connected to the gaseous mixture inlet means, for generating a pressurized flow of a gaseous mixture to the cushion, having the capacity to produce from about 900 liters to about 1,200 liters per minute of the gaseous mixture to the cushion at a pressure of from about 0.3 centimeters to about 30 centimeters of water thereby inflating the sealed cushion to form a flexible, ulcer free support for at least a portion of the body of the user without the need for an ancillary external support structure, wherein said pressurized flow means comprises:

Claim 13

A lightweight and portable support appliance comprising: a) at least one cushion having a top surface, a bottom surface and at least one side surface attached continuously along the periphery of both the top and bottom surface to form an impermeable seal, the cushion having one side surface and top and bottom surfaces substantially arcuate in shape or three side surfaces and top and bottom surfaces substantially triangular in shape or four side surfaces and top and bottom surfaces substantially rectangular in shape, the cushion having a plurality of internal segments formed by at least one internal diaphragm arranged transversely to the position taken by the user when the appliance is in use, which internal diaphragm provides a flexible support to prevent cushion deformation caused by inflation and which also allows the cushion to be collapsed to a substantially flat configuration when deflated, the internal diaphragm attached by attachment means to the internal sides of the top surface, bottom surface and at two different points on the side surfaces of the cushion, wherein the attachment means consists essentially of internal stitching such that the top surface and edges thereof are free of external seams and obstructions to eliminate sources for ulcers or the like on the user's body, at least one internal diaphragm having at least one opening through which the gaseous mixture can freely pass and in which liquids also can freely pass to facilitate cleaning of the support apparatus; b) at least the top surface of the cushion being formed from a material bearing microscopic apertures, wherein the apertures are about 4 Angstroms to about 0.5 microns allowing substantial permeability to the gaseous mixture and rendering the material substantially impermeable to solids and liquids to provide an ulcer-free air flow environment for the user while simultaneously eliminating the need for a separate gaseous mixture outlet or exhaust port, wherein also at least the top surface of each cushion is formed of a single contiguous sheet of the material bearing microscopic apertures, which sheet is attached by attachment means so as to be integral with the cushion side walls and which joins one or more cushions without intervening gaps or spaces between cushions which could cause ulcers or the like on the user's body or liquids or solids to penetrate there between; c) a means for gaseous mixture inlet penetrating either one of the side surfaces or the bottom surface of the cushion, the inlet means being sealed around its periphery at the point of cushion penetration; and d) a means, sealably connected to the gaseous mixture inlet means, for generating a pressurized flow of a gaseous mixture to the cushion, having the capacity to produce from about 900 liters to about 1,200 liters per minute of the gaseous mixture to the cushion at a pressure of from about 0.3 centimeters to about 30 centimeters of water thereby inflating the sealed cushion to form a flexible, ulcer free support for at least a portion of the body of the user without the need for an ancillary external support structure, wherein said pressurized flow means comprises:

Claim 14

a motor; 2. a blower attachment connected to the motor; and 3. a valve, sealably connected to the inlet means provided for the cushion.

Claim 15

a motor; 2. a blower attachment connected to the motor; and 3. a valve, sealably connected to the inlet means provided for the cushion.

Claim 16

A method of supporting at least partially the weight of a user on the portable support appliance of claim 1 without the assistance of ancillary external support structures comprising: a) generating a flow of a pressurized gaseous mixture without the assistance of a complicated mechanical or electrical gas generating apparatus; b) connecting the gaseous mixture flow to the gaseous mixture inlet means of at least one sealed cushion having a top surface, a bottom surface and at least one side surface, the top surface of the cushion being formed from a material bearing microscopic apertures which materials is permeable to the gaseous mixture and substantially impermeable to solids and liquids, wherein the microscopic apertures are less than about 10.0 microns and greater than about 4 Angstroms, the cushion also having at least one internal segment formed by at least one internal diaphragm, the internal diaphragm providing a flexible support to prevent cushion deformation caused by the user's body weight and collapsibly attached by attachment means to the internal sides of the top surface, bottom surface and at two different points on the side surfaces of the cushion to define a segment, the cushion being sealed by internal stitching and the internal diaphragm attached to the cushion material by internal stitching, the internal stitching rendering the top surface and the edges thereof essentially free of external seams and obstructions, and at least one internal diaphragm having at least one opening through which said gaseous mixture can flow and liquids can pass to facilitate cleaning; c) inflating each said cushion to bear at least a portion of the user's body without cushion deformation; and d) adjusting and controlling said gaseous mixture flow and pressure independently for at least one cushion to support the user in a selected position.