Beds – Invalid bed or surgical support
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-19
2001-08-07
Swinehart, Ed (Department: 3617)
Beds
Invalid bed or surgical support
C440S016000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06269500
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a mechanism for generating wave motion, and more particularly the invention relates to beds and chairs having wave generating mechanisms incorporated therein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Patients who are immobilised due to partial or complete paralysis, or are recuperating from major surgery or otherwise bedridden for extended periods of time are often unable to exercise or move sufficiently under their own power. In many cases this is problematic and can lead to complications such as bed sores, and disuse atrophy of joints and soft tissues. Most solutions to this problem involve changing pressure points exerted on the patient's body by the bed or couch on which they are supported. Mattresses having fluidized beds incorporated into the structure or inflatable/deflatable devices are common but these units typically involve complicated mechanisms and circuitry and are quite expensive. A propagating wave through a mattress support is a desirable alternative to these other solutions.
Several types of wave generating devices have been patented. U.S. Pat. No. 3,981,612 issued to Bunger et al is directed to a wave generating apparatus which uses a set of rollers mounted on a carriage that is driven along a set of rails. A flexible sheet is secured at the ends of a frame and as the carriage is driven along the rails the roller displaces the sheet upwardly so that a wave motion is produced along the sheet. This device is quite bulky and is only able to produce one displacement wave for only one set of rollers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,915,584 issued to Kashubara discloses a device for converting fluid flow into mechanical motion using an airfoil movable within a vertical track. As air flows over the air foil the foil moves vertically up or down in the vertical track thereby transmitting movement to a set of crank arms thereby rotating an axle which is attached at the ends to the two crank arms.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,465,941 issued to Wilson et al is directed to a water engine for converting water flow into other types of mechanical energy. Water flowing toward one side of the device engages a set of butterfly valves and a wheeled carriage is pushed along the frame of the barrage.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,620,651 issued to Hufton discloses a fluid flow apparatus that may operate as a pump or motor. The device includes several flexible sheets driven in oscillatory motion by a bulky crank assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,999,861 issued to Huang describes a therapeutic bed with a wave surface generated through two longitudinal shafts, a multitude of offset cams and a support mechanism.
A PCT patent application PCT/EP98/01276 issued to Nestle S. A. uses a method similar to Huang's wave bed in a peristaltic pump. A longitudinal shaft drives a number of cams that sequentially compress a tube in a wavelike manner.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,364 issued to Volk also describes a wave bed activated through inflation and deflation of air pockets.
It would therefore be advantageous to provide a compact wave generating device that can be used for producing wave motion for use in chairs, beds or other therapeutic devices or alternatively may be adapted for converting wave motion into other types of mechanical or electrical energy.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a mechanism that can be adapted for either generating transverse wave motion or converting wave motion into other forms of useful work.
An advantage of the present invention is that it provides an apparatus for generating transverse wave motion that can be adapted for numerous applications including but not limited to wave beds, wave chairs, wave surfaces and propulsion systems. The mechanism can also be used generally for converting wave motion into other types of useful work including but not limited to rotary motion and electrical power.
In one aspect of the invention there is provided an apparatus for converting rotary motion into wave motion and vice versa. The apparatus comprises a flexible member, a link member rigidly attached to the flexible member at a first end portion thereof and pivotally attached to an oscillatory drive means at the second end thereof. When the oscillatory drive means rotates the second end portion of the link it undergoes oscillatory movement which produces a traveling wave in the flexible member with a wavelength proportional to the length of the link member.
In another aspect of the invention there is provided an apparatus for generating wave motion. The apparatus comprises a flexible member and at least one link member having opposed first and second end portions. The at least one link member is rigidly attached at the first end portion thereof to the flexible member and is pivotally attached at the second end portion thereof to oscillatory drive means for imparting oscillatory motion to the second end portion of the at least one link member so that in operation when the oscillatory drive means is engaged the second end portion undergoes oscillatory motion which produces transverse waves in the flexible member.
In this aspect of the invention, the apparatus includes a plurality of link members attached along the flexible member driven synchronously by the oscillatory drive means to form a continuous traveling transverse wave.
In another aspect of the invention there is provided an apparatus for generating wave motion. The apparatus comprises an oscillatory drive means including a crank assembly and at least two elongate beams each attached to the crank assembly. The oscillatory drive means synchronously drives the at least two elongate beams with a preselected phase angle between the at least two elongate beams. The apparatus includes a flexible member; and the at least two elongate beams each include at least two link members spaced along and pivotally attached at its second end portion to the beam. The at least two link members each have a first end portion rigidly attached to the flexible member and have an effective length so that when the oscillatory drive means is engaged the second end portion undergoes oscillatory motion which produces transverse traveling waves in the flexible member.
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Hill & Schumacher
Saringer Research Inc.
Schumacher Lynn C.
Swinehart Ed
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