Placement mat

Abstract

This novel placement mat comprises an outer cage and numerous ribs. The outer cage and ribs are formed by winding and stacking thermoplastic strips. The outer cage has a body with a hollow chamber. The ribs are spaced apart within the hollow chamber and connected to the body to act as support plates, creating a permeable structure. Different cage shapes can be used to form stable and varied cage structures. The outer cage can be shaped to conform to the human body's curves, such as polygonal prisms, triangular prisms, cylinders, or semi-cylindrical shapes. The size and spacing of the ribs determine the appearance and rigidity of the cage structure, providing flexibility for different positions. The outer cage and ribs can be made of materials such as TPO, TPE, TPU, POE, PP, and PE, and are fused together using a hot-melt process, eliminating the need for chemical adhesives. Furthermore, the outer surface of this placement mat can be covered with a layer of homogeneous, soft fabric to enhance comfort, hygiene, and aesthetics. With the above-described structure, this new invention provides a highly stable, multi-angle, and comfortable placement and support effect suitable for different usage conditions.

Description

Placement mat Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a placement mat, and more particularly to a placement mat having an outer cage made of thermoplastic strips wound and stacked together, and a plurality of ribs disposed in the outer cage. Prior Technology

[0002] Patients who are bedridden or have limited mobility are prone to bedsores because they cannot frequently change positions on their own, causing prolonged pressure on specific areas of their body. The main causes of bedsores, besides excessive local pressure and prolonged pressure duration, are also related to factors such as pressure, humidity, and insufficient skin ventilation. Therefore, for bedridden individuals, how to distribute pressure, reduce localized stress concentration, and maintain proper posture through appropriate support devices is a crucial aspect of care.

[0003] Existing support devices for bedridden care mostly use foam, etc. However, foam materials have poor breathability, which is not conducive to heat dissipation and ventilation. Prolonged contact can easily cause stuffiness and sweating, increasing the risk of pressure sores.

[0004] Therefore, the current market still lacks a positioning pad that combines multi-angle support, good stability, good breathability, and reduces the risk of pressure sores, so as to provide better posture maintenance and pressure distribution for bedridden patients, postoperative patients, or long-term care cases. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention relates to a placement mat, comprising an outer cage and a plurality of ribs. The outer cage has a cage body with a hollow chamber. The cage body is formed by winding and stacking thermoplastic strips and has multiple pores. The ribs are spaced apart in the hollow chamber of the cage body. The ribs are formed by winding and stacking thermoplastic strips and have multiple pores.

[0006] In one embodiment, the cage body of the outer cage is a polygonal cylindrical tube.

[0007] In one embodiment, the polygonal prism tube is an isosceles triangular prism tube.

[0008] In one embodiment, the outer cage is a cylindrical tube.

[0009] In one embodiment, the outer cage is a semi-cylindrical tube.

[0010] In one embodiment, a rib is used to seal the hollow chamber at each of the two ends of the cage body.

[0011] In one embodiment, the cage body and the ribs are selected from thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO), thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polyolefin elastomer (POE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), or combinations thereof.

[0012] In one embodiment, an outer cover is provided on the outer cover of the placement pad.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, this new technology has the following advantages:

[0014] The outer cage and ribs of this novel positioning pad are both made of thermoplastic strips wound and stacked together. It is porous, breathable, and resilient, providing excellent comfort during use. The ribs offer good support, preventing deformation and enhancing load-bearing capacity, forming a stable internal framework. This makes it ideal for diverse applications such as patient posture adjustment, limb immobilization, massage relaxation, and prolonged support.

[0015] In addition, the outer cage and ribs of this new type of positioning pad can be joined together by hot-melt bonding, eliminating the need for chemical adhesives and avoiding odor or allergy problems caused by chemical adhesives, while improving structural integrity and durability. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0016] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the appearance of an embodiment of the new placement pad. Figure 2 is an exploded view of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the thermoplastic strip winding in this novel invention. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the appearance of another embodiment of the new placement pad. Figure 5 is an exploded view of Figure 4. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the appearance of another embodiment of the new placement pad. Figure 7 is an exploded view of Figure 6. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the new type of placement mat, showing that there is a layer of fabric on the outside of the outer cage. Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the use of this new type of placement mat. Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the use of another type of placement mat of this new invention. Implementation

[0017] To provide a better understanding and appreciation of the features and characteristics of this invention, the following preferred embodiments are described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:

[0018] Please refer to Figure 1. This invention discloses a placement pad 100, which includes an outer cage 10 and a plurality of ribs 20.

[0019] Please refer to Figures 1-3. In this embodiment, the outer cage 10 has a cage body 11, which is formed by winding and stacking thermoplastic strips 40 (see Figure 3), thereby forming a structure with multiple pores 41. The cage body 11 is a polygonal prism tube; in this embodiment, an isosceles triangular prism tube is used. Therefore, it has multiple planes, allowing the body or limbs to be placed on different surfaces of the positioning pad 100 according to usage requirements, providing support at different angles. The triangular prism structure is stable and can effectively prevent rolling, keeping the body or limbs at a specified angle, which is beneficial in situations where it is necessary to fix the body or limbs at an appropriate angle. The cage body 11 has a hollow chamber 12, which can be used to accommodate multiple ribs 20. The ribs 20 are spaced apart within the hollow chamber 12 and connected to the cage body 11 to serve as support plates, forming a permeable structure. The cage body 11 is provided with better support by the ribs 20, allowing it to be suspended in the hollow chamber 12. The ribs 20 themselves have good elasticity and moderate softness and hardness, which, together with the suspended cage body 11, provides better comfort and support. In order to match the shape of the cage body 11, in this embodiment, the ribs 20 are also in the shape of isosceles triangles. The ribs 20 are also formed by winding and stacking thermoplastic strips 40 to form a porous support plate 41. In this embodiment, each rib 20 is fixed in the hollow chamber 12 of the outer cage body 10 in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the cage body. In addition, a rib 20 is provided at each of the two ends of the hollow chamber 12 of the cage body 11, thereby closing the two ends of the hollow chamber 12 and forming a complete, closed, and stable support structure. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the materials of the outer cage body 10 and the rib 20 can be selected from thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO), thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polyolefin elastomer (POE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), or combinations thereof. When using the above materials or their composites, the outer cage body 10 and the rib 20 can be fused together by hot-melt processing without the need for chemical adhesives. The polygonal columnar tube in this embodiment also includes square tubes, rectangular tubes, etc., whose features are the same as described above and will not be repeated.

[0020] Please refer to Figures 4-5. In another embodiment, the cage body 11 of the outer cage 10 is a cylindrical tube. To match the shape of the cage body 11, the ribs 20 in this embodiment are also circular. The arc-shaped shape used in this embodiment distributes force more evenly when in contact with the curves of the human body, making it suitable as a support pad for the neck, waist, back of the knees, or limbs. Furthermore, the user can roll the positioning pad 100 to adjust it to a suitable position under the patient's body, and it can also be used for rolling massage during rehabilitation exercises to relax tense muscles.

[0021] Please refer to Figures 6-7. In another embodiment, the cage body 11 of the outer cage 10 is a semi-cylindrical tube. To match the shape of the cage body 11, the ribs 20 in this embodiment are also semi-circular. In this embodiment, the upper half of the cage body 11 is arc-shaped, and the lower half is flat. The flat side of the lower half can remain stable and not easily roll when in contact with the ground, while the arc-shaped surface of the upper half can conform to the body parts, such as the shoulders, elbows, and ankles, which are areas that need protection. The flat bottom of the upper half can fix the positioning pad in place, such as the bed or the ground, and prevent it from rolling due to the patient's movement. The upper arc shape provides good comfort, while the lower flat part is stable, making it particularly suitable for long-term body or limb support. The combination of the outer cage body 10 and the ribs 20 determines the appearance and rigidity of the cage structure to provide optimal support and comfort.

[0022] In another embodiment, as shown in Figure 8, the surface of the cage body 11 of the outer cage 10 has a layer of fabric 50. This fabric 50 and the cage body 11 are made of the same material, formed by winding and stacking thermoplastic strips 40, and have porous structures 41 (see Figure 3). The fabric 50 has a lower hardness than the cage body 11, resulting in better softness. Through this double-layer structure of the cage body 11 and the fabric 50, the harder material of the cage body 11 provides support for the positioning pad, while the fabric 50 provides better comfort. Furthermore, since the cage body 11 and the fabric 50 are made of the same material, they can be directly recycled and reused. If the cage body 11 and the fabric 50 are made of different materials, recycling will become more difficult. In this embodiment, the fabric 50 in Figure 8 is designed to fit an isosceles triangular prism shape. However, in other embodiments, the fabric 50 can also fit other shapes of tubes, such as cylindrical tubes, semi-cylindrical tubes, polygonal prism tubes, and any other shapes (not shown).

[0023] In addition, in this embodiment, an outer cover (not shown) may be fitted over the placement mat 100 to improve comfort, aesthetics, and hygiene. The outer cover may be made of breathable fabric, elastic fabric, mesh fabric, or similar materials, making it easy to remove and wash and maintaining hygienic quality for long-term use.

[0024] The above is a description of the components and features of the placement pad 100 provided in a preferred embodiment of this invention. Its usage characteristics are then explained below:

[0025] Please refer to Figure 9. In this embodiment, the positioning pad 100 adopts an isosceles triangular prism cage 11. In clinical or home care settings, the operator (e.g., nurse, caregiver, or family member) can first assist the patient 90 to place their body in a comfortable supine, lateral, or semi-lateral position. Then, according to the patient 90's support needs, the positioning pad 100 is appropriately placed on the patient 90's back, waist, knees, or side waist, etc., so that one side of the triangular prism is in contact with the patient 90 to provide a stable support surface and help maintain the patient 90 in the specified posture. As mentioned above, when assisting patient 90 to turn into a side-lying position, the operator can first lift patient 90's body to the side, so that one side of patient 90's back or waist is suspended in the air. Then, place the positioning pad 100 under the suspended back or waist. After the positioning pad 100 is in place, let patient 90's suspended back or waist lean against one side of the positioning pad 100, so that patient 90's torso is tilted to the side. The side of the positioning pad 100 supports the back or waist. After maintaining this position for an appropriate period of time, the positioning pad 100 can be moved to the other side of the body, and the other side of the back or waist can be leaned against one side of the positioning pad 100. By repeating this operation, the patient's blood circulation can be effectively promoted, the time of local pressure concentration can be reduced, and the risk of skin pressure and moisture can be further reduced, which helps to reduce the occurrence of pressure sores. Since the placement method of the placement pad 100 can be changed according to the environment and conditions at the time, and can adapt to different shapes of placement pads 100 to meet the placement needs, the aforementioned instructions are only one example. Operators can use various shapes of placement pads 100 according to their needs. Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the cylindrical tube placement pad 100 used in the same posture as patient 90 in Figure 9.

[0026] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment provided by this invention and is not intended to limit the scope of this invention. All equivalent variations made by those skilled in the art based on this invention should be considered within the scope of this invention.

[0027] 100: Placement mat 10: Outer cage 11: Cage 12: Hollow Chamber 20: Ribs 40: Thermoplastic rubber strips 41: Porous 50: Fabric 90: Patients

Claims

1. A placement mat comprising: an outer cage having a cage body having a hollow chamber, the cage body being formed by winding and stacking thermoplastic strips and having multiple pores; a plurality of ribs spaced apart in the hollow chamber of the cage body and connected to the cage body as support plates for supporting the cage body, the ribs being formed by winding and stacking thermoplastic strips and having multiple pores.

2. The placement mat as described in claim 1, wherein, The outer cage has a layer of fabric on its surface, which is made of thermoplastic strips wound and stacked together and has a porous structure.

3. The placement mat as described in claim 2, wherein, The outer cage and the fabric are made of the same material, but the hardness of the fabric material is lower than that of the outer cage material.

4. The placement mat as described in any one of claims 1 to 3 of the patent application, wherein, The outer cage is a polygonal cylindrical tube.

5. The placement mat as described in claim 4, wherein, The polygonal cylindrical tube is an isosceles triangular cylindrical tube.

6. The placement mat as described in any one of claims 1 to 3 of the patent application, wherein, The outer cage is a cylindrical tube.

7. The placement mat as described in any one of claims 1 to 3 of the patent application, wherein, The outer cage is a semi-cylindrical tube.

8. The placement mat as described in any one of claims 1 to 3 of the patent application, wherein, The hollow chamber is sealed off at each of the two ends of the cage body with a rib.

9. The placement mat as described in any one of claims 1 to 3 of the patent application, wherein, The cage body and the ribs are selected from thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO), thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polyolefin elastomer (POE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), or combinations thereof.

10. The placement mat as described in any one of claims 1 to 3 of the patent application, wherein, The placement mat has an outer cover.

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