US3086523A - Orthopedic cushioning pads - Google Patents

Description

April 23, 1963 L. c. LOWTH 3,086,523

ORTHOPEDIC CUSHIONING PADS Filed April 20, 1961 INVENTOR. (Av/V420 6356a 40? United States. Patent 3,086,523 ORTHOPEDIC CUSHIONING PADS Leonard Cecil Lowth, London, England, assignor to The Schoii Mfg. Co., Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 20, 1961, Ser. No. 104,367 Claims priority, application Great Britain Oct. 28, 1960 6 Claims. (Cl. 128--153) This invention relates to improvements in orthopedic cushioning pads, and more particularly to an orthopedic or a surgical pad having a digit loop, the pad being highly desirable for use on the foot of a wearer for the alleviation of and relieving of pressure from afflictions such as bunions, hammer toe corns, bony prominences on the top of the great toe, calluses beneath the great toe, and for various other purposes and affiictions, the device also being wearable upon the hand of a user to relieve swollen joints, abrasions, calluses and other and various injuries, as will be apparent to one skilled in the art.

With an afiiiction on a curved or rounded portion of the body, such as a bunion opposite the first or fifth metatarsal heads, it is desirable not only to overlie the affliction with some pressure relieving means, but also to more or less surround the aflliction with pressure relieving means. The mere covering of the affliction is not deemed sutfiicient for proper relief of pressure from wearing apparel or the like, but by more or less surrounding the affliction, the pressure even on the part overlying the afliiction is transferred to healthy tissue surrounding the affliction and the aifliction itself is protected virtually from all sides. A pad that is curved both longitudinally and laterally so as to provide an overall concave-convex shape is perhaps best suited for this purpose.

However, in the past, concavo-convex pads had to be molded to desired shape, an expensive procedure, or had to be cut to the proper shape by an expensive operation, or as is the case in most instances, narrow V-shaped notches were cut in the body of the pad, and then the side walls of the notches brought together and cemented in order to give the pad the desired curve shape, also adding materially to the cost of manufacture. In many cases flat pads having an opening or aperture therein to receive the afliiction were utilized, but such pads did not effectively .and properly transfer pressure of wearing apparel away from the afliiction itself to the healthy tissue around it.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an important object of the instant invention to provide an orthopedic or surgical pad provided with a digit loop, and having a generally flat body part, but which pad is so constructed as to give the operative effect of a concavo-convex pad.

Aonther object of this invention is the provision of an orthopedic or surgical pad which, while generally flat, will protect an affliction from pressure by at least partially surrounding that aifliction and transferring pressure from wearing apparel to the healthy tissue around the afiiiction.

It is also a feature of this invention to provide an orthopedic or surgical pad having a cushioning body part with an arcuate piece or flange also of cushioning material secured to the body part at the bounding edge of the pad, but extending freely away from the body part unless pressed thereagainst by some adjacent object.

Also an object of this invention is the provision of an orthopedic or surgical pad capable of giving the effect of a concavo-convex pad, while being generally flat, and comprising a cushion body part to which a circumferential flange is secured at the bottom bounding edge of the pad, which flange extends freely away from the body part around the margin of the same, and when the body part is curved by an article of apparel around the curve 3,086,523 Patented Apr. 23, 1963 portion of the body, there is a tendency for such marginal flange to extend further away from the body portion of the pad.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide an orthopedic or surgical pad having a cushion body part, and a castellated marginal flange connected to that body part at the bounding edge of the pad and otherwise extending away from the body part unless physically pressed thereagainst, the castellated effect preventing wrinkling of the flange piece when the body part is bent or curved by an article of apparel.

While some of the salient features, characteristics and advantages of the instant invention have been above pointed out, others will become apparent from the following disclosures, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which: 7

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of an orthopedic or surgical pad embodying principles of the instant invention shown in place upon the human foot;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged plan view of the inside face or body contacting face of the pad of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through the pad taken substantially as indicated by the line I=II---III of FIGURE 2, looking in the direction of the arrows; and 7 FIGURE 4 is a view similar in character to FIGURE 2, but showing a slightly different form of construction.

As shown on the drawings:

In FIGURE 1 I have shown a pad, generally indicated by numeral 1, embodying principles of this invention, in operative position on a human foot 2 for the alleviation of an affliction such as a bunion. The pad is held in place by means of a stretchable or elastic digit loop 3 embracing the great toe 4 of the human foot. While in this figure the pad is illustrated in position for the alleviation of an :afiiiction such as a bunion, it will be obvious to one skilled in the art that the pad may be applied to the foot or hand of the user in many and various other locations for the alleviation of various types of afllictions. Also, the pad may have various body part shapes and be made in various sizes, depending upon what particular afflictions the pad is to be used.

In the illustrated instance the body portion of the pad is shown in the form of a Wide oval provided with an extension 5 at one end thereof to which the digit loop 3 is attached. The loop 3 may be of any commonly known elastic material, such as a fabric woven with stretchable threads therein. A

Although the body part of the pad may be of foam latex or some other cushioning material having a smooth slick covering thereover, the body part is preferably made of thermoplastic material, and in the illustrated instance comprises a thermoplastic film or sheet 6 such as a vinyl film as a cover member and which is preferably provided with numerous apertures therein as indicated at 7 in FIG- URE 1. In juxtaposed relationship with the cover 6 is a much thicker sheet 8 of thermoplastic foam cushioning material, such as polyvinyl chloride foam, polyurethane foam, a combination of both, or equivalent material. This sheet 8 is of equal area with the cover sheet and is preferably joined to the cover sheet by a heat seal. seam 9 which defines the bounding edge of the pad. This heat seal seam 9 may be provided with the aid of a suitable die in an electronic heat sealing presswherein when the sheet is permitted. The cushioning sheet 8 has inter communicating cells therein and so adequate ventilation is provided by way of those cells and the apertures in the cover in the event the pad is used on a portion of the body continuously under pressure or disposed beneath the plantar surface of the foot, for example.

As seen in FIGURE 3 the strap or digit loop 3 may extend between the two layers 6 and 8, and this strap will be firmly anchored in position by the heat seal seam 9 when the same is formed.

In order to give the present invention the efiect of a concavo-convex pad, when in fact the body portion of the pad is substantially flat as seen in FIGURE 3, a marginal flange piece 10 which extends preferably at least half-way around the body of the pad is secured at the bounding edge of the pad in the same heat seal seam 9 and thus united with the layers 6 and 8. This flange piece 10 may well be made of the same cushion type material as the layer 8. As seen best in FIGURE 2, the

end portions 11-11 of the marginal piece or flange piece 10 taper off laterally or gradually decrease in width until these end portions merge with the bounding edge of the pad body.

With reference to FIGURE 3 it will be noted that the flange piece 10, being secured to the remainder of the pad only at the bounding edge of the pad tends to extend inwardly beneath and away from the sheet 8 as evinced by the space 12 between these parts. Now if the pad body is given a laterally curvate contour as it will assume when positioned as seen in FIGURE 1 and an article of footwear is worn over it, the flange piece 10 has a tendency to extend farther away from the body of the pad and this adds to the ability of the flange piece in transferring pressure from wearing apparel to healthy tissue around the alfliction, which will be received or covered by the central portion of the body part inside the arcuate edge 13 of the flange piece. In order for the pad to provide the beneficial effects of a concavo-convex pad, it is only necessary for the arcuate flange piece 10 to extend in the neighborhood of half-way round the body portion of the pad, as illustrated, since the remainder of the body portion will be held against the body of the user by the digit loop 3 whereas the freely extending portion of the pad will be retained against the users body by a stocking or other wearing apparel.

In use, the instant invention is quite simple and eflective. In order to mount the pad in position it is merely necessary to pass the elastic loop 3 over a digit, such as a toe for example, and position the pad so that the central portion of the body part inside the curvate edge 13 of the flange piece 10 overlies the affliction. The flange piece, adding to the thickness of the pad around the aflliction, effectively transfers pressure of apparel to the healthy tissue around the aflliction, at the same time the pad by way of its body portion provides a protective cover over the extremely sensitive region of the affliction itself. The pad is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, may be laundered Whenever deemed necessary and extremely quickly dried, has a soft and comfortable feel to the body of the user, and is extremely long lived.

In FIGURE 4 I have disclosed a modified form of structure wherein the pad is identical to that previously described except for the flange piece Which, in this instance, is castellated as indicated at 14 with spaces 15 between the castellations. In this instance, in order to expedite manufacture, the castellations 14 may have a fine joining outer margin so that the castellated flange piece may be handled as a single piece of material during assembly, and this joined outer margin of the castellations will be incorporated in the heat seal seam 9 leaving the castellations spaced from each other. The castellations have a definite advantage in that when the body portion of the pad is given a curved or arcuate shaping around an aflliction or a portion of the body of the user, the castellations prevent the formation of wrinkles or lcreases in the flange piece. Otherwise the pad of FIG- URE 4 functions the same as that previously described.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an orthopedic pad, a substantially flat body part comprising a thermoplastic cover sheet, a thicker thermoplastic foam cushioning sheet of equal area underlying said cover sheet, a heat seal seam joining said sheets and defining the bounding edge of said body part, an extension at one end of said body part, a digit loop attached to said extension, and an arcuate thermoplastic flange piece secured in said heat seal seam circumferentially to said body part opposite said digit loop, said flange piece being otherwise unsecured to said body part and projecting away therefrom.

2. In an orthopedic pad, a substantially flat body part comprising a thermoplastic cover sheet, a thicker thermoplastic foam cushioning sheet of equal area underlying said cover sheet, a heat seal seam joining said sheets and defining the bounding edge of said body part, an extension at one end of said body part, a digit loop attached to said extension, and an arcuate thermoplastic flange piece secured in said heat seal seam circumferentially to said body part opposite said digit loop, said flange piece being other-wise unsecured to said body part and projecting away therefrom, said flange piece being substantially as thick as said foam sheet and having its end portions decreasing in width laterally to merge with said heat seal seam.

3. In an orthopedic pad, a substantially flat body part comprising a thermoplastic cover sheet, a thicker thermoplastic foam cushioning sheet of equal area underlying said cover sheet, a heat seal seam joining said sheets and defining the bounding edge of said body part, an extension at one end of said body part, a digit loop attached to said extension, and an arcuate thermoplastic marginal flange piece secured to said body part only by said heat seal seam and extending approximately half-way around said body part at the end thereof opposite said digit loop.

4. In an orthopedic pad, a cushioning body part, means to attach said body part to the flesh of a user, and a cushioning piece shaped to define a marginal flange around at least a portion of said body part and extending inwardly beneath and away from said body part, said flange piece being secured to said body part only at its edge and to the edge of said body part, said flange piece being castellated with a space between adjacent castellations.

5. In an orthopedic pad, a cushioning body part, means to attach said body part to the flesh of a user, and flange means of cushioning material secured only to the edge of said body part and extending inwardly in normally spaced relationship to said body part, said flange means comprising spaced castellations.

6. In an orthopedic pad, a body part comprising a thermoplastic cover sheet, a thicker thermoplastic foam cushioning sheet of equal area underlying said cover sheet, a heat seal seam joining said sheets and defining the bounding edge of said body part, a digit loop attached to said body part adjacent an end thereof, and an arcuate thermoplastic flange piece with its outer edge secured in said heat seal seam opposite said digit loop and extending approximately halfway around said body, said sheets and said flange being otherwise unsecured and said flange projecting beneath and away from said body part.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,237,285 Block Aug. 21, 1917 2,432,559 Clarke Dec. 16, 1947 2,585,629 Crawford Feb. 12, 1952 2,786,466 Rudnick Mar. 26, 1957

Claims (1)

1. IN AN ORTHOPEDIC PAD, A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT BODY PART COMPRISING A THERMOPLASTIC COVER SHEET, A THICKER THERMOPLASTIC FOAM CUSHIONING SHEET OF EQUAL AREA UNDERLYING SAID COVER SHEET, A HEAT SEAL SEAM JOINING SAID SHEETS AND DEFINING THE BOUNDING EDGE OF SAID BODY PART, AN EXTENSION AT ONE END OF SAID BODY PART, A DIGIT LOOP ATTACHED TO SAID EXTENSION, AND AN ARCUATE THERMOPLASTIC FLANGE PIECE SECURED IN SAID HEAT SEAL SEAM CIRCUMFERENTIALLY TO

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