WO2006129330A1 - Thermal mattress, also serving as a mat, with box for electric feed, adjustment and control - Google Patents

Abstract

Thermal mattress, also for use as a mat, made by placing a body comprising two layers of natural or synthetic rubber in a press at high temperature and pressure to undergo a process of vulcanization, there being placed between said layers a conductive element of electric current which, when vulcanization is completed, remains entirely sunk inside the mattress. The two ends of the conductive element are connected to an apparatus for electric feed, adjustment and control, ensuring that voltage is maintained below 12 Volt.

Description

Thermal mattress, also serving as a mat, with box for electric feed, adjustment and control

The invention concerns thermal mattresses.

Innumerable processes and means exist for generating heat, essentially based on combustion especially of gases and electric resistance. It follows that, for the purpose concerned, the most suitable kind would be hot water mattresses that are both soft and warm.

Such mattresses are however very costly and temperature regulation is no easy matter.

In other words, the "softness" of hot-water mattresses is costly and unpractical both because of the difficulty over maintaining their temperatures at an adequate level and also because of the risk of holes forming and liquid leaking out.

Subject of the invention is a thermal mattress, also useful as a mat and the like, not only for veterinary purposes, especially where long surgical operations may involve the risk of hypothermia, but also in other cases where animals need warmth such as when feeding their young; and again, for persons working in situations of discomfort, or out in the open where, for example, street vendors sell fruit and vegetables, or even indoors such as at cash desks at exposed positions in supermarkets. The thermal mattress, subject of the invention, is formed by vulcanizing a body, in a press at high temperature and pressure, said body comprising two layers of rubber between which is an electricity conducting element laid in the form of a serpentine which, after the vulcanizing process, becomes entirely sunk inside the mattress.

The rubber may be natural or synthetic.

To prevent the conductive element from moving from its correct position during vulcanizing, hooks are applied to fix it firmly to the first of the two layers of rubber.

The hooks may be clips and consist of a long thin metal body bent to a "U", the "legs" bending at 90° from the straight intermediate section and having pointed ends to be pressed into the first of the rubber layers preferably about 5-6 mm thick.

The conductive element laid serpentine-wise may be about 0.3 mm thick.

Pairs of circular holes are made at each end of the sections of conductive element and also about halfway along their rectangular lengths, the diameter of said holes being substantially greater, at a ratio of about 3 to 1, than the width of the legs of the clips.

According to its type of execution, the mattress may present the following electrical characteristics: voltage 230/12V, current 17A, temperature 0 -

40⁰ C.

The most suitable sizes can be mm 450 x 1000 x 13, or mm 600 x 800 x 13, or again mm. 500 x 1000 x 13,

The mattress here described is electrically wired to a box-shaped device connected to a source of electric current that can come in from the city mains.

Said box also comprises a fmger-adjustable heat regulator, a display showing the set temperature and another display showing the temperature ascertained by an internal sensor placed inside the area considered most sensitive from the heating point of view.

A switch is provided to turn the electricity on and off.

The dimensions of the control box are such as to allow it to be placed under the operating or work table.

Together with the mattress, an adequate quantity of disposable sterile cases is supplied to ensure maximum hygiene. The invention offers evident advantages.

Made by association of a first and a second layer of rubber of equal size with a conductive element laid serpentine-wise between them, the mattress can be used for its original purpose, or else as a mat, as required, maintaining its characteristics of safe and hygienic heating.

It will be found particularly effective for keeping an animal's body temperature at an ideal level during a surgical operation.

Compared with the thermal mattresses at present on the market made substantially of plastic material, the mattress subject of the present invention offers all the advantages of a hot- water mattress without the disadvantages connected with the difficulty of regulating water temperature as well as that relating to the vicinity of water to electric current.

The softness of the rubber, which can obviously be chosen as preferred, makes this mattress a versatile object wherever a warm flat surface is required, for laying animals to be surgically operated, for heating a workplace, such as those outdoors for street vendors, or for cash desks in the large stores.

Electric current used at a voltage not exceeding 12V makes the mattress perfectly safe for use by persons or animals, providing a warm surface of practically any useful size and suitable softness, suggesting widespread adoption of the article for any and every purpose where such characteristics as these are required.

While permitting maximum heat adjustment, the control box also makes possible an even distribution of the heat all over the surface of the mattress. The flexibility of the rubber ensures continuous adherence to the operating table, and therefore to the animal laid on it, even if table dimensions have to be adjusted to fit those of the animal.

Characteristics and purposes of the invention will be made still clearer by the following example of its execution ^' illustrated by diagrammatically drawn figures.

PLATE I Fig. 1 First layer of rubber with aluminium conductive element laid serpentine-wise, fixed in place with clips, perspective.

Fig. 2 Enlarged view of a clip, perspective.

Fig. 3 Second layer of rubber, substantially identical to the first, perspective PLATE II

Fig. 4 The two superimposed layers of rubber ready for vulcanizing in the press at high temperature and pressure.

Fig. 5 Detail of the press during vulcanization of the two layers of rubber.

PLATE in Fig. 6 The mattress obtained by vulcanization, associated to the box-shaped device for supply and regulation of electric current, with a plug for connection to electricity from the city mains.

PLATE IV

Fig. 7 The mattress used for a surgical operation on a dog. The rubber layer 8 supports an aluminium conductive element 12, about mm. 0.3 thick, laid serpentine- wise, fixed in place by metal clips such as clip 40.

The rectilinear length 14 and the end section 16 at 90°, are connected by wires 24 and 26 to an electric cable 28 at the end of which is a plug 30. Figure 2 shows one of the clips 40 formed of a flat length bent to a "U" with a. straight top section 42, legs 44 bent at 90° and with sharp tips 46 to be pressed into the rubber layer 8.

The conductive element 12, laid serpentine-wise, presents pairs of circular holes at its ends 18 and halfway along the strips 20, the diameter of said holes being substantially greater than the width of the legs 44 of the clips

40, at a ratio of approximately 3 to 1. .

Figure 3 shows a second layer of rubber 10, substantially identical to the first layer 8 over which it will be laid to form a pair of layers 50 (Figure 4).

Said pair 50 of natural or synthetic rubber layers is then placed in the press 60 with its two plates 62 and 64, where the high temperature and pressure applied form the vulcanized rubber mattress 66. When the process has been completed the conductive element 12 is found to be contained in complete electrical isolation inside the two rubber layers 8 and 10.

Figure 6 shows the plug 30 of the electric cable 28 plugged into the box- shaped device 70 from which the cable 72 and plug 74 emerge to provide electric feed from the city mains.

On the front of the device 70 is a switch 80, a temperature regulator 82, a first display 84 showing the set temperature, and a second display 86 to indicate working temperature in the mattress 66. Figure 7 illustrates an example of how the mattress 66, when laid on top of a structure 100, can be used during a surgical operation on a dog 88, the warm mattress serving to prevent hyperthermia in the animal.

The mattress 66 is fitted with a disposable cover 92 for hygienic reasons.

Visible below the bed 94, is the box-shaped structure 70, fitted in place for its functions of providing electric feed and for adjusting temperature.

Claims

1. Thermal mattress, also serving as a mat, characterized in that it is made by placing a body comprising two layers of rubber in a press at high temperature and pressure in order to undergo a process of vulcanization there being placed between the two layers of rubber a conductive element for electric current, said conductive element remaining completely sunk inside the mattress at the end of the vulcanizing process.

2. Thermal mattress, also serving as a mat, as in claim 1, characterized in that the rubber is natural or synthetic.

3. Thermal mattress, also serving as a mat, as in claim 1, characterized in that the two ends of the conductive element are connected to an apparatus for electric feed, for adjustment and control ensuring that voltage shall be maintained at less than 12 volt.

4. Thermal mattress, also serving as a mat,- as in claim 3, characterized in that the apparatus for electric feed, adjustment and control is fitted with a plug for connection to the source of electricity provided by the city mains.

5. Thermal mattress, also, serving as a mat, as in claim 1, characterized in that, to prevent the conductive element from moving, during vulcanization, from its correct position, said element is fixed by hooks to the first of the two layers of rubber.

6. Thermal mattress, also serving as a mat, as in claim 5, characterized in that the hooks are clips made from a long thin metal body bent to a "U" forming a straight intermediate section and "legs" bent at 90° the ends of which are sharpened for easy penetration into the layer of rubber.

7. Thermal mattress, also serving as a mat, as in claim 1, characterized that the conductive element is laid in the form of a serpentine.

8. Thermal mattress, also serving as a mat, as in claim 5, characterized in that the thickness of the first layer of rubber is approximately mm 5-6.

9. Thermal mattress, also serving as a mat, as in claim 7, characterized in that thickness of the serpentine is approximately mm 0.3.

10. Thermal mattress, also serving as a mat, as in claim 3, characterized in that by means of the apparatus for electric feed, adjustment and control, temperatures can be varied from 0° to 40°C.

11. Thermal mattress, also serving as a mat, as in claim 1, characterized in that its electrical and thermal characteristics are as follows: voltage 230/12 V, current 17A, surface temperature from 0° to 40°C.

12. Thermal mattress, also serving as a mat, as in claim 1, characterized in that its dimensions are as follows: mm 600 x 800 x 13.

13. Thermal mattress, also serving as a mat, as in claim 1, characterized in that its dimensions are as follows: mm 45O x 1000 x 13.

14. Thermal mattress, also serving as a mat, as in claim 1, characterized in that its dimensions are as follows: mm 500 x 1000 x 13.

15. Thermal mattress, also serving as a mat,, as in claim 1, characterized in that it is associated to an adequate quantity of disposable sterile covers to ensure maximum hygiene each time it is used.

16. Thermal mattress, also serving as a mat, as in claim 1, characterized in that it is wired to a box-shaped device for electrical and thermal connection and comprises a manual heat regulator, a display to show the set temperature, and a display showing temperature ascertained by a sensor inside the- area most sensitive from the point of view of heat.

17. Thermal mattress, also serving as a mat, as in claim 16, characterized in that the dimensions of the box-shaped device for electrical connection enable it to be conveniently fitted under an operating or work table.

18. Thermal mattress, also serving as a mat, as in claim 1, characterized in that the conductive element for electric current is made of aluminium.