THERAPEUTIC BLANKET WITH WEIGHT ELEMENTS

Abstract

The present invention relates to a therapeutic blanket (1) with weight elements. The blanket (1) comprises a first textile layer (11), a second textile layer (12), and a plurality of weight elements (2) arranged between the first textile layer (11) and the second textile layer (12). Each one of the plurality of weight elements (2) is individually fixed at a predefined position between the first textile layer (11) and the second textile layer (12), and none of the plurality of weight elements (2) are in direct contact with another weight element (2). The present invention is at least partially based on the realisation that by individually arranging weight elements (2) at predefined positions within a therapeutic blanket (1), where none of the weight elements (2) are in direct contact with each other, a blanket (1) with better breathing properties and less noise issues may be achieved.

Claims

1. A therapeutic blanket comprising: a first textile layer; a second textile layer; a plurality of weight elements arranged between said first textile layer and said second textile layer; wherein each one of said plurality of weight elements is individually fixed at a predefined position between said first textile layer and said second textile layer, and wherein none of said plurality of weight elements are in direct contact with another weight element.

2. The therapeutic blanket according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of closed compartments arranged between said first textile layer and said second textile layer, each one of said plurality of closed compartments contains only one of said plurality of weight elements.

3. The therapeutic blanket according to claim 2, wherein the area of each closed compartment corresponds to 200-1500% of a footprint of the weight element arranged in said compartment, preferably 400-1300%, most preferably 800-1200%.

4. The therapeutic blanket according to claim 1, wherein each one of said plurality of weight elements has at least one aperture extending through the weight element.

5. The therapeutic blanket according to claim 4 when dependent on claim 1, wherein said first textile layer and second textile layer are fixed to each other via one of said at least one aperture of each weight element.

6. The therapeutic blanket according to claim 4, wherein a total area of the at least one aperture in each weight element corresponds to 50-1000% of a footprint of the weight element, preferably 100-300%.

7. The therapeutic blanket according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the weight elements is a ring shaped weight element.

8. The therapeutic blanket according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said weight elements comprises: a ring shaped border having a central axis and a height; a structure having a central portion and at least two leg portions extending from said central portion to separate points on said ring shaped border.

9. The therapeutic blanket according to claim 8, wherein said central portion is arranged along said central axis of said ring shaped border.

10. The therapeutic blanket according to claim 8, wherein said central portion is aligned with or extends above said height of the ring shaped border.

11. The therapeutic blanket according to claim 1, wherein the weight elements have a height of between 2-15 mm, preferably 5-10 mm.

12. The therapeutic blanket according to claim 1, wherein each one of said plurality of weight elements has a weight, and at least one of said weight elements has a weight which is different from the rest of the weight elements.

13. A method for manufacturing a therapeutic blanket comprising: placing a plurality of weight elements on a first textile layer in a row across a width of the first textile layer, and wherein the weight elements are positioned on the first textile layer such that the weight elements are not in direct contact with each other; placing a second textile layer over said row of weight elements; and attaching said second textile layer to said first textile layer such that each of said plurality of weight elements is individually fixed at a predefined position between said first textile layer and said second textile layer, and such that none of the weight elements out of the plurality of weight elements is in contact with another weight element.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the step of attaching said second textile layer to said first textile layer comprises forming a closed compartment around each one of said plurality of weight elements such that a contour of each weight element is visible on said therapeutic blanket.

15. A method according to claim 13, wherein each weight element out of the plurality of weight elements comprises an aperture extending through the weight element, and wherein the step of attaching said second textile layer to said first textile layer comprises fixing said first textile layer to said second textile layer via said aperture of each weight element of said plurality of weight elements.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] FIG. 1 is an exploded view showing an exemplary embodiment of a therapeutic blanket according to the first aspect of the present invention.

[0044] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of the first textile layer and two weight elements according to the first aspect of the present invention.

[0045] FIG. 3 is a top view of the same exemplary embodiment of a therapeutic blanket according to the first aspect of the present invention as is illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0046] FIG. 4 is a top view of an exemplary embodiment of a therapeutic blanket according to the first aspect of the present invention.

[0047] FIG. 5a-5c are partial top views of exemplary embodiments of therapeutic blankets according to the first aspect of the present invention.

[0048] FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a therapeutic blanket according to the first aspect of the present invention.

[0049] FIG. 7a-16a are top views of exemplary embodiments of weight elements for use in a therapeutic blanket according to the first aspect of the present invention.

[0050] FIG. 7b-16b are perspective views of the same exemplary embodiments of weight elements as are illustrated in FIG. 7a-16a.

[0051] FIG. 17 is a flow chart of an exemplary embodiment of a method for manufacturing a therapeutic blanket according to the second aspect of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0052] In the following detailed description, some embodiments of the present invention will be described. However, it is to be understood that features of the different embodiments are exchangeable between the embodiments and may be combined in different ways, unless anything else is specifically indicated. Even though in the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a more thorough understanding of the present invention, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well known constructions or functions are not described in detail, so as not to obscure the present invention.

[0053] FIG. 1 is an exploded view showing an exemplary embodiment of a therapeutic blanket according to the first aspect of the present invention. The blanket 1 comprises a first textile layer 11, a second textile layer 12 and a third textile layer 13. The textile layers 11, 12, 13 may all be made of a flame retardant material. Alternatively, only one or two of the textile layers may be made of a flame retardant material, or none of them may be made of a flame retardant material. An example of a suitable flame retardant material is Trevira CS.

[0054] The illustrated blanket 1 further comprises a plurality of weight elements 2 arranged between the first textile layer 11 and the second textile layer 12. Each one of the plurality of weight elements 2 is individually fixed at a predefined position between the first textile layer 11 and the second textile layer 12, and none of the plurality of weight elements 2 are in direct contact with another weight element 2. The purpose of having a plurality of weight elements 2 is to increase the weight of the therapeutic blanket 1, to achieve a therapeutic effect. Suitable materials for the plurality of weight elements 2 may be metallic or plastic materials, or a mix thereof. In some exemplary embodiments, the weight elements 2 is suitably made of stainless steel or aluminium.

[0055] The weight elements 2 in the illustrated exemplary embodiment are ring shaped and have an aperture 22 extending through the weight element. The weight elements 2 may be formed by a wire, such as a metallic wire. This wire may have a diameter of 2-9 mm, preferably 3-5 mm. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the wire may have a diameter of 4 mm. The outer diameter of a ring shaped weight element 2 may suitably be 15-70 mm, preferably 30-50 mm. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the outer diameter of the ring shaped weight elements may be 40 mm. In the exemplary embodiment where the weight elements have a circular ring shape, an outer diameter of 40 mm and a wire diameter of 4 mm, the weight element has a footprint of 452 mm.sup.2. In other exemplary embodiments, the footprint may have an area of between 80-2000 mm.sup.2. The term footprint is further elucidated in reference to FIG. 2

[0056] The aperture 22 of the weight element 2 may have a diameter of 10-65 mm. Other aperture diameters are also conceivable. It is also conceivable that the aperture(s) is/are not circular. Different types of apertures will be described more in relation to FIGS. 7-16. In the illustrated embodiment in FIG. 1, the aperture 22 has a diameter of 32 mm. This means that the aperture has an area of 804 mm.sup.2. In this particular exemplary embodiment, the total area of the at least one aperture in each weight element corresponds to 178% of the footprint of the weight element.

[0057] The weight elements 2 may have a height of between 2-15 mm, preferably 5-10 mm. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the height of the weight elements 2 corresponds to the diameter of the thread. In other exemplary embodiments, the weight elements may have a height which is different from the diameter of the thread. This will be further described in relation to FIGS. 7-16.

[0058] In the illustrated embodiment, the blanket 1 also comprises a plurality of closed compartments 21 arranged between the first textile layer 11 and the second textile layer 12, each one of the plurality of closed compartments 21 contains only one of the plurality of weight elements 2. The plurality of closed compartments 21 arranged between the first textile layer 11 and the second textile layer 12 may be defined by seams 4. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the closed compartments 21 have a square shape, but other shapes are also conceivable. The closed compartments 21 may have a width/height/diameter/mean diameter (depending on shape) of 30-100 mm. In the illustrated embodiment, the compartments 21 have a width and height of 70 mm, which means that they have an area of 4900 mm.sup.2. The area of each compartment thus corresponds to 1084% of the footprint of the weight element 2 arranged in said compartment. In comparison, if the ratio between the area of each compartment and the footprint of the weight element arranged in said compartment would be 100%, the blanket would have very poor breathing properties. A higher ratio allows for a better air flow through the blanket. On the other hand, a too high ratio would indicate that the contact area between the weight elements and the user is very small, which would result in a reduced therapeutic effect.

[0059] The illustrated blanket further comprises a layer of padding 3, arranged between the second textile layer 12 and the third textile layer 13. This layer of padding 3 may be made of any suitable material, suitably padding material of the types used in conventional blankets. If the blanket is to be used in psychiatric care, the layer of padding may suitably be made of a flame retardant material.

[0060] The blanket 1 in the illustrated embodiment has a rectangular shape, which is suitable for use by a human. When using the blanket 1 for a horse or any other animal, the blanket may have a different shape. The shape of the blanket 1 is not limited to the illustrated embodiment, and should not be considered as an essential feature of the invention. Neither should the illustration be considered as made to scale in terms of the relation between the sizes of the different components. In the illustrated embodiment, there are 812 weight elements 2. This is however only to be seen as an illustrative example. A blanket for human use may for example comprise 150-500 weight elements. Other numbers of weight elements are also conceivable. In some embodiments comprising closed compartments, the number of closed compartments may be greater than the number of weight elements in the blanket.

[0061] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of the first textile layer 11 and two weight elements 2, 202 according the first aspect of the present invention. Two different type of weight elements 2, 202 are shown, as well as their footprints 23 and the area of their respective compartments 21. The area of the compartment 21 in which the weight element 2, 202 is arranged must be greater than the area of the footprint 23 of the weight element. Preferably, the area of the compartment 21 should be significantly greater, since this enhances the breathability of the blanket.

[0062] FIG. 3 is a top view of the same exemplary embodiment of a therapeutic blanket 1 as is illustrated in FIG. 1. From this view, the first textile layer 11 and the seams 4 defining the plurality of compartments 21 are visible. The contours of the plurality of weight elements 2 are also visible on the first textile layer 11.

[0063] FIG. 4 is a top view of an exemplary embodiment of a therapeutic blanket according to the first aspect of the present invention. In this exemplary embodiment, the blanket 101 further comprises a zipper 5, allowing the blanket 101 to be split in two parts. This is beneficial for blankets having a weight higher than what regular washing machines are capable of washing. By being able to split the blanket in two parts, the two parts can be washed separately without exceeding the maximum weight for the washing machine.

[0064] FIG. 5a-5c are partial top views of exemplary embodiments of therapeutic blankets according to the first aspect of the present invention. These exemplary embodiments may have the same features as the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, but in these embodiments the compartments 121, 221, 321 have different shapes. The closed compartments 121, 221, 321 are in these examples defined by different types of seams 14, 24, 34 having a curved extension. This may be preferred since it may reduce the number of seams needed, or in other ways simplify the manufacturing process.

[0065] FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a therapeutic blanket according to the first aspect of the present invention. In this embodiment, the plurality of weight elements 2 may have the same shape as in the embodiment described in relation to FIGS. 1 and 3. In this embodiment however, there are no closed compartments. Instead the first textile layer 111 and second textile layer 112 are fixed to each other via the aperture 22 of each weight element. In other words, for each of the plurality of weight elements 2, there is a fixation point 6 between the first textile layer 111 and the second textile layer 112. This fixation point 6 is preferably located in the aperture 22 of each of the plurality of weight elements 2. In this way, each one of the plurality of weight elements 2 is individually fixed at a predefined position between the first textile layer 111 and the second textile layer 112. The fixation between the first textile layer 111 and the second textile layer 112 may for example be achieved by sowing, gluing, welding or riveting. The weight elements 2 may move slightly around the fixation point 6. The fixation points 6 should therefore preferably be arranged far enough from each other to avoid collision between two adjacent weight elements 2, in order to minimise noise issues.

[0066] FIG. 7a-16a are top views of exemplary embodiments of weight elements for use in a therapeutic blanket according to the first aspect of the present invention. FIG. 7b-16b are perspective views of the same exemplary embodiments of weight elements as are illustrated in FIG. 7a-16a.

[0067] FIGS. 7a and 7b show the same embodiment of a weight element 2 as is comprised by the blankets illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3-6. This weight element 2 is circularly ring shaped and has an aperture 22 extending through the weight element. This embodiment may be preferred since it is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

[0068] FIGS. 8a and 8b show another embodiment of a weight element 102. This embodiment is also a circularly ring shaped weight element 102, however in this embodiment the thread used to manufacture the weight element 102 has been winded several turns, to create several layers. An advantage of this type of weight element is that it allows for having a greater height of the weight element, without having to increase the diameter of the thread. A greater height may induce an improved therapeutic effect, while an increase in thread diameter would reduce the breathability of the blanket. Alternatively, a similar effect may be achieved by stacking two or more of the same weight elements on top of each other and fixing them together permanently thereby forming a single weight element with increased height.

[0069] FIGS. 9a and 9b show another embodiment of a weight element 202. This embodiment comprises a ring shaped border 203 having a central axis 213 and a height, and a structure having a central portion 204 and three leg portions 205 extending from the central portion 204 to separate points on the ring shaped border 203. The central portion 204 is in this embodiment arranged along the central axis 213 of the ring shaped border 203, and the central portion 204 extends above the height of the ring shaped border 203. The weight element 202 has three apertures 222. This embodiment may be preferred since it includes an extra point of contact between the weight element and the user, and the central portion 204 extending above the height of the ring shaped border 203 may further enhance the therapeutic effect due to the extra pressure caused by the central portion 204.

[0070] FIGS. 10a and 10b show an embodiment of a weight element 302 which is similar to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 9a and 9b. However, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 10a and 10b, the structure with the central portion 304 only has two leg portions 305 extending from the central portion 304 to separate points on the ring shaped border 303. The weight element has two apertures 322. This embodiment may be preferred since it has a smaller footprint than the embodiment in FIGS. 9a and 9b, which increases the breathability of the blanket.

[0071] FIGS. 11a and 11b show another embodiment of a weight element 402, similar to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7a and 7b. The weight element in FIGS. 11a and 11b is also ring shaped, however instead of circular, it has a square shape. Like the embodiment in FIGS. 7a and 7b, this embodiment has one aperture 422.

[0072] FIGS. 12a and 12b show another embodiment of a weight element 502, having a square ring shaped border 503 and a structure having a central portion 504 and four leg portions 505 extending from the central portion 504 to separate points on the ring shaped border 503. This embodiment has four apertures 522.

[0073] FIGS. 13a and 13b show an embodiment of a weight element 602 which is similar to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 11a and 11b. This embodiment also shows a weight element 602 with a square ring shape and one aperture 622. However, in this embodiment, the outer corners of the square are slightly rounded, which may improve user comfort.

[0074] FIGS. 14a and 14b show another embodiment of a weight element 702. This embodiment has a central structure 704, and four leg portions 705 extending from the central portion. When seen from above, as in FIG. 14a, the leg portions 705 extend perpendicularly to each other.

[0075] FIGS. 15a and 15b show another exemplary embodiment of a weight element 802, having a spiral shape.

[0076] FIGS. 16a and 16b show another exemplary embodiment of a weight element 902, having a ring shaped border 903 and a central portion 904 extending above the height of the ring shaped border 903.

[0077] FIG. 17 is a flow chart of an exemplary embodiment of a method for manufacturing a therapeutic blanket according to the second aspect of the present invention. The method may be used to manufacture any of the blankets described in relation to FIGS. 1-16, or any other embodiment of a blanket according to the first aspect of the present invention. The exemplary embodiment of the method comprises three steps. The first step A comprises placing a plurality of weight elements on a first textile layer in a row across a width of the first textile layer, and wherein the weight elements are positioned on the first textile layer such that the weight elements are not in direct contact with each other. The second step B comprises placing a second textile layer over the row of weight elements. The third step C comprises attaching the second textile layer to the first textile layer such that each of the plurality of weight elements is individually fixed at a predefined position between the first textile layer and the second textile layer. The attachment should be made such that none of the weight elements out of the plurality of weight elements is in contact with another weight element.

[0078] The step of attaching the second textile layer to the first textile layer C may be performed in different ways. For example, this step C may comprise forming a closed compartment around each one of the plurality of weight elements such that a contour of each weight element is visible on the therapeutic blanket. This method may for example be used to manufacture a blanket according to the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3. Alternatively, if the weight elements comprise an aperture extending through the weight element, the step C of attaching the second textile layer to the first textile layer may comprise fixing the first textile layer to the second textile layer via the aperture of each weight element of the plurality of weight elements. This method may be used to manufacture a blanket according to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6.

[0079] The person skilled in the art realizes that the present invention by no means is limited to the embodiments described above. The features of the described embodiments may be combined in different ways, and many modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the appended claims. For example, weight elements of different shape, size and weight may be used in the same blanket. Blankets may comprise closed compartments which do not contain weight elements, and a combination of closed compartments and fixation points through apertures of the weight elements may be used. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting to the claim. The word comprising does not exclude the presence of other elements or steps than those listed in the claim. The word a or an preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements.