GB2314790A

GB2314790A - Moisture absorbent covering means

Info

Publication number: GB2314790A
Application number: GB9613744A
Authority: GB
Inventors: William Graham Lamyman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-07-01
Filing date: 1996-07-01
Publication date: 1998-01-14
Also published as: GB9613744D0

Abstract

A covering means, e.g. a blanket, or use in de-humidifying air in the vaccinity of arthritis sufferers and/or parts of the body susceptible to arthritis comprises a hygroscopic substance 3 attached to a web 2 by a resin coat 5 pieces of material may be overlaid and joined at their edges and at regularly spaced intervals. Electric filaments (13, 14, 15) may be included for heating the hygroscopic material to regenerate it.

Description

COVERING MEANS The invention relates to an improved material or fabric ideally for use as a covering means for dehumidifying air particularly, but not exclusively, in the vicinity of arthritis sufferers and/or parts of the body susceptible to arthritics.

Arthritis is the inflammation of a joint or joints characterised in pain, swelling and stiffness. It can be caused by more than one hundred diseases, including gout, rheumatic fever and ankylosing spondylitis (a disease that effects the spine and pelvic joints), but it is usually manifested in two main forms; osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis is the most common form and results primarily from wear and tear of the joints, although genetic, metabolic and other factors may contribute. It tends to affect older people and evolves in middle age as degenerative changes associated with ageing alter the structure of joints. Rheumatoid arthritis is less common but more severe and wide spread, affecting all age groups including children. It is an auto-immune disorder in which the body's immune system acts against the body's own tissues and damages them. Like osteoarthritis, it attacks the joints, but it also affects supporting connective tissue throughout the body causing pain, stiffness, fever, weakness, fatigue and deformity. The cause of rheumatoid arthritis is not known, but a hereditary predisposition and an environmental agent, such as a virus, are suspected.

There is no cure for either form of arthritis and therefore the condition is typically chronic, causing long term and progressive pain, disability, deformity and handicap. The closest thing to a cure is orthopaedic surgery to correct deformities. For example, individual joints can be splinted and badly diseased ones can be replaced (arthroplasty) or permanently fused (arthrodesis). However, surgery is not always possible or effective and it does not address many of the symptoms, such as fever, weakness and fatigue.

Whilst the search for a cure continues, attention is focused on means of controlling the symptoms. Such means typically include the use of drugs, such as painkillers (e.g. Aspirin) and anti-inflammatory drugs to inhibit the synthesis of prostaglandins and thereby reduce inflammation. Severe cases may be treated with gold compounds or the drugs hydroxychloroquine or penicillamine. However, the problem with drugs is that patients typically habituate to them and therefore their effectiveness, if any, diminishes with repeated application.

Further means include programmes of exercise, rest, heat and assistive devices to maintain joint mobility and function. For example, a few days bed rest can reduce inflammation, whilst the application of heat and supervised exercise can help to keep joint deformity to a minimum. Furthermore, overweight people with arthritis in weight-bearing joints are advised to lose weight, and specially formulated, so-called "arthritis diets" have been devised to try to eliminate supposedly arthritis-contributing foodstuffs from the diets of sufferers.

However, none of these things is effective in all people, and it is very unusual for any one means to be effective all of the time, or to be effective against all of the symptoms. Therefore, it is common for arthritis sufferers to employ a combination of means simultaneously in an effort to minimise their symptoms as much as possible.

Nevertheless, many patients, especially those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, report flare-ups as well as remissions, and days when their symptoms are particularly bad. Such variation is believed to be associated with environmental factors, such as diet and weather. In particular, it is a well recognised fact that arthritis attacks correlate with ambient humidity, the severity of the symptoms being exacerbated by damp and humid conditions.

This is especially so in a temperate climate, such as that of the United Kingdom, where rain - and hence humidity - is a year-round phenomenon.

It follows that if one can reduce the humidity of the microclimate about an arthritis sufferer or about affected parts of the body, one can relieve the symptoms of arthritis.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a means of dehumidifying air in the vicinity of arthritis sufferers or arthritic joints and/or connective tissue in order to reduce the symptoms of arthritis.

In its broadest aspect the invention concerns a material or fabric having or endowed with moisture absorbing properties.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a covering means having integral therewith, attached thereto, or associated therewith a means for absorbing moisture whereby an individual covered with said covering means is subjected to a relatively dry environment.

Reference herein to covering means is intended to include reference to any form of wrap, shawl, blanket, whether over blanket or under blanket, that is to say whether one lies upon or beneath same. Further reference herein to covering means is also intended to include reference to a cover for a seat, such as a car seat or the like, whereby an individual sat upon same will experience a dry environment and thus on hot sunny days in a confined space, such as in a vehicle, will not be subject to excessive moisture as experienced when perspiring or sweating. In addition, reference to a covering means is also intended to include reference to a bandage, pouch, pad, sleeve or the like for wrapping about an individual and in particular a selected part of an individual such as a joint.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the means for absorbing moisture is a hygroscopic substance, such as a desiccant, or a combination of desiccants. Suitable desiccants could be silica gel and/or anhydrous sodium sulphate and/or anhydrous calcium chloride.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention the means for absorbing moisture is intrinsic to the material or fabric of the covering means.

In a yet further preferred embodiment of the invention the means for absorbing moisture is attached to one or more surfaces of the material or fabric of the covering means, preferably by means of a resin or a glue.

In a yet further preferred embodiment of the invention the means for absorbing moisture is associated with the material or fabric of the covering means.

In a yet further preferred embodiment of the invention the covering means is made of a material or fabric that breathes, that is, that allows the diffusion of air and moisture through it.

Various embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying figures wherein; Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a web of material made in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 represents a cross-section of a web of material made in accordance with the invention.

Figure 3 represents a front elevation of a first covering means in accordance with the invention.

Figure 4 represents a cross-section of a first covering means in accordance with the invention.

Figure 5 represents a front elevation of a second covering means in accordance with the invention.

Figure 6 represents a cross-section of a second covering means in accordance with the invention.

Referring to the figures and firstly to Figure 1, there is shown an example embodiment of the invention which comprises a web of material in a roll (1), the free end of which (2) is shown unrolled. One surface of the material is treated such that a coat of resin is applied to which one or more hygroscopic substances (3) is/are adhered. For example, a suitable hygroscopic substance would be silica gel, but other hygroscopic substances and combinations of hygroscopic substances could be used. In use, the hygroscopic substance acts as a desiccant, dehumidifying the environment in its vicinity. In the example embodiment shown in Figure 1, the hygroscopic substance is granular, but other forms could be used. Furthermore, in an alterative embodiment, both surfaces could be so treated.

In Figure 2, there is shown a cross-section at axis (4)-(4) of Figure 1, which shows the free end of the material (2), the, in this case, single surface coat of resin (5) and the, again in this case, single surface coat of granular hygroscopic substance (3).

The extent to which the material acts as desiccant depends upon the concentration of hygroscopic substance on the surface (or surfaces) of the material. The concentration of hygroscopic substance adhered to the surface (or surfaces) of the material can be increased, as shown by the dotted lines in Figure 2, in order to increase the material's desiccating strength. It is envisaged that, in use, a range of covering means could be manufactured from material made in accordance with the invention having different concentrations of hygroscopic substance, similar to the tog rating system that is used to indicate the amount of thermal insulation provided by a fabric.

In Figure 3, there is shown a front elevation of a first covering means in accordance with the invention made from a web of material such as that described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Said covering means consists of a piece of material in accordance with the invention overlain with another piece of material, which can be either in accordance with the invention as well, or otherwise, such that the hygroscopic substance is sandwiched between two surfaces of material free from any hygroscopic substance. The two pieces of material are joined at their edges and, in this case, in a grid like fashion over the whole surface (or surfaces) of the covering means.

In Figure 4, there is shown a cross-section at axis (6)-(6) of Figure 3. A piece of material in accordance with the invention (7) is overlain with another piece of material (8) such that the hygroscopic substance (9) adhered to one surface of material (7) is located on the interior of the covering means.

Material (8) can be either an ordinary piece of material lacking in hygroscopic substance, or one made in accordance with the invention that, like material (7), has hygroscopic substance adhered to its interior surface, as shown by the dotted lines in Figure 4. The two pieces of material are joined at their edges and at regularly spaced intervals by cross attachments (10), (11) and (12). Such cross attachments are not necessary, but help to give the covering means structural rigidity.

Alternatively, a double sided piece of material made in accordance with the invention (that is, one with hygroscopic substance adhered to both surfaces) can be sandwiched between two ordinary pieces of material (that is, pieces lacking in hygroscopic substance).

Although this embodiment of the invention has been described having regard to the material of Figures 1 and 2, it is within the scope of the invention to provide the hygroscopic material without the resin and so loosely sandwiched between covering means or at least part(s) thereof.

In Figure 5, there is shown a front elevation of a second covering means in accordance with the invention made from material described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 and constructed in a similar manner to the first covering means described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Said second covering means includes additionally electric filaments (13), (14) and (15), such as those provided in electric blankets.

In Figure 6, there is shown a cross-section at axis (16)-(16) of Figure 5 showing a piece of material (17) with hygroscopic substance (18) on one surface, attached to a second piece of material (19) either having (as shown by the dotted lines) or not having hygroscopic substance adhered to one surface, such that all hygroscopic substance is confined to the interior of the covering means. Electric filaments (13), (14) and (15) are spaced throughout the covering means in order that all of the hygroscopic substance is sufficiently close to at least one electric filament so as to be warmed when the electric filaments are operating.

In use, the electric filaments warm the hygroscopic substance within the covering means. It is a feature of hygroscopic substances such as silica gel that they eventually become saturated with the water that they have absorbed from the atmosphere. Such hygroscopic substances can be regenerated by heat and hence it is envisaged that the electric filaments provided in the said second covering means can be used to regenerate the hygroscopic substance or substances within the said covering means and thereby maintain its or their effectiveness.

In the instance where electric filaments are not provided regenerating can be effected by simply placing the covering means in a dry and warn environment such as in a drying cabinet or the like.

In tests, using a covering means in accordance with the invention in conjunction with an electric blanket, I have found that the covering means significantly reduces the relative humidity within a bed between the covers in which a person sleeps. Such relative humidity typically increases proportionally to the length of time the bed is occupied, such that it is typically at its maximum first thing in the morning. By leaving or switching on the electric blanket throughout the day, the humidity can be reduced still further (e.g. from 85-95% to 40-45%) by the evening, thereby creating a favourable environment for an arthritis sufferer to sleep in and, by creating an abnormally low relative humidity at the start of the night, keeping the increase in relative humidity throughout the night to an absolute minimum.

Claims

1. A covering means having integral therewith, attached thereto, or associated therewith a means for absorbing moisture whereby an individual covered with said covering means is subjected to a relatively dry environment.

2. A covering means according to Claim 1 wherein said means for absorbing moisture is a hygroscopic substance such as a desiccant or a combination of desiccants.

3. A covering means according to Claims 1 and 2 wherein said means for absorbing moisture is silica gel and/or anhydrous sodium sulphate and/or anhydrous calcium fluoride.

4. A covering means according to any preceeding claim wherein said means for absorbing moisture is intrinsic to the material of fabric or the covering means.

5. A covering means according to any preceeding claim wherein said means for absorbing moisture is attached to one or more surfaces of the material or fabric of the covering means.

6. A covering means according to Claim 5 wherein said means for absorbing moisture is attached to one or more surfaces of the material or fabric covering means by means of a resin or a glue.

7. A covering means according to any preceeding claim wherein said means for absorbing moisture is associated with the material or fabric of the covering means.

8. A covering means according to any preceeding claim wherein said covering means is made of a material or fabric or that breathes, that is, that allows the diffusion of air and moisture through it.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. Use of a covering means having integral therewith, attached thereto, or associated therewith a means for absorbing moisture for covering an individual suffering from arthritis or wishing to prevent arthritis and/or to ameliorate an arthritic condition or any other osteopathic or connective tissue condition, so that said individual is subjected to a relatively dry environment.

2. Use according to Claim 1 wherein said means for absorbing moisture is a hygroscopic substance such as a desiccant or a combination of desiccants.

3. Use according to Claims 1 and 2 wherein said means for absorbing moisture is silica gel and/or anhydrous sodium sulphate and/or anhydrous calcium fluoride.

4. Use according to any preceeding claim wherein said means for absorbing moisture is intrinsic to the material of fabric or the covering means.

5. Use according to any preceeding claim wherein said means for absorbing moisture is attached to one or more surfaces of the material or fabric of the covering means.

6. Use according to Claim 5 wherein said means for absorbing moisture is attached to one or more surfaces of the material or fabric covering means by means of a resin or a glue.

7. Use according to any preceeding claim wherein said means for absorbing moisture is associated with the material or fabric of the covering means.

8. Use according to any preceeding claim wherein said covering means is made of a material or fabric or that breathes, that is, that allows the diffusion of air and moisture through it.

9. Use according to any preceeding claim wherein said covering means is attached to or associated with or integral with at least one electric filament.

10. Use of a covering means as substantially hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying documents.