The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 11, 1998
Filed:
Nov. 15, 1995
Michael L Bowen, Arlington, TX (US);
Tecnol Medical Products, Inc., Fort Worth, TX (US);
Abstract
A hot or cold chemical therapy pack (1) is provided that has two compartments (28, 30). One compartment (28) has a natural weak point (32) or seam (at 24 or 26) and is contained inside the other compartment (30). Each compartment contains a chemical reactant. In one embodiment, the outer compartment (30), which is made of a flexible, vinyl or plastic material, is arranged in a semi-collapsed configuration. Each end of the inner compartment (28) is fixedly attached to a respective end (24, 26) of the outer compartment (30). The pack (10) is chemically activated by pressing on, kneading, or twisting the outer compartment (30), or pulling on each end of the pack (10). The lateral, outward pressure caused by the pressing on, kneading, or twisting of the pack, or by the user's pulling on the ends of the pack, is exerted at the rupturable seam (32) of the inner compartment (28). At a predetermined pressure, the natural weak point (32) or seam is ruptured and the reactant contents of the two compartments merge (34), which creates the heating (exothermic) or cooling (endothermic) chemical reaction. Consequently, the hot or cold chemical therapy pack (10) is more easily activated than existing chemical therapy packs, which makes this pack (10) more convenient to use.