Back brace

• US 20010008955A1
• Filed: 02/16/2001
• Published: 07/19/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Geoffrey C. Garth
• Original Assignee: Geoffrey C. Garth
• Inventors: Garth, Geoffrey C.
• Application Number:
  US09/785,597
• Publication Number:
  US 20010008955A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 602/19
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/028 Braces for providing support to the lower back, e.g. lumbo sacral supports

Abstract

In its preferred embodiment, the back brace is formed of left, right and back panels which substantially overlap to form a tubular back brace when worn. The back panel has a window therethrough, which overlies the sacrum. The orthopedist can observe the engagement of the back brace in this area through the window. A malleable bar is attached to the back panel adjacent the window so that the orthopedist can adjust the malleable bar for proper fit. The left and right panels overlap the back panel at the sides and are adjustable attached so that gross circumferential adjustment can be made. When that adjustment is made and the back brace is donned, a repeatedly actuated tightening lever on one of the side panels engages a tightening strap on the other of the side panels. Leverage multiples tightening force during tightening. After each successive tightening by the lever, retaining bands retain the back brace in position. After the initial fitting, including adjustment of the back panel over the sacrum, the back brace may be readily donned and doffed by the patient.

Claims

1. A back brace comprising:

a back panel, a left panel and a right panel, said left panel and said back panel being in overlapping relationship and said back panel and said right panel being in overlapping relationship;

attachment structure for attaching said left panel to said back panel for securing said left panel and said back panel in overlapping relationship, said attachment structure permitting selective positioning of attachment of said left panel with respect to said back panel for adjustable positioning therebetween prior to wearing said back brace;

further adjustment structure between said right panel and said back panel for securing said left panel and said back panel in overlapping relationship, said attachment structure permitting selective positioning of attachment of said left panel with respect to said back panel for adjustable positioning therebetween prior to wearing said back brace; and

closure structure between said left panel and said right panel for causing closure of said back brace around the torso of a person and causing overlap between said left panel and said right panel when closure is complete.

2. A tubular back brace comprising:

a back panel configured to be engaged on the sacrum and lower ribs of the patient, said back panel having a left end and a right end;

a left panel overlapping and adjustably attached to said left end of said back panel;

a right panel overlapping and adjustably attached to said right end of said back panel, said left panel and said right panel overlapping at the front to form a three piece tubular back brace which is configured to engage around the torso of the patient;

said back panel, said left panel and said right panel each having an upper edge and a lower edge and each being formed of bendable synthetic polymer composition sheet material;

an upper retaining band attached to said left and right panels adjacent the upper edges thereof and a lower retaining band attached to said left and right panels adjacent the lower edges thereof, said upper and lower retaining bands being separately adjustable to configure said back brace to the development of the patient.

3. A tubular back brace having overlapping left and right front edges;

a lever, a pivot adjacent one of said edges, said lever being mounted on said pivot, an adjustable tightener attached adjacent the other of said edges and to said lever, said lever having a grasping surface thereon, said grasping surface being farther away from said pivot than the point where said tightener is attached to said lever;

first and second retainers attached to adjacent said first and second edges, so that said lever can be repeatedly manually actuated and said tightener and said retainers are repeatedly actuated to pull said right and left edges toward each other in overlapping relationship and said retainers finally retain said tubular back brace in tightened position.

4. A tubular back brace comprising:

a panel of sufficient height to serve as a tubular back brace for a patient, said panel having a left end and a right end long enough therebetween to form a tubular back brace which is configured to engage around the torso of the patient, a tightener engaging said left and said right ends of said panel to tighten them in substantially overlapping relationship, said panel having a window therethrough, said window having sides, said window being located to expose the spine of the patient when the back brace is worn by the patient, a malleable member forming a part of said panel, said malleable member lying adjacent at least said sides of said window so that said malleable member can be formed by an orthopedist so that the back brace can engage the patient'"'"'s back adjacent his spine and the orthopedist can see and feel the engagement.

5. A tubular back brace comprising:

a back panel of sufficient height to be engaged on the sacrum and lower ribs of the patient, said back panel having a left end and a right end;

a left panel overlapping with respect to said left end of said back panel and a right panel overlapping with respect to said right end of said back panel to form a tubular back brace which is configured to engage around the torso of the patient, a tightener engaging said left and said right panels to tighten them in substantially overlapping relationship, said back panel having a window therethrough, said window having sides, said window being located to expose the spine of the patient when the back brace is worn by the patient, a malleable member forming a part of said back panel, said malleable member being a metal rod attached to said back panel by means of a protector wrapped around said rod and secured to said back panel said malleable member lying adjacent at least said sides of said window so that said malleable member can be formed by an orthopedist so that the back brace can engage the patient'"'"'s back adjacent his spine and the orthopedist can see and feel the engagement.

6. A tubular back brace comprising:

a back panel of sufficient height to be engaged on the sacrum and lower ribs of the patient, said back panel having a left end and a right end;

a left panel overlapping with respect to said left end of said back panel and a right panel overlapping with respect to said right end of said back panel to form a tubular back brace which is configured to engage around the torso of the patient, both said left and right panels overlapping with respect to said back panel;

detachable/reattachable adjustable attachment structures between said left panel and said back panel as well as between said right panel and said back panel so that the size of said back brace can be adjusted, said left panel and said right panel being each formed of bendable synthetic polymer composition sheet material;

a left pressure-spreading layer under said left panel and a right pressure-spreading layer under said right panel, said left and right pressure-spreading layers extending above and below the edges of said side panels, said left and right pressure-spreading layers being more flexible than said left and right panels and said pressure-spreading layers having notches adjacent the edges thereof to permit ease of bending of said pressure-spreading layers over the edges of said panels to provide a rigid tubular back brace with soft edges.

7. The tubular back brace of

claim 6

wherein said left pressure-spreading layer is notched above and below said left panel and said right pressure-spreading layer is notched above and below said right panel to increase flexibility of the edges of said pressure-spreading layers.

8. The tubular back brace of

claim 7

wherein there are holes in each said pressure-spreading layer adjacent said notches so that when further flexibility is desired, the edges of said pressure-spreading layers can be cut through to said holes.

9. A tubular back brace comprising:

a back panel of sufficient height to be engaged on the sacrum and lower ribs of the patient, said back panel having a left end and a right end;

a left panel engaging and overlapping with respect to said left end of said back panel and a right panel engaging and overlapping with respect to said right end of said back panel to form a tubular back brace which is configured to engage around the torso of the patient;

said left panel and said right panel each being formed of bendable synthetic polymer composition sheet material;

a left pressure-spreading layer under said left panel and a right pressure-spreading layer under said right panel, said left and right pressure-spreading layers having an inside surface and extending above and below the edges of said respective side panels, said left and right pressure-spreading layers being more flexible than said left and right panels and said pressure-spreading layers having notches adjacent the edges thereof to permit ease of bending of the edges of said pressure-spreading layers.

10. The tubular back brace of

claim 9

further including:

a synthetic polymer foam cushion layer on at least a portion of the inside surface of said pressure-spreading layer inside said left and right panels to provide comfort of said tubular back brace.

11. The tubular back brace of

claim 9

wherein said left pressure-spreading layer is notched above and below said left panel and said right pressure-spreading layer is notched above and below said right panel to increase flexibility of said pressure-spreading layers.

12. The tubular back brace of

claim 11

wherein there are holes in each said pressure-spreading layer adjacent said notches so that when further flexibility is desired, the notches of said pressure-spreading layers can be cut through to terminate in said holes.

13. A tubular back brace comprising:

a right panel, a back panel and a left panel, said right panel, said back panel and said left panel being attached to each other in overlapping relationship to form a tubular back brace which is configured to extend around the torso of a patient, said back panel having a left wing and a right wing, said left panel being partly layered under said left wing in overlapping relationship and said right panel being partly layered under said right wing in overlapping relationship, adjustable attachment structure between said left panel and said left wing and adjustable attachment structure between said right panel and said right wing so that said left and right panels can be adjusted with respect to said back panel so said left and right panels overlap.

14. A tubular back brace comprising:

a right panel, a back panel and a left panel, said right panel, said back panel and said left panel being attached to each other in overlapping relationship to form a tubular back brace which is configured to extend around the torso of a patient, said back panel having a left wing and a right wing, said left panel being partly layered under said left wing in overlapping relationship and said right panel being partly layered under said right wing in overlapping relationship, adjustable attachment structure between said left panel and said left wing and adjustable attachment structure between said right panel and said right wing so that said left and right panels can be adjusted with respect to said back panel so said left and right panels overlap; and

a left band attached to said left panel and a right band attached to said right panel, said left band overlying said left wing with an adjustable attachment structure therebetween and said right band overlying said right wing with adjustable attachment structure therebetween.

15. The tubular back brace of

claim 14

wherein said adjustable attachment structure between said left band and said left wing and said adjustable attachment structure between said right band and said right wing are hook and loop fasteners.

16. The tubular back brace of

claim 15

wherein there is a window in said back panel, said window being positioned to overlie the spine of the patient above the sacrum to prevent direct contact of said back brace with the spine.

17. The tubular back brace of

claim 16

wherein there is a malleable structure around said window so that said back panel can be shaped to fit the back of the patient adjacent his spine and the fit of said back panel on the patient can be observed from the exterior of said back brace both visually and tactilely.

18. A tubular back brace comprising:

a right panel, a back panel and a left panel, said right panel, said back panel and said left panel being attached to each other in overlapping relationship to form a tubular back brace which is configured to extend around the torso of a patient, said back panel having a left wing and a right wing, said left panel being partly layered under said left wing in overlapping relationship and said right panel being partly layered under said right wing in overlapping relationship, adjustable attachment structure between said left panel and said left wing and adjustable attachment structure between said right panel and said right wing so that said left and right panels can be adjusted with respect to said back panel so said left and right panels overlap;

said left panel and said right panel each being formed of bendable synthetic polymer composition sheet material and there is in addition a left pressure-spreading layer under said left panel and a right pressure-spreading layer under said right panel, said left and right pressure-spreading layers extending above and below the edges of said side panels, said left and right pressure-spreading layers having an inside surface and being more flexible than said left and right panels and said pressure-spreading layers having notches adjacent the edges thereof to permit ease of bending of the edges of said pressure-spreading layers; and

a synthetic polymer foam cushion layer within said pressure-spreading layer on the inside surface of each of said left and right panels to provide comfort of said tubular back brace.

19. The tubular back brace of

claim 18

wherein said pressure-spreading layers are notched above and below said panels to increase flexibility thereof.

20. The tubular back brace of

claim 19

wherein there are holes in said pressure-spreading layer adjacent said notches so that when further flexibility is desired, the edges of said pressure-spreading layers can be cut through to said holes.

21. A tubular back brace comprising:

left and right side panels and a back panel, said left and right side panels overlapping with respect to said back panel and being adjustably secured to said back panel, said panels being configured and sized to be able to engage around the torso of a patient when adjusted and tightened, said right and left side panels each having a front edge;

a tightening strap attached to one of said left and right panels;

a lever attached to the other of said left and right panels, said tightening strap being engaged with said lever so that when said lever is manually actuated, said tightening strap is pulled to pull said right and left side panels toward each other; and

two detachable retainers respectively located adjacent the upper and lower edges of said left and right side panels for retaining said left and said right panels with respect to each other when they are tightened with respect to each other.

22. The tubular back brace of

claim 21

wherein each of said retainers comprises a loop secured to one of said left and right side panels and a band secured to the other of said left and right side panels, each said band being tightenable through said loop to a retaining position for securement.

23. The tubular back brace of

claim 22

wherein said retaining band has a hook and loop fastener thereon to hold it in retaining position.

24. The tubular back brace of

claim 21

wherein said lever is pivotally mounted on one of said side panels and said lever has a cross bar thereon and a grasping surface thereon, said grasping surface being farther away from said pivot than said cross bar, said tightening strap being engaged around said cross bar and being detachably attached to the same panel to which it is secured so that said tightening strap can be tightened and attached and said lever manually actuated to pull said right and left side panels toward each other and said retaining bands retain said tubular back brace in tightened position.

25. A tubular back brace comprising:

left and right side panels and a back panel, said left and right side panels overlapping with respect to said back panel and being adjustably secured to said back panel, said panels being configured in size to be able to engage around the torso of a patient when adjusted and tightened, said right and left side panels each having a front edge said left panel and said right panel each being formed of bendable synthetic polymer composition sheet material and there is in addition a left pressure-spreading layer under said left panel and a right pressure-spreading layer under said right panel, said left and right pressure-spreading layers extending above and below the edges of said side panels, said left and right pressure-spreading layers having an inside surface and being more flexible than said left and right panels and said pressure-spreading layers having notches adjacent the edges thereof to permit ease of bending of the edges of said pressure-spreading layers;

a synthetic polymer foam cushion layer within said pressure-spreading layer on the inside surface of each of said left and right panels to provide comfort of said tubular back brace;

a tightening strap attached to one of said left and right panels;

a lever attached to the other of said left and right panels, said tightening strap being engaged with said lever so that when said lever is manually actuated, said tightening strap is pulled to pull said right and left side panels toward each other; and

two detachable retainers respectively located adjacent the upper and lower edges of said left and right side panels for retaining said left and said right panels with respect to each other when they are tightened with respect to each other.

26. The tubular back brace of

claim 25

wherein said pressure-spreading layers are notched above and below said panels to increase flexibility thereof.

27. The tubular back brace of

claim 26

wherein there are holes in said pressure-spreading layer adjacent said notches so that when further flexibility is desired, the notches in the edges of said pressure-spreading layers can be lengthened to connect to said holes.