SHOULDER BRACE WITH BODY TO ARM ATTACHMENT STRAPS

• US 20060167395A1
• Filed: 01/26/2005
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomas M. Sawa
• Original Assignee: Thomas M. Sawa
• Inventors: Sawa, Thomas M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,081,101 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 602/19
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/34 Pressure pads filled with air or liquid valves specially adapted for medical use A61M39/00; connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00; valves per se F16K
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/3746 Jacket-like sling

Abstract

A shoulder complex and upper arm injury reduction system having a torso fitting part, an upper arm wrap part, and at least one movement control strap constructed of non-stretchable material. The movement control straps are strategically anchored on the system to control posterior, anterior, and multidirectional movement of the upper arm wrap part relative to the torso fitting part. The straps are length adjustable to control the amount of movement of the upper arm wrap part relative to the torso fitting part, and prevent separation of the upper arm wrap part from the torso fitting part beyond the strap length. The system includes a control strap that extends from the shoulder capping region to a strap mounting location below or above the shoulder capping region. The strap is length adjustable to allow tension to be placed on the strap and to produce traction between the shoulder strapping region and the strap mounting location.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

5. A shoulder complex and upper arm injury reduction system comprising:

a torso fitting part,

an upper arm wrap part having an exterior surface provided with a movement control strap coupling region extending at least substantially around said upper arm wrap part, and

at least one movement control strap, having at least one torso attachment region for attachment to at least one strap anchor on the torso fitting part wherein said torso attachment region includes a first loop forming part which loops through and secures with said at least one strap anchor to secure the torso attachment region with the torso fitting part, and

having an interlocking strap region which interlocks with the movement control strap coupling region of the upper arm wrap part to provide interlocked wrapping of said interlocking strap region around said upper arm wrap part,

wherein said at least one movement control strap is adjustable to different strap lengths between said torso attachment region and said interlocking strap region, said at least one movement control strap being made from an essentially inelastic material such that said at least one movement control strap controls separation and rotation of said upper arm wrap part relative to said torso fitting part beyond any one of the strap lengths to which said at least one movement control strap is adjusted.

4. A system as claimed in claim 5 wherein said first loop forming parts include interlocking VELCRO surfaces and is adjustable to different loop formations to provide the different strap lengths to which said movement control strap is adjusted.

6. A system as claimed in claim 5, wherein a first strap anchor is provided to a front side of said torso fitting part, said movement control strap extending across said front side of said torso fitting part to said upper arm wrap part to limit rearward movement of said upper arm wrap part relative to said torso fitting part.

7. A system as claimed in claim 5, wherein a first strap anchor is provided to a rear side of said torso fitting part and said movement control strap extends across said rear side of said torso fitting part of said upper arm wrap part to limit forward movement of said upper arm wrap part relative to said torso fitting part.

8. A system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said system comprises

one movement control strap having a first torso attachment region at a first strap end region, a second torso attachment region at a second strap end region, and the interlocking strap region positioned between said first and second end regions,

a first strap anchor provided to a front side of said torso fitting part, said movement control strap extending across said front side of said torso fitting part to said upper arm warp part to limit rearward movement of said upper arm wrap part relative to said torso fitting part,

a second strap anchor provided to a rear side of said torso fitting part and said movement control strap extends across said rear side of said torso fitting part of said upper arm wrap part to limit forward movement of said upper arm wrap part relative to said torso fitting part.

9. A system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said system comprises:

a first movement control strap having one torso attachment region at a first strap end region, and the interlocking strap region positioned at a second strap end region,

a second movement control strap having one torso attachment region at a first strap end region, and the interlocking strap region positioned at a second strap end region,

a first strap anchor provided to a front side of said torso fitting part, said first movement control strap extending across said front side of said torso fitting part to said upper arm wrap part,

a second strap anchor provided to a rear side of said torso fitting part and said second movement control strap extends across said rear side of said torso fitting part of said upper arm wrap part,

wherein said first movement control strap and said second movement control strap extending across said front and rear surfaces of said torso fitting part to said first and second strap anchors on said torso fitting part to limit both forward and rearward movement of said upper arm wrap part relative to said torso fitting part.

10. A system as claimed in claim 5,

wherein the torso fitting part comprises a shoulder capping region, and the system further comprising:

a plurality of control straps having a first strap region which is anchored at the torso fitting part and having a second strap region which is anchored at the upper arm wrap part, said control straps being adjustable to different strap lengths between said first and second strap regions, said strap being made from an essentially inelastic material such that said strap prevents separation of said upper arm wrap part from said torso fitting part beyond any one of the strap lengths to which said strap is adjusted, and

a traction control strap extending from the shoulder capping region to a strap mounting location within said system below the shoulder capping region, the traction control strap being length adjustable to place tension on and to produce traction within said system between the shoulder capping region and the strap mounting location below the shoulder capping region.

19. A system as claimed in claim 5 wherein said movement control strap coupling region of the upper arm wrap part is a first VELCRO surface and wherein said interlocking strap region includes a second VELCRO surface which interlocks with said first VELCRO surface.

20. A system as claimed in claim 8, wherein die movement control strap is interconnected at a position between the interlocking strap region and the strap ends.

21. A system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first and second movement control straps are interconnected at a position between the first and second strap end regions.

11. A shoulder complex and upper arm injury reduction system comprising:

a torso fitting part, having a shoulder capping region and a plurality of strap anchors,

an upper arm wrap part, having an exterior surface provided with a movement control strap coupling region extending at least substantially around the upper arm wrap part,

a movement control strap having

a first torso attachment region at a first strap end region,

a second torso attachment region at a second strap end region, and

an interlocking strap region positioned between said first and second end regions, said interlocking strap region interlocks with the movement control strap coupling region of the upper arm wrap part to provide interlocked wrapping of said interlocking strap region around said upper arm wrap part,

wherein said first torso attachment region includes a first loop forming part which loops through and secures with a first strap anchor provided to a front side of said torso fitting part, said movement control strap extending across said front side of said torso fitting part to said upper arm wrap part, and said second torso attachment region includes a first loop forming part which loops through and secures with a second strap anchor provided to a rear side of said torso fitting part and said movement control strap extending across said rear side of said torso fitting part to said upper arm wrap part, to limit forward and rearward movement of said upper arm wrap part relative to said torso fitting part,

a plurality of control straps having a first strap region anchored at the torso fitting part and having a second strap region which is anchored at the upper arm wrap part, said control straps being adjustable to different strap lengths between said first and second strap regions,

said control straps being made from an essentially inelastic material to prevent separation of said upper arm wrap from said torso fitting part beyond said strap lengths,

a traction control strap extending from the shoulder capping region to a strap mounting location within said system below the shoulder capping region, the traction control strap being length adjustable to place tension on and to produce traction within said system between the shoulder capping region and the strap mounting location, below the shoulder capping region, and

a foamed pad beneath said traction control strap at said shoulder capping region.

12. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

14. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

16. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

18. (canceled)