Highly Adjustable Lumbar Brace

• US 20110213284A1
• Filed: 02/28/2011
• Published: 09/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aspen Medical Products, LLC
• Original Assignee: Albert Romo, Geoffrey Garth, Joel Perez, Steven Burke
• Inventors: Perez, Joel, Garth, Geoffrey, Burke, Steven, Romo, Albert
• Granted Patent: US 8,372,023 B2
• 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

A back brace is designed to custom fit a wearer in a multitude of different configurations. First, the back brace could have a lumbar support that is split into upper and lower sections that are connected to a flexible joint, allowing the lumbar support to bend towards the spine of the user. The lumbar support is also generally split into left and right sections that are drawn towards one another while the joint bends towards the lumbar curve, This allows the back brace to conform to the lumbar curve of the wearer as a custom fit. Second, the brace could have optional extenders that alter the support length, width, and height of lumbar and lateral supports about the wearer. Third, the brace could have reinforcement support mechanisms that alter the rigidity of various lumbar and lateral supports about the wearer.

Claims

1. A brace, comprising:

a lumbar support having a joint coupling rigid upper and lower sections of the lumbar support;

a rigid lateral support coupled to the lumbar support such that the joint moves anteriorly relative to the lateral support; and

wherein the joint is flexible relative to the upper and lower sections and to the lateral support.

2. The brace of claim 1, wherein the upper section has separate right and left components coupled by an upper mechanically advantaged system.

3. The brace of claim 2, wherein the upper mechanically advantaged system comprises a cord and at least three pulleys that collectively operate to draw the right and left components towards one another.

4. The brace of claim 2, further comprising a limiter separate from the upper mechanically advantaged system that prevents the right and left components from moving a threshold distance away from one another.

5. The brace of claim 4, wherein the limiter comprises a compressible material.

6. The brace of claim 5, wherein the limiter comprises cloth.

7. The brace of claim 5, wherein the limiter includes a sagittal midplane hole.

8. The brace of claim 1, further comprising a rigid panel that assists in preventing the flexible joint from bending, and is detachable from the brace.

9. The brace of claim 1, further comprising an extender that extends an effective height of the lumbar support.

10. The brace of claim 9, wherein the effective height is at least 10 inches.

11. The brace of claim 9, wherein the extender reinforces rigidity of the lateral support.

12. The brace of claim 9, wherein the extender extends an effective width of the lateral support.

13. The brace of claim 12, further comprising a detachable support that further extends the effective width the lateral support.