Body support and protection appliance

• US 4,022,197 A
• Filed: 05/04/1976
• Issued: 05/10/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thermo-Mold Medical Products, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Thermo-Mold Medical Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Castiglia, Ignatius F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Medberry, Aldrich F.
• Application Number:
  US05/683,081
• Time in Patent Office: 371 Days
• Field of Search: 128/78, 128/169, 128/587, 128/90, 128/545, 128/541, 128/96-101, 128/540, 128/157, 128/578, 128/80 R, 2/36
• US Class Current: 602/61
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/02 Adhesive bandages or dressings
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/06 specially adapted for feet or legs; Corn-pads; Corn-rings
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/143 Thorax bandages or bandaging garments
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/028 Braces for providing support to the lower back, e.g. lumbo sacral supports

Abstract

An appliance for supporting and/or protecting body portions comprises a pair of substantially rigid sheet-like members adapted to engage against predetermined spaced portions of the body of a wearer. The sheet-like members are coupled together at one end by means of a relatively large expanse of elastic material and are detachably connected together at the other end also by means of elastic material, the resulting structure encircling a body portion. This construction permits substantial contraction and expansion of the encircled body portion without substantially restraining the encircled body portion from expansion.

Claims

1. A body support and/or protection appliance comprising:

a first elastic section adapted to extend across a body portion of a wearer;

a means for substantially independently engaging against predetermined spaced portions of the body of a wearer, comprising a pair of substantially rigid sheetlike members coupled to end portions of said first elastic section; and

second and third elastic sections respectively at the ends of said substantially rigid members remote from said first elastic section for detachably and elastically connecting said remote ends of said substantially rigid members together with at least a portion of at least one of said second and third elastic sections interposed therebetween to encircle a body portion of a wearer such that said elastic sections resiliently separate said substantially rigid members to permit substantial contraction and expansion of the encircled body portion of the wearer while retaining said substantially rigid members adjacent said predetermined body portions of the wearer during said contraction and expansion, without substantially restraining the body from expansion.

2. An appliance according to claim 1 comprising a first pocket member interposed between said first and second elastic sections and a second pocket member interposed between said first and third elastic sections, said first and second pocket members receiving a respective one of said substantially rigid sheet-like members.

3. An appliance according to claim 2 wherein said pocket members each have an opening for removably receiving said respective substantially rigid sheet-like members therein.

4. An appliance according to claim 1 wherein said substantially rigid sheet-like members are heat deformable and are moldable, in the heated condition, to conform to the contours of a body portion of a wearer, and substantially retain their contour molded condition upon cooling.

5. An appliance according to claim 4 wherein said sheet-like members are plastic members with a fabric layer on at least one surface thereof.

6. An appliance according to claim 5 wherein said sheet-like members have fabric layers on both sides thereof.

7. An appliance according to claim 5 wherein said sheet-like members have a foam layer on one surface thereof, said foam layer being directed toward the body of a wearer.

8. An appliance according to claim 2 wherein said first and second pocket members are of elastic material.

9. An appliance according to claim 8 wherein said first pocket is integral with at least a portion of said first elastic section and is integral with said second elastic section, and wherein said second pocket is integral with at least a portion of said first elastic section and is integral with said third elastic section.

10. An appliance according to claim 1 wherein said second and third elastic sections have free ends with adjustable interengaging fastening members thereon for adjustably encircling a body portion of a wearer.

11. An appliance according to claim 1 wherein said first elastic section comprises a substantially rigid stay member extending substantially transversely thereof.

12. An appliance according to claim 8 further comprising a skirt portion of elastic material below said respective pockets for engagement against a body portion of a wearer to prevent slipping relative to the body portion of the wearer.

13. An appliance according to claim 1 wherein said sheet-like members are formed to conform to the respective rib cage areas of a wearer, and wherein said first elastic section is adapted to extend across a substantial portion of the back of the wearer and said second and third sections are adapted to extend across a portion of the chest area of the wearer so as to provide an elastic section in the chest area of the wearer between said sheet-like members.

14. An appliance according to claim 8 wherein said sheet-like members are formed to conform to the respective rib cage areas of a wearer, and wherein said first elastic section is adapted to extend across a substantial portion of the back of the wearer and said second and third sections are adapted to extend across a portion of the chest area of the wearer so as to provide an elastic section in the chest area of the wearer between said sheet-like members.

15. An appliance according to claim 2 further comprising at least two skirt portions of elastic material adjacent said respective pockets, one of said skirt portions extending between said first and second elastic sections and the other of said skirt portions extending between said first and third elastic sections, to prevent slipping relative to the body portion of the wearer.