Claims
- 1. An adjustable knee support that is secured to a leg to support the patella and surrounding tissue and which allows a normal range of motion of the knee, comprising
- a sheet of elastic material having a central support portion that at least surrounds and supports the patella and has upper and lower edges and two side edges adapted to extend along the leg on opposite sides of the patella,
- an upper fastener extending from said central support portion generally along the upper edge of said central support portion,
- a lower fastener extending from said central support portion generally along the lower edge of said central support portion,
- central elastic fastener means secured to the central support portion at at least one of said edges and adapted to be aligned laterally with the patella, said central support portion being stretchable to support the patella directly when said central elastic fastener means is stretched, and
- means for releasably securing said upper and lower fasteners and said central elastic fastener means when they are stretched in a direction generally perpendicular to the leg to develop a compressive force in said upper and lower fasteners that secures the support on the leg and in said central fastener means to produce said direct support of the patella,
- said upper and lower fasteners, and said central elastic fastener means being formed with cut-outs to separate and define said central fastener portion from each of said upper and lower fasteners, said cut-outs extending laterally from said two side edges such that said upper and lower fasteners are each spaced vertically from said central fastener means by gaps located generally opposite the patella when said upper and lower fastener are wrapped around the leg and when said releasable securing means are secured.
- 2. The adjustable knee support of claim 1 wherein said cut-outs have a generally V-shaped configuration.
- 3. The adjustable knee support of claim 1 wherein said securing means includes a tab of material carrying an array of hook fasteners on at least one surface thereof and a second piece material that has a plurality of mating loop fasteners that when pressed together replaceably secure said upper and lower fasteners around the leg and replaceably secure the central support portion over the knee, all with an adjustable degree of compression depending on the relatively lateral location of said tab on second piece of material and therefore the degree to which said upper and lower fasteners and said central elastic fastener means are stretched.
- 4. The adjustable knee support of claim 1, wherein said upper and lower fasteners are each adapted to extend laterally for a sufficient distance to wrap around the leg.
- 5. The adjustable knee support of claim 1 wherein said sheet of elastic material comprises a laminate of central layer of an elastic material, an outer casing of a woven textile material that mates with a hook fastener material, and an inner lining formed of a textile material.
- 6. The adjustable knee support of claim 5 wherein said central layer of sheet material is neoprene and said outer casing and said inner lining are formed of nylon.
- 7. The adjustable knee support of claim 5 wherein said upper and lower fasteners are each adapted to extend vertically on the leg about 4 inches.
- 8. The adjustable knee support of claim 7 wherein said central fastener means has a vertical height of about 2 inches and said gaps above and below said central fastener means each extending vertically about 1 inch.
- 9. The adjustable knee support of claim 1 wherein said central portion contains an internal opening adapted to generally circle the patella.
- 10. The adjustable knee support of claim 1 wherein said upper and lower fasteners extend from said central support portion in opposite directions.
- 11. The adjustable knee support of claim 1 wherein said upper and lower fasteners each comprise strap portion that extend from opposite sides of said central support portion.
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/028,968 filed on Mar. 10, 1993, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,399,153, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 07/776,193, filed Oct. 15, 1991, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,221,252.
US Referenced Citations (25)
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
101132 |
Mar 1965 |
DKX |
2 622 437 |
Feb 1987 |
FRX |
3511250A1 |
Jul 1985 |
DEX |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
Carole Wright Gifts, 1991, Advertisement "Therapeutic Knee Brace". |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
28968 |
Mar 1993 |
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
776193 |
Oct 1991 |
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