Patent Application
20240065872
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The disclosure relates to brace devices and more particularly pertains to a new brace device for assisting a user with standing upright. The device includes a body harness which is wearable around a user's upper torso. The device includes a pair of thigh cuffs that is each wearable around the user's thighs. Each of the thigh cuffs is attachable to the body harness for assisting the user with standing upright. A pair of heel straps is provided which each engage a respective one of the user's heels. Additionally, each of the heel straps is attachable to a respective thigh cuff for further assisting the user with standing upright.
The prior art relates to brace devices including a back support device that includes a variety of back support devices which each at least includes a body harness and a pair of thigh cuffs that are attached to the body harness for assisting a user with standing upright. The prior art discloses a body support device that includes a body harness and a rigid member that is attached to the body harness for assisting a user with bending over and lifting. The prior art discloses a back support brace that includes shoulder straps that wrap around a user's shoulders, a waist strap and a back strap which extends between the shoulder straps and the waist strap. The prior art discloses a support garment which includes a pair of shorts and a shirt for providing support of a user's back. The p
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a body harness that can be worn around a user's upper torso. The body harness includes a back panel which extends along the user's back when the body harness is worn. A pair of thigh cuffs is each worn around a respective one of the user's thighs. Each of the thigh cuffs is attachable to the body harness thereby inhibiting the back panel from moving beyond a pre-determined distance from the thigh cuffs to assist the user with standing upright. A pair of heel straps is each of the heel straps is releasably matable to a respective one of the thigh cuffs. Each of the heel straps has a loop is integrated therein which can be positioned around a respective one of the user's heels thereby enhancing stability of the user for standing upright.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The body harness 12 comprises a chest strap 28 that has a first end 30, a second end 32, a lower edge 34 and an upper edge 36. The chest strap 28 is elongated between the first end 30 and the second end 32 such that the chest strap 28 can be worn around the user's chest 38. Additionally, the lower edge 34 is attached to the top edge 20 of the back panel 16. A pair of chest couplers 40 is each coupled to a respective one of the first end and the second end 32 of the chest strap 28. Moreover, each of the chest couplers 40 is releasably matable to each other for retaining the chest strap 28 around the user's chest 38. Each of the chest couplers 40 may comprise a pair of complementary buckles or other type of releasable, mechanical coupler. Additionally, the chest strap 28 slidably engages each of the chest couplers 40 for adjusting a length of the chest strap 28 to accommodate the size of the user's chest 38.
A first coupler 42 is coupled to and extends upwardly from the upper edge 36 of the chest strap 28 and the first coupler 42 is spaced from the first end 30 of the chest strap 28. A second coupler 44 is coupled to and extends upwardly from the upper edge 36 of the chest strap 28. The second coupler 44 is spaced from the second end 32 of the chest strap 28. Each of the first coupler 42 and the second coupler 44 may comprise complementary buckles or other type of releasable, mechanical coupler.
A first shoulder strap 46 is coupled to and extends upwardly from the upper edge 36 of the chest strap 28 for wearing over a respective one of the user's shoulders 48. The first shoulder strap 46 has a distal end 50 with respect to the chest strap 28. A first shoulder coupler 52 is coupled to the distal end 50 of the first shoulder strap 46 and the first shoulder strap 46 is oriented to extend cross wise across the user's chest 38 having the first shoulder coupler 52 releasably engaging the second coupler 44. A second shoulder strap 54 is coupled to and extends upwardly from the upper edge 36 of the chest strap 28 for wearing over a respective one of the user's shoulders 48. The second shoulder strap 54 has a distal end 56 with respect to the chest strap 28. A second shoulder coupler 58 is coupled to the distal end 56 of the second shoulder strap 54. the second shoulder strap 54 is oriented to extend cross wise across the user's chest 38 having the second shoulder coupler 58 releasably engaging the first coupler 42. Each of the first shoulder coupler 52 and the second shoulder coupler 58 may comprise complementary buckles or other type of releasable, mechanical coupler.
A waist strap 60 has a primary end 62, a secondary end 64, an upper edge 66 and a lower edge 68. The waist strap 60 is elongated between the primary end 62 and the secondary end 64 such that the waist strap 60 can be worn around the user's waist 70. Furthermore, the upper edge 66 is coupled to the bottom edge of the back panel 16. A pair of waist couplers 72 is each coupled to a respective one of the primary end 62 and the secondary end 64 of the waist strap 60. Each of the waist couplers 72 is releasably matable to each other for retaining the waist strap 60 around the user's waist 70. Each of the waist couplers 72 may comprise complementary buckles or other type of releasable, mechanical coupler.
A pair of leg straps 74 is provided each of the leg straps 74 is coupled to and extends downwardly from the lower edge 68 of the waist strap 60. Each of the leg straps 74 extends downwardly along a back side 76 of a respective one of the user's legs 78. Each of the leg straps 74 has a distal end 80 with respect to the lower edge 68 of the waist strap 60. A pair of leg strap couplers 82 is provided and each of the leg strap couplers 82 is coupled to the distal end 80 of a respective one of the leg straps 74. Each of the leg strap couplers 82 may comprise complementary buckles or other type of releasable, mechanical coupler.
A pair of thigh cuffs 84 each is provided and each of the thigh cuffs 84 can be worn around a respective one of the user's thighs 86. Each of the thigh cuffs 84 is attachable to the body harness 12 thereby inhibiting the back panel 16 from moving beyond a pre-determined distance from the thigh cuffs 84. In this way the pair of thigh cuffs 84 can assist the user with standing upright. Each of the thigh cuffs 84 has a first surface 88, a second surface 90 and a perimeter edge 92 extending between the first surface 88 and the second surface 90. The perimeter edge 92 has a first lateral side 94, a second lateral side 96, a top side 98 and a bottom side 100, and each of the thigh cuffs 84 can be rolled onto themselves to form a cylinder. The top side 98 has a length is greater than a length of the bottom side 100 such that each of the cylinder formed by the thigh cuffs 84 tapers between the top side 98 and the bottom side 100 to the shape of the user's thighs 86.
A pair of first mating members 102 is provided and each of the first mating members 102 is coupled to the first surface 88 of a respective one of the thigh cuffs 84. Each of the first mating members 102 is aligned with the first lateral side 94 of the perimeter edge 92 of the respective thigh cuff 84. A pair of second mating members 104 is provided and each of the second mating members 104 is coupled to the second surface 90 of a respective one of the thigh cuffs 84. Each of the second mating members 104 is aligned with the second lateral side 96 of the perimeter edge 92 of the respective thigh cuff 84. Additionally, the first mating member 102 on a respective one of the thigh cuffs 84 is matable to the second mating member 104 on the respective thigh cuff 84. Each of the first mating member 102 and the second mating member 104 may comprise a hook and loop fastener or other type of multiple use, releasable fastener.
A pair of first heel strap mating members 106 is provided and each of the first heel strap mating members 106 is coupled to the first surface 88 of a respective one of the thigh cuffs 84. Each of the first heel strap mating members 106 extends between the top side 98 and the bottom side 100 of the perimeter edge 92 of the respective thigh cuff 84. A pair of thigh couplers 107 is provided and each of the thigh couplers 107 is coupled to the top side 98 of the perimeter edge 92 of a respective one of the thigh cuffs 84. Each of the thigh couplers 107 is releasably matable to a respective one of the leg strap couplers 82.
A pair of heel straps 108 is provided and each of the heel straps 108 is releasably matable to a respective one of the thigh cuffs 84. Each of the heel straps 108 has a loop 110 integrated therein such that the loop 110 on each of the heel straps 108 can be positioned around a respective one of the user's heels 112 thereby enhancing stability of the user for standing upright.
Each of the heel straps 108 has an upper end 114, a lower end 116 and a primary surface 118 extending between the upper end 114 and the lower end 116. Each of heel straps 108 has a stirrup 119 that is coupled to the lower end 116 having the stirrup 119 on each of the heel straps 108 defining the loop 110. In this way the stirrup 119 can be positioned around the respective user's heel 112. A pair of second heel strap mating members 120 is each coupled to the primary surface 118 of a respective one of the heel straps 108. Each of the second heel strap mating members 120 is matable to a respective one of the first heel strap mating members 106.
In use, the chest strap 28 is worn around the user's chest 38 and the waist strap 60 is worn around the user's waist 70. Each of the first shoulder strap 46 and the second shoulder strap 54 is worn over the user's shoulders 48 and each of the first shoulder strap 46 and the second shoulder strap 54 is crossed over the user's chest 38 and coupled to respective first shoulder coupler 52 and second shoulder coupler 58. Each of the thigh cuffs 84 is positioned around the respective user's thigh 86 and each of the thigh couplers 107 is attached to the respective leg strap 74. In this way the back panel 16 is retained a fixed distance from the thigh cuffs 84 to assist the user with standing upright. Each of the heel straps 108 is coupled to the respective thigh cuff 84 such that the stirrup 119 on each of the heel straps 108 is positioned a desired distance from the respective thigh cuff 84. In this way the tension imparted onto the thigh cuff 84 can either be increased or decreased, depending on the user's preference. Thus, the thigh cuffs 84, the heel straps 108 and the body harness 12 work in conjunction to assist the user with standing upright.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
