Claims
- 1. A knee brace to be worn on a leg and connected to the upper leg and lower leg in spanning relationship to the knee joint, comprising:
- a first leg pad shaped for positioning on a side of the upper leg above the knee, and means for securing the first leg pad to a leg;
- a second leg pad shaped for positioning on the side of a lower leg beneath the knee, and means for securing the second leg pad to the leg;
- a composite hinge assembly connecting the upper and lower leg pads, said hinge assembly having a plurality of rigid members, means pivotally connecting the rigid members together to form three pivot connections, a first of said pivot connections being located above the knee when the first and second leg pads are positioned on the leg and the leg is generally upright, a second of said pivot connections being located beneath the knee, and a third of said pivot connections being located vertically intermediate the first and second pivot connections to enable relative pivotal movement of the first and second leg pads about a composite horizontal axis of the hinge assembly generally corresponding to that of the knee joint;
- said rigid members of the hinge assembly including a first arm having a first end fixed to the first leg pad and a second end extended from the first end in the direction of the leg toward the knee;
- a second arm having a first end fixed to the second leg pad and a second end extended from the first end in the direction of the leg toward the knee;
- a first hinge plate having a flat proximal face and a distal face, a first T-shaped rib on the proximal face having a head and a stem, said head located proximate an edge of the first hinge plate facing interiorly of the direction of flexure of the knee, said stem extended transversely across the first hinge plate from the head, said head having interiorly curved upper and lower shoulders at the intersection with the stem;
- the second end of the first arm being pivotally connected to an upper portion of the first hinge plate to form the first of said pivot connections, said second end of the first arm having a downwardly facing outer edge that confronts the upper edge of the stem of the first rib to limit pivotal movement of the first arm and first hinge plate in rotational direction to straighten the knee, said second end of the first arm having a rearward exterior lower curved shoulder in facing relationship to the upper interior shoulder of the first rib and spaced to intercept it upon rotation of the first arm and first hinge plate to a preselected limit in direction of flexure of the knee;
- a second hinge plate having a flat proximal face and a distal face, a second T-shaped rib on the proximal face having a head and a stem, said head located proximate an edge of the second hinge plate facing interiorly of the direction of flexure of the knee, said stem extended transversely across the second hinge plate from the head, said head having interiorly curved upper and lower shoulders at the intersection with the stem;
- the second end of the second arm being pivotally connected to a lower portion of the second hinge plate to form the second of said pivot connections;
- said second end of the second arm having an upwardly facing outer edge that confronts the lower edge of the stem of the second T-shaped rib to limit pivotal movement of the second arm and second hinge plate in rotational direction to straighten the knee, said second end of the second arm having a rearward exterior upper curved shoulder in facing relationship to the lower interior shoulder of the second rib and spaced to intercept it upon rotation of the second arm and second hinge plate to a preselected limit in direction of flexure of the knee;
- said first and second hinge plates disposed with proximal faces in facing relationship and pivotally connected to form the third of said pivot connections, each hinge plate having an edge in confronting relationship to the other edge of the stem of the opposite hinge plate to limit pivotal movement of the first and second hinge plates in rotational direction to straighten the knee, and an outwardly curved shoulder in facing relationship to the other interior shoulder of the rib of the other hinge plate and spaced to intercept it upon rotation of the first and second hinge plates to a preselected limit in direction of flexure of the knee.
- 2. The knee brace of claim 1 wherein: the outer ends of the first and second arms are laterally offset to laterally space the hinge assembly from the knee.
- 3. A knee brace to be worn on a leg secured to the upper leg and lower leg in spanning relationship to the knee joint, comprising:
- upper leg wrap assembly engageable with the upper leg;
- lower leg wrap assembly engageable with the lower leg;
- a composite hinge assembly connecting the upper and lower leg wrap assemblies, said hinge assembly including a first arm having a first end fixed to the upper leg wrap assembly, and extended parallel to the upper leg toward the knee, a second end of the first arm pivotally connected to a first hinge plate at a location above the knee when the upper leg wrap assembly is engaged with the leg, a second hinge plate, said first and second hinge plates being pivotally connected, a second arm having a first end attached to the lower leg wrap assembly and extended parallel to the lower leg toward the knee, a second end of said second arm being pivotally connected to the second hinge plate for pivotal movement about an axis beneath the knee when the lower leg wrap assembly is engaged with the lower leg;
- said first hinge plate having a flat proximal face and a distal face, a first T-shaped rib on the proximal face having a head and a stem, said head located proximate an edge of the first hinge plate facing interiorly of the direction of flecture of the knee, said stem extended transversely across the first hinge plate from the head, said head having interiorly curved upper and lower shoulders at the intersection with the stem;
- the second end of the first arm being pivotally connected to an upper end of the first hinge plate, said second end of the first arm having a downwardly facing outer edge that confronts the upper edge of the stem of the first rib to limit pivotal movement of the first arm and the first hinge plate in rotational direction to straighten the knee, said second end of the first arm having a rearward exterior lower curved shoulder in facing relationship to the upper interior shoulder of the first rib and spaced to intercept it upon rotation of the first arm and first hinge plate to a preselected limit in direction of flexure of the knee;
- said second hinge plate having a flat proximal face and a distal face, a second T-shaped rib on the proximal face having a head and a stem, said head located proximate an edge of the second hinge plate facing interiorly of the direction of flexure of the knee, said stem extended transversely across the second hinge plate from the head, said head having interiorly curved upper and lower shoulders at the intersection with the stem;
- the second end of the second arm being pivotally connected to a lower end of the second hinge plate, said second end of the second arm having an upwardly facing outer edge that confronts the lower edge of the stem of the second T-shaped rib to limit pivotal movement of the second arm and second hinge plate in rotational direction to straighten the knee, said second end of the second arm having a rearward exterior upper curved shoulder in facing relationship to the lower interior shoulder of the second rib and spaced to intercept it upon rotation of the second arm and second hinge plate to a preselected limit in direction of flexure of the knee;
- said first and second hinge plates disposed with proximal faces in facing relationship and pivotally connected, each hinge plate having an edge in confronting relationship to the other edge of the stem of the opposite hinge plate to limit pivotal movement of the first and second hinge plates in rotational direction to straighten the knee, and an outwardly curved shoulder in facing relationship to the other interior shoulder of the rib of the other hinge plate and spaced to intercept it upon rotation of the first and second hinge plates to a preselected limit in direction of flexure of the knee.
- 4. The knee brace of claim 3 wherein: the second ends of the first and second arms are laterally offset to laterally space the hinge assembly from the knee.
- 5. The knee brace of claim 4 wherein: said upper and lower leg wrap assemblies each include an inner elastic leg wrap circumferentially extendible around the leg, fastening means on first and second ends of the inner leg wrap to fasten it with respect to the leg; an outer elastic leg wrap having an end fixed to the inner leg wrap, and another end extendible around the inner leg wrap, means for attachment of the ends of the outer wrap; and pocket means for receipt of the first end of an arm.
- 6. The knee brace of claim 3 wherein: a first of said wrap assemblies includes an inner elongate circumferentially elastic wrap extendible around a leg, means on first and second ends of the inner wrap for releasably fastening the first and second ends together; an outer elongate circumferentially elastic wrap having one end fixed to an intermediate portion of the inner wrap and the other end extendible around the leg and the inner wrap, means on the ends of the outer wrap for releasably fastening them together; and a pocket fixed to one of said wraps for receipt of the first end of an arm.
- 7. The knee brace of claim 6 wherein: the other of said wrap assemblies is substantially, identical to the first.
- 8. The knee brace of claim 7 wherein: said upper wrap assembly has a first pocket, said first end of the first arm located in the first pocket, and means releasably securing the first end of the first arm in said first pocket; said lower wrap assembly having a second pocket, said first end of the second arm located in the second pocket, and means releasably securing the first end of the second arm in said second pocket.
- 9. The knee brace of claim 8 including: releasable adhering material located in the first pocket and on the first end of the first arm to releasably hold the first end of the first arm in said first pocket; and releasable adhering material located in the second pocket and on the first end of the second arm to releasably hold the first end of the second arm in the second pocket.
- 10. The knee brace of claim 6 wherein: a first end of the inner wrap has inwardly facing vertical fastening strip, the second end of the inner wrap having outwardly facing horizontal fastening strip for wrapping the first end of the wrap around a leg in a first direction to overlap the second end and releasably secure the first end to the second end; a first end of the exterior wrap having a vertical inwardly facing fastening strip, said second end fixed to the inner wrap having a horizontal outwardly facing fastening strip and positioned so that the first end is wrapped around the leg in a second direction to overlap the second end for releasably fastening the first and second ends.
- 11. The knee brace of claim 10 wherein: said fastening strips are comprised of synthetic material that adheres when pressed together.
- 12. The knee brace of claims 11 wherein: said fastening strips on the inner wrap are one color and said fastening strips on the outer wrap are a different color.
- 13. A knee brace to be worn on a leg secured to the upper leg and lower leg in spanning relationship to the knee joint, comprising:
- upper leg wrap assembly engagable with the upper leg;
- lower leg wrap assembly engagable with the lower leg;
- composite hinge assembly means connecting the upper and lower leg wrap assemblies, said hinge assembly means including a first arm having a first end fixed to the upper leg wrap assembly, and a second arm with a first end connected to the lower leg wrap assembly, and means hingedly connecting the second ends of the first and second arms;
- each of said wrap assemblies including an inner elongate circumferentially elastic wrap extendible around a leg, outwardly facing fastening means on a first end and inwardly facing fastening means on the second end of the inner wrap for releasably fastening the first and second ends together by holding the first end in position and wrapping the second end around the leg in a first circumferential direction to a position where the first and second fastening means overlap;
- an outer elongate circumferentially elastic wrap having a first end fixed to an intermediate outside portion of the inner wrap and a second end extendible around the leg and the inner wrap in a second opposite circumferential direction, outwardly facing fastening means on the first end and inwardly facing fastening means on the second end of the outer wrap for releasably fastening them together upon wrapping the outer wrap around the leg in said second circumferential direction to a position where the first and second fastening means overlap.
- 14. The knee brace of claim 13 wherein: said fastening means are comprised of strips of synthetic material that adhere when pressed together.
- 15. The knee brace of claim 13 wherein: the first end of the inner wrap has inwardly facing vertical fastening strip, the second end of the inner wrap having outwardly facing horizontal fastening strip for adjustably wrapping the first end of the wrap around a leg in said first direction to overlap the second end and releasably secure the first end to the second end; the first end of the exterior wrap having a vertical inwardly facing fastening strip, said second end fixed to the inner wrap having a horizontal outwardly facing fastening strip and positioned so that the first end is adjustably wrapped around the leg in a second direction to overlap the second end for releasably fastening the first and second ends.
- 16. The knee brace of claim 15 wherein: said fastening strips are comprised of synthetic material that adheres when pressed together.
- 17. The knee brace of claim 16 wherein: said fastening strips on the inner wrap are one color and said fastening strips on the outer wrap are a different color.
- 18. The knee brace of claim 13 wherein: said upper wrap assembly has a first pocket, said first end of the first arm located in the first pocket, and means releasably securing the first end of the first arm in said first pocket; said lower wrap assembly having a second pocket, said first end of the second arm located in the second pocket, and means releasably securing the first end of the second arm in said second pocket.
- 19. The knee brace of claim 18 including: releasable adhering material located in the first pocket and on the first end of the first arm to releasably hold the first end of the first arm in said first pocket; and releasable adhering material located in the second pocket and on the first end of the second arm to releasably hold the first end of the second arm in the second pocket.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 801,589, filed Nov. 25, 1985 entitled KNEE BRACE, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
801589 |
Nov 1985 |
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