Claims
- 1. A gravity lumbar traction device including a vest for supporting a user, which vest engages the thorax of the user for supporting the user, a pair of arm supports supported on the vest in position for a user to partially support weight on forearms supported on the arm supports, and a plurality of straps adapted to be supported at an external support and attached to the vest through the arm supports only and arranged such that at least one strap supports edges of each of the arm supports spaced from the user to react loads on the vest caused by supporting a user in direction to tend to prevent lower edges of the vest from pressing inward against the user when the user is supported.
- 2. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the straps include spaced front straps on each arm support and means to connect the front straps across an anterior portion of the user's thorax and spaced back straps on each arm support, and means to connect the back straps across the posterior portion of the user's thorax at an angle selected to distribute supporting loads to the vest and the user in a desired manner.
- 3. The device of claim 2 and manual release means for connecting the front straps to permit release to allow the user to remove the vest while supported.
- 4. The device of claim 2 wherein the means to connect the back straps comprise adjustable means for connecting the back straps to adjust the selected angle of the back straps to distribute supporting loads reacted to the vest and user in a desired manner.
- 5. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the straps include front and rear support straps, the arm supports being elongated from front to rear and having front and rear ends, the front and rear straps being attached to front and rear ends of the arm supports, thus keeping the front and rear straps away from the user to avoid constricting breathing.
- 6. The device as specified in claim 1 wherein the vest comprises a shell extending around side and back portions of the thorax only of the user.
- 7. The device as specified in claim 6 wherein the shell is made into two separate shell sections, and means for holding the two shell sections together.
- 8. The device of claim 1 wherein the arm support comprise elongated fore and aft extending troughs adjustably fixed to the vest at the sides of the user.
- 9. The device as specified in claim 8 and means to position the elongated troughs to support the forearms of the user when the elbows of the user are bent.
- 10. The device as specified in claim 1 wherein the vest is formed in two sections which are spaced apart at a forward side thereof to leave anterior sides of a thorax of a user free to move.
- 11. The device as specified in claim 10 and means for vertically adjustably mounting the arm supports with respect to the vest.
- 12. The device as specified in claim 1 wherein the straps are adapted to be supported in a door frame having side members, and a bar of length to span the door frame side members positioned to engage a user supported in the device at the door frame and move the users body out of a normal free suspended position to vary hanging angles of the device and the supported user.
- 13. The device as specified in claim 7 wherein the two shell sections overlap at the back of the user and are spaced apart at the front of the user.
- 14. The device as specified in claim 7 wherein the shell sections are adjustably connected to vary the width of the interior of the vest structure.
- 15. The device as specified in claim 1 wherein the vest is made of a vacuum molded polypropylene to generally follow the contour of the thorax.
- 16. A gravity lumbar traction device for a user having a thorax, shoulders and arms, the device comprising:
- a vest portion capable of supporting weight of the user when worn on the thorax of such user and made of material that is semi-rigid;
- arm support means for carrying weight of a user and supported on the vest portion and positioned so that the user is able to place forearms thereon for supporting at least a portion of the user's weight on the arm support means through the shoulders and arms;
- strap means mounted with respect to the vest portion for supporting the gravity lumbar traction device from an external support above the user to support the weight of the user under gravity, said strap means comprising a plurality of strap sections adjustably attached to the arm support means, including front strap sections and rear strap sections; and
- means coupled to the front strap sections to vary the angle of the front strap sections at the front of the user relative to the arm support means, thereby permitting changing the load angle on the vest portion connected to the arm support means.
Parent Case Info
The application is a continuation-in-part application of my co-pending application Ser. No. 922,665 filed Oct. 24, 1986, for an Upright Gravity Lumbar Traction Device.
US Referenced Citations (14)
Foreign Referenced Citations (5)
Number |
Date |
Country |
209952 |
May 1957 |
AUX |
3420858 |
Dec 1985 |
DEX |
7704344 |
Oct 1978 |
NLX |
220557 |
Oct 1967 |
SEX |
1284541 |
Jan 1987 |
SUX |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (3)
Entry |
C. A. Troucillier's device (1924), FIG. 23. |
"The Use of Traction in Bachache," E. H. Frazer, The Medical Journal of Australia, 10/30/54, pp. 694-697. |
"A Device for the Application of Heavy Lumbar Traction: Its Mechanical Effects," J. F. Lehmann, G. D. Brunner, Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, 11/58, pp. 696-700. |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
922665 |
Oct 1986 |
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