Supports including dual pivot axes for hinge joint

All of the material in this patent document is subject to copyright protection under the copyright laws of the United States and other countries. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in official governmental records but, otherwise, all other copyright rights whatsoever are reserved.

Joint fatigue, pain, and instability are common conditions of active and aging people. This is especially true with regard to hinge joints of the body, including the knee joint and the elbow joint. Such joint ailments often can be attributed to damage to, and degenerative wear in, the contact surfaces of bone ends meeting at the joint. External support in these areas of the body can help address joint fatigue, pain, and/or instability and, generally, external support in various areas of the body can serve to address many different conditions. One or more aspects of the invention provide such support. Moreover, one or more aspects of the invention even augment motion about joints and, in particular, about hinge joints.

Additionally, several embodiments of improved supports that address the foregoing concerns are disclosed in the following U.S. patent application publications, each of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference: US 2008-0065230 A1; US 2008-0039757 A1; US 2008-0039766 A1; US 2006-0030804 A1; US 2006-0030805 A1; US 2006-0030806 A1; US 2006-0026733 A1; US 2006-0026736 A1; US 2006-0070165 A1; US 2006-0070164 A1; US 2006-0026732 A1; US 2006-0030803 A1; and US 2006-0030802 A1.

Supports in accordance with embodiments of the present application represent yet further such supports that address the foregoing concerns.

The invention relates to various supports for the body and, with respect to certain embodiments, the invention relates to potentiating supports for hinge joints of the body. Indeed, certain supports are designed for the area of the knee and other supports are designed for the area of the elbow. Other supports of the present invention include clothing having expandable and recoverable frameworks for support of areas of the body. These supports of the invention are useful for injury treatment or prevention, rehabilitation, and motion enhancement.

For example, a preferred potentiating support for the knee provides a secure fitting and comfortable knee brace for the purposes of supporting knee alignment, comfort, and protection in the activities of daily living, athletics, and working and in the treatment or rehabilitation of an injured or ailing knee, all the while providing joint motion assistance for performance enhancement in everyday and athletic activities. In this regard, kinetic energy is stored and returned for use to assist the body in its natural knee movement in a preferred knee support of the present invention. Embodiments of these supports, as well as aspects and features of the invention, are set forth below and in the detailed description section herein.

Accordingly, in an aspect of the invention, a support for an area of a body having a hinge joint includes: a flexible, elastically stretchable framework configured to extend across the hinge joint of the area of the body; and a hinge mechanism affixed to the framework, the hinge mechanism comprising a strut component and first and second arm components. The first arm component is connected to the strut component such that the first arm component is rotatable relative to the strut component only about a first pivot axis; the second arm component is connected to the strut component such that the second arm component is rotatable relative to the strut component only about a second pivot axis; and the strut component is configured to extend with the framework across the hinge joint such that the first pivot axis is located on a first side of the hinge joint and the second pivot axis is located on a second, opposite side of the hinge joint.

In a feature of this aspect, the flexible framework comprises an elastomeric material.

In a feature of this aspect, the flexible framework is configured to be stretched and tensioned into abutment with the area of the body such that the flexible framework conforms to the shape and contour of the area of the body when stretched and tensioned, the flexible framework having a relaxed state when not stretched and tensioned in which the flexible framework does not conform to the shape and contour of the area of the body.

In a feature of this aspect, the framework is in a first configuration when the hinge mechanism is in a first position, and the framework is in a second configuration when the hinge mechanism is in a second position, the elastically stretchable framework storing potential energy that is released as kinetic energy upon transitioning of the hinge mechanism from the second position to the first position.

In a feature of this aspect, the framework defines a flexible, elastically stretchable web of elastomeric interconnecting members.

In a feature of this aspect, the strut component is at least partially embedded in a material of the framework.

In a feature of this aspect, the framework encompasses and completely encircles at least a middle portion of the strut component.

In a feature of this aspect, each of the first and second arm components is at least partially embedded in a material of the framework.

In a feature of this aspect, a first hinging member connects the first arm component to the strut component, the first hinging member including a cylindrical portion in abutment with which the first arm component and strut component rotate, and wherein a second hinging member connects the second arm component to the strut component, the second hinging member including a cylindrical portion in abutment with which the second arm component and strut component rotate, the first axis extending through the cylindrical portion of the first hinging member and the second axis extending through the cylindrical portion of the second hinging member.

In a feature of this aspect, the support further includes first and second strap interface components, each strap interface component being affixed to the framework, the first strap interface component being connected to the first arm component and defining at least one opening therein configured to receive therethrough a strap for attachment of the framework to the body on the first side of the hinge joint, and the second strap interface component being connected to the second arm component and defining at least one opening therein configured to receive therethrough a strap for attachment of the framework to the body on the second side of the hinge joint.

In a feature of this aspect, each of the first and second strap interface components are at least partially embedded in a material of the framework.

In a feature of this aspect, the hinge mechanism is located along a first side edge of the framework, and the support further comprises a second, identical hinge mechanism affixed to the framework and located along a second, opposite side edge of the framework, the strut component of the second hinge mechanism being configured to extend with the framework across the hinge joint such that the first pivot axis of the second hinge mechanism is located on the first side of the hinge joint and the second pivot axis of the second hinge mechanism is located on the second side of the hinge joint.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a support for an area of a body having a hinge joint includes: (a) a flexible, elastically stretchable framework comprising a web of elastomeric interconnecting members, the web including an intermediate portion configured to extend across the hinge joint; (b) a first hinge mechanism affixed to the web proximate a first side of the intermediate portion of the web, the first hinge mechanism comprising a strut component at least partially embedded in a material of the web and first and second arm components at least partially embedded in the material of the web, the first and second arm components being connected to respective opposite end portions of the strut component such that the first and second arm components are rotatable relative to the strut component about respective pivot axes located at opposite end portions of the strut component; and (c) a second hinge mechanism affixed to the web proximate a second, opposite side of the intermediate portion of the web, the second hinge mechanism comprising a strut component at least partially embedded in the material of the web and first and second arm components at least partially embedded in the material of the web, the first and second arm components of the second hinge mechanism being connected to respective opposite end portions of the strut component of the second hinge mechanism such that the first and second arm components of the second hinge mechanism are rotatable relative to the strut component of the second hinge mechanism about respective pivot axes located at opposite end portions of the strut component of the second hinge mechanism. In accordance with this aspect, each of the strut components and arm components of the first and second hinge mechanisms comprises components that are distinct from one another.

In a feature of this aspect, the web encompasses and completely encircles at least a middle portion of the strut component.