Knee protection brace for patellar tendon

Abstract

The present invention comprises a first member (110) that wraps around the back of the knee when worn and a second member (120) that wraps around the front of the knee; a first member coupling means is provided on the outer surface (113) of the first member; and the second member (120) comprises a second member body (121) and a second member first coupling means (123) provided on the second member body (121) and detachably coupled to the first member coupling means. The present invention relates to a knee protector (100) for a patellar tendon in which one side of the second member body (121) in the longitudinal direction is coupled to one side of the first member (110) in the longitudinal direction, and the second member first coupling means (123) is provided on the inner surface (1211) of the other side in the longitudinal direction of the second member body (121), and when worn, the second member first coupling means (123) is coupled to the first member coupling means so that the second member body (121) wraps around the front part of the knee.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a knee brace, and more specifically, to a knee brace for a patellar tendon. Background Technology

[0002] As shown in Fig. 1, the kneecap (b) is located in front of the thigh bone (a) at the knee, and the patellar tendon (d) is connected to the kneecap (b) and the tibia (c) at the bottom of the kneecap (b).

[0003] Generally, knee braces are worn to protect the knee joint and relieve pain. Knee braces come in various forms, including those that wrap around the knee with an elastic band, those featuring an integrated elastic spandex band, or those secured with Velcro tape on an integrated body.

[0004] Furthermore, although simple knee braces wrapped around the patellar tendon are used, they failed to provide sufficient compression to the tendon and caused discomfort in the back of the knee. Additionally, there was a problem with limited flexibility, restricting the movement of the knee joint and leg during walking or climbing stairs. Moreover, as people's knee circumferences vary, they are manufactured in various sizes, presenting a problem where users must select a brace that fits their specific knee circumference. Prior art literature

[0005] Republic of Korea Registration No. 10-1502479 Registered Patent Publication The problem to be solved

[0006] The present invention is proposed to solve the problems of the conventional technology described above, and aims to provide a knee brace for the patellar tendon that allows for easy compression adjustment, is easy to wear, and reduces discomfort in the back of the knee. means of solving the problem

[0007] For the above purpose, the present invention provides a knee brace for a patellar tendon comprising a first member that wraps around the back of the knee when worn and a second member that wraps around the front of the knee; a first member coupling means is provided on the outer side of the first member; the second member comprises a second member body and a second member first coupling means provided on the second member body and detachably coupled to the first member coupling means; one side of the second member body in the longitudinal direction is coupled to one side of the first member in the longitudinal direction, and the second member first coupling means is provided on the inner surface of the other side of the second member body in the longitudinal direction, wherein when worn, the second member first coupling means is coupled to the first member coupling means so that the second member body wraps around the front of the knee.

[0008] In the above, the elasticity of the second member body that wraps around the front part of the knee when worn is greater than the elasticity of the first member that wraps around the back part of the knee.

[0009] In the above, the first member coupling means is a female Velcro, and the second member first coupling means is a male Velcro, wherein the second member first coupling means is detachably coupled to the first member coupling means; the elasticity of the material forming the second member body is greater than the elasticity of the material forming the first member; and the width of the first member is greater than the width of the second member body.

[0010] In the above, a second coupling means for a second member, which is a male Velcro, is provided on the inner surface of one side in the longitudinal direction of the second member body opposite to the side where the first coupling means for a second member is provided, and the second member is characterized in that both sides in the longitudinal direction are detachably coupled to the outer side of the first member.

[0011] In the above, the second member further includes a second member third coupling means which is a female Velcro; the second member third coupling means is characterized by being provided on the outer surface of the second member body opposite to the second member first coupling means or the second member second coupling means, with the second member body in between. Effects of the invention

[0012] According to the knee brace (100) for a patellar tendon according to the present invention, when worn, the width of the first member (110) that wraps around the back of the knee is wide, so when the second member (120)'s first coupling means (123) or second coupling means (125) is coupled to the outer surface (113) of the first member (110), the second member's first coupling means (123) or second member's second coupling means (125) can be prevented from directly touching the back of the knee, so the back of the knee is comfortable.

[0013] Since the edges of the first member (110) are provided as they are cut, the first member (110) is easily deformed and contact with the skin is soft, and

[0014] The elasticity of the first member (110) covering the back of the knee is less than the elasticity of the second member body (121) covering the front of the knee and compressing the patellar tendon, so the patellar tendon is compressed while the compression of the back of the knee is relieved, and additionally, because the width of the first member (110) is greater than the width of the second member body (121), the compression of the back of the knee is further relieved.

[0015] A second member first coupling means (123) and a second member second coupling means (123) are provided on each side in the longitudinal direction of the second member body (121), respectively, so that the first member (110) and the second member body (121) can be worn by adjusting the overlapping section on both sides.

[0016] The second member may further include a second member first coupling means (123) and a second member third coupling means (127) that is detachably coupled to the second member second coupling means (123) on the outer surface (1213) of the second member main body (121), so that it can be worn with more compression even if the knee circumference is small;

[0017] The second member body (121) is coupled to the outside of the first member (110), so that the first member (110) acts as a cushion, and the portion covered by the first member (110), including the back of the knee, has the effect of cushioning the pressure of the second member body (121). Brief explanation of the drawing

[0018] FIG. 1 is a side view of a knee portion showing a state in which a knee brace for a patellar tendon according to the present invention is worn on the knee. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a knee brace for a patellar tendon according to the present invention, FIG. 3 is an inner view illustrating a second member forming a knee protector for a patellar tendon according to the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view schematically illustrating the wearing state of a knee brace for a patellar tendon according to the present invention, and FIGS. 5(a) and (b) are schematic rear perspective views illustrating the method of wearing and using a knee brace for a patellar tendon according to the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0019] All technical and scientific terms used in the description of the present invention, unless otherwise defined, have the meaning generally understood by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains. All terms used in the present disclosure are selected for the purpose of further clarifying the present disclosure and are not selected to limit the scope of the rights under the present disclosure.

[0020] Expressions such as "comprising," "having," "having," etc. used in the description of the present invention should be understood as open-ended terms implying the possibility of including other embodiments, unless otherwise stated in the phrase or sentence containing such expressions.

[0021] Singular expressions used in the description of the present invention may include the meaning of the plural form unless otherwise stated, and this applies likewise to singular expressions described in the claims.

[0022] Expressions such as "first," "second," etc., used in the description of the present invention are used to distinguish multiple components from one another and do not limit the order or importance of said components.

[0023] Where in the description of the present invention it is mentioned that a component is "connected" or "combined" to another component, it should be understood that the component can be directly connected or combined to the other component, or can be connected or combined through a new or different component.

[0024] The knee protector for the patellar tendon of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0025] FIG. 1 is a side view of a knee portion showing a knee brace for a patellar tendon according to the present invention being worn on the knee; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a knee brace for a patellar tendon according to the present invention; FIG. 3 is an inner view showing a second member forming a knee brace for a patellar tendon according to the present invention; FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view schematically showing a knee brace for a patellar tendon according to the present invention being worn; and FIG. 5(a) and (b) are rear perspective views schematically showing a method of wearing and using a knee brace for a patellar tendon according to the present invention.

[0026] In the following description, the direction facing the body when worn is referred to as 'inner side' and the surface facing the body as 'inner side', the opposite direction as 'outer side' and the opposite surface as 'outer side'.

[0027] A knee protector (100) for a patellar tendon according to the present invention includes a first member (110) and a second member (120).

[0028] When worn, the first member (110) wraps around the back of the knee, and the second member (120) wraps around the front of the knee. The inventor manufactured a knee protector (100) for a patellar tendon according to the present invention and performed a wearing test by setting the length of the first member (110) to 175 mm and the width to 56 mm, and the length of the second member body (121) included in the second member (120) to 200 mm and the width to 30 mm.

[0029] As a result of repeated wear tests, when the width of the first member (110) is 1.5 times or more the width of the second member body (121), the probability of the male Velcro attached to the second member body (121) coming into direct contact with the skin when attached to the back of the knee, which is not easily visible for wearing, is significantly reduced.

[0030] The first member (110) wraps around the back of the knee for users with thick knees, and depending on the user's knee circumference, it wraps around the side and part of the front of the knee in addition to the back of the knee. Depending on the knee circumference, the outer surface of the first member (110) may be visible when viewed from the side of the wearer, and if the wearer's knee is thinner, the outer surface of the first member (110) wrapping around parts of both sides of the front of the knee may be visible when viewed from the front of the wearer.

[0031] The second member (120) is coupled to the outside of the first member (110) and comes into contact with the skin at the front of the knee, and is laminated to the outside of the first member (110) at the back of the knee, and can also be laminated to the outside of the first member (110) at the side of the knee around the user's knee, and if the wearer's knee is thinner, it can also be laminated to the outside of the first member (110) on both sides of the front of the knee.

[0033] The first member (110) above may be formed by attaching an elastic fabric to both the inner and outer sides of a neoprene fabric. As shown in FIG. 2, the first member (110) includes an intermediate layer (112) of the neoprene fabric and an outer layer (116), which is an elastic fabric bonded to the outer side of the neoprene fabric. The first member (110) may further include an inner layer (114), which is an elastic fabric bonded to the inner side of the neoprene fabric.

[0034] On the outer side of the first member (110), a first member coupling means is provided that is detachably coupled to a male Velcro.

[0035] The outer layer (116) may be formed of an elastic fabric capable of acting as a female Velcro that is detachably coupled to a male Velcro, so that a first member coupling means may be provided on the outer side of the first member (110). In this case, the outer surface (113) of the first member (110) becomes the first member coupling means. A separate female Velcro may be attached to the outer layer (116) so that a first member coupling means may be provided on the outer side of the first member (110).

[0036] The inner layer (114) can be formed from elastic nylon fabric.

[0037] The first member (110) may be formed in a rectangular shape with rounded corners. The first member (110) may also be formed with a wide width at the center in the longitudinal direction and a narrow width at both ends in the longitudinal direction. The first member (110) may also be formed with a wide width at the center in the longitudinal direction and a width that narrows towards both ends in the longitudinal direction.

[0039] The second member (120) comprises a flexible second member body (121) and a second member first coupling means (123) provided on the second member body (121) and detachably coupled to a first member coupling means.

[0040] The above second member body (121) may be made of an elastic plain weave or double weave rubber band, but is not limited thereto. The inventor manufactured a prototype of a knee protector (100) for a patellar tendon according to the present invention by making the second member body (121) of a commercially available plain weave rubber band and conducted a wearing test.

[0041] One side of the second member body (121) in the longitudinal direction is connected to one side of the first member (110) in the longitudinal direction. The end of the second member body (121) in the longitudinal direction is connected to one end of the first member (110) in the longitudinal direction. The second member body (121) can be connected to the first member (110) by stitching. The second member body (121) is connected to the outside of the first member (110). The first member (110) acts as a cushion so that the pressure from the second member body (121) is not directly transmitted to the skin in the area covered by the first member (110).

[0042] The first coupling means (123) of the second member is provided on the inner surface (1211) on the other side in the longitudinal direction of the second member body (121). The first coupling means (123) of the second member is provided at the end in the longitudinal direction of the second member body (121). The first coupling means (123) of the second member is detachably coupled to the first coupling means of the second member. The first coupling means (123) of the second member is a male Velcro. The first coupling means (123) of the second member is provided by being sewn to the second member body (121).

[0043] When worn, the first coupling means (123) of the second member is coupled to the first member coupling means, so that the first member (110) and the second member (120) form a closed circuit, and the second member body (121) wraps around the front part of the knee and compresses the patellar tendon.

[0044] In the knee protector (100) for a patellar tendon according to the present invention, the elasticity of the second member body (121) is greater than the elasticity of the first member (110). Therefore, when the first member (110) and the second member body (121) are pulled and stretched with the same force, the second member body (121) stretches more. In the knee protector (100) for a patellar tendon according to the present invention, it is preferable that the second member body (121) stretches more than twice as much as the first member (110) when pulled and stretched with the same force. When the second member body (121) stretches more than twice as much as the first member (110), the length of the first member (110) stretches relatively significantly, and the pressure on the back of the knee is reduced.

[0045] The elasticity of the material forming the second member body (121) is greater than the elasticity of the material forming the first member (110). Therefore, when the widths of the second member body (121) and the first member (110) are made equal and pulled with the same force, the second member body (121) stretches more than the first member (110).

[0046] In the knee protector (100) for a patellar tendon according to the present invention, the elasticity of the material forming the second member body (121) is greater than the elasticity of the material forming the first member (110), and the width (D1) of the first member (110) is greater than the width (D2) of the second member body (121). Therefore, when pulled with the same force, the second member body (121) stretches more than the first member (110). It is preferable that the width (D1) of the first member (110) is at least 1.5 times greater than the width (D2) of the second member body (121).

[0047] In the knee protector (100) for a patellar tendon according to the present invention, since the elasticity of the second member body (121) covering the front part of the knee is greater than the elasticity of the first member (110) covering the back part of the knee, when worn, the second member body (121) that compresses the patellar tendon stretches a lot and the first member (110) stretches less, so the front part of the patellar tendon is compressed while the compression of the back part of the knee is reduced. This is thought to be because the pulling force generated as the second member body (121) stretches, which is transmitted to the first member (110) due to the frictional resistance between the knee protector (100) for a patellar tendon that contacts the skin and the skin, is reduced.

[0048] In addition, since the width of the first member (110) is greater than the width of the second member body (121), the pressure on the back of the knee is further reduced.

[0049] In addition, since the width (D1) of the first member (110) is larger than the width (D2) of the second member body (121), when the second member first connecting means (123) is connected to the first member (110) behind the knee during wear, the second member first connecting means (123), which is a male Velcro, is prevented from coming into direct contact with the skin.

[0050] In the above, if the first member (110) is formed such that the width of the center in the longitudinal direction is wide and the width of the ends on both sides in the longitudinal direction is narrow, or if the width of the center in the longitudinal direction is wide and the width becomes narrower towards the ends on both sides in the longitudinal direction, the width of the part that is difficult to see directly with the eye is wide, so the second member first coupling means (123) can be further prevented from coming into direct contact with the skin.

[0051] In the present invention, the first member (110) is manufactured by shearing a fabric in which an elastic cloth is bonded and laminated to both the inner and outer sides of an elastic neoprene fabric, and the edge (117) of the first member (110) is formed as a cut surface. Therefore, when the first member (110) comes into contact with the skin, pressure caused by the edge (117) is relieved, allowing for soft contact.

[0052] As illustrated in FIG. 3, a second connecting means (125) of a second member, which is a male Velcro, is further provided on the inner surface (1211) of the second member body (121) opposite in the longitudinal direction where the first connecting means (123) of the second member is provided. The first connecting means (123) of the second member and the second connecting means (125) of the second member are provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the second member body (121).

[0053] A second member first coupling means (123) and a second member second coupling means (125) are provided on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the second member body (121), so that the second member (120) can be provided with both sides in the longitudinal direction detachably coupled to the outside of the first member (110).

[0054] When one side of the length direction of the second member body (121) is joined to the first member (110) by stitching or the like, the overlapping length between the second member body (121) and the first member (110) may differ on both sides depending on the knee circumference of the wearer. Referring to FIG. 5(a), as indicated by "A" (overlapping length on the fixed connection side) and "B" (overlapping length on the opposite side), the overlapping length between the second member body (121) and the first member (110) on one side (B) may be longer. The thinner the wearer's knee, the longer the overlapping length between the second member body (121) and the first member (110) on one side (B).

[0055] If the overlap length of the second member body (121) and the first member (110) differs on both sides, a difference in tightening force may occur on both sides. Furthermore, as the overlap length increases, the second member body (121) and the first member (110) may become misaligned, increasing the likelihood that the second member body (121) will deviate from the center of the first member (110) in the width direction. Additionally, the likelihood that the first member (110) will deviate from the second member body (121) and the second member body (121) will come into direct contact with the skin also increases. In the present invention, the wide first member (110) acts as a cushion on the inner side of the second member body (121) in the overlapping portion, but it becomes uncomfortable if the second member body (121) comes into direct contact with the skin without cushioning.

[0056] In the present invention, in addition to the second member first coupling means (123) on the second member body (121), a second member second coupling means (125) is provided on one side in the longitudinal direction, so that the coupling positions on both sides of the second member body (121) can be adjusted, and thus, as shown in FIG. 5(b), the overlapping lengths (C, D) of the second member body (121) and the first member (110) can be adjusted to be equal on both sides. In addition, the second member body (121) can be coupled to a position that is convenient to wear according to the user's preference.

[0057] In the present invention, the second member (120) further includes a second member third coupling means (127) which is a female Velcro. The second member third coupling means (127) is provided on the outer surface (1213) of the second member body (121) opposite to the second member first coupling means (123) or the second member second coupling means (125), with the second member body (121) in between. The second member third coupling means (127) is provided at the longitudinal end of the second member body (121). The second member first coupling means (123) and the second member second coupling means (125), which are male Velcros, are detachably coupled to the second member third coupling means (127), which is a female Velcro.

[0058] In the following, as shown in FIG. 3, the case in which the second member third coupling means (127) is provided on the opposite side of the second member second coupling means (125) with the second member body (121) in between will be described.

[0059] When worn, the second member second coupling means (125) is coupled to the outer surface (113) of the first member (110), and the second member first coupling means (123) is also coupled to the outer surface (113) of the first member (110). However, since the second member third coupling means (127) is provided on the outer side of the second member body (121), the second member first coupling means (123) can pass through the end of the second member body (121) and be coupled to the second member third coupling means (127). Accordingly, the range of knee circumference for which the knee protector (100) for the patellar tendon of the present invention can be worn is widened. That is, when the second member third coupling means (127) is provided, it can be worn on a slender knee with a smaller knee circumference than when the second member third coupling means (127) is not provided.

[0060] When one end of the second member body (121) is fixedly connected to the first member (110) by means such as stitching, and the second member first connecting means (123) is provided at the other end, the second member third connecting means (127) is provided on the outer surface (1213) of the one end of the stitched second member body (121).

[0061] In the above, the second member first coupling means (123), the second member second coupling means (125), and the second member third coupling means (127) can be joined to the second member body (121) by stitching. The width of the second member first coupling means (123), the second member second coupling means (125), and the second member third coupling means (127) is smaller than the width of the second member body (121).

[0062] In FIG. 2, reference numeral 122 illustrates a fold portion where the end is folded and sewn when sewing the second member first coupling means (123) or the second member second coupling means (125) to the end of the second member body (121), reference numeral 115 illustrates a through hole formed in the first member (110) for ventilation, and reference numeral 111 is the inner surface of the first member (110). Explanation of the symbols

[0064] 100: Knee brace for patellar tendon 110: Part 1 120: Part 2

Claims

Claim 1 The device includes a first member (110) that wraps around the back of the knee when worn and a second member (120) that wraps around the front of the knee; the first member (110) is provided with a first member coupling means on the outside; the second member (120) includes a second member body (121), a second member first coupling means (123) and a second member second coupling means (125) provided on the inner surface (1211) of the second member body (121); the second member first coupling means (123) and the second member second coupling means (125) are provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the second member body (121); the first member coupling means is a female Velcro, and the second member first coupling means (123) and the second member second coupling means (125) are male Velcro detachably coupled to the first member coupling means; A knee protector (100) for a patellar tendon, wherein the second member body (121) is formed by the second member first coupling means (123) and the second member second coupling means (125) being coupled to the first member coupling means on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the first member (110) so as to be detachably coupled on the outside of the first member (110), and together with the first member (110) forming a closed circuit to wrap around the front part of the knee; and the elasticity of the second member body (121) wrapping around the front part of the knee when worn is greater than the elasticity of the first member (110) wrapping around the back part of the knee. Claim 2 delete Claim 3 A knee protector (100) for a patellar tendon, characterized in that, in claim 1, the width of the first member (110) is greater than the width of the second member body (121). Claim 4 delete Claim 5 A knee protector (100) for a patellar tendon, wherein the second member (120) further comprises a second member third coupling means (127) which is a Velcro; and wherein the second member third coupling means (127) is provided on the outer surface (1213) of the second member body (121) opposite to the second member first coupling means (123) or the second member second coupling means (125) with the second member body (121) in between.

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