Knee pad

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kneecap, which comprises a cylindrical protector main body (10) worn in a mode of covering a knee joint; a pad (12) disposed at a position corresponding to the knee cap (CK) on the inner surface of the protector body (10); and a cover (20) fixed to the inner surface of the protector main body (10) so as to form a housing space (S) for housing the pad (12) between the cover (20) and the inner surface of the protector main body (10). The pad (12) is an integrally connected single body, and accommodates the knee cap (CK) on the inner side. A portion of the pad (12) is engaged with at least one of the cover (20) and the supporter body (10).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to protective gear for the knee joint. Background Technology

[0002] As knee braces, a widely adopted structure involves padding the inside of the cylindrical brace body. Generally, the brace body is made of raw materials with good elongation to improve comfort on the knee. By padding the brace around the kneecap, knee joint stability can be improved. On the other hand, the padding increases the restraint around the knee. That is, such knee braces may not be able to keep up with the stretching of the skin and the protrusion of the joint during flexion and extension, potentially narrowing the range of motion of the knee joint.

[0003] Therefore, techniques have been proposed to reduce restraint forces by dividing the padding relative to the main body of the protective gear or by setting cuts in the padding (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0004] [Prior Technology Documents]

[0005] [Patent Literature]

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-237579

[0007] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-229594 Utility Model Content

[0008] [The problem that the utility model aims to solve]

[0009] However, when the padding is divided into multiple pad pieces and arranged in the main body of the brace, the gaps between the pad pieces widen as the main body of the brace stretches, reducing the stability of the knee joint or causing the padding as a whole to easily deviate from its proper position. Furthermore, when cuts are made in the padding, part of the padding protrudes during flexion and extension, causing the fabric of the main body of the brace to stretch in a compressed manner, easily generating resistance based on its reaction force. In other words, the following problem exists: if ease of knee joint movement is to be ensured, stability is compromised; conversely, if stability is to be ensured, range of motion is compromised.

[0010] This invention was developed in view of such a problem, and one of its objectives is to provide a knee brace that can balance knee joint stability and ease of movement.

[0011] [Technical solutions used to address technical problems]

[0012] One embodiment of the present invention provides a knee brace comprising: a cylindrical brace body worn to cover the knee joint; a pad disposed on the inner surface of the brace body at a position corresponding to the kneecap; and a cover fixed to the inner surface in such a way as to form a receiving space between the cover and the inner surface of the brace body for receiving the pad. The pad is a single, integral unit that houses the kneecap on its inner side. A portion of the pad is joined to at least one of the cover and the brace body.

[0013] Another embodiment of the knee brace of this invention comprises: a cylindrical brace body worn to cover the knee joint; a pad disposed on the inner surface of the brace body at a position corresponding to the kneecap; and a cover fixed to the inner surface in such a way as to form a receiving space between the cover and the inner surface of the brace body to receive the pad. The pad engages with a portion of at least one of the cover and the brace body. The pad has a recess or hole capable of receiving the kneecap. The contact surfaces of the pad with the cover and with the brace body are covered by a raw material of the body with less frictional resistance than the pad.

[0014] Another embodiment of this utility model of a knee brace comprises: a cylindrical brace body worn to cover the knee joint; a pad disposed on the inner surface of the brace body at a position corresponding to the kneecap; and a cover fixed to the inner surface in such a way as to form a receiving space between the cover and the inner surface of the brace body to receive the pad. The pad is a single, integral unit that houses the kneecap on its inner side. The brace body has a low-elasticity portion at the position where it overlaps with the pad.

[0015] [Utility Model Effect]

[0016] According to this invention, a knee brace that can balance knee joint stability and ease of movement can be provided. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing the appearance of the protective gear according to the implementation method.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing the state after the protective gear has been flipped over.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing the composition of the padding.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing how protective gear is worn on the knee joint.

[0021] Figure 5 It is a graph showing the elongation distribution of the skin around the knee when the knee is bent at 90 degrees.

[0022] Figure 6 It is a diagram that schematically shows the positional relationship between the area around the knee joint and the padding.

[0023] Figure 7 It is a diagram that schematically shows the positional relationship between the area around the knee joint and the padding.

[0024] Figure 8 It is a graph showing the change in pressure exerted by the knee brace in relation to the knee flexion angle.

[0025] Figure 9 This is a diagram showing a variation of the joining method between the pad and the cover.

[0026] Figure 10 This is a diagram showing a variation of the joining method between the pad and the cover.

[0027] Figure 11 This is a diagram showing the installation structure of the cover covering the main body of the protective gear.

[0028] Figure 12 This is a diagram showing the construction of a modified example of protective gear. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The embodiments of this utility model will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] The knee brace of this embodiment has a cover that covers a pad disposed on the inner surface of the brace body. The pad is disposed in a receiving space formed between the brace body and the cover. By engaging a portion of the pad with the cover, the pad can be held in a stable posture. On the other hand, since most of the pad is not fixed, the restraining force from the pad is unlikely to affect the brace body. Therefore, both knee joint stability and ease of movement can be achieved. Its specific structure will be described in detail below.

[0031] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing the appearance of the protective gear according to the implementation method. Figure 1 (A) is the front view. Figure 1 (B) is the rear view. Furthermore, in the following description, for convenience, the directions of up / down, left / right, and front / back are expressed based on the direction observed by the user wearing the protective gear.

[0032] Knee brace 1 is a knee brace worn to cover the user's knee joint. Knee brace 1 has a brace body 10 that can be inserted into the user's single leg. The brace 10 is made of stretchable (elastic) fabric and is obtained as a tubular weave (circular weave). The upper end 10a and lower end 10b of the brace body 10 are made of microfiber, for example, to prevent displacement after wearing.

[0033] A padding 12 is disposed in the center of the front side of the main body 10 of the protective gear. Figure 1 (A) Details regarding padding 12 will be described later. Mesh fabric 14 is used in the center of the rear side of the main body 10 of the protective gear to improve the elasticity and breathability of this area. Figure 1(B)). The protective gear body 10 has a receiving part 18 on the left and right sides to receive a pair of support bars 16.

[0034] The support bar 16 is a long, strip-shaped component with moderate rigidity and elasticity. By being positioned close to both sides of the knee joint, it reduces the burden on the knee joint during walking and other activities. The support bar 16 can be made of resin or metal. For example, the support bar described in Japanese Patent Application 2021-127515 can be used, but it is not limited to this. Detailed descriptions of the structure of the support bar 16 are omitted.

[0035] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing the state after protective gear 1 has been flipped over. Figure 2 (A) is the front view. Figure 2 (B) is the rear view.

[0036] A pad 12 is disposed in the center of the back side 10d of the front side of the protective gear body 10, and a cover 20 is provided to cover the pad 12. In this embodiment, a highly stretchable fabric, such as a two-way tricot fabric containing polyester and polyurethane, is used as the raw material for the cover 20. This raw material has a low coefficient of friction, resulting in less friction with the skin and less frictional resistance with the pad 12.

[0037] The cover 20 is made of a thin fabric with a shape roughly similar to that of the padding 12, but slightly larger than the padding 12. A closed receiving space S is formed between the cover 20 and the protective body 10 by fusing the outer periphery of the cover 20 to the back 10d of the protective body 10. The padding 12 is housed within this receiving space S. In this embodiment, the raw materials and structure of both the protective body 10 and the padding 12 are selected such that they can be stretched together by more than 140%.

[0038] The receiving section 18 is formed by sewing a stretchable strip of fabric onto the back 10d of the protective gear body 10 to create a bag-like structure, extending from near the upper end to near the lower end of the protective gear body 10. A support strip 16 is housed inside the receiving section 18. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the receiving section 18 is located on the inner side (back) of the protective gear body 10, but it may also be located on the outer side.

[0039] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing the structure of pad 12. Figure 3 (A) is a 3D diagram. Figure 3 (B) is a top view.

[0040] like Figure 3As shown in (A), the pad 12 has an annular first pad 22 and a pair of left and right second pads 24 arranged in a stepped manner on one side of the first pad 22. The first pad 22 has a hole 26 in its center for receiving the kneecap. The first pad 22 and the second pads 24 each have a certain thickness, but the thickness of the first pad 22 is greater than that of the second pads 24.

[0041] like Figure 3 As shown in (B), the pad 12 has a shape that is symmetrical about the left and right sides with respect to the center line L. The upper half of the first pad 22 is semi-circular and the lower half is inverted triangular. The hole 26 also has the same shape. They correspond to the shape of the kneecap. A pair of second pads 24 are arranged on the left and right sides of the hole 26, extending in a strip (track-like) shape along the shape of the first pad 22.

[0042] The second pad 24 extends from a position slightly below the upper end of the hole 26 to a position slightly below the lower end of the hole 26. The second pad 24 has a shape that gets closer to the center line L as it moves downward toward the first pad 22. Therefore, the interval between the pair of second pads 24 (i.e., the interval between the left and right steps) is larger at its upper end than at its lower end. In addition, corresponding to the shape of the kneecap, it becomes smaller as it moves downward toward the first pad 22. The upper part of the second pad 24 extends approximately parallel to the center line L, but its upper end is slightly inclined toward the center line L. The space between the pair of second pads 24 becomes a region for accommodating the periphery of the kneecap (details to follow).

[0043] In this embodiment, rubber such as chloroprene foam, which has high elasticity and high resilience, is used as the raw material for the first pad 22 and the second pad 24. However, other raw materials with the same properties can also be used. The second pad 24 is bonded to the first pad 22 to obtain the pad 12, but the two can also be integrally molded. Furthermore, the pad 12 has stretchability, but its stretchability is lower than that of either the protective body 10 or the cover 20.

[0044] A fabric with good sliding properties to reduce frictional resistance is laminated onto the surfaces of the first pad 22 and the second pad 24. This fabric, for example, is made of polyester material, which improves sliding properties with the protective gear body 10 or the cover 20. Specifically, the contact surfaces of the pad 12 with the cover 20 and with the protective gear body 10 are covered with a raw material whose frictional resistance is lower than that of the pad 12. This ensures that the pad 12 does not impede the extension of the protective gear body 10 or the cover 20 accompanying the user's movements. A joint 28 for connecting with the cover 20 is provided on the upper surface of the second pad 24, which will be described later.

[0045] Figure 4 This diagram illustrates how the protective gear is worn on the knee joint. The diagram shows a user with the protective gear (1) worn and their knee slightly bent.

[0046] The user wears the brace 1 on his leg in such a way that the kneecap is housed in the hole 26 of the pad 12. The upper end 10a of the brace body 10 is worn on the thigh, and the lower end 10b is worn on the calf.

[0047] At this point, the top of the kneecap is housed in the hole 26, and the sides of the kneecap are held between the second pads 24 on the left and right sides, with the kneecap and its surrounding area partially fitted into the pads 12. Therefore, the pads 12 are hooked onto the knee, and even if the main body of the brace 10 extends as the knee joint bends, the position of the pads 12 relative to the knee joint is stably maintained. In addition, as the knee joint bends, the support bars 16 also deform accordingly, but the knee joint is stably supported by being held between a pair of support bars 16, which can suppress its lateral swaying.

[0048] Next, we will explain the function of protective gear 1.

[0049] In this embodiment, in order to balance stable support and ease of movement of the knee joint, the main body 10 of the brace facilitates deformation that follows the movement of the knee joint, and stably maintains the position of the pad 12 relative to the kneecap. Prior to this, the movement around the knee joint during flexion and extension is verified.

[0050] Figure 5 It is a graph showing the elongation distribution of the skin around the knee when the knee is bent at 90 degrees.

[0051] In this embodiment, a grid (5cm square) as shown in the diagram is drawn on the skin while the patient is standing (knee extended). The lengths of the line segments constituting the grid are measured in both knee-extended and 90-degree bent positions, and the rate of change (skin elongation distribution) of each part is calculated. The experimental results are visually displayed on the left side of the figure, and the calculated values ​​(range of calculated values) are shown on the right side. "Vertical" represents a longitudinal line segment, and "horizontal" represents a transverse line segment. Positive rates of change indicate skin elongation, and negative rates indicate contraction.

[0052] This experiment shows that the position of the patella hardly changes when the knee is bent, but the skin near the patella stretches significantly. The stretching is particularly pronounced directly above the patella (near the patella). Therefore, movement is difficult if the brace 1 does not follow this stretching. On the other hand, the stretching below the patella is less. Based on this insight, the fixation position of the padding 12 in the brace 1 was investigated.

[0053] Figure 6 and Figure 7 This is a diagram that schematically shows the positional relationship between the area around the knee joint and the pad 12. Figure 6 This is the main view. Figure 7 It is a side view.

[0054] like Figure 6 As shown, the pad 12 receives the patella CK on the inside of the steps formed by the left and right second pads 24. The hole 26 receives the central portion of the patella CK. A pair of second pads 24 form steps on the right and left sides of the center Po of the patella CK, respectively, and receive the patella CK on their inside. With this configuration, the first pad 22 is positioned relative to the knee joint.

[0055] Because the upper ends of the pair of second pads 24 are slightly curved inward (towards the patella CK), the pads 12 hook around the periphery of the patella CK, thus maintaining a stable position relative to the knee joint. As a result, the brace 1 as a whole provides moderate restraint to the knee joint, maintaining its stability.

[0056] On the other hand, no steps are provided in the area UA above the second pad 24 and the area LA below the second pad 24 in the pad 12. The upper area UA corresponds to the quadriceps area. The lower area LA corresponds to the knee ligament area. These areas are where the brace 1 should be deformed in response to the bulging of tendons or movement of muscle bellies and changes in stiffness during movement. Therefore, the compressive force from the pad 12 is difficult to exert.

[0057] like Figure 7 As shown, the pad 12 is disposed on the inner surface of the protective gear body 10 at a position corresponding to the kneecap CK. Furthermore, the term "position corresponding to the kneecap CK" can refer to a position corresponding to the kneecap CK and its surrounding area. The cover 20 is fixed to the inner surface of the protective gear body 10 in such a way that it forms a receiving space S between itself and the protective gear body 10 to receive the pad 12. The second pad 24 protrudes from the side of the first pad 22 opposite to the protective gear body 10 facing the cover 20.

[0058] return Figure 6 A joining portion 28 is provided at the lower part of the second pad 24. In this embodiment, the joining portion 28 is made of an adhesive sheet (such as double-sided tape) and is located below the kneecap CK. The pad 12 is joined to the cover 20 at a first position Pr to the right of the center Po of the kneecap CK and a second position P1 to the left of the center Po (see reference). Figure 7 That is, the pad 12 engages with the cover 20 only below the kneecap CK. The pad 12 engages with a portion of the cover 20 on the side opposite to the body of the brace 10, but not with the body of the brace 10.

[0059] As described above, when the knee is bent, the elongation directly above the patella CK increases significantly, while the elongation below the patella CK is smaller. In this embodiment, considering this, the joint 28 in the second pad 24, i.e., the joint between the pad 12 and the cover 20, is positioned below the patella CK. Therefore, when the knee is bent, the restraining force from the pad 12 is less likely to act on the relatively large elongation position in the brace 1. As a result, ease of movement during flexion and extension is improved.

[0060] Figure 8 This graph shows the change in pressure exerted by the knee brace in relation to the knee flexion angle. Solid lines in the graph represent characteristics of this embodiment, while dashed lines represent characteristics of commercially available products. Commercially available products are largely the same as this embodiment, except for the use of a flat, circular padding. The horizontal axis represents the knee flexion angle (°). 0 degrees represents the knee extension state, and 90 degrees represents the knee flexion state at 90 degrees. The vertical axis represents the measured pressure (kPa) acting on the upper outer part of the patella (CK).

[0061] According to the measurement results, in this embodiment, the pressure on the patella (CK) increases as the knee flexion angle increases. In contrast, in commercially available products, the pressure hardly changes even with variations in the knee flexion angle, reaching its minimum at slight flexion positions of 30 and 60 degrees. Furthermore, this embodiment provides approximately 2 to 5 times the pressure of commercially available products. While the patella becomes unstable laterally during flexion and extension, especially in slight flexion, increasing the load on the knee joint, this embodiment provides sufficiently high pressure. In other words, this embodiment easily maintains knee joint stability during flexion and extension.

[0062] As explained above, the protective gear 1 of this embodiment forms a receiving space S for the receiving pad 12 between the protective gear body 10 and the cover 20. Therefore, when the user wears the protective gear body 10, the pad 12 is naturally positioned to correspond to the kneecap CK, supporting the knee joint in the appropriate position. On the other hand, since only a portion of the pad 12 is engaged with a defined portion of the cover 20, the protective gear body 10 or the cover 20 is not affected by the elongation limit of the pad 12 during flexion and extension, and can elongate along with the elongation of the skin. Conversely, it is difficult for the pad 12 to deviate along with the elongation of the protective gear body 10 or the cover 20. In addition, covering the surface of the pad 12 with a material with low frictional resistance further promotes the elongation of the protective gear body 10 and the cover 20. Therefore, the ease of movement of the knee joint can be ensured. That is, according to the protective gear 1, both the stability and ease of movement of the knee joint can be taken into account.

[0063] More specifically, by positioning the joint between the pad 12 and the cover 20 below the kneecap CK, where skin displacement is relatively minimal, it is difficult to cause difficulty in knee joint movement or displacement of the pad 12, even when bending and extending the knee. When bending the knee, the pad 12 slightly elongates from its joint, but returns to its original shape when extending the knee. At this time, since the joint of the pad 12 is positioned relative to the cover 20, it will not deviate from its proper position.

[0064] By placing the joints 28 on the left and right sides of the kneecap CK respectively, it is possible to prevent the pad 12 from rotating or bending during flexion and extension movements. That is, it is possible to provide moderate pressure (compression force) to keep the pad 12 in the proper position and stabilize the knee joint, and to promote the movement of the brace body 10 that follows the elongation of the skin.

[0065] Furthermore, since the pad 12 is manufactured as a single, integral unit without any cuts or slits on its outer or inner periphery, it can stably maintain its shape when the brace 1 is in use. The pad 12 will not deform locally, thus avoiding unnecessary loads on the brace body 10. Therefore, it is difficult for forces that could impair the function of either the pad 12 or the brace body 10 to act between them. This also helps to balance knee joint stability and ease of movement.

[0066] [Variation Example]

[0067] In the above embodiment, one form of the protective gear 1 is shown. Of course, the specific structure can be modified appropriately. For example, the shape or thickness of the pad, the arrangement or number of steps, the material, etc., can also differ from the above embodiment. In the above embodiment, the pad 12 is illustrated with a structure in which a hole 26 is provided in the central portion. In a modified example, a structure in which the hole is replaced with a recess that does not penetrate the central portion of the pad can also be used. In this case, the thickness of the recess in the pad is smaller than that of the other portions. The recess accommodates the kneecap. Steps (second pad) as in the above embodiment are not required. That is, the pad is a single, integral unit that can accommodate the kneecap on the inside; a part of the pad can be joined to a part of the cover.

[0068] In the above embodiment, second pads 24 are provided on the left and right sides of the first pad 22 to form steps, and the lower part of each second pad 24 is engaged with the cover 20. That is, an example is shown in which the pad 12 is engaged with the cover 20 at two points. In a variation, the steps in the pad can be provided at three or more points, or the pad can be engaged with the cover at three or more points. However, making the number of steps on the left and right sides equal to the relative area with the knee makes it easier to balance the frictional force acting on the pad and to keep the pad in the proper position. In addition, reducing the engagement area between the pad and the cover can reduce the restraining force on the cover and the main body of the protective gear, and make it easier to ensure ease of movement.

[0069] Alternatively, the steps of the padding (the second padding) can be configured in a U-shape or a V-shape, with one point or area at its lower end joining the cover. This also reduces the restraining force on the cover of the padding. However, it is preferable to ensure the deformation of the brace in the area corresponding to the knee ligament, as described above, and it is preferable to adopt a structure with an open lower part of the second padding, as described in the above embodiment.

[0070] In the above embodiments, such as Figure 6 As shown, the positions of the pair of joints 28 in the pad 12 (i.e., the positions of the left and right joints 28) are set to the same height. In a modified example, the two can also be made to have different heights. The heights of the two can also be adjusted according to the configuration and orientation of the muscles and ligaments.

[0071] In the above embodiment, the pad 12 is made of a material whose stretchability is lower than that of either the protective body 10 or the cover 20. In a variation, the pad material may also be a material with at least the same stretchability as the protective body and the cover. This configuration can also ensure the rigidity of the pad by sufficiently ensuring the thickness of the steps, as in the above embodiment, and can provide stability through the pad. However, to obtain higher stability, it is preferable that the stretchability of the pad is relatively low, as in the above embodiment.

[0072] Figure 9 and Figure 10 This is a diagram showing a variation of the joining method between the pad and the cover.

[0073] In the above embodiments, such as Figure 9 As shown in (A), a pair of second pads 24 are provided on the left and right sides of the first pad 22, and a portion of the upper surface of the second pad 24 is provided with a joint 28 for the cover 20. The joint 28 is located below the lower end of the kneecap CK (see details). Figure 6 ).

[0074] In the variant example, such as Figure 9 As shown in (B), a joint portion 28 for connecting with the cover 20 may also be provided at the lower end of the unstepped pad 112. The pad 112 has the same configuration as the first pad 22 in the above embodiment, but does not have a second pad 24. The joint portion 28 is located below the lower end position h1 of the kneecap CK.

[0075] Or, such as Figure 10 As shown in (A), a joining portion 28 to the cover 20 can also be provided in the second pad 24 at a height h2 below the center Po of the kneecap CK. The joining portion 28 can be either the entire portion of the second pad 24 below the height h2, or only a part thereof. Furthermore, as... Figure 10As shown in (B), a third pad 25 may also be provided at the lower end of the first pad 22 and below the left and right second pads 24, with its upper surface serving as the joint 28.

[0076] Or, such as Figure 10 As shown in (C), the joining portion 28 with the cover 20 can also be provided below the upper end position h3 of the kneecap CK. In the illustrated example, the entire upper surface of the second pad 24 forms the joining portion 28. Furthermore, as... Figure 10 As shown in (D), a third pad 25 can also be provided, with its upper surface serving as the joint 28.

[0077] Reference Figure 5 The experimental results shown indicate that the joint 28 between the pad and the cover is preferably positioned to avoid the area where the skin stretches significantly when the knee is bent, i.e., above the kneecap CK. The joint 28 is preferably positioned to avoid directly above the kneecap CK (the area projected upwards from the kneecap CK). More specifically, the joint 28 is located around the kneecap CK, and can be positioned below the upper end position h3 of the kneecap CK, preferably below the center position h2 of the kneecap CK. Figure 5 As shown, the inner side of the knee tends to have greater skin elongation compared to the outer side. Therefore, when joints are provided on both sides with the center line of the pad as a reference, the position of the inner joint can be set lower than the position of the outer joint. More preferably, it can be set to a position with less skin elongation, that is, lower than the lower end h1 of the kneecap CK as in the above embodiment.

[0078] Figure 11 This is a diagram showing the installation structure of the cover 20 onto the protective gear body 10.

[0079] In the above embodiment, without detailed description, welding portions 20a and 20b are provided along the upper and lower edges of the outer periphery of the cover 20, but not along the left and right side edges. The welding portion 20a extends continuously in a thin manner along the upper edge of the pad 12 in the transverse (width) direction of the protective body 10. The welding portion 20b extends continuously in a thin manner along the lower edge of the pad 12 in the transverse (width) direction of the protective body 10.

[0080] The welded portions 20a and 20b extend from one of the pair of receiving portions 18 to the other, but the longitudinal spacing between the welded portions 20a and 20b is sufficiently large. The welded portions fix the fibers of the cover 20 and constrain its elongation. By making the welded portions not to be long and continuous in the longitudinal direction in this way, the longitudinal elongation of the cover 20 required when the knee is bent can be ensured.

[0081] Figure 12 This is a front view showing the configuration of a modified protective gear.

[0082] In this variation, the cover 20 has a shape that generally follows the outline of the pad 12, and a weld portion 20c with the protective body 10 is provided along its periphery. The receiving space S formed between the protective body 10 and the cover 20 is smaller than that in the above embodiment. Therefore, in this variation, although the pad 12 is not joined to the cover 20, it is stably held inside the annular weld portion 20c.

[0083] In other words, with Figure 11 Compared to the configuration shown, the positional relationship between the pad 12 and the cover 20 is constrained. However, since the stretchability of the protective gear body 10 is greater than in the above embodiment, the ease of knee joint movement during flexion and extension is ensured.

[0084] On the other hand, the main body 10 of the protective gear has a localized low-tension portion 30 at the position where it overlaps with the padding 12. In the illustrated example, as a low-tension portion 30, a first low-tension portion 30a is provided on the surface 10c of the protective gear main body 10 at a position overlapping with the lower center of the padding 12. In addition, a second low-tension portion 30b and a third low-tension portion 30c are provided at positions overlapping with the lower left and right sides of the padding 12, respectively. The first low-tension portion 30a is located below the center Po of the patella CK. The multiple low-tension portions 30 are adjacent to each other on the left and right sides.

[0085] The low-elasticity section 30 is formed by bonding a resin film such as polyurethane to the surface 10c of the protective gear body 10. It can also be bonded by transfer printing. Alternatively, the low-elasticity section can be formed by heat-fused seams, cut bosses, braided structures, etc. The elasticity of the low-elasticity section 30 is significantly lower than that of other parts of the protective gear body 10, and it can also be designated as a substantially non-elastic "non-elasticity section".

[0086] With this configuration, when the user wears the protective gear, the pressure on the area around the knee is relatively increased in the low-tension portion 30 of the protective gear body 10. When bending the knee, the protective gear body 10 is stably held in the position of the low-tension portion 30 and extends with the skin in other positions. Since the low-tension portion 30 overlaps with a portion of the padding 12, the pressure of the protective gear body 10 stably holds the padding 12 in the proper position of the knee joint. In particular, since the low-tension portion 30 is positioned below the kneecap CK where the skin has less elongation, the padding 12 ensures knee joint stability, and the extension of the protective gear body 10 ensures ease of knee joint movement. According to this modified example of the protective gear, both knee joint stability and ease of movement can be achieved even without fixing the padding 12 to the cover 20.

[0087] In addition, the location of the low telescopic section 30 can also be considered. Figure 12In addition to the position shown, the low extension portion 30 is preferably positioned away from directly above the kneecap CK (the area projected upwards from the kneecap CK). More specifically, the position of the low extension portion 30 around the kneecap CK can be positioned below the upper end of the kneecap CK, and preferably below the center of the kneecap CK.

[0088] In the above embodiment, an example is shown where the cover 20 is welded to the back surface 10d of the protective gear body 10. In a modified embodiment, other fixing methods, such as sewing the cover to the protective gear body, may also be used.

[0089] In the above embodiment, an example is shown where the protective gear body 10 is woven into a tubular shape. In a variation, the tubular protective gear body can also be made by sewing or welding cut fabric.

[0090] Although not described in the above embodiments and modifications, a portion of the pad 12 may be joined to the brace body 10 instead of the cover 20. Alternatively, a portion of the pad 12 may be joined to both the cover 20 and the brace body 10. As long as the elasticity of the brace body 10 and the cover 20 can be maintained sufficiently, the ease of movement of the knee joint can be ensured. By sandwiching the highly elastic cover 20 between the pad 12 and the skin, the pulling of the pad 12 by the skin during flexion and extension can be prevented, thus ensuring the stability and ease of movement of the knee joint.

[0091] Furthermore, this invention is not limited to the above embodiments and modifications; the constituent elements can be modified and embodied without departing from the spirit of the invention. Various inventions can also be formed by appropriately combining the multiple constituent elements disclosed in the above embodiments and modifications. In addition, several constituent elements can be deleted from all the constituent elements shown in the above embodiments and modifications.

Claims

1. A knee brace, characterized in that, have: The main body of the tubular protective gear is worn to cover the knee joint. A padding disposed on the inner surface of the main body of the protective gear at a position corresponding to the kneecap, and A cover fixed to the inner surface in such a way that it forms a receiving space between itself and the inner surface of the protective gear body to receive the padding; The padding is a single, integrated unit that houses the kneecap on the inside. A portion of the padding is engaged with at least one of the cover and the body of the protective gear.

2. The knee brace as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The padding is located around the kneecap, except above the kneecap, and engages with at least one of the cover and the body of the brace.

3. The knee brace as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The padding engages with at least one of the cover and the body of the brace only at a position slightly below the upper end of the kneecap.

4. The knee brace as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The padding engages with at least one of the cover and the body of the protective gear at a first position to the right and a second position to the left of the center of the kneecap, respectively.

5. The knee brace as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The main body of the protective gear has a low stretch section at the position where it overlaps with the padding.

6. A knee brace, characterized in that, have: The main body of the tubular protective gear is worn to cover the knee joint. A padding disposed on the inner surface of the main body of the protective gear at a position corresponding to the kneecap, and A cover fixed to the inner surface in such a way that it forms a receiving space between itself and the inner surface of the protective gear body to receive the padding; The padding is engaged with a portion of at least one of the cover and the body of the protective gear; The pad has a recess or hole that can accommodate the kneecap; The contact surface of the pad with the cover and the contact surface with the body of the protective gear are covered by a raw material of the body of the pad with less frictional resistance than the pad.

7. The knee brace as described in claim 1 or 6, characterized in that, The padding has a pair of steps protruding toward the cover side in the regions to the right and to the left of the center of the kneecap, respectively. The kneecap can be accommodated on the inner side of the pair of steps; The stepped portion is provided with a joint with at least one of the cover and the body of the protective gear.

8. A knee brace, characterized in that, have: The main body of the tubular protective gear is worn to cover the knee joint. A padding disposed on the inner surface of the main body of the protective gear at a position corresponding to the kneecap, and A cover fixed to the inner surface in such a way that it forms a receiving space between itself and the inner surface of the protective gear body to receive the padding; The padding is a single, integrated unit that houses the kneecap on the inside. The main body of the protective gear has a low stretch section at the position where it overlaps with the padding.

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