Design of a medical shoulder brace specifically for women

Abstract

The sleeve principle is a means of gently enclosing the arm for stabilizing and straightening the entire back (A). It offers the advantage of avoiding pressure points, as is the case with existing principles.

Description

Basic idea

[0001] It involves the design of a shoulder brace specifically adapted to the female anatomy, which is still considered inadequate in the medical context compared to the male anatomy.

[0002] The shoulder support is designed in two versions. One version is for the special case of unilateral shoulder instability with the option of potentially stabilizing a winged scapula. The second version, which could certainly be beneficial for a large portion of the general population, is a completely symmetrical version designed to help maintain a straight back. I would like to point out here that all versions I know of create pressure points and incisions under the arms. The advantage of the sleeve principle here is more gentle; the sleeve encloses the arm completely without creating any incisions. This is a huge advantage. Another design consideration is aesthetics, as this is often overlooked in medical contexts, which I believe is a big mistake, especially when things have to be worn permanently. The goal is to use materials that combine a pleasant feel on the skin with function and aesthetic appeal. Technical details: Variant A: For stabilization of the entire upper body and unilateral shoulder instability with the option of stabilizing a scapula wingata

[0003] As can be seen from the sketch, the focus here is on the one-sided elastic sleeve on the unstable shoulder side. The tension is built up by a ring that is held as offset as possible to the opposite side of the sleeve by two straps on the other shoulder side. The elastic sleeve is extended with an elastic strap and passed through the ring, folded over, and fastened with Velcro along the lower part of the upper back end of the elastic sleeve. This allows for an option for extreme tension buildup across the shoulder blade. If the supporting muscles of the shoulder blade are damaged, or if the controlling nerve is damaged, this high potential tension buildup provides support for the shoulder blade. The tensioning strap is then directed forward under the arms onto the underbust. The aim of the construction is to serve as a piece of clothing that you put on like a jacket with an integrated bra, all in one, aesthetically pleasing.

[0004] The underlying element of the underbust corset is designed specifically for the female anatomy to counteract tensile forces, allowing them to be distributed as evenly as possible across the chest, thus providing attractive support for the entire garment with the integrated bra. The lower section with the underbust corset has a sturdy front zipper that also integrates the bra section. It is important that there is also lacing at the side at the front. This is done first to loosen the lacing so that the entire jacket can be easily zipped up and then tightened with the lacing as desired. This certainly places high demands on the zipper, and hook aids may be necessary. In the upper chest area, the design uses rings at the end of the zipper, which are provided with a central locking ring, so that this section can also be closed from the front like a bolero jacket.Third, the strap, which creates tension around the shoulder blade, is passed diagonally forward through a loop attached to the side of the underbust corset and attached to corset hooks at the front of the corset, depending on the fastening height. Elasticity is required here. The width of the strap at the front should allow for a balanced distribution of tension across the width of the corset. Fourth, it's about the look. A bolero jacket is also attached to the back with loose loops. These loose loops ensure that the tension of the elastic straps doesn't result in wrinkles.

[0005] At the front, the bolero element is closed with a small clasp and, like at the back, also conceals the upper construction. Variant B:

[0006] Variant B differs in that it is not specifically designed for one-sided shoulder instability with a winged scapula, but rather provides overall straightening in the sense of a shoulder and back straightener without cutting in. The ring at the back, already mentioned in variant A and described as being offset to the side, is now centrally located at the back. There are also two identical sleeves on either side, which sit elastically and comfortably around the upper arm. The belt for building tension, previously described as one-sided in variant A, is now on both sides, but is probably better attached without Velcro on both sides. To make it easier to put on, the tensioning straps, which are threaded through the back ring, can be fastened with hooks on the side of the underbust corset before dressing. The jacket can now be put on easily, and the corset can then be closed as described in A.

[0007] The straps, which are fixed to the sides and come from the back ring, are now loosened and closed centrally over the zipper using corset hooks, a hook strip that allows closing at different heights. Explanations of the Roman numerals Fig. 1 1 Elastic width adjustable 2 straps for tension build-up 3 Explanation: Fig. 1 is the interior view, Fig. 2 the exterior view ( Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 View from the back) 4 Velcro inside 5 Build-up of tensile stress 6 underbust corset element 7 Lace-up front 8 sleeves Fig. 2 9 Exterior view 10 Bolero Element 11, 12 and 13 Fixed with loose loops inside to avoid tension and wrinkles Variant B: Fig. 3 and Fig. 4: Fig. 3 Interior view Fig. 4: Exterior view Fig. 3 and 4: Front view 14 sleeves potentially adjustable in width 15 locking element 16 zipper 17 Bra support element 18 Upholstery 19 Metal back strap loop 20 lacing 21 Underbust corset element 22 corset hooks at different heights Fig. 4 23 Bolero element can be closed with a clasp

Claims

[1] The sleeve principle as a means of gently enclosing the arm for stabilizing and straightening purposes of the entire back (A). It offers the advantage of avoiding pressure points, as with existing principles. [2] (To ensure functionality, described under 1.) The specially designed strap holders of the sleeve at the front and back. Without them, stabilization and upright posture would not be possible (BD at the front, E to G at the back). Such constructions are easier to fabricate for men, as the counter-support in the front upper body area is easier to implement due to the absence of a chest. [3] Specifically for women, the complex strap system with rings, fasteners, and hooks combined with a bra element (H and I) is designed. It is intended to allow women to combine orthopedic support and stabilization with the functionality of an everyday bra, using a jacket-like design, and to be able to wear both in one piece. Since women are disadvantaged in terms of their ability to build muscle for self-correction due to their breasts and muscles, the combination of bra and support is intended to help. [4] Variant A is intended for orthopedic purposes in cases of unilateral shoulder instability (AG): Belt system on the front chest and in the rear area. [5] Variant A: Extreme tension build-up through a ring (E), which is achieved by passing a strap (F) through it, which in turn can be flexibly attached to the back sleeve of the arm to be stabilized (G). For a scapula wingata, the idea of guiding the strap over the shoulder blade (G) is explicitly used here, which is intended to compensate for the lack of muscular support of the body externally. Important in protection here is the idea of flexibly fixing the strap on the part of the bandage that is located in the back area above the shoulder blade (G). It is also important that the sleeve is cut in such a way that it allows for placement here. The tight strap is ultimately fixed in the front under-bust area to maintain tension (J). [6] The principle of the underbust corset in the overall context as a fixed element on the rest of the construction for fixation (K), as this allows a pleasant distribution of the tensile stresses and at the same time offers good counter-support for the bra part. [7] The connections of the corset lacing, zippers, Velcro fasteners, and hooks. This is intended to allow for putting on and taking off the garment in one step without assistance. Therefore, the lacing is deliberately located at the front (L). [8] The bolero element (M) conceals the belt system and highlights the aesthetic appeal of the construction. [9] Variant B is intended for women without an orthopedic shoulder diagnosis simply for straightening. In addition to the points already mentioned in variant A, the strap system at the front and back should be mentioned here, which, together with the sleeve principle, enables straightening and stabilization. The difference to variant A, regarding the sleeves, is that the principle works with two sleeves and a central ring on the back, through which the straps attached to the sleeve are passed on both sides to build tension and are then fixed to the underside of the chest. [10] The possibility of adjusting the sleeve width using velcro fasteners or hooks to adjust the size (A).

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