Supporter

Abstract

This product provides a supporter that can prevent misalignment and curling at both the top and bottom edges. [Solution] The supporter 1 is a tubular body that supports the wearer's joints and comprises a pair of support parts 5 that are formed in an expanding manner from the middle portion of the tubular body toward one end and the other end, and a connecting part 6 that continuously connects the pair of support parts 5.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a supporter capable of preventing displacement and curling at both upper and lower ends.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, various knee joint supporters have been developed for the purpose of assisting the flexion and extension movements of the knee joint. This knee joint supporter is configured to have elasticity by knitting so that it can follow the movement of the knee joint. However, when worn, there are problems such as slipping down, slipping up, and curling at both upper and lower ends.

[0003] For example, a conventional joint supporter forms a cylindrical supporter body with a knitted fabric having elasticity and elasticity so that it is difficult to shift due to the flexion and extension movements of the joint and stays in the wearing position and adapts to the flexion and extension movements. At the same time, a flex bone having flexibility and elastic resilience is provided along the longitudinal direction on both side surfaces of the supporter body (see Patent Document 1).

[0004] Further, a conventional knee supporter includes a support part having a low elongation rate and an extension part having a higher elongation rate than the support part for the purpose of suppressing displacement of the wearing position even when the knee is repeatedly extended and flexed. The support part includes a lateral knee support part extending along the axial direction at a position corresponding to the outside of the knee, a medial knee support part extending along the axial direction at a position corresponding to the inside of the knee, and a subpatellar support part extending between the lateral knee support part and the medial knee support part at a position corresponding to the lower part of the patella. The extension part, the lateral knee support part, and the medial knee support part are each configured to have an elongation rate corresponding to the elongation rate of the skin with which they are in close contact when the knee moves between the extended state and the flexed state (see Patent Document ). Specifically, as the lateral knee support part and the medial knee support part, a stainless steel coil bone housed in a bag part is mentioned.

[0005] Furthermore, conventional knee supports are constructed by fixing and distributing one loop-shaped support member to each side of the inner surface of a tubular knee support made of a stretchable fiber knit fabric, with the upper part of the loop reaching both sides of the thigh and the lower part of the loop reaching both sides of the shin and calf, in order to prevent the upper and lower ends of the knee support from shifting toward the knee (see Patent Document 3). [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3194924 Gazette [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-189955 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2009-000277 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] While the Flexbone described in Patent Document 1 and the lateral and medial knee support parts described in Patent Document 2 can prevent misalignment of the upper and lower ends of the supporter, their flat, plate-like metal construction limits their lateral bending, leading to the problem of excessively restricting knee joint flexion. Furthermore, although Patent Document 1 states that the Flexbone may be made of synthetic resin, it is formed in a long, narrow strip in the vertical direction, which is insufficient to prevent the upper and lower ends of the supporter from rolling up.

[0008] Furthermore, the loop-shaped support member described in Patent Document 3 is formed from a loop with a curved, narrowed section in the middle, the upper part of which reaches the side of the thigh, and the lower part of which reaches the side of the shin and calf. However, because this loop-shaped support member is positioned at a distance from the upper and lower ends, the support at the upper and lower ends is insufficient, causing the supporter to shift position or curl at both ends. In addition, since the loop-shaped support member is made of a wire made of metal or hard plastic, it may break (break) due to repeated flexion and extension of the knee joint, posing problems with durability and safety.

[0009] This invention was made to solve the above problems and aims to provide a supporter that can prevent misalignment and curling at both the top and bottom ends. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The supporter according to the present invention is a tubular body that supports the wearer's joints, and comprises a pair of support parts formed in an expanding manner from the middle portion of the tubular body toward one end and the other end, and a connecting part that continuously connects the pair of support parts.

[0011] Thus, in the present invention, the upper and lower support parts are formed in an expanding shape from the middle portion of the cylindrical body toward one end and the other end, and the connecting part continuously connects the upper and lower support parts. As a result, the supporter is supported along the vertical direction by the support parts and the connecting part, preventing misalignment, and the expanding support parts support the vicinity of both ends of the cylindrical body over a wide area, preventing the upper and lower ends of the cylindrical body from curling up.

[0012] The supporter according to the present invention is configured such that, if necessary, the connecting portion has a circumferential width smaller than the maximum circumferential width of the pair of support portions.

[0013] Thus, in the present invention, since the connecting portion is formed so that its circumferential width is smaller than the maximum circumferential width of the pair of support portions, the supporter is supported by the narrow connecting portion near the bending joint and by the wider support portions near both ends of the supporter away from the joint, thus maintaining a good balance between the wearer's bending movement and preventing the supporter from shifting or rolling up.

[0014] The supporter according to the present invention is configured such that, if necessary, the support portion has an outer support density greater than the inner support density.

[0015] Thus, in this invention, since the support density in the support portion is greater on the outside than on the inside, the support force on the inside of the support portion is reduced. This allows for support over a wide area in the outer region of the support portion where the support force is strongest, while also providing flexibility in the inner region where the support force is weaker, while still supporting the area near the end of the supporter.

[0016] The supporter according to the present invention is formed of synthetic resin, if necessary, for the support portion and the connecting portion.

[0017] Thus, in the present invention, since the support portion and connecting portion are made of synthetic resin, bending in the direction of joint flexion becomes easier, and while providing support to the supporter, it can appropriately support the wearer's flexion and extension movements.

[0018] The supporter according to the present invention is formed of a knitted structure, if necessary, for the support portion and the connecting portion.

[0019] Thus, in this invention, since the support portion and connecting portion are formed by a knitted structure, bending in the direction of joint flexion is facilitated, and the support can appropriately support the wearer's flexion and extension movements while providing support to the supporter. Furthermore, since the supporter including the support portion and connecting portion can be manufactured by circular knitting, manufacturing costs can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0020] [Figure 1] It is a side view of the supporter according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a perspective view showing the wearing state of the supporter according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a side view showing another example of the supporter according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] It is a side view showing another example of the supporter according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] It is a side view of the supporter according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] It is a side view showing another example of the supporter according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] It is a side view showing another example of the supporter according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] It is a side view showing another example of the supporter according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] It is a side view showing another example of the supporter according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] It is a side view of the supporter according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0021] (The First Embodiment of the Present Invention) Hereinafter, the supporter according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. Throughout this embodiment, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0022] The supporter 1 according to this embodiment is worn in close contact with the body surface of the wearer, particularly the joints, and supports and protects the joints. Examples of the joints where the supporter 1 is worn include, but are not limited to, the knees, elbows, and ankles. The supporter 1 is formed, for example, by circular knitting and is formed as a stretchable tubular knitted fabric (tubular body).

[0023] As shown in Figure 1(a), the supporter 1 comprises a first elastic opening portion 2 formed around one end of a tubular body, a second elastic opening portion 3 formed around the other end of the tubular body, and a covering portion 4 formed between the first elastic opening portion 2 and the second elastic opening portion 3 to cover the wearer's joints.

[0024] Furthermore, the supporter 1 comprises a pair of support parts 5 formed in an expanding shape from the middle portion of the cylindrical body toward one end and the other end, and a connecting part 6 that continuously connects the pair of support parts 5 to each other. The pair of support parts 5 and the connecting part 6 are provided, for example, on both sides of the cylindrical body. Here, both sides of the cylindrical body refer to, for example, the left and right sides of the patella, that is, the parts corresponding to the inner and outer sides of the body at the knee joint, when the supporter 1 is worn on the wearer's knee joint, as shown in Figure 2. Note that the pair of support parts 5 and the connecting part 6 may be provided in places other than the sides of the cylindrical body, or they may be provided on only one of the two sides of the cylindrical body.

[0025] In the following description, we will use a configuration in which the supporter 1 has a first opening rubber portion 2 and a second opening rubber portion 3 as an example. However, the explanation is not limited to this configuration, and as shown in Figure 1(b), the supporter 1 may not have a first opening rubber portion 2 and a second opening rubber portion 3, and the support portion 5 may be arranged in an expanding manner toward both ends of the cylindrical body, that is, toward both ends of the covering body 4.

[0026] The first and second rubber openings 2 and 3 are constructed so that their circumferential stretch resistance is greater than that of the cylindrical body of the covering portion 4, thereby providing a strong clamping force in the circumferential direction. As a result, the first and second rubber openings 2 and 3 can function as anchors for positioning the supporter 1. Furthermore, the first and second rubber openings 2 and 3 are formed such that their circumferential stretching resistance is greater than their axial stretching resistance in the cylindrical body.

[0027] The covering portion 4 is knitted using techniques such as plain knitting, rib knitting, tuck knitting, float knitting, and pile knitting.

[0028] The pair of support parts 5 are integrally provided with the first and second rubber opening parts 2 and 3 on both sides of the cylindrical body, respectively. Specifically, the support part 5 at the top of the cylindrical body is connected to the lower edge of the first rubber opening part 2, and the support part 5 at the bottom of the cylindrical body is connected to the upper edge of the second rubber opening part 3. The support portion 5 is formed in an expanding shape from the middle of the cylindrical body toward one end and the other end, and is formed in a roughly triangular shape. In this case, the circumferential width of the support portion 5 is at its maximum width W1 at the portion connected to the first opening rubber portion 2 and the second opening rubber portion 3.

[0029] The connecting portion 6 is formed in a linear shape and continuously connects the pair of support portions 5. The circumferential width W2 of the connecting portion 6 can be changed as appropriate; for example, it can be made smaller from the support portion 5 side toward the central part of the connecting portion 6, and is set according to the application and the required strength (supporting capacity), etc.

[0030] The shape of the connecting portion 6 is not limited to a straight line; as shown in Figure 3, it may be formed in a curved shape in the direction of joint flexion. For example, when the supporter 1 is worn on the knee, it may be curved to be convex towards the patella. By forming the connecting portion 6 in a curved shape in the direction of joint flexion, it is possible to support the wearer's knee joint while facilitating flexion movements.

[0031] The maximum width W1 of the support portion 5 in the circumferential direction is larger than the (maximum) width W2 of the connecting portion 6 in the circumferential direction. Thus, since the connecting portion 6 is formed in such a way that its circumferential width W2 is smaller than the maximum circumferential width W1 of the pair of support portions 5, the narrow connecting portion 6 supports the supporter 1 near the bending joint, and the wider support portions 5 support the supporter 1 near both ends of the supporter 1 away from the joint. This allows for a good balance between the wearer's bending movement and preventing the supporter 1 from shifting or rolling up.

[0032] The support portion 5 and the connecting portion 6 are formed from synthetic resin or a knitted structure. When the support portion 5 and connecting portion 6 are formed from synthetic resin, the tubular body is knitted in a circular knit, and then the support portion 5 and connecting portion 6 are fixed to the sides of the tubular body by screen printing or heat sealing. The thickness of the synthetic resin in the support portion 5 and connecting portion 6 does not need to be uniform; for example, the thickness of the edges can be made thinner towards the covering portion 4. This prevents the support portion 5 and connecting portion 6 from catching on clothing when wearing the supporter 1, improving wearability. When the support portion 5 and the connecting portion 6 are formed by a knitted structure, the support portion 5 and the connecting portion 6 can be knitted using, for example, a cut boss that uses knitting yarn with less elasticity than the knitting yarn of the covering portion 4.

[0033] Thus, because it has a support portion 5 and a connecting portion 6 made of synthetic resin, bending in the direction of joint flexion becomes easier, and while providing support to the supporter 1, it can appropriately support the wearer's flexion and extension movements.

[0034] Furthermore, because it has a support section 5 and a connecting section 6 formed by a knitted structure, bending in the direction of joint flexion is facilitated, and while providing support to the supporter 1, it can appropriately support the wearer's flexion and extension movements. In addition, since the supporter 1, including the support section 5 and the connecting section 6, can be manufactured using circular knitting, manufacturing costs can be reduced.

[0035] As described above, the pair of upper and lower support parts 5 are formed in an expanding shape from the middle portion of the cylindrical body toward one end and the other end, and the connecting part 6 continuously connects the pair of upper and lower support parts 5. Therefore, the support parts 5 and the connecting part 6 support the supporter 1 along the vertical direction, preventing misalignment, and the expanding support parts 5 support the vicinity of both ends of the cylindrical body over a wide area, preventing the upper and lower ends of the cylindrical body from curling up.

[0036] Furthermore, because it has a support portion 5 and a connecting portion 6 made of synthetic resin, it facilitates bending in the direction of joint flexion, and while providing support to the supporter 1, it can appropriately support the wearer's flexion and extension movements.

[0037] Furthermore, because it has a support portion 5 and a connecting portion 6 formed by a knitted structure, bending in the direction of joint flexion is facilitated, and while providing support to the supporter 1, it can appropriately support the wearer's flexion and extension movements. In addition, since the supporter 1, including the support portion 5 and the connecting portion 6, can be manufactured using circular knitting, manufacturing costs can be reduced.

[0038] In the above example, a pair of support parts 5 are shown connected to the first and second rubber opening parts 2 and 3, respectively. However, if the support parts 5 are made of synthetic resin, they may overlap the first and second rubber opening parts 2 and 3, as shown in Figure 4. In this case, the support part 5 at the top of the cylindrical body is provided up to the upper edge of the first rubber opening part 2, i.e., up to the upper edge of the cylindrical body, and the support part 5 at the bottom of the cylindrical body is provided up to the lower edge of the second rubber opening part 3, i.e., up to the lower edge of the cylindrical body.

[0039] (Second embodiment of the present invention) In the supporter according to the first embodiment described above, the support density provided by the support portion was made uniform throughout the entire support portion. However, the support is not limited to this configuration, and as shown in Figures 5 to 9, the support density provided by the support portion can also be configured to differ between the outer and inner sides. In the following description, any configurations that overlap with the first embodiment described above will be omitted.

[0040] As shown in Figure 5, the support portion 7 in the supporter 1 according to this embodiment is formed in an expanding manner from the middle portion of the cylindrical body toward one end and the other end, and has left and right branch portions 8 and 9 that form a V-shape or inverted V-shape, and a gap portion 10 between the branch portions 8 and 9. The branch portions 8 and 9 are connected to the first opening rubber portion 2 and the second opening rubber portion 3, respectively. The gap portion 10 is the portion where the cylindrical body is exposed.

[0041] For example, when the support portion 7 is formed from synthetic resin, the branch portions 8 and 9 are areas where synthetic resin is provided, and the blank portion 10 is an area where synthetic resin is not provided. In this way, the support density is greater on the outside of the support portion 7 corresponding to the branch portions 8 and 9 than on the inside of the support portion 7 corresponding to the blank portion 10.

[0042] Here, support density refers to the support force provided by the synthetic resin per unit area in the support portion 7. For example, in the above example, if the synthetic resin is made of the same material and is fixed to the covering portion 4 with the same thickness, the support force per unit area of ​​the supporter 1 in the branch portions 8 and 9 on the outside of the support portion 7 will be greater than the support force per unit area of ​​the blank portion 10 on the inside of the support portion 7 where the synthetic resin is not fixed. Therefore, the support density in the outer region of the support portion 7 will be greater. Alternatively, support density can also be expressed as the area occupied by the synthetic resin per unit area in the support portion 7.

[0043] Furthermore, by changing the knitting structure of the support section 7, the support density can be made different on the outside and inside of the support section 7.

[0044] Specifically, as shown in Figure 6, the support portion 7 is constructed by providing a honeycomb structure of multiple air cells 12b, each surrounded by a hexagonal shape by multiple protruding ridges 12a. The hexagonal shape formed by the ridges 12a and air cells 12b becomes smaller as it moves from the outer edge of the support portion 7 towards the central part.

[0045] The ridges 12a are formed by alternately knitting wales that are float-knitted so that a number of courses corresponding to the width dimension of the ridges 12a float, and wales that are plain-knitted to gradually increase the width dimension of the ridges 12a. As each course related to the float knitting is bundled by the float-knitted wales, the corresponding parts of the plain-knitted wales adjacent to the float-knitted wales become densely packed and raised, thereby forming the ridges 12a that protrude from the tubular base fabric as shown in Figure 6.

[0046] In the example described above, the support density is the support force provided by the hexagonal shape formed by the ridges 12a and air cells 12b per unit area in the support section 7. In the example shown in Figure 6, a small hexagonal shape with a large support force is arranged along the outer edge of the support section 7, and the area of ​​the hexagonal shape gradually increases towards the central part of the support section 7, so that the support density is greater on the outside of the support section 7 than on the inside of the support section 7.

[0047] As described above, since the support portion 7 is formed of a honeycomb-like knitted structure, when the supporter 1 is attached, the hexagonal portions composed of the ridges 12a and air cells 12b pull against each other in a balanced manner, thereby providing the support portion 7 with appropriate support force.

[0048] Furthermore, the shape formed by the ridges 12a and the air cells 12b (the shape of the air cells 12b) is not limited to a hexagonal shape, but may also be a circular shape, a regular annular shape such as another polygon, or an irregular annular shape, or a combination of these different shapes may be used. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6(b), the support portion 7 formed of a knitted structure can also be configured such that the supporter 1 does not have a first opening elastic portion 2 and a second opening elastic portion 3, and the support portion 7 is arranged in an expanding manner toward both ends of the cylindrical body, that is, toward both ends of the covering body 4.

[0049] Furthermore, in the support portion 7 shown in Figure 1, the support density on the outside of the support portion 7 can be made greater than the support density on the inside of the support portion 7 by cutting out a predetermined shape from a triangular synthetic resin. As shown in Figure 7, the support portion 7 has circular cutouts 13a to 13c arranged at predetermined intervals.

[0050] The hollow portion 13a closest to the outer edge of the support portion 7 has the smallest diameter, while the hollow portion 13c located in the central part of the support portion 7, furthest from the outer edge, has the largest diameter. In other words, the amount of synthetic resin that provides support force to the supporter 1 decreases from the outer edge of the support portion 7 towards the central part. This makes it possible to increase the support density on the outside of the support portion 7 compared to the support density on the inside of the support portion 7.

[0051] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7(b), the support portion 7 in which the hollowed-out sections 13a to 13c are formed can also be configured such that the supporter 1 does not have the first opening rubber portion 2 and the second opening rubber portion 3, and the support portion 7 is arranged in an expanding manner toward both ends of the cylindrical body, that is, toward both ends of the covering body 4.

[0052] The shape of the support portion 7 is not limited to a V-shape or an inverted V-shape. As shown in Figures 8 and 9, it is also possible to configure it so that a plurality of auxiliary branches 11 extend radially between the branch portion 8 and the branch portion 9, starting from the connection point between the branch portion 8 and the branch portion 9, toward the first mouth rubber portion 2 and the second mouth rubber portion 3. For example, as shown in Figure 8, the spacing between the branch sections 8 and 9 and each auxiliary branch section 11 can be kept constant, and the circumferential width of the auxiliary branch section 11 can be made smaller towards the central part of the support section 7. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 9, the circumferential width of each auxiliary branch section 11 can be made the same, and the spacing between the branch sections 8 and 9 and each auxiliary branch section 11 can be made larger towards the central part of the support section 7. These can also be used in combination. Furthermore, the auxiliary branch sections 11 can be arranged parallel to the vertical direction of the blank space 10.

[0053] As described above, since the support density in the support portion 7 is greater on the outside than on the inside, the support force on the inside of the support portion 7 is reduced. This allows for support over a wide area in the outer region of the support portion 7 where the support force is strongest, while also supporting the area near the end of the supporter 1 in the inner region of the support portion 7 where the support force is weaker, while still providing flexibility (stretchability in the circumferential direction of the supporter 1).

[0054] (Third embodiment of the present invention) In the supporter according to the first embodiment described above, the upper and lower support parts are connected by a linear connecting part. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and as shown in Figure 10, the upper and lower support parts can also be connected by a continuous point-shaped connecting part. In the following description, any configurations that overlap with the first embodiment described above will be omitted.

[0055] As shown in Figure 10, the connecting portion 14 is composed of one or more island-shaped portions 15 scattered at predetermined intervals. When the island-shaped portions 15 are composed of multiple point-shaped bodies, the spacing between the island-shaped portions 15 can be appropriately changed according to the support force and flexibility of the desired attachment site, and the spacing can also be changed according to the position of each island-shaped portion 15. For example, the spacing between the island-shaped portions 15 can be reduced as they move away from the wearer's joints. The shape of the island-like portion 15 is not particularly limited and may be a regular ring shape such as a circle or polygon, or an irregular ring shape.

[0056] Furthermore, the uppermost and lowermost island-shaped sections 15 may be arranged continuously with the support section 5, or they may be arranged discontinuously with a gap between them and the support section 5.

[0057] As described above, since the connecting portion 14 is equipped with island-shaped portions 15 on which multiple dots are scattered, the flexibility of the portion where the connecting portion 14 is located is increased, and the supporter 1 can appropriately support the bending and extending movements of the wearer while maintaining its support capacity.

[0058] Furthermore, the above embodiments can be used in combination as appropriate. For example, a pair of upper and lower support parts 7 formed in a V-shape or inverted V-shape can be connected by a connecting part 14 consisting of a plurality of island-shaped parts 15 scattered at predetermined intervals. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 1 Supporter 2. First opening rubber part 3. Second opening rubber part 4. Covered part 5 Support part 6 Connecting part 7 Support part 8, 9 Branches 10 Blank area 11 Auxiliary branches 12a Ridge 12b Air Cell 13a~13c Hollowed-out section 14 Connecting part 15 Islands

Claims

1. A supporter consisting of a tubular body that supports the wearer's joints, A pair of support portions are formed in an expanding manner from the middle portion of the cylindrical body toward one end and toward the other end, A supporter characterized by comprising a connecting portion that continuously connects the pair of support portions.

2. In the supporter described in claim 1, A supporter characterized in that the connecting portion is formed such that its circumferential width is smaller than the maximum circumferential width of the pair of support portions.

3. In the supporter described in claim 1, The supporter is characterized in that the support portion is formed such that the support density on its outer side is greater than the support density on its inner side.

4. In the supporter described in claim 1, A supporter characterized in that the support portion and the connecting portion are made of synthetic resin.

5. In the supporter described in claim 1, A supporter characterized in that the support portion and the connecting portion are formed of a knitted structure.

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