Veterinary shoulder brace

Abstract

To provide a shoulder outfit for animal capable of efficiently limiting or restricting movement (opening) of a shoulder of an animal, easily adapting to any body shape of an animal, and excellent in wearing property.SOLUTION: A shoulder outfit for animal is attached to an animal for limiting or restricting movement of a shoulder and comprises: a left and right pair of attachment members; and a fastening part for fastening the pair of attachment members. The pair of attachment members comprises: an upper arm attachment part attached to the upper arm of one forelimb; and a shoulder attachment part whose both ends are connected to the upper arm attachment part, and whose intermediate part is hooked to the other shoulder part. The pair of attachment members is fastened so that, by the fastening part, the shoulder attachment parts cross each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a shoulder brace for animals, which is intended for quadrupedal animals such as dogs and cats, and which restricts or limits the movement of the shoulder, particularly the shoulder joint. [Background technology]

[0002] In human medical procedures, it is common to use shoulder braces to restrict or limit shoulder movement, but from a veterinary perspective, it is not often considered to have animals wear shoulder braces in order to restrict or limit shoulder movement.

[0003] An example of a shoulder brace for humans is one that includes a retaining member formed so as to cover the vicinity of the shoulder joint (Patent Document 1).

[0004] In animals such as dogs, the life span has been getting longer due to the progress of veterinary medicine, but as they age, the shoulder joint becomes loose and the shoulder joint opens when walking, making it difficult to walk. In this case, it is necessary to wear a shoulder brace that restrains the shoulder joint so that it does not open more than a certain amount. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2003-265670 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, unlike humans, if you try to put the above-mentioned shoulder brace on an animal, it is expected that the animal will dislike it and take it off on its own. Even if the animal does not dislike it, if it is put on near the shoulder of an animal, it will loosen in a short time after being put on and will no longer be able to perform its support and retention function because the shape of the shoulders and arms of animals is different from that of humans, and in the worst case scenario, it will come off.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide an animal shoulder brace that effectively limits or restrains the movement (opening) of an animal's shoulders, easily adapts to different body shapes of animals, and is easy to wear. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve at least one of the problems described above, the animal shoulder brace of the present invention is an animal shoulder brace that is worn by an animal to limit or restrain shoulder movement, and comprises a pair of left and right attachment members and a fastening portion for fastening the pair of attachment members to each other, the pair of attachment members having an upper arm attachment portion that is worn on the upper arm of one of the forelimbs, and a shoulder attachment portion whose both ends are connected to the upper arm attachment portions and whose middle portion is adapted to be worn on the other shoulder, and the pair of attachment members are fastened to each other by the fastening portion so that the shoulder attachment portions cross each other.

[0009] In the above-mentioned shoulder brace for animals, the pair of mounting members may be fastened to each other so that the crossing position of the shoulder mounting parts can be adjusted.

[0010] The above-mentioned shoulder brace for animals may comprise a pair of fastening parts, and the shoulder attachment parts may be fastened to each other on the chest side and the back side.

[0011] In the above-mentioned shoulder brace for animals, one end of the shoulder attachment portion may be detachably connected to the upper arm attachment portion.

[0012] In the above-mentioned shoulder orthosis for animals, the upper arm attachment portion may be configured so that a winding diameter is adjustable.

[0013] In the above-mentioned shoulder brace for animals, the attachment member may be configured of a substantially L-shaped member. Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an animal shoulder brace that effectively limits or restrains the movement (opening) of an animal's shoulders, easily adapts to different body shapes of animals, and is easy to wear.

[0015] Problems, configurations and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view of an example of an animal shoulder brace according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 2] 2 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of a left mounting member in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the fastening portion of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an animal shoulder brace according to one embodiment of the present invention attached to an animal (dog). [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a rear view of an example of an animal shoulder brace according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 6A and 6B are diagrams illustrating an example of the configuration of the left and right mounting members in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 1 is a front view of an example of an animal shoulder brace according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 8] 8A and 8B are diagrams illustrating an example of the configuration of the left and right mounting members in FIG. 7. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] Hereinafter, examples of the embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this application, when referring to the shape, positional relationship, etc. of components, etc., it is understood that the shapes, etc. substantially approximate or similar to those are included, unless otherwise specified or considered to be otherwise in principle.

[0018] Fig. 1 is a front view of an example of an animal shoulder brace according to one embodiment of the present invention. The animal shoulder brace 1 is worn by quadrupedal animals such as dogs and cats to limit or restrict the movement of the shoulder. An example of the brace being worn by a dog will be described below. In this application, the shoulder refers to the shoulder joint and its surrounding area (surrounding tissue).

[0019] The animal shoulder brace 1 can be worn, for example, when a dog develops a shoulder joint disorder or undergoes surgery. It can also be worn preventatively when a dog is likely to develop a shoulder joint disorder, or worn after surgery on the bones and muscles around the shoulder, including the shoulder joint, until the bones and muscles are stabilized.

[0020] The animal shoulder brace 1 comprises a pair of attachment members, a left attachment member 10 and a right attachment member 20. The pair of attachment members 10, 20 are made of a flexible material so as to conform to the dog's body. As an example, they are formed by cutting, sewing, or other processing a flat plate member made of a flexible material (e.g., Neoprene (registered trademark)) with at least one surface brushed.

[0021] The left and right attachment members 10, 20 are configured symmetrically, with the left attachment member 10 having an upper arm attachment part 11 and a shoulder attachment part 12, and the right attachment member 20 having an upper arm attachment part 21 and a shoulder attachment part 22. In the following, a specific description will be given using the left attachment member 10 as an example.

[0022] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the left attachment member in Fig. 1. The left attachment member 10 has an upper arm attachment part 11 that is attached to the upper arm of the left forelimb, and a shoulder attachment part 12 that is connected to the upper arm attachment part 11 at both ends and has an intermediate part that is hung on the right shoulder.

[0023] It is desirable to have a configuration in which the winding diameter can be adjusted for upper arm attachment part 11. For example, as shown in the figure, upper arm attachment part 11 is formed in a linear band shape having end part 111 and end part 112, end part 112 being a free end part.

[0024] The thickness of the upper arm of the forelimb varies depending on the type of animal, and even for the same animal, such as a dog, the thickness varies greatly depending on the breed. The upper arm attachment part 11 can be adjusted in diameter to fit the animal to which it is attached by cutting the free end 112 with scissors or the like. Fine adjustments due to changes in the body shape of the same animal can also be made by adjusting the attachment position of the connection part 13, which will be described later.

[0025] The end 111 and the end 112 are connected by a connecting portion 13. The connecting portion 13 is made of, for example, a hook-and-loop fastener. When the left attachment member 10 is made of a brushed material, the connecting portion 13 can be made of only a hook-and-loop side fastener. The hook-and-loop side fastener has a large number of hooks on the back surface (hook surface) that faces the object to be attached.

[0026] The connecting part 13 is a horizontally elongated member, one end of which is attached with a hook surface to end 111 of the upper arm attachment part 11, and the other end of which is attached with a hook surface to end 112 of the upper arm attachment part 11, thereby connecting the upper arm attachment part 11 in a loop shape. If the left attachment part 10 is not made of a brushed material, the connecting part 13 further has a loop side fastener sewn to the upper arm attachment part 11 to form a pair with the hook side fastener.

[0027] When the left attachment member 10 is made of a material that is raised on both sides, the connection part 13 may be composed of two parts, a horizontally long first connection part 131 and a second connection part 132 whose width is less than half that of the first connection part 131, as shown in the figure. If one end of the second connection part 132 is sewn to the first connection part 131 so that the hook surfaces face each other, an attachment part having a pair of hook surfaces facing each other on the one end side is obtained for the connection part 13. If the end part 111 or the end part 112 is attached so as to sandwich it, it becomes more difficult to come off even if a large force is applied to the attached part.

[0028] The shoulder attachment part 12 is desirably formed in a band shape with approximately the same width as the upper arm attachment part 11. Flexible and stretchable materials may not have breathability, and it is also thought that the dog may dislike it if the contact area becomes large, so by forming it in a band shape and reducing the contact area, the burden on the dog's body is reduced.

[0029] The shoulder attachment part 12 is connected so that the end 121 forms a substantially right angle with the end 111 of the upper arm attachment part 11. The end 122 is connected to a portion of the upper arm attachment part 11 between both ends 111, 112, closer to the end 111. In other words, the shoulder attachment part 12 is in a loop shape that starts from the upper arm attachment part 11, turns back at approximately the middle, and returns to the upper arm attachment part 11.

[0030] Fig. 3 shows an example of the configuration of the fastening part in Fig. 1, Fig. 3(a) shows the state where it is inserted into the shoulder attachment part, and Fig. 3(b) shows the state before attachment (insertion). The fastening part 30 fastens the left and right attachment members 10, 20 to each other, and the left and right attachment members 10, 20 are fastened to each other by the fastening part 30 so that the shoulder attachment parts 12, 22 cross each other at a predetermined angle.

[0031] It is desirable that the fastening portion 30 is configured so that the fastening positions of the left and right attachment members 10, 20 can be adjusted. As an example, the fastening portion 30 is configured with a hook and loop fastener, and when the left and right attachment members 10, 20 are made of a brushed material, the fastening portion 30 is configured with only a hook side fastener. When the left and right attachment members 10, 20 are not made of a brushed material, the fastening portion 30 further has a loop side fastener sewn to the left and right attachment members 10, 20 that is paired with the hook side fastener.

[0032] The fastening part 30 is formed of two members, a first fastening part 31 and a second fastening part 32, as shown in Fig. 3(b), for example. The first fastening part 31 is a vertically long member whose width is slightly narrower than the shoulder attachment parts 12, 22. The second fastening part 32 is a vertically long parallelogram member whose width is slightly narrower than the first fastening part 31, and the upper and lower ends form the hypotenuses of the parallelogram. If the upper and lower ends of the second fastening part 32 are sewn to the first fastening part 31 with diagonal stitches so that the hook surfaces thereof face the surface (non-hook surface) of the first fastening part 31, an insertion opening, part of which is constituted by the hook surface, is formed between the first fastening part 31 and the second fastening part 32.

[0033] The fastening portion 30 is inserted in advance into the shoulder mounting portion 12 of the left mounting member 10 as shown in FIG. 3(a), and the hook surface of the second fastening portion 32 is attached at a predetermined position and at a predetermined angle. If the back surface (hook surface) of the first fastening portion 31 is attached to the shoulder mounting portion 22 of the right mounting member 20 along its extending direction, the left and right mounting members 10, 20 are fastened in a crossed state (see FIG. 1 and FIG. 5). In addition, by adjusting the attachment position (insertion position) of the second fastening portion 32 to the shoulder mounting portion 12 and the attachment position of the first fastening portion 31 to the shoulder mounting portion 22, the crossing position of the shoulder mounting portions 12, 22 can be adjusted. Note that the fastening portion 30 does not come into contact with the dog, and therefore does not cause discomfort to the dog.

[0034] The shoulder brace 1 for animals may have the fastening portion 30 on either the chest side or the back side, but preferably has the fastening portion 30 on both the chest side and the back side. When worn, the fastening portion 30 on the chest side is located in front of the chest, and the fastening portion 30 on the back side is located on the withers or in the vicinity thereof under the neck.

[0035] FIG. 4 shows an example of an animal shoulder brace according to one embodiment of the present invention worn on an animal (dog), where FIG. 4(a) is a view showing an example seen from the front (chest side), FIG. 4(b) is a view showing an example seen from above (dorsal side), and FIG. 4(c) is a view showing an example seen from the left side.

[0036] For example, the right attachment member 20 is first attached to the dog's neck, and the middle part of the shoulder attachment part 22 is hung diagonally on the left shoulder K1 of the dog, and then the upper arm attachment part 21 is wrapped around the upper arm Z2 of the right foreleg of the dog. Next, the left attachment member 10 with the fastening part 30 inserted therethrough is attached to the dog's neck, and the middle part of the shoulder attachment part 12 is hung diagonally on the right shoulder K2 of the dog, and then the upper arm attachment part 11 is wrapped around the upper arm Z1 of the left foreleg of the dog. Next, the fastening part 30 is attached to the shoulder attachment part 22 so that the left and right shoulder attachment parts 12, 22 cross on the chest side and back side, completing the attachment.

[0037] Quadrupedal animals such as dogs have different shoulder blade attachments than bipedal humans, and also use their shoulder joints differently from humans. Humans hardly use their shoulder joints when walking, except when moving their arms, but dogs and other animals need to constantly move their shoulder joints when walking, etc. Therefore, when dogs and other animals age and their shoulder joints become loose, the shoulder joints may open when walking, making it difficult for them to walk, and other problems may occur. In such cases, it is necessary to restrain or restrict the shoulder joint so that it does not open more than a certain amount.

[0038] As shown in the figure, when the animal shoulder brace 1 is worn, the dog can move its front legs around the shoulder joint within the range restricted by the shoulder attachment parts 12, 22, but cannot move them beyond the restricted range.

[0039] More specifically, the shoulder attachment parts 12, 22 have three functional parts, namely, a front restriction part 12a, 22a between the upper arm attachment parts 11, 21 and the chest side fastening part 30, a rear restriction part 12c, 22c between the upper arm attachment parts 11, 21 and the back side fastening part 30, and a holding part 12b, 22b between both fastening parts 30. The opening of the dog's shoulder joint is restrained or limited by the front restriction parts 12a, 22a and the rear restriction parts 12c, 22c. The holding parts 12b, 22b play a role of holding the front restriction parts 12a, 22a and the rear restriction parts 12c, 22c, so that they cannot be easily removed even if the dog dislikes them.

[0040] 5(c), taking the left shoulder K1 as an example, the front regulation part 12a and the rear regulation part 12c are held at an angle of 90 degrees or less between the upper arm attachment part 11 on the left side and the holding part (middle part) 22b on the right side, in other words, the shoulder brace 1 for animals forms functional parts of approximately triangular shapes on the left and right sides.

[0041] The shoulder brace 1 for animals is configured so that not only the upper arm attachment parts 11, 21 but also the shoulder attachment parts 12, 22 can be adapted to the body shape of the animal, particularly the shape around the shoulder, so that it can easily adapt to different body shapes of animals and has excellent wearability.

[0042] Fig. 5 is a rear view of an example of an animal shoulder brace according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the left and right attachment members. As shown in the figure, the left and right attachment members 10, 20 may have shoulder attachment parts 12, 22 interlocked in a chain shape. In this way, one of the left and right attachment members 10, 20 is positioned on the front side on the chest side, and the other is positioned on the front side on the back side, making it more difficult for the fastening part 30 to come off. Fig. 7, which will be described later, also shows a case in which the shoulder attachment parts 12, 22 interlocked in a chain shape as in Figs. 5 and 6.

[0043] FIG. 7 is a front view of an example of an animal shoulder brace according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the shoulder brace 1 is configured such that the end 122, 222 of the shoulder attachment part 12, 22 can be attached to and detached from the upper arm attachment part 11, 21 via the connection part 14, 24. The upper arm attachment part 11, 21 may have one or more loop side fasteners 15, 25 sewn thereon with the loop surface facing the front side, and may be used for adjusting the attachment position. In this way, even when the upper arm attachment part 11, 21 is made of a brushed material, a loop side fastener may be provided at the attachment position to prevent deterioration of the material. Also, as shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 described later, the connection part 13, 23 may be attached to the end 112, 212 of the upper arm attachment part 11, 21 at one end having a pair of opposing hook surfaces, so as to sandwich the end 111, 211 of the upper arm attachment part 11, 21 at the other end.

[0044] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the left and right attachment members in Fig. 7. Here, the left and right attachment members 10, 20 are formed in a substantially L-shape, with one short side of the L-shape forming the upper arm attachment parts 11, 21 and the other long side forming the shoulder attachment parts 12, 22. The shoulder attachment part 12 is formed in a linear band shape and has a free end part 122, and the shoulder attachment part 22 is formed in a linear band shape and has a free end part 222. The free end part 122 is detachably connected to the upper arm attachment part 11 via the connection part 14, and the free end part 222 is detachably connected to the upper arm attachment part 21 via the connection part 24.

[0045] The body shape of an animal varies depending on the type of animal, and even for the same animal, such as a dog, the shape varies greatly depending on the breed. The shoulder attachment parts 12, 22 can be adjusted in size to fit the animal by cutting the free ends 122, 222 with scissors or the like. This makes it possible to obtain a highly versatile shoulder brace for animals 1 that can be applied to a variety of animals. Furthermore, by configuring it in this way, the shoulder attachment parts 12, 22 can be attached to the shoulders K1, K2 by rotating them from the front, rather than hanging them from above the head onto the shoulders K1, K2, thereby improving the ease of wearing the brace.

[0046] The connecting part 14 may be configured in the same manner as the connecting part 13 described above, or as shown in the figure, the vertically long connecting part 14 may be folded so that the hook surfaces face each other and sewn to the upper arm attachment part 11. This allows the end 122 to be attached so as to be sandwiched between the connecting part 14, making it less likely to come off even if a large force is applied to the attached part.

[0047] Based on the above description, a person skilled in the art may be able to conceive additional effects and various modifications of the present invention, but the aspects of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment examples. Various additions, modifications, and partial deletions are possible within the scope of the conceptual idea and intent of the present invention derived from the contents defined in the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1. Veterinary shoulder brace 10 Left mounting member 11 Upper arm attachment part 12 Shoulder attachment part 13 Connection 14 Connection 20 Right mounting member 21 Upper arm attachment part 22 Shoulder attachment part 23 Connection 24 Connection 30 Fastening K1 left shoulder K2 right shoulder Z1 left upper arm Z2 Right upper arm

Claims

1. A shoulder brace for animals that is worn by an animal to limit or restrict the opening of the shoulders, A pair of left and right mounting members and a fastening portion for fastening the pair of mounting members to each other, The pair of attachment members each have an upper arm attachment part that is attached in a loop shape to the upper arm of one of the front legs, and a shoulder attachment part that is connected to the upper arm attachment part at both ends and is hung at an intermediate part on the shoulder of the other of the front legs, The pair of mounting members are fastened to each other by the fastening parts so that the shoulder mounting parts cross each other. A shoulder brace for animals.

2. 2. The shoulder brace for animals according to claim 1, The pair of mounting members are fastened to each other so that the crossing position of the shoulder mounting parts can be adjusted. A shoulder brace for animals.

3. 3. The shoulder brace for animals according to claim 1 or 2, The shoulder attachment parts are fastened to each other at the chest side and the back side. A shoulder brace for animals.

4. The animal shoulder brace according to claim 3, The shoulder attachment portion has a front restriction portion between the upper arm attachment portion and the fastening portion on the chest side, a rear restriction portion between the upper arm attachment portion and the fastening portion on the back side, and a holding portion between the fastening portion on the chest side and the fastening portion on the back side. A shoulder brace for animals.

5. The shoulder brace for animals according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The shoulder attachment portion has one end detachably connected to the upper arm attachment portion. A shoulder brace for animals.

6. The shoulder brace for animals according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The upper arm attachment portion is configured so that the winding diameter can be adjusted. A shoulder brace for animals.

7. The shoulder brace for animals according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The mounting member is configured as a substantially L-shaped member. A shoulder brace for animals.

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