Adjustable Lumbar Brace Segmented Length Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional lumbar belt type braces lack flexibility and adjustability to fit a wide range of waist sizes, leading to discomfort and potential skin pinching or dislodgment of post-surgical drainage tubes.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable circumferential length lumbar sacral brace with a posterior portion and releasably attachable end portions, featuring an adjustable length member and a rigid or semi-rigid stay, allowing for adjustment by folding or cutting the free ends to accommodate various waist sizes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a single size lumbar brace is used, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but it cannot fit a wide range of waist sizes causing discomfort and skin pinching
Solution Approach 1:
The lumbar brace is divided into multiple segments including an adjustable length member with multiple adjustable sections, allowing each segment to be independently adjusted to fit different waist sizes while maintaining overall brace functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The brace incorporates dynamic adjustment mechanisms including adjustable length members that can be modified by folding or cutting, and releasable attachments that allow the brace to adapt to different waist circumferences, transforming a static single-size design into a dynamic multi-size solution
2Strength
If rigid components are added to provide stability, then spinal support is improved, but flexibility and comfort are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Rigid or semi-rigid stays are strategically positioned only in specific areas where spinal support is most needed, while other portions of the brace maintain flexibility through soft materials and adjustable sections, providing localized reinforcement without compromising overall comfort
Solution Approach 2:
The brace combines different material properties by integrating rigid or semi-rigid stays with flexible soft materials in a composite structure, allowing simultaneous achievement of spinal support strength and wearer comfort through material diversity
3Ease of operation
If adjustment mechanism is placed in posterior portion, then length adjustment is simplified, but skin pinching and friction increase causing post-surgical pain
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustment mechanism is extracted from the posterior portion and relocated to the lateral or anterior portions of the brace, removing the source of skin pinching and friction from the sensitive posterior surgical area while preserving adjustment functionality
4Adaptability or versatility
If adjustable length member is made longer to fit larger waists, then size range is expanded, but material quantity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustable length member is segmented into multiple adjustable sections that can be folded or cut to different configurations, allowing a single standardized component to serve multiple waist sizes without requiring excessive material for each potential size
Data Source
AI summary
An adjustable length brace includes an elongate body encircling portion having a free end having an adjustable length; and an end portion releasably attachable to the free end of the body encircling portion. The length of the brace may be adjusted by adjusting the length of the body encircling portion by adjusting the length of the free end of the body encircling portion, and connecting the end portion to the free end of the body encircling portion to adjust the length of the brace.