Arm, shoulder, and back support

Details Arm, shoulder, and back support Arm, shoulder, and back support

1998-10-14

2001-02-20

Lewis, Kim M. (Department: 3761)

Surgery: splint, brace, or bandage

Orthopedic bandage

Sling

C602S019000, C602S020000, C002S044000, C002S045000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06190340

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to an arm and shoulder support, and more specifically to a support harness which has straps that align the user's arms, shoulders, and spine in a more comfortable position while working in a seated position.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
People who type or work with their hands, while seated for extended time periods, often experience pain due to poor arm, back, and/or shoulder posture. For optimum comfort, a user's shoulders should both be held back equal distances from the user's chest to positions that straightly align the user's spine. The straightness of the user's spine is measured with respect to the user's neck while the user holds his or her neck straight and head up.
Even people who stand for extended periods of time suffer from poor posture, as they oftentimes slouch and stand with their back shifted to the side.
Several harnesses, slings, and supports have been developed to control posture by means of partially or completely immobilizing the user's shoulders, arm(s) and/or back. None of these devices control the user's back and shoulder posture, while at the same time providing comfortable support to the users' arms, without overly restricting the users' freedom of movement. Moreover, there exists no portable means of controlling the posture of a person's shoulders, arms, and back, for the purpose of reducing or preventing pain, while a person works with his or her hands in a seated position for an extended time period.
There are many ways to control a person's back, shoulder, and arm posture, but they facilitate only slight freedom of movement. The related art shows devices designed to support and restrict the movement of only one of the user's arms, such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,108,589, issued to Calvin H. Staggs on Oct. 29, 1963, U.S. Pat. No. 2,460,589, issued to A. V. Lewis on Feb. 1, 1949, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,616,419, issued to G. J. Karfiol on Nov. 4, 1952. Thus, the related art control the positioning of only one shoulder and one arm of the user, making it impossible to align and hold the user's spine straight. To set and maintain straight alignment of the user's spine, an invention must control the positions of both of the user's shoulders and arms.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,923, issued to Marino on Jun. 21, 1988, is another single arm support device, but it offers the additional feature of an adjustable strap for comfort and support of one shoulder. U.S. Pat. No. 2,796,862, issued to J. Borntraeger on Jun. 25, 1957, features cross straps which fasten to the user's waist belt to provide back support, but like all of the previously described prior art, this invention provides support for only one arm and one shoulder.
Many times, work such as typing is performed using two hands, and support for both arms and both shoulders is needed to work comfortably for an extended time period. Also, freedom of movement of one or both arms is needed to work comfortably and efficiently. U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,639, issued to Lehman on Oct. 8, 1987, facilitates more freedom of movement through the use of a single strap positioned across the middle of the user's chest. But, like all of the above-mentioned devices of the prior art, Lehman's invention supports only one of the user's arms. Additionally, Lehman's invention provides no back or shoulder support.
Foreign Patent No. GB 565,932, issued to Malby and Sons in December 1944, and Foreign Patent No. SU 1393-418-A issued to Mosc Eltrn Eng Inst on May 7, 1988, offer shoulder support and support for both of the user's arms. However, both of these inventions require attachment to devices rather than just to the user alone. Malby and Sons' device is designed to attach to the roof of a motor vehicle to support the arms and shoulders of a driver. Mosc Eltrn Eng Inst's device attaches to a work station where a user is seated, and it supports the user's arms while working at the work station. Neither of these inventions is portable for use in work areas other than those in which the supports are fixed. Further, neither of these inventions provide back support for users.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,681,268 issued to Stanley L. Rodman on Feb. 26, 1996, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,560,243, issued to M. C. Peterson on Jul. 10, 1951, provide support for both of the user's arms and provide back support for users. Additionally, both of these inventions are portable. But, both of these inventions restrict the freedom of movement of the user's arms, restricting the types of activities that the user is capable of performing. Further, Rodman's device has a fixed rigid shape which neither facilitates the adjustment of the back support nor the adjustment of the user's shoulder positions.
Foreign Patent No. FR 2585-561-A issued to Berrehail on Feb. 6, 1987, facilitates adjustment of the user's shoulder supports and back supports, but rigidly supports the user's arms in fixed positions. This arm support restricts the user's freedom of movement and limits the type of tasks the user is capable of performing. Further, this invention is complicated requiring the user to inefficiently put on and adjust many different parts for every each time the user wears the support.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,938, filed by Rodrigues on Mar. 6, 1981, provides a simple means of supporting the user's arms and shoulders, but this invention does not provide any back support.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,086,762, issued to Chee on Mar. 15, 1991, provides good support for a user's shoulders, elbows, and wrists while facilitating freedom of movement to allow users to perform a wide range of tasks. This invention utilizes a multiple straps which are fully adjustable. However, despite the fact that the user's arms and shoulders are fully supports, this invention provides no back support and users may experience back pain.
Therefore, a need has been established for a novel apparatus for supporting a person's back, shoulders, and arms while working in a seated position for extended time periods, by means of a support harness with adjustable straps.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an arm and shoulder support for a person's arms, shoulders, and back.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an arm and shoulder support which is portable.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide an arm and shoulder support which is a harness.
It is additionally an object of the present invention to provide an arm and shoulder support capable of being used in a multitude of different work environments.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an arm and shoulder support that does not restrict the user's freedom of arm movement.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an arm and shoulder support fully adjustable so that it is capable of being worn by a wide range of users.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an arm and shoulder support which provides back support.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an arm and shoulder support that is easy to adjust.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide an arm and shoulder support which does not require adjustment after setting the initial strap positions.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an arm and shoulder support which is a single harness capable of supporting a user's arms, shoulders, and back.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a support harness to provide comfort to users who work for extended time periods while seated or standing. The present invention simultaneously provides support to the user's arms, shoulders, and back, while not restricting freedom of arm movement.
The present invention incorporates several fully adjustable straps on a single harness allowing a wide range of users to select and set the shoulder, arm, and back support positions. Once th

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