Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02309865 2000-OS-29
TRAVELERS' COMFORT - WEARABLE ARM SUPPORT
FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention pertains to wearable, portable arm supports, particularly
useful while
traveling long distances.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The art teaches that there are a number of restraint devices for supporting
arms.
Additionally the art teaches means for attachment of other apparel, such as
pants,
skirts, etc. Various types of fasteners are also known, as is the use of
padding and
flexible fabric. Exemplary of the knov~patents are as follows:
U.S. Pat. 81,842 is a shoulder brace with suspender. Kid straps are attached
to the
waistband. The kid straps are provided with button holes for attachment to the
buttons
on a skirt or pants.
U.S. Pat. 1,048,098 shows an adjustable chain for binding and supporting both
arms.
U.S.Pat. 1,157,341 illustrates a shawl of knitted fabric adapted to snugly
engage the
arms, shoulders and a portion of the back.
U.S. Pat. 2,150,069 illustrates berry picking sleeves adapted to be drawn over
the
arms and secured in place by a strip of canvas extending across the back with
elastic
straps secured to the corners of the canvas and the upper ends of the sleeves.
Movements of the wearer are thus not impeded and at the same time the sleeves
will
snugly fit the arms of various persons with equal comfort.
U.S. Pat. 2,295,806 teaches a restraining device for anesthesia and surgery
wherein a
belt encircles both arms and wrist straps connected to the belt are connected
to
another belt that restrains the knees.
U.S. Pat. 2,560,243 shows a sling for supporting two arms where there is no
neck
strain. The sling is a T-sheet of flexible material having laterally extended
arms as
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seen in Fig.2, that embrace the waist of the wearer. There are also fasteners
to secure
the arms. The stem portion of the sheet is slotted to fit around a person's
neck. There
are a pair of forked portions whose upper parts rest on the shoulders and the
lower
parts terminate in the aforesaid sling which is adjustable by means of buckled
straps.
U.S. Pat. 4,877,038 is a hand and arm restraint for hospitalized patients. A
pouch
receives the hands and arms of the patient through arm openings which are
adjustable. Adjusting straps allow securing the pouch to a bed frame and
adjusting
the portion of the pouch so that the patient can comfortably fold his arms.
U.S. Pat. 5,086,762 depicts a type of bracing apparatus wherein there is an
elbow
strap with padding and a wrist strap. The straps depend from a rigid yoke that
embraces the shoulder. The brace enables typing comfort for a person sitting
at a
computer, and also relieves stress.
The device of this invention is for the most part functionally different as
well as
structurally different. It is not a restraint device, but one that affords
comfort. Unlike
most of the prior art, it is intended to support both arms with a unitary
structure which is
readily removable.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide support for both arms
simultaneously.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a support which is easy to
install
and remove.
It is further an object of this invention to provide an arm support which is
especially useful when traveling for long periods of time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The arm support in question is made of a flexible knit fabric, having a
frontal body of
almost a square configuration, with shoulder and elbow darts and a horizontal
envelope so that, when the elbows are bent, the lower portions of the arms and
hands
rest comfortably within the envelope. The upper part of the body extends over
the
shoulders and fastens around the top portion of the wearer's back. The front
edges
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are bound with a a rigid, non-flexible fabric, which joins the front edges of
the flexible
fabric which embraces the arms. The body extends around the rear in a somewhat
different manner. Here there is a flexible binding abutting on to the non-
flexible
binding at the approximate level of the underarm of the wearer, to allow for
more
comfort. The device is fastened at the back around the shoulder blades with
pieces of
fastening fibers sold under the Trademark "VELCRO". Optionally, a blanket can
be
attached to the body in the regions of the upper or the lower torso.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig.1 is a frontal view of the device as worn.
Fig.2 is a rear view of the device as worn
Fig. 3 is a rear view of the device per se.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Fig. 1 shows the front of an arm support AS having a body 1. The shape of the
front is
square like, having darts 2 at the shoulders and elbows 3. The upper arms and
shoulders are enclosed by the body which continues into a horizontal envelope
4,
secured by the aforesaid darts, so that when the elbows are bent, the lower
portions of
the arms and hands rest comfortably within the envelope. The front edges of
the body
that enclose the arms, as well as the front edges of the envelope are bound
with thin
strips of rigid, non-flexible fabric 5 to provide stability to the body. The
corners of the
envelope are darted, as mentioned 3, over the non-flexible strip and main body
of
fabric which encloses the upper arms, and thus the non-flexible binding
extends
horizontally beyond those edges. At the juncture of the shoulder darts, there
are two
pieces of "VELCRO" 6, for a purpose to be subsequently described. The body is
made
of knit fabric, such as nylon, cotton, rayon or polyester, and could be made
in different
colours and patterns. The body is constructed of a single piece of fabric,
which
extends from the back of the wearer, over the shoulder, down front and back of
one
upper arm, across the front and back of the envelope, up the front and back of
the
other upper arm and around the other shoulder to the upper back again. As
shown
in Fig.2, this is the point at which the two ends of the fabric overlap to
close. They are
secured by two strips of "VELCRO" 7. These pieces of "VELCRO" are of a length
to
enable adjustment of the support in accordance with different sizes and shapes
of the
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wearer. The front edges, shoulders and back portion are bound with the
aforementioned strips of rigid, non-flexible binding. The rear edges of the
body are
bound by a flexible, elastic binding 8, which butts on to the rigid, non-
flexible binding
in the rear of the body, at a point in alignment with the underarms. This
elastic binding
is attached to the total circumference of the rear edges of the body. Unlike
the front of
the body, there is no envelope. The elastic binding allows for some movement
of the
support, and prevents tightness around the torso. Just below the the elbows
and on
the rear of the body, there are placed two additional patches of "VELCRO" 6.
These
patches are in alignment with the aforementioned patches in the front of the
body 6,
and for the same purpose. If desired, a blanket 9 can be attached to the
patches of
"VELCRO" at the bottom rear and laid over the lap, or the whole body can be
covered
by attaching a longer blanket to the patches on the top front of the body.
This invention was the direct result of the inventor's personal experiences.
On
occasion when the inventor had to take long trips, stress in the arms and
shoulders
was experienced, due to a tendency to fold the arms. Further, because of the
monotony of the trip, there was an inclination to fall asleep with the arms in
folded
condition. Relaxation caused an unbalancing that led to the arms falling to
the sides
and a sudden awakening which was very disturbing. The result is the invention
described above. The invention should be a boon to all those that travel for
long
periods of time. It is easy to install, that is, it can be worn like a
sweater, and the arms
can be pulled out through the wide front opening if an emergency presents
itself. It
provides a sense of comfort and security, and the support can keep the arms
and
shoulders warm.
While the preferred embodiments of this invention have been shown, it should
be
understood that the various modifications and changes that would be obvious to
those
skilled in the art could be made without departing from the scope of the
invention as
defined by the appended claims.
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