Patent ID: 6510559
Filing Date: 2003-01-28
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
A torso garment for protecting an injured ribcage, comprising:a panel having an outer surface, an inner surface, a first side edge, a second side edge, a top edge and a bottom edge, said panel comprising a resiliently elastic material, such that said panel conforms to a form of a user whereby a garment size is adjustable; a pair of shoulder straps, each of said shoulder straps having a first end and a second end, each of said ends of said shoulder straps being securely attached to said top edge of said panel, a neck opening being defined between said shoulder straps, said first and second side edges extending downwardly from said top edge to said bottom edge to form a front opening in said panel for facilitating putting said panel by a user over the injured ribcage and removal of said panel from over the injured ribcage; and a plurality of buttons mounted on said front surface of said panel adjacent to said first side edge and a plurality of apertures formed in said panel and located in a column generally adjacent to said second side edge for detachably attaching the first and second side edges with a selective degree of overlap of one of said side edges over the other of said side edges to permit adjustment of a perimeter size of said panel when secured by said buttons and apertures, said apertures being arranged in a matrix having a plurality of rows and columns, each of said apertures in a row being positioned to correspond with one of said buttons, the plurality of columns including columns positioned at a plurality of distances from said second side edge for providing a range of adjustment approximately equal to a distance between a column closest to said second side edge and a column farthest from said second side edge.