Abstract:
An exercise support structure includes a knee support having a tiered recess with a bottom wall, a lower circular tier, and an upper egg-shaped tier; and a wrist support having a tiered support structure with a bottom wall, a lower egg-shaped tier and an upper circular tier, where the knee support and the wrist support are complementary in shape and are interfittingly received in mated relation to form a block.The edges of the tiers may be beveled, forming a smooth transition therebetween.The structure may be made from a soft, durable resilient material, such as foam, silicone gel, rubber, synthetic rubber, or organic tree sap.

Description:
CROSS-REFERNCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This patent document claim priority to earlier filed U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/353,727, filed on Jun. 23, 2016, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
       [0002]    This patent document relates generally to knee supports, and more particularly to complementary knee and wrists support configured to protect the knees and wrists while exercising or during other physical or leisure activities. 
       2. Background of the Related Art 
       [0003]    Persons that have degenerative knee conditions and/or have had knee injuries and/or knee surgery can suffer from significant pain when kneeling.This pain causes frustration and discourages those persons from engaging in activities, such as yoga, that may require kneeling. Additionally, exercises, such as yoga, gardening, leisure, etc., also place stress on the wrists and arms, and persons that have wrist and/or arm conditions, such as carpal tunnel are also affected by pain while exercising. Therefore, there is a perceived need for a device configured to aid and promote proper support for a person&#39;s knees and wrists, thereby reducing the stresses and pain on the person&#39;s knees and wrists and allowing the person to engage in activities that may require prolonged kneeling or postural support relative to the ground. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    The knee and wrist support disclosed herein solves the problems of the prior art by providing a knee support that cups and supports a person&#39;s knee while kneeling and complimentary wrist support that supports a person&#39;s hand. 
         [0005]    The knee support includes a body with a knee cavity formed therein. The body may be unitarily formed or formed from a layered structure. The cavity may include a egg-shaped cutout to cup the knee.The edges of the egg-shaped cutout may be beveled. The knee support may be formed from a resilient material, such a foam, but is not limited thereto. 
         [0006]    Because the person&#39;s knee is supported from the larger bone structures, the present knee support reduces stresses on the knee and consequently pain experienced by the user. This permits the user to engage in physical and leisure activities that may require kneeling, such as yoga, gardening and the like. Furthermore, because a person may now engage in an activity such as yoga, this permits the person to stretch tight ligaments, thereby improving a person&#39;s range of motion and generally relieving stress in the joint, which strengthen and lengthen. 
         [0007]    The wrist support is a complementary shape to the knee support. A cushioned layer forms a bottom of the wrist/hand support. Attached to the base and proximate the center of the base layer, is a generally egg-shaped, second layer to support a person&#39;s wrist. Attached to the egg-shaped layer is a generally circular or oblong third layer positioned proximate the wider end of the egg-shaped layer forming a support for the palm of a person&#39;s hand. The second and third layers of the hand support together form a support for the hand of a user. 
         [0008]    The size and dimensions of the wrist support and the positioning of the support structures on the hand support are reciprocal and complimentary to the knee cavity and body of the knee support. Consequently, the hand support may be interfit with the knee support by inserting the support into the knee cavity and pressing them together. The hand support and knee support are held together via the frictional engagement of the foam. When coupled together, the knee support and hand support form a cuboid, or substantially rectangular box or brick shaped structure, which may conveniently be used as a yoga block. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  shows a top, rear perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a complimentary knee and wrist support; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  shows a top perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a knee support; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  shows a top, front perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a wrist support; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  shows a top, right side perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a wrist support; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  shows an exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of a complimentary knee and wrist support; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  shows a perspective view of exemplary embodiment of a complimentary knee and wrist support in an assembled relation; 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  shows a cross-section view through line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 6 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  shows a perspective view of an alternative exemplary embodiment of a complimentary knee and wrist support in a separated state; 
           [0018]      FIG. 9  shows a top view of an alternative embodiment of a knee support and a segmented insert fin a disassembled state; 
           [0019]      FIG. 10  shows a top view of an alternative embodiment of a knee support and a segmented insert, with a first portion of the segmented insert inserted therein and second portion removed; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 11  shows a top view of an alternative embodiment of a knee support with a segmented insert fitted therein. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0021]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , an exemplary embodiment of the knee support with complimentary wrist/hand support are shown in a disassembled or separated state, generally at  10 . The support  10  includes a knee support  12  and a wrist support  14  that complimentarily fit or interfit together. Each portion of the knee and wrist support  10  generally includes a body having top, bottom, front, rear and left and right sides. The body may be formed from a soft, durable, resilient material, such as foam, silicone gel, rubber, or organic tree sap. The foam may be open cell foam or closed cell foam as desired. Suitable foams may be formed from polyurethane, polystyrene, polybutadiene and copolymers thereof. Other synthetic rubbers and polymers may be used as well. In one exemplary embodiment, the knee and wrist support may be constructed of high-density cross-linked polyethylene foam. The knee support  12  may be formed from a number of layers adhered together or alternatively unitarily formed (molded) (best seen in  FIG. 9 ). 
         [0022]    In the exemplary embodiment of a knee support  12 , the body is formed from a number of layers. A first, or base, layer forms  16  a bottom of the body. A second, or middle, layer  18  is attached to the first layer, adding bulk to the knee support. A generally circular or oblong lower cutout  18 A is formed proximate the center of the second layer  18 , forming an indentation for a knee cap of a person to rest in. A third, or top, layer  20  is attached to the second layer  18 . A generally egg-shaped, upper cutout  20 A is formed proximate the center of the top layer  20  and configured to align with a portion of the cutout  18 A on the second layer  18 , exposing a portion of the second layer  18  and forming a shelf  18 B for a person&#39;s upper shin, specifically the tibia, to rest against. The upper and lower cutouts  18 A,  20 A together form a knee cavity  22  in the body of the knee support  12 . The edges on the cutouts  18 A,  20 A may be beveled, forming a gradual transition between the layers  16 ,  18 ,  20 . 
         [0023]    The knee cavity  22  formed in the body of the knee support  12  allows the tibia bone to rest, further allowing the person&#39;s knee muscles and associated ligaments to relax. Specifically, the Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL), the Lateral Collateral Ligament (LCL) are all supported, with the effect of allowing the patella to relax as well. The Anterior Crucial Ligament (ACL) and Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) also find space to slacken and release safely, while safely engaging and supporting the Lateral Meniscus. 
         [0024]    The knee support  12  further creates a support system in the person&#39;s femur. When the joint is safely supported with gentle compression, bone density is encouraged. Further, the knee support allows synovial fluid freedom to cleanse and flow from and through the knee joint, thereby releasing any particles that may be stuck or stagnant in the knee joint. 
         [0025]    In addition to the knee support  12 , a complimentary shaped wrist/hand support  14  is provided. Like the knee support  12 , the wrist support  14  may be formed from a soft, durable, resilient material, such as polymer foam. The foam may be an open cell foam or a closed cell foam as desired. Suitable foams may be formed from polyurethane, polyethylene and copolymers thereof. Other synthetic rubbers and polymers may be used as well. In an exemplary embodiment, the wrist support  14  may be constructed of a high-density cross-linked polyethylene foam. The wrist support  14  may be formed from a number of layers adhered together, as the knee support described above, or unitarily formed (best seen in  FIG. 9 ). 
         [0026]    In an exemplary embodiment, the wrist support is formed from a number of layers. A first, or base, layer  24  forms a bottom of the hand support. 
         [0027]    Attached to the base and proximate the center of the base layer  24 , is a generally egg-shaped, second layer  26  to support a person&#39;s wrist. Attached to the egg-shaped layer  26  is a generally circular or oblong third layer  28  positioned proximate the wider end of the egg-shaped layer  26  forming a support for the palm of a person&#39;s hand and wrist. The second and third layers  26 ,  28  of the wrist support  14  together form a support for the hand and wrist of a user. The unique shape of the wrist/hand support  14  provides support for the user&#39;s wrists and forearms and relieves stresses on the wrist bones and wrist joint. The edges on the layers  26 ,  28  may be beveled, forming a gradual transition between the layers  24 ,  26 ,  28 . 
         [0028]    It is important to note that the size and dimensions of the wrist support layer structures  26 ,  28  and the positioning of the support structures  26 ,  28  on the wrist support  14  are reciprocal and complimentary to the knee cavity  22  and body of the knee support  12 . Consequently, as illustrated in  FIGS. 5-7 , the wrist support  14  may be interfit with the knee support  12  by inserting the wrist support  14  into the knee cavity  22  and pressing them together.The wrist support  14  and knee support  12  may held together via the frictional engagement of the foam. When coupled together, the knee support  12  and wrist support  14  form a cuboid, or substantially rectangular box or brick shaped structure, which may conveniently be used as a yoga block (best seen in  FIG. 6 ). 
         [0029]    Referring to  FIG. 8 , an alternative embodiment of the complimentary knee and wrist support is shown in a disassembled or separated stated, generally at  100 . In this exemplary embodiment, the knee support  12  and wrist support  14  are integrally or unitarily formed (or molded). The alternative embodiment  100  is otherwise the same in all respects as the embodiment  10 , described above. 
         [0030]    Referring to  FIGs. 9-11 , a support element  30  for a knee support  12  is generally illustrated at  200 . In this exemplary embodiment  200 , the knee support  12  includes a support element  30  sized and dimensioned to fit into the cutout  18 A of the knee cavity  22 , to provide additional support to a user&#39;s knee. The support element  30  may be segmented into multiple, removable elements. For instance, the support element  30  may include a first portion  32  and a second portion  34 . The first portion  32  may be circular or semicircular in shape. Removal of the first portion  32 , allows ligaments in the knee to also find space to slacken and release safely, while safely engaging and supporting the lateral meniscus. Further, synovial fluid has more freedom to cleanse and flow from and through the knee joint. 
         [0031]    It would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made to the illustrated embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention. All such modifications and changes are intended to be within the scope of the present invention.