Knee pad support frame

A support frame for a knee pad has three major components that interlock with each other to form a rigid and strong frame capable of supporting the weight of a person who is working on knees. The three components are molded of a rigid plastic material. The upper component has a knee seat and a strap for wrapping around the leg of the wearer; the lower component has a cuff for wrapping around the wearer's ankle. Fastener devices for attaching the knee pad and the straps to the support frame are either incorporated into or provided on the support frame.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a knee pad that is worn by persons who work on their knees, such as, when laying floors. More particularly, the invention relates to a frame for holding the knee pad.

Discussion of the Prior Art

People who professionally lay floors or carpeting, stair treads, and other jobs that require spending a lot of time on one's knees often wear knee pads that include a support frame and a pad that protects not just the knee, but the shin and ankle portions of the leg. An example of such a knee pad with support frame is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,772,071, 4,876,745, and a knee pad in U.S. Pat. No. 7,937,769, whereby this last patent is incorporated herein by reference, in its entirety.

These professional knee pads with support frame are adapted to fit the length dimension of the user's leg. One desire to modify the prior art is to obtain a support frame that is less expensive to manufacture, yet readily adaptable to the desired leg length and knee width of the individual user, and that also provides strength, rigidity, and durability.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention, a support frame for a pad to protect a knee, is a molded plastic unit that includes an upper support, a lower support, and a coupling member. The initial intended use of the support frame is as a frame for a knee pad, and particularly, for the knee pad disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,937,769, but this term is not intended to be limiting, because the support frame and pad can be modified to support a limb and corresponding joint of a user, such as a lower arm and an elbow. Thus, reference is made throughout this disclosure to a support frame for a knee pad, but it is understood that the terms that have specific relevance to a knee pad are for readability and may be exchanged for other terms.

The upper support is shaped to accommodate the knee and upper shin portion of the leg and the lower support to accommodate the lower shin portion and the ankle. The coupling member extends through an opening in the upper support and slidingly meshes with the lower support, which are then fastened together with fastening elements, to form the support frame. Various attachment means are incorporated into the frame to secure the knee pad to the frame and to strap the frame plus knee pad to the user's leg.

The three major components of the frame are molded components that have a plurality of grooves and reinforcing ribs to provide a unit that has the desired structural integrity, i.e., the strength, rigidity, and load-bearing capacity needed to provide support and comfort for a person who spends extended periods of time on his or her knees.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG.1is a perspective view of a support frame100according to the invention. The embodiment shown is a support frame for a knee pad that is worn by people who work on their knees, for instance, installing flooring, carpeting, stair treads, etc.

The support frame100comprises a unit assembled from three basic components, an upper support10, a lower support20, and a coupling member30. These components will hereinafter be referred to as a knee support10, a top shin plate20, and a bottom shin plate30, to facilitate reading. Pad attachment means40are provided on the frame100for securing a knee pad P to the frame and frame attachment means50are provided for securing the support frame100with the pad P to a user's leg. The figures illustrating the support frame100show only a few examples of the pad attachment means40and the frame attachment means50.FIG.14shows a complete knee pad or final product1000, as it is provided to the customer.

FIGS.2-6Aillustrate the knee support10, which is a single molded component that has a first end that includes a knee seat12, a coupling-member support end13, and a through-way14therebetween for receiving the bottom shin plate30. Reinforcing ribs and recesses16are provided on the top and bottom sides of the knee support10.FIG.6shows a perspective view of the knee support10, taken from the coupling-member support end13and illustrating the throughway14. A deflector17extends from the knee seat12.FIG.6Ashows one part of a fabric hook and loop fastener171that has been adhesively applied to the underside of the deflector. Typically, a liner is wrapped over the pad P, to protect it from dirt and wear. The liner is a relatively thin, flexible fabric and its upper portion is wrapped over the deflector17and touch-fastened to the fastener171. The forward portion10A of the bottom surface of the knee support10is formed at a slight angle to allow the wearer to tip forward slightly and walk on his knees. The angle is sufficient to allow the wearer to lift his feet slightly above the floor, to make it easier to maneuver on the floor. In the embodiment shown, the angle of this forward portion10A is approximately 10.5 degrees. The same angle is reflected in a forward portion30A of the bottom shin plate30.

FIGS.7-9illustrate the top shin plate20, a molded component shaped to provide support for the knee pad P in the shin area and to protect the ankle area. The top shin plate20includes a shin bar21, an ankle protector22, and a first coupling end23. Reinforcing ribs and recesses26are provided on the bottom side of the top shin plate. The first coupling end23has ribs231that extend downward from the top plane of the plate20.

FIGS.10-12illustrate details of the bottom shin plate30. This component, too, is a molded component that includes a knee plate32and a second coupling end33. The knee plate32is shaped to correspond to the shape of the underside of the first end of the knee support10. The second coupling end33has ribs331that extend upward from the bottom plane of the bottom shin plate and mesh with the ribs231of the top shin plate20. Fastening bores101are provided, which are used to fasten the bottom shin plate30with the knee support10and the top shin plate20, by means of threaded fasteners, for example.

FIGS.13A-13Cillustrate assembly of the support frame100. First, the bottom shin plate30is inserted through the through-way14so that the coupling end33extends toward the coupling-member support end13of the knee support10, with the coupling fins331extending upward. The coupling end23of the top shin plate20is coupled with the bottom shin plate by meshing the coupling fins231with the fins331of the bottom shin plate30and sliding the top shin plate in toward the through-way14.FIG.13Cshows the three components10,20,30of the support frame100coupled together. The coupling end33of the bottom shin plate30is now covered by the shin bar portion21. The knee plate32of the bottom shin plate30has yet to be pushed into place against the underside of the knee support10. Fastening bosses101have been provided on the components10,20,30for receiving fasteners (not shown), which are used to fasten all three components together.

The top and bottom shin plates20,30may be pre-fabricated to different lengths, in order to assemble the support frame100that is adapted to the length of the leg of the individual user. It is also possible to make the plates20,30a standard length, and to cut one or both of them to the desired length when assembling the support frame100for a particular customer. The knee support10may be manufactured in two or more sizes to accommodate the width of the knee of the individual user. For example, three sizes S/M/L may be kept in stock, so as to provide the appropriate width when assembling a final product1000for a customer.

FIG.14illustrates a complete knee pad1000that includes the support frame100, the knee pad P, and the boot B. A liner that is typically used to protect the pad P is not shown. The user has placed an order for a knee pad and given dimensions for the leg length and knee width. The support frame100has been assembled according to the dimensions, a knee pad P fastened to the upper side of the frame, and a boot B fastened to the underside of the frame. U.S. Pat. No. 7,937,769 discloses details of the knee pad P, boot B, and liner L, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

The frame attachment means50includes an ankle cuff52that has a live hinge54at one end for anchoring a buckle and a strap53with buckle end attached to the other end. SeeFIG.13C. The cuff52is preferably made of a thermoplastic material, such as urethane, with a suitable durometer to provide some flexibility, so that the cuff is adaptable to the contour of the wearer's leg when it is strapped on, yet stiff enough, so that it pre-forms the pad P that is attached to the frame100, to facilitate strapping the frame with pad to the leg. Other suitable materials may also be used, such as leather, woven materials, such as a rugged canvas, rubber, or rubber-like materials. A buckle is slipped over the end of the live hinge, which is then folded to the cuff and fastened to form the buckle anchor. The cuff52is an improvement over the prior art, which was simply a strap attached directly to the frame. The cuff acts to protect the ankle extensions or strap ears on the pad P, which can get caught on things and be torn or damaged and to prevent rotation of the pad on the leg.

FIG.15illustrates an alternative cuff52′ which, like the primary embodiment has a first end and a second end, but that is constructed to accommodate an additional stirrup strap55that extends under and around the user's foot. The alternative cuff52′ also includes the ankle strap53that is described in the primarily embodiment, the ankle strap extending around the lower shin area below a user's calf muscle. The final product1000shown inFIG.16is assembled with this alternative cuff.

Together the ankle strap53and the stirrup strap55provide a two-point attachment mechanism that secures the full length of the frame in a manner that does not allow rotation about a user's leg and that does not allow an upward pull on the frame along a user's leg. This two-point attachment mechanism effectively secures the frame in the desired position, both horizontally and vertically, as a user moves about in any conventional work situation, whether that be on a flat floor or an angled roof.

The live hinges54for the buckles59, also referred to as live hinge buckle extension anchors54, have not yet been fastened in this illustration. The cuff52′ has live hinge sleeve extension anchors56and the straps53,55have looped ends that are slipped over these sleeve extension anchors56. Each side of the cuff52′ includes one live hinge buckle extension anchor54for attachment of a buckle59and one live hinge sleeve extension anchor56for securing a strap53,55, with one set of buckle extension anchors54and sleeve extension anchors56having an approximately vertical orientation for securing the stirrup strap55and the other set having an approximately horizontal orientation for securing the ankle strap53.

As with the primary embodiment, The alternative cuff52′ is preferably made of a thermoplastic material, such as urethane, with a suitable durometer to provide some flexibility, so that the alternative cuff52′ is adaptable to the contour of the wearer's leg when it is strapped on, yet stiff enough, so that it pre-forms the pad P that is attached to the frame100, to facilitate strapping the frame with pad to the leg. The cuff52′ is preferably a single molded component that reduces the number of parts needed and the time required to assemble the component, thus reducing the cost of manufacturing. Other suitable materials may also be used, such as leather, woven materials, such as a rugged canvas, rubber, or rubber-like materials.

The concept of the support frame100according to the invention provides the user with a knee pad1000that is the correct length and width. The components are inexpensive, the assembly process is simple, yet the knee pad1000functions as a solid unit, with greater stability and load-bearing capacity than conventional knee pads.

It is understood that the embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present invention. Variations in the construction of the support frame may be contemplated by one skilled in the art without limiting the intended scope of the invention herein disclosed and as defined by the following claims.