Shaped lifting belt and method

A shaped lifting belt and method in which the shape is provided by deepening the central lumbar panel in the rear to a depth of at least an additional half of the depth of the side wraps, providing the lumbar panel with expandable elements, and then separating the ends of the wrap from the lumbar panel by shape panels which are stretchable and positioned to engage the upper rear portion of the hips is disclosed. The method of the invention requires the wearer to first engage the lifting belt assembly and secure the suspenders in the forward desirable position. Thereafter, the shape straps are secured to the inner portion of the wrap ends. The wrap ends are then secured to a central portion of the body followed by substantially encircling the same with the side pulls. Where coloring is desired, the suspender assembly may be of a different color than the belt itself, and optionally a removable side pull may be color coded or otherwise decorated to suit the application.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is directed to the subject matter of lifting belts 
used by people who are lifting various loads such as warehouseman, 
hospital attendants, nursing school teachers, and the like. It is 
specifically directed, however, to such persons where the hips are 
somewhat larger than the torso. 
SUMMARY OF THE PRIOR ART 
The prior art is exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,040,524; 5,148,549. These 
patents and their commercial embodiments find utility on suppressing the 
tendency of persons lifting loads, particularly in awkward positions, from 
acquiring back strains and injuries. 
More specifically, the lifting belt and method of U.S. application Ser. No. 
08/118,889 filed Sep. 10, 1993, is addressed to the subject matter of 
various sizes of persons who might use a lifting belt. But it is not 
directed to those whose size may be shaped with larger hips than the 
torso, typically a female but not necessarily. 
Accordingly it becomes highly desirable to develop a lifting belt and 
develop it to shape the belt to conform to a larger hip size. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is directed to a shaped lifting belt and method in 
which the shape is provided by deepening the central lumbar panel in the 
rear to a depth of at least an additional half of the depth of the side 
pulls, providing the lumbar panel with expandable elements, and then 
separating the ends of the wrap from the lumbar panel by shape panels 
which are stretchable and positioned to engage the upper rear portion of 
the hips. Additionally a shape strap is provided and secured to the lumbar 
panel at its upper outward extremities and made of a semi-inflexible 
material, but spanning the shape panel and removably securable to the 
interior portion of the wrap ends. Removable suspenders are provided with 
two fixed spots and the rear portion of the belt assembly over the 
laterally outer spaced stays of the lumbar panel. Interiorly of the wrap 
provision is made for the shape pulls to anchor themselves forwardly on 
the interior portion of the wrap and thereby shape the shape panel to fit 
the hips. Optionally the side pulls are removable. The method of the 
invention requires the wearer to first engage the lifting belt assembly 
and secure the suspenders in the forward desirable position. Thereafter, 
the shape straps are secured to the inner portion of the wrap ends. The 
wrap ends are then secured to a central portion of the body followed by 
substantially encircling the same with the side pulls. Where coloring is 
desired, the suspender assembly may be of a different color than the belt 
itself, and optionally a removable side pull may be color coded or 
otherwise decorated to suit the application. 
In view of the foregoing it is a principal object of the present invention 
to provide a shaped lifting belt with a shaping strap and shaping panel 
which will permit the user to adjust the belt assembly when secured to 
accommodate the hips and more particularly the upper portion of the hips. 
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a shaped lifting 
belt in which the suspenders may be adjusted at the forward portion to 
accommodate various chest and breast sizes. 
An additional object of the present invention is to achieve the above 
objectives with a structure that permits decorator stylization with the 
suspender assembly or with a removable side pull or a combination of both. 
Yet another object of the present invention is to achieve all of the 
foregoing advantages with a cost effective construction.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
The shaped lifting belt assembly is shown in FIG. 1 on both a male and a 
female. It will be noted how the belt 10 rides on the upper portion of the 
pelvis. The shaped lifting belt assembly 10, as noted in FIGS. 2-4, 
includes a wrap assembly 11, a lumbar panel 12, and side pulls 14 which 
overlie the shape panel 15 which is intermediate the ends of the wrap 
assembly and the lumbar panel 12. 
The suspender assembly 16 is shown attached in FIGS. 2 and 3 and 
disassembled in FIG. 4. It will be seen that the suspender ends 18 are 
provided with hook interior portions, and these are intended to engage the 
suspender anchors 19 which are a loop fabric for engagement with the hook 
portion of the suspender ends 18. To be particularly remarked is the fact 
that the entire suspender assembly 16 is removably secured to the lifting 
belt assembly 10. This is to accommodate those who prefer not to wear 
suspenders. This feature also distinguishes the belt of the present 
invention from much of the prior art where the rear two straps are fixedly 
engaged with the belt assembly and hence it is awkward to wear the belt 
without the suspenders. 
Turning now to FIG. 5 it will be seen that the wrap 20 extends from the 
outer lumbar stay 28 to the wrap ends 21 which have a wrap inner loop 
surface 22. Only four stays are used. Thus the stay 28 runs from top to 
bottom of the lumbar panel 12 and lumbar panel skirt 13. The shape straps 
25 are secured to the outer stay 28 at the upper portion of the lumbar 
panel. Central stays 29 are on either side of the attachment of the side 
pull 14 to the lumbar panel 12. One wrap end 24, on the opposite side of 
the loop surface 22, has a wrap surface hook end 24. A shape strap 25 is 
provided on either side of the lumbar panel 12 particularly as shown in 
FIG. 6. The purpose of the shape strap 25 is to shape the shape panel 15 
to fit the hips of the wearer. 
The lumbar panel 12 differs from most lifting belts in that it has a lumbar 
panel skirt 13 which depends from the lumbar panel 12 throughout its 
entire width and extends a distance below an imaginary line 17 which is 
drawn between the lower portions of the wrap 20 particularly as shown in 
FIG. 14. The lower edge of the skirt 13 is substantially linear and 
terminates in the lower curved portion of the shape panel 15. The lumbar 
panel skirt 13 cooperates with the shape panels 15 to conform to the upper 
portion of the pelvis in a manner which does not compromise the support 
aspect of the belt itself but rather enhances the same over a significant 
portion of the lower lumbar area of the back. 
Turning now to FIGS. 8 and 9 it will be seen that the suspender assembly 16 
includes a cross portion at the rear and two depending straps from the 
front which terminate in suspender ends which are of a hook-like material. 
Loop-like suspender anchors 19 (see particularly FIG. 5) receive and 
orient the back portion of the suspender. The front portion of the 
suspender, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 can be variably adjusted for 
securement to the loop wrap surface ends 22. As will be seen in FIG. 11, 
the shape strap 25 over the left hip of the wearer has already been 
positioned in place and needs only to be covered by the side pulls 14 when 
they are centered overlappingly of the ends 18 of the suspender assembly 
16. The securement is completed as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 where finally 
the side pulls 14 are brought in place. 
In the additional FIGS. 14-16, the wrap assembly, lumbar panel, and shape 
strap are shown with a removable side pull 30 which is substantially 
identical to the side pull 14 described in the preferred embodiment, but 
removably secured by side pull hook and loop engaging assembly 35 at the 
rear central portion of the lumbar panel 12. Desirably the loop portion 
will be on the removable side pull, and the securement made to the hook 
portion on the lumbar panel. This is optional, depending upon 
manufacturing considerations and soiling potential. Nonetheless, the loop 
material is best secured to the lumbar panel and the hook material to the 
central portion of the removable side pull 30. 
With the removable side pull 31, it can be colored to suit the 
establishment where it will be used, whether by color, the name of the 
location, or even the name of the user in those instances where the shaped 
lifting belt will be personalized. The same is true with regard to the 
suspender assembly 16. 
While the precise materials are not intended to be limiting as to the scope 
of the present invention, they do serve to illustrate the amount of 
flexibility, elasticity, and areas of stiffness which are desirable. For 
example, the lumbar panel 12 is made of Spandex-type material. The stays 
are stitched from an inelastic-type material to form pockets, and the 
pockets have stay inserts which are formed of a flexible plastic such as 
polyvinyl. The side pull straps, two which overlap each other, are formed 
essentially of elastic material, having end tabs with a removable 
releasably securable material and relatively inelastic. The wrap assembly 
includes the outer portions which are relatively inelastic, but the shape 
panel 15 is formed desirably of Spandex material. The shape straps are 
slightly elastic, and desirably formed of a woven elastic material. The 
suspenders are formed of elastic material approximately one inch wide. The 
wrap assembly has an edge binding of a relatively inelastic material. 
While dimensions do not necessarily formed a detail portion of the 
invention, the ranges in a commercial acceptable unit are helpful in 
appreciating the invention and recognizing proportions. For example, the 
overall belt length between small and large will vary from 351/2" to 
631/2". The length of the side pull 14 will vary from 261/2" to 401/2 on 
each side. The width of the shaped panel 15 is from six to eight inches, 
with the distance from top to bottom varying, with the shaped top having a 
width of five to seven inches, and the shaped bottom having a width of 
seven to nine inches. Finally, the lumbar panel width will vary between 
seven inches and 113/4", the height between seven inches and nine inches, 
and the lumbar curvature width or height between fifteen inches and 
nineteen inches. The stays are desirably four in number, and the side pull 
14 desirably removable for purposes of affording color options for the 
side pulls 14 and shoulder straps 16. 
Although particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and 
described in full here, there is no intention to thereby limit the 
invention to the details of such embodiments. On the contrary, the 
intention is to cover all modifications, alternatives, embodiments, usages 
and equivalents as fall within the spirit and scope of the present 
invention, specification and appended claims.