Abstract:
A body armrest for relieving spinal, back or neck pain, and for providing a three point support for the upper torso combining the spine with a right and left body armrest, the body armrest constructed having a centrally disposed sleeve for the insertable receipt of a waist belt, the centrally disposed sleeve having an upper cradle or platform section extending generally horizontally outwardly therefrom, the cradle or platform section for contact with the individuals elbow and forearm, the sleeve member having depending therefrom, an arcuate contoured leg, the arcuate contoured leg contoured to the arcuate contour of the hip as it extends outwardly from the waist, both the cradle or contoured depending leg may be hingeably secured to the centrally disposed sleeve.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     Applicant claims the benefit of provisional application Ser. No.  60 / 647 , 376 , filed Jan.  26 ,  2005 . 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to an orthopedic device and more particularly to a pair of armrests which would be worn about the waist of an individual and supported by a waist belt and the hips of the individual allowing the forearms of the individual to rest on the device thereby distributing upper body weight to the device and not solely to the spine.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0005]     Many individuals suffer from back pain, either intermittent or continuous. The pain is usually associated with the individual&#39;s spine or the muscle fabric supporting the upper torso. Various drugs can be utilized to help alleviate the pain, but in most instances, the individual whether suffering continuous or intermittent back pain is forced to utilize and wear some form of back support, body brace, sling, or neck traction or even crutches in order to provide support for the upper torso and to transfer some of the weight away from the spine.  
         [0006]     Applicant&#39;s device provides an armrest in the form of a platform or cradle support which allows an individual suffering from the aforesaid maladies to rest his elbows and forearms on the platform device and thereby having a three point contact for support of the upper torso, the spine, and the elbow and forearms of the individual.  
       OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     An object of the invention is to provide a novel body armrest which can be worn by the individual about the waist and which allows the individual to support the elbows and forearms on the body armrest thereby providing three point distribution of the upper body weight and to further transfer upper body weight to the hips.  
         [0008]     Another object of the present invention is to provide for a novel body armrest in which the armrest can be positioned and worn about the waist utilizing a belt.  
         [0009]     A still further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel body arm rest which has an arcuate lower leg which is contoured to the hips of the individual.  
         [0010]     A still further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel body armrest in which the platform or cradle portion of the armrest is cushioned.  
         [0011]     A still further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel body armrest in which the cradle armrest are fashioned about the body by a belt, supported by the contoured hip and provide a cradle or platform for each elbow and forearm of the individual.  
         [0012]     A still further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel body armrest in which the cradle or platform is hingeable.  
         [0013]     A still further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel body armrest in which the arcuate lower portion engaging the hip is hingeable.  
         [0014]     A still further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel body armrest which incorporates an arm strap cooperable with the arm rest to restrain the forearm.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0015]     A body armrest for relieving spinal, back or neck pain, and for providing a three point support for the upper torso combining the spine with a right and left body armrest, the body armrest constructed having a centrally disposed sleeve for the insertable receipt of a waist belt, the centrally disposed sleeve having an upper cradle or platform section extending generally horizontally outwardly therefrom, the cradle or platform section for contact with the individuals elbow and forearm, the sleeve member having depending therefrom, an arcuate contoured leg, the arcuate contoured leg contoured to the arcuate contour of the hip as it extends outwardly from the waist, both the cradle or contoured depending leg may be hingeably secured to the centrally disposed sleeve. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0016]     These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent, particularly when taken in light of the following illustrations wherein:  
         [0017]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first embodiment body armrest of the present invention illustrated in a right side orientation;  
         [0018]      FIG. 2  is an end view of a second embodiment of the body armrest when not in use;  
         [0019]      FIG. 3  is an end view of the second embodiment of the body armrest of the present invention when in use;  
         [0020]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the second embodiment of the body armrest; and  
         [0021]      FIG. 5  is a rear view of a human torso with body armrests in position. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0022]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , there is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the body armrest  10  in a right side orientation. Body armrest  10  in  FIG. 1  is of unitary one piece construction and comprises a centrally disposed sleeve  12  defining a passageway  14  therethrough, sleeve  12  and passageway  14  for the slidable receipt through passageway  14  of a waist belt  16 . The waist belt  16  may comprise an ordinary pants belt worn by an individual and fashioned through the belt loops of a pair of trousers or pants, or depending upon the wardrobe which the individual is wearing, waist belt  16  may be a web like waist belt worn either against the body&#39;s skin or over the clothing worn by the individual. In either embodiment, the waist belt  16  would having a securing means in the front for taut engagement about the waist.  
         [0023]     Extending outwardly from the upper portion  20  of sleeve  12  is a platform or arm cradle  22  which has a slightly arcuate surface  23  conforming to the elbow and forearm. Platform or arm cradle  22  provides the support surface when body armrest  10  is secured about the waist of an individual by a waist belt  16 . Due to the positioning of the waist belt, the platform or arm cradle  22  is at a height which allows the individual to rest their elbow and forearm  23  on the platform or arm cradle  22 . This contact by the elbow and forearm relieves some of the upper body weight which heretofore was supported solely by the spine. Depending arcuately downwardly and outwardly from lower end  24  of sleeve member  14  is a hip contoured leg member  26  which is arcuate and designed to fit the contour of the hip as it emanates from the waist.  
         [0024]     The body armrest illustrated in  FIG. 1  is illustrated in a right body side configuration, however, the left arm body armrest would be symmetrical and of the same size. The body armrest of  FIG. 1  is of unitary construction and can be fabricated rather easily from polymer or other suitable material.  
         [0025]      FIG. 2  is an end view of a second embodiment of the body armrest of the present invention illustrating its positioning when not in use.  FIG. 3  is an end view of the second embodiment of the body armrest of the present invention illustrating its positioning when in use.  FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the second embodiment of the body armrest. Body armrest  50  serves the same purpose as body armrest  10 , that is to allow the wearer and user to rest their elbow and forearm on a supported surface in order to relieve pain and provide for a three point contact for supporting the upper torso. The body armrest  50  comprises a sleeve member  52  having a slot there through  54  so that the body armrest  10  can be affixed to a belt  55  circling the waist of the individual user. The platform or armrest cradle  56  is secured to the upper end  57  of the sleeve member  52 . However, in the second embodiment, the platform or armrest cradle  56  is in articulating relationship to the sleeve member  52  there being formed on the upper end  57  of sleeve member  52  a hinge post  58  and platform or armrest cradle  56  is formed with a forked end  60  which would engage on both sides of hinge post  58  and be secured thereto by a pivot pin  62 . In this configuration, if the user were wearing the body armrest  50  and did not desire or require their use, the platform or armrest cradle  56  can be rotated upwardly such that it abuts the side or rib cage portion of the individual below the armpit ( FIG. 2 ). When desiring the use of the platform or armrest cradle  56 , the wearer merely rotates the platform or armrest cradle  56  to the position illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . The sleeve member  52  in the second embodiment incorporates a stop member  61  so as to maintain the platform or armrest cradle in the correct orientation. Still further, optional coil springs (not shown) could be incorporated with the pivot pin  62 .  
         [0026]     Platform or armrest cradle  56  would be formed of a suitable rigid material, but would have positioned on its upper surface, a resilient flexible pad  64  in order to provide comfort to the user. Still further, the armrest cradle or platform  56  may be formed with a first slot  70  at its extended end  72  and a second slot  74  at its hinged end  76  in order to accommodate an arm strap  78 , which arm strap  78  would encircle the lower portion  80  of the platform or armrest cradle  56  and extend over the forearm of the individual or user. Such arm strap  78  may be used when it is desireous of maintaining the individual&#39;s arms in contact with the armrest cradle or platform  56 .  
         [0027]     At the lower end  82  of sleeve member  52  there is positioned an articulating leg  84  designed to engage the curvature of the hip of the individual. Depending leg  84  consists of a base support  86  made of a rigid material overlaid with a resilient padding material  88  which would abut the hip. An arm member  85  rigidly secured to sleeve member  52  and extending downwardly therefrom would have a throughbore  90  there through for receipt of a pivot pin  92  which would extend through the base support  86  and the throughbore of the depending leg member. This would allow the base support  86  and overlaid resilient padding  88  to pivot in relationship to the hip of the individual and thereby allow it to conform to the curvature of the hip for individuals of varying torso configuration. It will further be noted that in the illustration of the second embodiment of the body armrest  50  of the present invention, that the platform or armrest cradle  56  is shown in a user position with a slight angle from the horizontal. This angle is defined by the configuration of the stop member  60  on the sleeve member  52 . This is for explanatory purposes only. The stop member  60  may be formed with sleeve member  52  such that the platform or armrest cradle  56  when in a user position is in the horizontal plane or the stop member  60  can be formed such that the platform or armrest cradle is at a slightly angled position.  
         [0028]      FIG. 5  is a rear view of the human body having a waist belt  16  encircling the waist and hips and illustrating a body armrest  50  secured to the waist belt  16  such that the elbow and a portion of the forearm of the individual can rest on the platform or armrest cradle  56 . The articulating leg member  84  which depends from sleeve member  52  can articulate in order to conform to the hip curvature of the individual. As stated, the waist belt  16  utilized for the body armrest  50  may be the belt utilized by the user with respect to trousers or pants, or it may be a separate belt which separate belt is used only to secure and maintain the body armrest  50 .  
         [0029]     In this configuration, the body armrest provides three contact points for the upper torso. The first contact point would be the spine, as is the same with all individuals. However, the body armrest  50  provides two additional contact points for the elbow and a portion of the forearm, the platform or armrest cradle  56  thereby relieving some of the weight heretofore borne solely by the spine. Additionally through the use of the waist belt  16  and the depending arcuately contoured leg member  84 , some of the weight borne by the platform or armrest cradle  56  due to the resting of the elbows and a portion of the forearms thereon is transferred to the hips by the body armrest.  
         [0030]     The first embodiment of body armrest  10  may be made in varying sizes in order to accommodate different torso configurations and dimensions. Body armrest  10  could also be custom molded to a specific persons torso contours and dimensions. The embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1  could be molded of unitary one piece construction. Still further, the body armrest  10  of the present invention could be molded out of a material which provides some flexibility such that the hip contoured leg member  26  could have some flexion in order to accommodate hip curvature of varying dimensions. Still further, the body armrest  10  of the present invention could be fabricated from light weight metal, such as aluminum, and encapsulated by a resilient flexible material.  
         [0031]     While the present invention has been described with respect to the exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications or changes can be achieved without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore it is manifestly intended that the invention be limited only by the scope of the claims and the equivalence thereof.