Abstract:
A contact separation cover for a front and back body brace to separate the braces themselves from contact with the skin of a person wearing such braces. The cover provides a layer of continuously smooth, relatively soft flexible sheet material such as flannelette, over the entire inwardly facing side of the brace. The contact separation cover includes connecting or positioning means whereby it can be secured in place on the brace and removed therefrom for such purposes as cleaning and replacement. A pair of tabs or flaps are provided at each opposite end portion of the contact separation cover to fold over corresponding end portions of the brace. Each pair of tabs or flaps have releasable connecting members, such as tiny hooks and loops, for releasable connection of the tabs or flaps when folded over the respective opposite end portions of the brace.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a contact separation cover for body braces for both the front and back of a person&#39;s body, to separate the brace itself from contact with the person&#39;s skin. It does so in a substantially wrinkle-free way, by providing a continuously smooth flexible sheet surface over that part of the brace that faces inward toward the person&#39;s body. The cover is also secured to the brace in such a way that it may be removed for cleaning and replacement if and when necessary. The invention includes the combination of the contact separation cover and the brace itself on which it is removably positioned for use. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Prior art body braces for the front and back have not included removable covers that provide a substantially wrinkle-free continuously smooth surface of flexible sheet material over that part of the body brace that faces inward toward the person&#39;s skin. Such prior art braces can be worn over a person&#39;s clothing, so the clothing itself provides contact separation between the brace and the person&#39;s skin. The contact separation cover in accordance with this invention and in combination with the brace itself on which it is removably secured is an improvement over the prior art, since such braces with such contact separation covers can be worn under a person&#39;s clothing next to his or her skin. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The contact separation cover in accordance with this invention comprises a panel of flexible sheet material, such as a fabric material like flannelette, having a continuously smooth surface for placement over the side of the body brace that faces the person&#39;s body, fold over upper and lower edge portions to provide upper and lower folds of the cover in which to receive the upper and lower edges of the main central portion of the body brace, with a pair of upper and lower tabs or flaps integrally formed at each opposite end of the cover to fold over the outer ends of the brace which project laterally from each opposite lateral extension of the main central portion of the body brace. The fold over tabs or flaps include releasable connection members, such as cooperative tiny hooks and loops on respective end portions of each pair of such tabs or flaps which releasably inter-connect when brought together. The folded over free ends of the upper and lower edge portions of the cover that provide the folds to receive the upper and lower edges of the main central portion of the brace, include an elastic strip which when in its normally contracted position tightens the grip on the edge of the brace received in such fold to more securely hold the cover in place, and releases such grip when stretched. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is a plan view of a sheet of material cut in a configured pattern from which the contact separation cover for a body brace in accordance with this invention is to be made. 
     FIG. 2 is a plan view of the back of a contact separation cover for a body brace in accordance with this invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a plan view of the front of a contact separation cover for a body brace in accordance with this invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a plan view of the front of the contact separation cover seen in FIG. 3 in which each pair of tabs or flaps at each opposite end have been disconnected and folded back to more clearly illustrate their construction. 
     FIG. 5 is a plan view of the back of a contact separation cover for a body brace in accordance with this invention as seen in FIG. 2, but shown covering the body contact or inward facing surface of a body brace on which the contact separation cover has been releasably secured. 
     FIG. 6 is a plan view of the front of a contact separation cover for a body brace in accordance with this invention as seen in FIG. 3, but shown in place on a body brace whose outward facing surface is partially in view. 
     FIG. 7 is an elevation view of the outward facing surface of a front body brace on which the contact separation cover is used in accordance with the combination cover and brace invention disclosed herein. 
     FIG. 8 is an elevation view of the opposite or inward facing surface of a front body brace on which the contact separation cover is used in accordance with the combination cover and brace invention disclosed herein. 
     FIG. 9 is an elevation view of the outward facing surface of a back body brace on which the contact separation cover is used in accordance with the combination cover and brace invention disclosed herein. 
     FIG. 10 is an elevation view of the opposite or inward facing surface of a back body brace on which the contact separation cover is used in accordance with the combination cover and brace invention disclosed herein. 
     FIG. 11 is an elevation view from one side of a front body brace and back body brace in combination with the contact separation covers on each in accordance with the combination invention disclosed herein, shown secured in place on the front and back mid-portions of a person&#39;s body. 
     FIG. 12 is an elevation view of the front and back body braces in place on the midportion of a person&#39;s body as shown in FIG. 11, but from the other side. 
     FIG. 13 is a plan view of a sheet of material cut in a configured pattern as shown in FIG. 1, but from the other side. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A front and back brace with a contact separation cover in accordance with this invention, comprises a front brace  2 , a contact separation cover  4  for the front brace  2 , a back brace  6 , a second contact separation cover  8  for the back brace  6 , a first flexible strap assembly  10  to connect one side  12  of the front brace  2  to one side  14  of the back brace, and a second flexible strap assembly  16  to connect the other side  18  of the front brace  2  to the other side  20  of the back brace  6 . 
     In one embodiment, the front brace  2  comprises a rigid panel of clear plastic material such as polycarbonate, having a first side edge  22 , an arcuate wall  24  extending laterally from said first side edge  22  having its convex side  26  facing forwardly away from the front portion of the body of a person wearing said front brace  2 . Its concave side  25  faces inwardly toward the person&#39;s body. The arcuate wall  24  terminates at a second side edge  28 , spaced apart from said first side edge about eleven inches measured on a straight line between them. The back brace  6  in this embodiment also comprises a rigid panel of similar clear plastic material, having a planar wall portion  30  with a spherical segment  32 , a first side edge  34  of the back brace  6  from which a first connecting portion  36  extends at a diagonal to the planar wall portion  30  with which the connecting portion  36  is integrally formed, a second connecting portion  38  integrally formed with said planar wall portion  30  extends at a diagonal from the other side thereof to terminate in a second side edge  40  of the back brace  6 . 
     The first side edge  34  of the back brace  6  and the second side edge  40  thereof are spaced apart about eleven inches measured on a straight line between them. The spherical segment  32  is integrally formed in the center of the planar wall portion  30 , with its convex side  42  facing forwardly and inwardly from the inward facing surface  43  of the back brace  6  toward the back portion of the body of a person wearing such brace. The concave side  45  of the spherical segment  32  faces rearwardly and outwardly from the outwardly facing surface  47  of the back brace  6 , and faces away from the body. 
     The front brace  2  includes one or more strap receiving slots  44  located inwardly from side edge  22  and one or more strap receiving slots  46  located inwardly from side edge  28 . The back brace includes one or more strap receiving slots  48  located inwardly from side edge  34  and one or more strap receiving slots  50  located inwardly from side edge  40 . The first flexible strap assembly  10  is received through a slot  44  near side edge  22  of the front brace  2  and extends rearwardly therefrom for reception in one of the slots  48  near side edge  34  of the back brace  6 . The second flexible strap assembly  16  is received through a slot  46  near side edge  28  of the front brace  2  and extends rearwardly therefrom for reception in one of the slots  50  near side edge  40  of the back brace  6 . 
     Each strap assembly  10  and  16  comprise an elongated strap  52  of flexible material having one free end  54  on which a panel  56  of tiny flexible hooks are positioned, and an opposite free end  58 . The inwardly facing surface  60  of the elongated strap  52  includes a plurality of tiny flexible loops which releasably interconnect with the tiny flexible hooks on panel  56  when brought into contact with each other. The elongated strap  52  extends first in one direction between the respective slots on respective sides of the front brace  2  and back brace  6  and then is doubled back to overlap the respective free ends  54  and  56  which brings the panel  56  having the tiny flexible hooks into facing relationship with the inwardly facing surface  60  of the strap  52  and the tiny flexible loops thereon for releasable interconnection therewith. The more the ends of the elongated strap  52  are overlapped and releasably interconnected as described, the shorter the flexible strap assemblies are between their respective ends of the front brace  2  and the back brace  6 . The less they are overlapped and releasably interconnected, the longer. Thus, the strap assemblies  10  and  16  are adjustable to shorten and lengthen the distance between the front brace  2  and the back brace  6 , to thereby bring the front brace  2  into snug bearing relationship against the front portion of any wearer&#39;s body and the back brace  6  into snug bearing relationship against the back portion of the wearer&#39;s body, and to releasably hold them in such position. 
     Front and back panels of any other construction which are intended for use against the bare skin of the wearer&#39;s body may also be used with the contact separation covers  4  and  8  of this invention to separate the panel itself from contact with the skin of the wearer. 
     The contact separation cover  4  for the front brace  2  and the contact separation cover  8  for the back brace  6  in the embodiment described above may be the same. Therefore, the detail construction of only one particular contact separation cover  62  will be described in this specification, and that particular contact separation cover  62  can be used as both the contact separation cover  4  for the front brace  2  and as the contact separation cover  8  for the back brace  8 . 
     The contact separation cover  62  comprises a configured panel  64  of flexible sheet material, preferably woven such as flannelette, or which otherwise has a texture that includes a plurality of individual but integrally formed strands  66 , each of which extends substantially parallel to each of the others to provide a grain in the configured panel  64  of flexible sheet material. The strands  66  are substantially contiguous and have a degree of elasticity that enables some stretching away when pressure is applied in one direction and return to the original position when such pressure is released. When the configured panel  64  is to be cut from an original piece of such flexible sheet material, the pattern for the configured panel  64  is laid cross-wise on the grain of the material whereby the strands  66  extend at a diagonal from the lower edge  70  of the panel  64 , starting near one end edge  72  thereof and extending upwardly at such diagonal toward the upper edge  74  thereof near the opposite end edge  76  thereof. The configured panel  64  is then cut from the original piece of material around the configured peripheral edge  78  traced by the pattern when so positioned on that original piece of material. The configured panel  64  when constructed by cutting from the original piece of flexible sheet material in this way has a cross-grain that improves its stretch-ability. 
     The lower edge  70  and upper edge  74  of the configured panel  64  are spaced apart a distance which is about two inches more than the lower edge  80  and upper edge  84  of the brace member  86  on which it is to be used, which allows for turning over the lower edge  70  on itself about one inch and the upper edge  74  over on itself about one inch to provide a lower receiving pocket  88  and an upper receiving pocket  90  to receive respectively the lower edge  80  and upper edge  84  of the brace member  86 . 
     The lower edge  70  of the configured panel  64  extends in a substantially straight line until it approaches the end edge  72  on one side and the end edge  76  on the other side, whereupon it curves upwardly at each side on a radius that corresponds to the radius at the same location of the lower edge  80  of the brace member  86 . The lower edge  70  terminates at one side at the lower connecting edge  92  of an integrally formed first connecting flap  94  and at the opposite side at the lower connecting edge  96  of an integrally formed second connecting flap  98 . 
     The upper edge  74  of the configured panel  64  extends in a substantially straight line until it approaches the end edge  72  on one side and the end edge  76  on the other side, whereupon it curves downwardly at each side on a radius which corresponds to the radius at the same location of the upper edge  84  of the brace member  86 . The upper edge  74  terminates at one side at the upper connecting edge  100  of an integrally formed third connecting flap  102  and at the opposite side at the upper connecting edge  104  of an integrally formed fourth connecting flap  106 . 
     A first strip  108  of braided elastic is stretched and then sewn to the configured panel  64  along the lower edge  70 . When the elastic strip  108  is then allowed to contract, it gathers the adjacent material of the configured panel  64  causing the lower edge  70  to fold over forming the lower receiving pocket  88 . A second strip  110  of braided elastic is stretched and then sewn to the configured panel along the upper edge  74 . When the elastic strip  110  is then allowed to contract, it gathers the adjacent material of the configured panel  64  causing the upper edge to fold over forming the upper receiving pocket  90 . 
     The first connecting flap  94  extends at a diagonal downwardly from the lower edge  70  of the configured panel  64  and away therefrom toward one direction. The second connecting flap  98  extends at a diagonal downwardly from the lower edge  70  of the configured panel  64  and away therefrom toward the opposite direction. The third connecting flap  102  extends at a diagonal upwardly from the upper edge  74  of the configured panel  64  and away therefrom toward the same direction as the first connecting flap  94 . The fourth connecting flap  106  extends at a diagonal upwardly from the upper edge  74  of the configured panel  64  and away therefrom toward the same direction as the second connecting flap  98 . The angle at which each of the four connecting flaps extend is selected which will position their respective side edges  112  and  114  substantially parallel to the respective side edges  116  and  118  of the configured panel  64 , after the lower edge  70  and upper edge  74  of the configured panel  64  have been gathered by contraction of the respective elastic strips  108  and  110  as described above, and the first connecting flap  94  is folded upwardly to overlap the third connecting flap  102  as it is folded downwardly, and the second connecting flap  98  is folded upwardly to overlap the fourth connecting flap  106  as it is folded downwardly. 
     The outer free edge  120  of the first connecting flap  94  and outer free edge  122  of the second connecting flap  98  each include a releasable connection panel  124  having a plurality of tiny flexible loop members  126  thereon. The outer free edge  126  of the third connecting flap  102  and outer free edge  128  of the fourth connecting flap  106  each include a cooperative releasable connection panel  130  having a plurality of tiny flexible hook members  132  thereon. When the respective connecting flaps are folded over as described above, the releasable connection panel  126  of the first connecting flap  94  overlaps and comes into registration with the cooperative releasable connection panel  130  of the third connecting flap  102 . When pressed together, the tiny hook members  132  on connection panel  130  releasably interconnect with the tiny loop members  126  on the connection panel  130 , to releasably connect the first connecting flap  94  to the third connecting flap  102 , and the second connecting flap  98  to the fourth connecting flap  106 . 
     The brace member  86  as described hereinabove includes a relatively broad center section  134  which extends in a slight curve corresponding to the cross-sectional curvature of a human body to terminate at a first end  136  in a relatively less broad first connecting portion  138  having one or more slots  140  to receive one end of the strap assembly  10 , and to terminate at its opposite second end  142  in a relatively less broad second connecting portion  144  having one or more slots  146  to receive one end of the strap assembly  16 . 
     The lower edge  80  and upper edge  84  of the brace member  86  as shown and described herein border and curve around the center section  134 , then taper downwardly therefrom to border the respective first and second connecting portions  138  and  144 , terminating at the respective end edges  136  and  142  of the brace member  86 . 
     The first connecting portion  138  of the brace member  86  is received within the loop formed by the releasable overlapped connection of the first connecting flap  94  and the third connecting flap  102 . The second connecting portion  144  of the brace member  86  is received within the loop formed by the releasable overlapped connection of the second connecting flap  98  to the fourth connecting flap  106 . One side of the generic contact separation cover  62 , as well as of the contact separation covers  4  for the front brace  2  and  8  for the back brace  6 , is the body contact side  148  which provides a smooth, continuously unbroken, integral surface of flexible sheet material to bear against the skin of the wearer of the braces. The opposite side of the contact separation covers includes the overlapped connections  150  of the connection flaps as described above, and there is an open space  152  therebetween, the overlapped connections  150  and open space  152  facing outwardly away from body of the person wearing the braces. 
     The contact separation cover in accordance with this invention is thus secured to the brace member to provide a flexible sheet barrier between the surface of the brace members and the skin of the person wearing the brace members. It will be obvious from the description of the foregoing embodiments of the braces and of the contact separation cover that any number of variations thereof are possible which are still within the scope of this invention, namely a contact separation cover for body braces and the combination of body braces of any kind with a contact separation cover to fit any such brace. The invention does so in a way that provides a smooth, continuously unbroken, integral surface of flexible sheet material to bear against the skin of the wearer of the braces, positioned between the surface of the brace facing the body of the person wearing the brace and the person&#39;s skin, to separate the brace itself from any contact with the skin of the person who is wearing the brace. The contact separation cover in accordance with this invention makes it possible to comfortably wear the braces under a person&#39;s clothing for extended periods of time, thereby concealing the braces from view.