Abstract:
A posture correction brace for a person has a tightening mechanism that allows a user to pull a cord to pull down on the back of a pair of shoulder straps, thereby pulling the shoulders back to correct the person&#39;s posture. The front ends of the shoulder straps are typically also attached to the back of the wearer, to help the posture correction brace pull the shoulders back as the shoulder straps tighten.

Description:
This application claims priority to provisional application Ser. No. 61/289,247, filed Dec. 22, 2009, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The field of the invention is orthotics for posture correction. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Existing braces are limited in that there is no one-size fits all. Users with different height and torso widths need different sizes. There needs to be a brace that can be used for different users and yet still provide a tight, comfort, and proper fit to the user&#39;s body. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,548,843 to Chase et al. teaches a support belt in which the user can pull the belt straps to secure the shoulders. However, only the front portion of Chase&#39;s shoulder straps can be shortened, which tends to pull the shoulders forward instead of back. This hurts the wearer&#39;s posture, and could be extremely detrimental where the user has a medical issue with his posture, for instance where the wearer has a thoracic kyphosis. 
     WO 2009/052031 to Sandifer et al (the &#39;031 brace) teaches a brace where a user can pull “fastening pads” around the waist to tighten the abdominal and at the same time tighten the user&#39;s shoulder straps. However, the &#39;031 brace is not adjustable for different users, and specifically teaches that in order for the brace to fit a different user than the user for which it is designed, a physician would have to cut the straps. The &#39;031 brace also teaches a pair of shoulder straps attached to a spinal frame member via rivets around the midsection of the post, which is rigid along the spinal frame member. 
     WO 2009/017499 to Sandifer et al (the &#39;499 brace) teaches a brace with a spinal frame member that can be adjusted along with the shoulder strap. However, the &#39;499 brace requires the spinal frame to be adjusted via screws in pre-drilled holes and is not movable once the screws are in place. If the spinal frame needs to be adjusted, the brace must first be removed from the user and then the screws need to be adjusted. If the spinal frame needs to be adjusted to a position in between the pre-drilled holes, a new hole would need to be drilled or a new spinal frame created. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,954,250 to Hall also teaches a harness with an adjustable spinal frame, however, like Sandifer, Hall&#39;s spinal frame must be adjusted by another person, or when the wearer is not wearing Hall&#39;s harness. 
     These and all other extrinsic materials discussed herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. Where a definition or use of a term in an incorporated reference is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply. 
     Unless the context dictates the contrary, all ranges set forth herein should be interpreted as being inclusive of their endpoints, and open-ended ranges should be interpreted to include commercially practical values. Similarly, all lists of values should be considered as inclusive of intermediate values unless the context indicates the contrary. 
     Thus, there is still a need in the art for improved adjustable braces that help correct a wearer&#39;s posture. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The inventive subject matter provides apparatus, systems and methods in which a posture correction brace pulls the shoulders back of a person with a pull cord that inferiorly adjusts a posterior portion of each of the straps along a person&#39;s back when the cord is pulled. As used herein, the term “cord” means any device flexible at room temperature that mechanically pulls a device attached to one end of the cord with a dvice attached to another end of the cord, for example a rope, belt, monofilament, braid, or string. As used herein, the term “inferiorly adjusts” means to adjust a device downwards from the person&#39;s head towards the person&#39;s feet. As used herein, the term “posterior” means any part of the body behind the midline of the person, and preferably along the rear surface of the person (which excludes the side surfaces which start along the surface of the person&#39;s arms or ears. As used herein, the term “along the person&#39;s back” means that the strap is pulled within a 45 degree angle along the wearer&#39;s midline, and more preferably within a 30 degree or a 15 degree angle along the wearer&#39;s midline. 
     Generally, the two posterior portions of the shoulder straps couple to a latch on the back of the wear that is pulled down as the pull cord is pulled, although the pull cord itself could attach to each posterior portion of the shoulder straps separately without departing from the scope of the invention. Preferably, the ends of the shoulder straps are attached to a hinge, or the shoulder straps comprise a single strap that threads through a loop to form two separate shoulder straps. As used herein, a “loop” is any structure that a cord could be threaded through to change a pulling direction of the cord, such as a hole, hook, pulley, or corner. Shoulder straps could be made from any suitable material, for example leather, vinyl, rubber), and is preferably flexible. The shoulder strap could have padding coupled to a shoulder area of the strap to help prevent chafing while the strap is adjusted inferiorly. 
     The brace is preferably configured such that the pull cord could be pulled forward by the wearer while the brace is worn, which would then pull back on the shoulder straps, thereby pulling back on the wearer&#39;s shoulders as the pull cord is drawn. For example, one end of the cord could be coupled to the shoulder straps, and the cord could be threaded orthogonally through a loop to run forward along the waist of the user. This would allow the user to pull one end of the cord anteriorly forward, which would then translate that three to pull the other end of the cord inferiorly downward along the back. 
     The pull cord and the posterior portion of each of the shoulder straps could be coupled via a slider that rides along a vertical rail to ensure that the shoulder straps are adjusted approximately parallel to the wearer&#39;s midline. The slider could have a second tightening mechanism that ensures that the pull cord remains taught after the shoulder straps are pulled in place. Alternatively or in addition to the tightening mechanism, the rail could comprise matching indents or detents that match the slider to allow a user to “click” through a plurality of adjustment positions. In an exemplary embodiment, the slider comprises a base and an adjustable extender that allows a wearer to first adjust a range of movement for the posterior portions of the shoulder straps before adjusting the height of the posterior portions of the shoulder straps. 
     Preferably an anterior portion of the pull cord, such as the end of the pull cord, is coupled to a pull tab that is easily grasped by the wearer. In an exemplary embodiment, the pull tab is coupled to a belt around the waist of the wearer for easy access, for example using a hook and loop fastener, a button, a pocket, or a magnetic coupling on the belt. Anterior portions of the shoulder straps, such as the anterior ends of the shoulder straps, could be coupled to a posterior portion of the belt, which would further assist in drawing the wearer&#39;s shoulders back as the posterior portions of the shoulder strap are tightened. 
     The belt generally wraps around the wearer, preferably about the lumbar area. An exemplary belt has a stiff portion around the lumbar area of the wearer to support the lumbar area of the wearer. The belt could also have an adjustment mechanism that tightens the belt around the wearer, such as a strap threaded through a loop, a cloth tie, or overlapping hook and loop anterior ends. Preferably, the adjustment mechanism comprises one or more pulley systems that tighten the belt around the wearer, for example around the lumbar area of the wearer, the lateral area of the wearer, or evenly around the wearer. A second pull cord could be coupled to the belt&#39;s adjustment mechanism such that the second pull cord could be pulled forward by the wearer to tighten the adjustment mechanism while the brace is worn. In an exemplary embodiment, the first and second pull cords are positioned on opposite sides of the wearer, such that the wearer could pull forward on both pull cords simultaneously to both pull the shoulders back and to pull the belt taught. 
     The length of the shoulder straps is preferably also adjustable to accommodate wearers of different heights. Additionally, anterior portions of the shoulder straps could be pulled towards one another using a chest strap or buckle, providing for a snug fit. Various objects, features, aspects and advantages of the inventive subject matter will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, along with the accompanying drawing figures in which like numerals represent like components. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIGS. 1A-1B  are rear perspective views of an embodiment of the current inventive subject matter with the shoulder straps comprising a single strap wrapped around both shoulders of the wearer. 
         FIG. 2  shows a front perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the current inventive subject matter. 
         FIG. 3  shows a rear perspective views of the alternative embodiment in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIGS. 4A-4B  show a perspective and an exploded view of the slider used in the alternative embodiment of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIGS. 5A-5B  show perspective views of the alternative embodiment of  FIG. 2  with a wearer adjusting a circumferential pressure. 
         FIGS. 6A-6B  show perspective views of the alternative embodiment of  FIG. 2  with a wearer adjusting the length of the shoulder straps 
         FIGS. 7A-7D  show perspective views of the alternative embodiment of  FIG. 2  with a wearer adjusting the posterior portion of each of the shoulder straps. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In  FIGS. 1A-1B , an exemplary posture correction brace  100  has a pair of shoulder straps  110  and  120  coupled to a hinge  130  that is joined to a belt  140  via slider  150 . While shoulder straps  110  and  120  are coupled to hinge  130  using a thin hole, the shoulder straps could be coupled to the hinge using any suitable loop. Shoulder straps  110  and  120  comprise a single strap that divides into two separate components through hinge  130 . Shoulder straps  110  and  120  have superior sections  112  and  122 , respectively and inferior sections  114  and  124 , respectively. Superior sections  112  and  122  are coupled to hinge  130 , which draws those sections inferiorly along wearer  160 &#39;s back as hinge  130  is drawn downwards along slider  150 . Inferior sections  114  and  124  are coupled to posterior portion  142 , and then around the waist of wearer  160 . The anterior ends(not shown) of straps  110  and  120  then meet at the front of wearer  160 , such that wearer  160  could then tighten belt  140  by manipulating the anterior ends, for example by simply tying the ends together or by threading the ends through a loop. 
     As shown, slider  150  comprises a rail  152  along which hinge  130  slides. Hinge  130  is sized and dimensioned to slide towards or away from pulleys  154  and  156  when cord  158  is pulled or loosened, respectively. One end of cord  158  is coupled to hinge  130 , and cord  158  threads through pulleys  154  and  156  such that the other end of cord  158  rests on a side of the wearer. This allows the wearer to draw hinge  130  downwards along slider  150  by pulling forward on cord  158  with a pull-tab.  FIG. 1A  depicts slider  150  in its superior-most position when cord  158  is loosened, while  FIG. 1B  depicts slider  150  in its inferior-most position when cord  158  is pulled taught. 
     In  FIG. 2 , an alternative posture correction brace  200  has belt  210 , left shoulder strap  230 , right shoulder strap  240 , and chest buckle  250 ,  FIG. 3  shows a rear view of brace  200  with left cord  310 , right cord  320 , and slider  340 . 
       FIGS. 4A  and B is an exploded view of slider  340 , with base panel  341 , track base  342 , track cover  343 , sheath  344 , and extender  345 . Sheath  344  couples to extension  345  by threading sheath detent  346  through extender holes  347 . By threading sheath detent  346  through different extender holes  347 , a user effectively adjusts a range of movement for posterior portions of left shoulder strap  230  and right shoulder strap  240 , since both are attached to the superior end of extender  345 . After the extender  345  length is adjusted, the extender  345  could be inserted into track base  342  which is then held against the track by sandwiching base panel  341  against track cover  343 , which both effectively limit a travel of the extender  345  approximately to the length of sheath  344 . 
       FIGS. 5A-5B  show perspective views of a wearer  500  putting on brace  200  and adjusting belt  210 . First, wearer  500  threads his left and right arms through the left shoulder strap  230  and right shoulder strap  240 , respectively. Belt  210  has left anterior portion  212  and right anterior portion  214  that overlap one another around the stomach of wearer  500  to provide a snug fit, such as in copending application Ser. No. 12/394,867, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
       FIGS. 6A-6B  show perspective views of wearer  500  then adjusting left shoulder strap  230  and right shoulder strap  240  about wearer  500 . Posterior portion  242  of right shoulder strap  240  couples to the posterior portion of belt  210  via loop clasp  244 , which could be opened to allow a user to lengthen or shorten the effective length of right shoulder strap  240 . Wearer  500  could then tighten the shoulder straps using chest buckle  250 . Chest buckle  250  has a strap  252  that could be used to draw anterior portion  232  of left shoulder strap  230  towards anterior portion  233  of right shoulder strap  240 , creating a snug fit. 
       FIGS. 7A-7D  show perspective views of wearer  500  inferiorly adjusting posterior portion  246  of right shoulder strap and posterior portion  236  of left shoulder strap  230  inferiorly along wearer  500 &#39;s back. Since posterior portion  236  of left shoulder strap  230  and posterior portion  246  of right shoulder strap  240  are coupled to slider  340  using strap  710 , as wearer  500  pulls left cord  310 , extender  345  is pulled down along track base  342  within slider  340 . This effectively pulls the shoulders of wearer  500  back, correcting the posture of wearer  500  and holding the shoulders back. 
     Right cord  320  is coupled to a lumbar adjustment mechanism similar to that disclosed in copending application Ser. No. 12/394,867, which allows a user to adjust both belt  210  and slider  340  by pulling on right cord  320  and left cord  310 , respectively, as shown in  FIG. 7C . Pull tabs  312  and  322  are then coupled to the front of belt  210  using hook and loop fasteners. While pull tabs  312  and  322  are coupled to the belt using standard hook and loop fasteners, pull tabs  312  and  322  could be coupled to the belt in any other suitable manner without departing from the scope of the invention. 
     As used herein, and unless the context dictates otherwise, the term “coupled to” is intended to include both direct coupling (in which two elements that are coupled to each other contact each other) and indirect coupling (in which at least one additional element is located between the two elements). Therefore, the terms “coupled to” and “coupled with” are used synonymously. 
     It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that many more modifications besides those already described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. The inventive subject matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, in interpreting both the specification and the claims, all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In particular, the terms “comprises” and “comprising” should be interpreted as referring to elements, components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the referenced elements, components, or steps may be present, or utilized, or combined with other elements, components, or steps that are not expressly referenced. Where the specification claims refers to at least one of something selected from the group consisting of A, B, C . . . and N, the text should be interpreted as requiring only one element from the group, not A plus N, or B plus N, etc.