Abstract:
A postural support apparatus comprising is provided including an biasing body comprising: a top member; a bottom member, spaced from the top member; and a left and right resilient members attached at each end of the top and bottom members. The left and right resilient members are configured to bias the top and bottom members into a predetermined position. The support apparatus also includes a load distributor connected to the biasing body configured to distribute a load force applied to the postural support apparatus.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present disclosure generally relates to portable equipment and in particular an apparatus for providing postural support and improved ventilation to a user while carrying portable equipment. 
         [0002]    An ideal posture, also referred to as a neutral posture, may result from a proper alignment of the spine. The ideal posture may provide a wide variety of benefits, such as a lower amount of energy may be required to maintain any desired position and movement may facilitated within optimal bio-kinematic ranges. Achieving and maintaining the ideal posture may also reduce the stress placed on the body&#39;s tissues (for example, see Danis, C. G.; Krebs, D. E.; Gill-Body, K. M.; Sahrmann, S. (1998),  Relationship between standing posture and stability , Journal of the American Physical Therapy Association, pp. 502-517). The ideal posture may also optimize breathing, oxygenation and circulation of bodily fluids such as lymph, cerebral spinal fluid, and blood. 
         [0003]    Postural alterations or modifications that deviate from the ideal posture are known to be associated with numerous afflictions such as: general pain syndromes (for example, low back pain, neck pain, headaches); problems with specific joints (for example the hip and knee); problems with specific spinal regions (for example, loss of normal low back curve, cervical kyphosis and a reversal of normal neck curvatures); and various organ ailments (for example, uterine prolapse, gastric herniation, and impaired respiratory function). Postural alternations may also affect morbidity and mortality (for example, see Kado D M, Huang M H, Karlamangla A S, Barrett-Connor E, Greendale G A. Hyperkyphotic posture predicts mortality in older community-dwelling men and women: a prospective study. J Am Geriatr Soc 2004;52:1662-1667; 28 Milne J S, Williamson J. A longitudinal study of kyphosis in older people. Age and Ageing 1983;12:225-233 and Anderson F, Cowan N R. Survival of healthy older people. Br J Prey Soc Med 1976;30:231-232). 
         [0004]    The carrying of portable equipment may cause, or exacerbate, a person to deviate from the ideal posture. For example, soldiers and law enforcement personnel often wear personal body armor. Due to the rigid nature and necessary weight of the armor, to provide the desired protection, users of body armor often complain about lack of comfort and various ailments, which may be linked to deviating from the ideal posture. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    A postural support apparatus is described further below. The apparatus comprises a biasing body which includes a top member, a bottom member spaced from the top member, and left and right resilient members attached at each end of the top and bottom members. The left and right resilient members are configured to bias the top and bottom members into a predetermined position. The support apparatus further includes a removable load distributor connected to the biasing body configured to distribute a load force applied to the postural support apparatus. A stabilizer is provided to link the left and right resilient members. 
         [0006]    The apparatus may improve the comfort and posture of a user while carrying portable equipment. For example, the apparatus may be attachable to, or integrated with, various portable equipment including: personal body armor, backpacks, fire resistant equipment and clothing, respiratory systems, gas tanks and the like. Carrying such portable equipment may cause the user to deviate from an ideal posture. For example, personal body armor often includes storage pockets for ancillary equipment, such as ammunition and the like, on the front for ease of access. The rigidity of the armor, the overall weight of the armor and any ancillary equipment, an unequal weight distribution, and prolonged exposure are various factors that may contribute to a user deviating from the ideal posture. 
         [0007]    The biasing member (resilient members) may bias the apparatus and the user towards a neural spine position while carrying portable equipment. Further, the load distributor may more evenly distribute the weight of the portable equipment through the user&#39;s lumbar region as well as lift weight off the user&#39;s shoulders. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a dorsal view of an example postural support apparatus, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a ventral view of the postural support apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a dorsal view of the resilient unitary body portion of the postural support apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3 a    is a side view of the resilient unitary body portion of the postural support apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a dorsal view of the biasing body portion of the postural support apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a side view of the biasing body portion of the postural support apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a dorsal isometric view of the stabilizer portion of the postural support apparatus made in accordance with the invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is a ventral isometric view of the stabilizer portion of the postural support apparatus shown in  FIG. 6 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  is an isometric view of the postural support apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  is an isometric view of a lumbar support unit for use with the postural support apparatus shown in  FIG. 8 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 10  is a side view of the postural support apparatus shown in  FIG. 8  with the lumbar support unit shown in  FIG. 9  attached thereto. 
           [0019]      FIG. 11  is a sectional view of a person wearing the postural support apparatus of the present invention under body armor. 
           [0020]      FIG. 12  is ventral view of a body armor carrier having the postural support apparatus of the present invention incorporated therein. 
       
    
    
       [0021]    In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0022]    Referring firstly to  FIG. 1 , one embodiment of a postural support apparatus made in accordance with the present invention is shown generally as item  10  and includes a biasing body  11  mounted to a load distributor  20 . The biasing body  11  has opposite top end  14  and bottom end  12  and opposite sides  16  and  18 . Load distributor  20  has lower portion  24  and upper portion  22  which are configured to securely retain bottom ends  12  and top end  14 , respectively. Vent member  26  is coupled to both portions  22  and  24  at opposite ends thereof. Load distributor  20  is made of a flexible and strong fabric and, preferably, vent member  26  is made of a fabric mesh which is capable of permitting air and moisture to pass there through. Sides  16  and  18  are flexible and resilient so as to bias portions  22  and  24  into a predetermined position (see  FIG. 10 ) and keep vent member  26  taught. 
         [0023]    Referring now to  FIG. 3 , biasing body  11  preferably comprises a single unitary spring like member. Body  11  could be formed as any spring like material such as fiberglass, plastic, carbon fiber, metal or composites thereof. Most preferably, body  11  consists of a loop of large gauge metal wire which is both resilient and flexible: essentially a large wire spring. Top end  14  of body  11  is formed as two lobes  32  and  34  with arched portion  36  between them which extends towards bottom end  12 . Resilient sides  16  and  18  are bent towards each other at points  28  and  30 , respectively, so that the space separating resilient sides  16  and  18  is narrowest at those points. This narrowing of the separation between the resilient sides permits body  11  to flex from side to side with greater ease. As best seen in  FIG. 3 a   , body  11  is arched so that ends  14  and  12  are biased towards a predetermined position to form an arch with centre portion  29  positioned at the apex of the arch. As shall be discussed below, this arched shape permits the formation of an air space between the user&#39;s back and body  11 . As can be seen in  FIG. 4 , a stabilizer  38  is positioned at center portion  29  to provide additional structural support. Portions  28  and  30  of biasing body  11  are secured around stabilizer  38  to secure the stabilizer and prevent center portions  28  and  30  from moving relative to each other which might cause collapse of the arch formed in biasing body  11 . 
         [0024]    Referring now to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , stabilizer  38  preferably consists of a plastic member having opposite ends  40 , central body  39  and tabs  42  positioned at ends  40 . One side of central body  39  has a raised portion  44  which is configured to fit in gap  46  of articulating body  11  (see  FIG. 3 ). Ends  40  and tabs  42  are configured to permit the stabilizer to be threaded into the biasing body  11  such that the stabilizer is held securely by tension and raised portion  44  prevents the two sides of body  11  from physically touching. 
         [0025]    Referring back to  FIG. 1 , bottom portion  24  of load distributor  20  has a pocket  46  which is dimensioned and configured to snugly retain end  12  of biasing body  11 . Likewise, top portion  22  of load distributor  20  is provided with pockets  48  and  50  to snugly receive the lobes of end  14  of biasing body  11 . 
         [0026]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , adjustable straps  52  and  54  are provided between upper and lower portions  22  and  24  to permit a user to adjust the distance between the upper and lower portions of the load distributor by pulling on tabs  56  and  58 . Ideally, the lengths of straps  52  and  54  are adjusted to keep vent member  26  taught. 
         [0027]    Upper portion  20  is provided with shoulder extensions  60  and  62 , which preferably consist of stiff but flexible extensions which help to distribute part of the weight born by the postural support apparatus off of the user&#39;s shoulders. Lower portion  24  is provided with an adjustable strap attachment  66  and upper portion  22  is provided with adjustable straps  65  for attaching to a body armor carrier or the like. Both portions  22  and  24  are provided with pads  64  to help make the postural support apparatus comfortable when worn. 
         [0028]    Referring now to  FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 , a lumbar support member  68  can be provided which is releasably attachable to portion  24  by straps  70 . As mentioned previously, air gap  72  is formed by the arch of biasing member  11  between the biasing member  11  and vent member  26 . 
         [0029]    Referring now to  FIG. 11 , user  78  can wear postural support apparatus  10  under body armor carrier  76 . When so worn, the weight of the body armor and other equipment (not shown) carried on body armor carrier  76  is distributed more or less equally along the user&#39;s back  74  by means of upper portion  22 , lower portion  24  and vent portion  26 . Some of the weight is lifted off of the user&#39;s shoulders  80  by the extensions on the upper portion. Air gap  72  is maintained by biasing member  11  so that the user&#39;s back remains cool. Being flexible, postural support apparatus  10  can move and articulate while the user moves about. The resilient spring like nature of biasing member  11  ensures that the weight of the load is always distributed along the user&#39;s back and shoulders more evenly regardless of how the user moves. As shown in  FIG. 12 , a body armor carrier  100  can be constructed with postural support apparatus  10  pre-attached by means of stitching  110  and  112  or by other means known generally in the art such as adhesive bonding or zippers. This forms an integral structure which can be easier to use and which will have less play as the postural support apparatus will be more tightly held to the body armor carrier. 
         [0030]    This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art.