Abstract:
An auxiliary elastic device for a joint protector is capable of producing auxiliary elasticity for human joints. The device includes a connecting body connected to a multiple of serially and pivotally coupled pivots, a through slot penetrated through the connecting body, and at least one stripe elastic rib movably installed in the through slot and capable of providing an elastic supporting force and an elastic restoring force when human joints are bent, so as to achieve the effect of reducing the burden of the joints.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to an auxiliary elastic device applied to a joint protector and capable of producing an auxiliary elasticity for human joints during activities. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Description of the Related Art 
         [0003]    The pace of walking starts from striking the heel on the ground, setting the body in a vertical standing posture, pivoting the ankle to let the tip of the toe fall onto the ground, changing the pace to lift the heel until the tip of the toe leaves the ground while swinging the leg forward to prepare for striking the heel on the ground again for the next motion cycle. During the walking process, both legs execute the same motion cycle alternately to achieve the effect of moving forward. In the meantime, the knees are situated at an upright state or a bending state to bear the human body weight, and thus it is better to wear a joint protector to protect users, reduce pressure, and avoid knee injury while doing intensive exercise or receiving limb rehabilitation. 
         [0004]    The joint protector is primarily used for supporting, guiding and limiting the range of the knee joint movement when the legs are moving. For various different exercises or rehabilitations, different types of joint protectors are developed. For example, these joint protectors include one having an elastic soft fabric wound into a cylindrical shape and wrapped around a knee joint as disclosed in R.O.C. Pat. No. TW M408396, a protective pad added to the front of the knee patella as disclosed in R.O.C. Pat. No. TW M447791, or those having a plurality of elastic metal strips that can be bent or straightened with the leg movement and can provide auxiliary elastic force and supporting force to reduce the knee pressure during the process of squatting or getting up as disclosed in R.O.C. Pat. No. TWM313535, and U.S. Pat. Nos. US20120004584, U.S. Pat. No. 3,473,527, U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,871, U.S. Pat. No. 4,366,813. 
         [0005]    However, the manufacture of the elastic metal strip is limited by the coefficient of elasticity of metal, and the elastic metal strip are manufactured in the form of a plate, a spiral, or a torque spring to provide sufficient auxiliary elastic force and prevent excessive deformation of the elastic support bar and the situation that cannot be restored. However, elastic metal incurs a higher cost, and the manufacture of the elastic metal strip in form of a spiral or a torque spring has a larger volume, so that the thickness of the protector cannot be reduced, and it is uncomfortable to wear a thick protector. 
         [0006]    In the aforementioned prior arts, the elastic metal strip is fixed to the joint protector and cannot be detached. After a long time of use, the joint protector will become dirty due to sweat or other factors and need cleaning. Obviously, it is relatively more difficult to clean the conventional joint protector, and the elastic metal strip may be damaged, oxidized or rusted. 
         [0007]    In view of the drawbacks of the prior art, the inventor of the present invention based on years of experience in the related industry to conduct extensive researches and experiments, and finally designed and developed an auxiliary elastic device to overcome the drawbacks of the conventional protector with a high cost of the elastic support bar, a large volume of the protector, and uncomfortable to wear. 
         [0008]    2. Summary of the Invention 
         [0009]    Therefore, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide an auxiliary elastic device for a joint protector, and the device is installed to the joint protector and configured to be corresponsive to an external side of the human joint, and the device can produce an auxiliary elasticity for the joint during human activities. 
         [0010]    To achieve the aforementioned and other objectives, the present invention discloses an auxiliary elastic device comprising: a connecting body, coupled to a plurality of serially and pivotally coupled pivots; and a through slot, penetrating through the connecting body; and at least one stripe elastic rib, movably installed in the through slot; wherein both ends of the connecting body are inserted and sheathed on two positioning plates respectively, and the positioning plates are capable of mounting the connecting body to the joint protector, and the connecting body and the elastic rib are capable of bending with the human joint moving direction, and one of the elastic ribs is capable of providing an auxiliary elasticity of an elastic supporting force and an elastic restoring force when the human joint bends. 
         [0011]    After a user wears the joint protector, the auxiliary elastic device is installed to an external side of the human joint, and the positioning plates at both ends of the auxiliary elastic device are installed to the external side of the user&#39;s thigh and the external side of the user&#39;s calf. When the user performs different exercises such as jogging, walking, squatting or getting up, the connecting body and elastic rib can be bent or straightened with the joint moving direction. Particularly, the elastic rib can provide an elastic supporting force and an elastic restoring force when the human joint bends, while achieving the effect of reducing the weight of the joint protector and the burden of the joint. 
         [0012]    The present invention is elaborated by the following embodiment. 
         [0013]    In an embodiment, the plurality of pivots of the connecting body further includes a central connector disposed at the mid-section position of the connecting body, and an external end of the pivot disposed separately at both ends of the connecting body is pivotally coupled to the fitting member that is sheathed on the two positioning plates separately, and the through slot penetrates through each pivot, the central connector and the two fitting members. 
         [0014]    In an embodiment, the two positioning plates further include an inserted slot each formed in a direction facing both ends of the connecting body and provided for inserting and sheathing the fitting members, so that the connecting body can be mounted onto the joint protector conveniently through the insert or removed from the joint protector to facilitating cleaning the joint protector. 
         [0015]    In an embodiment, two auxiliary positioning plates are extended outwardly from both sides of the central connector, and the two auxiliary positioning plates are fixable to the joint protector. 
         [0016]    In an embodiment, the auxiliary elastic device further comprises a pivot tab extended from the pivoting position among the adjacent pivots, the central connector and the two fitting members, and every two adjacent pivot tabs are coupled to each other, and a shaft is passed and installed to the middle position of the two coupled pivot tabs, so that the two coupled pivot tabs can be deflected with an angle by using each shaft as the center, and the connecting body comprised of the plurality of pivots, the central connector, and the two fitting members is in a bending state. 
         [0017]    In an embodiment, each pivot tab is in form of a circular plate, and a stop portion is protruded to the outside of the pivot tab, and after every two coupled pivot tabs are deflected for an angle, the stop portions of the two pivot tabs abut against each other to limit the angle of deflection between the stop portions, so as to limit the bending curvature of the connecting body and prevent a too-large bending curvature of the connecting body that may crack or break the elastic rib. 
         [0018]    In an embodiment, the two positioning plates and the two auxiliary positioning plates are flexible fabrics or plastic cushions sewed onto the joint protector. 
         [0019]    In an embodiment, the two positioning plates and the two auxiliary positioning plates are Velcro tapes for attaching the joint protector, so that the connecting body can be positioned quickly and securely to different models of joint protectors through the Velcro tapes. 
         [0020]    In an embodiment, the elastic rib is made of a carbon fiber material or a glass fiber material, and such materials not just provide the elastic supporting force and the elastic restoring force when the user&#39;s joint bends only, but also facilitate the mass production and have the advantages of adjustable length, low production cost, small volume, and high water and corrosion resistance. 
         [0021]    Compared with the prior art, the connecting body and the elastic rib of the present invention can be bent or straightened with the joint moving direction. Particularly, the elastic rib is made of a carbon fiber material or a glass fiber material and capable of providing an elastic supporting force and an elastic restoring force when the human joint bends, as well as achieving the effect of reducing the weight of the joint protector and the burden of the joint. 
         [0022]    In addition, the two positioning plates may be flexible fabrics, plastic cushions, Velcro tapes or in form of insert slots that provide different fixation methods, and thus not just having the effect of facilitating the cleaning of the joint protector only, but also extending the scope of applicability of the auxiliary elastic device. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0023]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of an installation position of the present invention; 
           [0024]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the present invention; 
           [0025]      FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the present invention; 
           [0026]      FIG. 4  is a schematic view of an auxiliary elastic device of the present invention in a non-bending state; 
           [0027]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0028]      FIG. 6  is a first schematic view of an auxiliary elastic device of the present invention in a bending state; 
           [0029]      FIG. 7  is a second schematic view of an auxiliary elastic device of the present invention in a bending state; 
           [0030]      FIG. 8  is a third schematic view of an auxiliary elastic device of the present invention in a bending state; and 
           [0031]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of  FIG. 8 . 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0032]    The above and other objects, features and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings. 
         [0033]    With reference to  FIG. 1  for an auxiliary elastic device for a human joint in accordance with the present invention, the auxiliary elastic device is installed to a joint protector  1  and configured to be corresponsive to an external side of the human joint. The auxiliary elastic device comprises a connecting body  2 , and two positioning plates  10  sheathed on both ends of the connecting body  2  respectively and provided for mounting the connecting body  2  onto the joint protector  1 . 
         [0034]    In  FIGS. 1 to 3 , the connecting body  2  comprises a plurality of serially and pivotally coupled pivots  20 , a central connector  30  pivotally installed at a mid-section position of the plurality of pivots  20 , and a fitting member  40  pivotally and separately coupled to the external side of both ends of the pivot  20  of the connecting body  2 . The quantity of pivots  20  may be adjusted according to user requirements. The more the pivots  20 , the longer the assembled connecting body  2 . 
         [0035]    The connecting body  2  includes a through slot  50  passing through each of the pivots  20 , a central connector  30  and two fitting members  40 , and at least one stripe elastic rib  51  is movably installed in the through slot  50 , and the connecting body  2  and the elastic rib  51  can bend with the human joint moving direction. There may be a plurality of elastic ribs  51  when needed, and the elastic ribs  51  can provide an auxiliary elasticity of an elastic supporting force and an elastic restoring force when the human joint bends. In an embodiment, the elastic rib  51  may be made of a carbon fiber material or a glass fiber material to facilitate mass production, and its length may be adjusted according to the quantity of pivots  20 . The elastic rib  51  has the advantages of low production cost, small volume, and high water and corrosion resistance. 
         [0036]    The two positioning plates  10  further include an insert slot  11  formed in a direction facing both ends of the connecting body  2  and provided for inserting or sheathing the fitting member  40 , so that the connecting body  2  can be installed to the joint protector  1  conveniently through the insert slot  11  or removed from the joint protector  1  conveniently to facilitate the cleaning of the joint protector  1 . 
         [0037]    In addition, the central connector  30  further has two auxiliary positioning plates  12  extended outwardly from both sides of the central connector  30 , and the auxiliary positioning plates  12  may be fixed to the joint protector  1 . In an embodiment, the two positioning plates  10  and the two auxiliary positioning plates  12  are flexible fabrics or plastic cushions sewed onto the joint protector  1  or Velcro tapes attached onto the joint protector  1 , so that the connecting body  2  can be positioned quickly and securely onto different models of joint projectors  1  through the Velcro tape. In the figures, the two positioning plates  10  are plastic cushions, and each positioning plate  10  and its corresponsive insert slot  11  are integrally formed. 
         [0038]    In an embodiment of the connecting body  2 , a pivot tab  60  is extended from a pivoting position between the adjacent pivots  20 , central connector  30 , and two fitting members  40 , and every two adjacent pivot tabs  60  are coupled to each other, and a shaft  61  is passed and installed at the middle position of two coupled pivot tabs  60 , so that the two coupled pivot tabs  60  can be deflected with an angle by using each shaft  61  as the center, such that the connecting body  2  comprised of the plurality of pivots  20 , the central connector  30  and the two fitting members  40  is in a bending state. 
         [0039]    Each pivot tab  60  is in form of a circular plate and has a stop portion  62  protruded to the outside. With reference to  FIGS. 4 and 5  for an auxiliary elastic device of the present invention in a non-bending state, the stop portions  62  of the two pivot tabs  60  abut against each other to restrict the connecting body  2  from bending in an opposite direction. In  FIGS. 6 to 9 , after the two coupled pivot tabs  60  are deflected with an angle, the stop portions  62  of the two pivot tabs  60  abut against each other to restrict the angle of deflection between the two, so as to limit the bending curvature of the connecting body  2  and prevent a too-large bending curvature of the connecting body  2  that may crack or break the elastic rib  51 . 
         [0040]    In the aforementioned structure, after a user has worn the joint protector  1 , the auxiliary elastic device is installed to the external side of the human joint, and the positioning plates  10  at both ends are installed to the external side of a human thigh and the external side of a human calf respectively. When the user perform different types of exercises such as jogging, walking, squatting, or getting up, the connecting body  2  and the elastic rib  51  can be bent or straightened with the joint moving direction, and when the elastic rib  51  can an elastic supporting force and an elastic restoring force when the human joint bends. The invention also has the effect of reducing the weight of the joint protector  1  and the burden of the joint. 
         [0041]    In addition, when the connecting body  2  is bent or straightened, the length of the connecting body  2  is changed, so that the fitting member  40  can move slightly in the insert slot  11  of the positioning plate  10  when the human joint is moving, so as to prevent the two positioning plates  10  from affecting the curvature angle of the connecting body  2 .