Abstract:
A back brace includes a first brace member having a first connector, and a second brace member having a second connector and a coupler at two opposite sides thereof. The coupler is detachably connectable to the first connector. A first adjustment holder is affixed to one end of the first brace member and holds therein a first rod member. A second adjustment holder is affixed to one end of the second brace member and holds therein a second rod member. Two pull cords are inserted through the first adjustment holder and the second adjustment holder and run alternately back and forth over the first rod member and the second rod member to adjustably and abuttably hold the first and second brace members side by side. Two fastening members are fastened to distal ends of the pull cords and detachably connectable to the First and second connectors.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a back brace for supporting the back of a person and more particularly to a back brace having pull cords for size adjustment. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    A regular back brace is generally formed of a soft elastic belt for wearing around the waist or abdomen of a person and a tape of hook member and a tape of loop member of a hook and loop fastener respectively provided at two opposite sides of the soft elastic belt for securing the soft elastic belt to the body of a person. When the user wants to adjust the tightness of the soft elastic belt subject to the desired tension, the user must separate the tape of hook member and the tape of loop member, and then pull the soft elastic belt to the desired tightness, and then fasten the tape of hook member and the tape of loop member together. Directly pulling the soft elastic belt to the desired tightness requires much effort. This adjustment operation is somewhat difficult to an old person, woman or patient who does not have great strength. 
         [0005]    To eliminate the aforesaid effort adjustment problem, back braces with electronic tension control means are developed. U.S. Pat. No. 5,346.461 discloses a similar design entitled “Electromechanical Back Brace Apparatus”. According to this patent, the back brace apparatus has electromechanical means for tightening a brace around the trunk of a patient to a desired tension. The electromechanical means is controllable by the patient to effect predetermined tension settings. Further, a cable and pulley arrangement tightened by a motor provides a mechanical advantage so that the brace may be tightened by a small motor. A microprocessor controls the motor to obtain the desired repeatable tension settings. This design allows the user to adjust the back brace subject to the desired tension conveniently without much effort. However, the electromechanical means uses expensive electronic component parts, and has a complicated structure. Because of high sale price, this design of back brace apparatus cannot be popularly accepted. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the primary objective of the present invention to provide a back brace, which allows adjustment of the tightness subject to the desired tension conveniently with less effort. 
         [0007]    It is another objective of the present invention to provide a back brace, which has a simple structure and is inexpensive to manufacture. 
         [0008]    To achieve these objectives of the present invention, the back brace provided by the present invention comprises first and second brace members, first and second adjustment holders, at least one pull cord, and two fastening members. The first brace member includes a first belt body and a first connector fixedly mounted on the first belt body. The second brace member includes a second belt body, a second connector mounted on the second belt body, and a coupler mounted on the second belt body opposite to the second connector and detachably connectable to the first connector. The first adjustment holder is mounted on the first belt body and holds a first rod member therein. The second adjustment holder is mounted on the second belt body and holds a second rod member therein. The pull cord is inserted through the first adjustment holder and the second adjustment holder and runs alternately back and forth over the first rod member and the second rod member to adjustably and abuttably hold the first and second brace members side by side. The pull cord has two opposite distal ends extending out of the first holder body and the second holder body. The fastening members are fastened to distal ends of the pull cord and detachably connectable to the first and second connectors respectively. 
         [0009]    Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         [0010]    The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a back brace constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a schematic drawing showing the back brace wound round the waist of a person; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a schematic drawing showing tightening adjustment of the back brace in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, and 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a schematic drawing showing loosening adjustment of the back brace in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-4 , a back brace  100  in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a first brace member  10 , a second brace member  20  a first adjustment holder  30 , a second adjustment holder  40  two pull cords  50  and  60  and two fastening members  70  and  80 . 
         [0016]    The first brace member  10  comprises a first belt body  11 , a first support plate  12 , and a first connector  13 . The first belt body  11  is made out of a soft, slightly elastic, flexible material, defining a first outer surface  111  and a first inner surface  112  opposite to the first outer surface  111 . The first support plate  12  is a hard member fixedly fastened to the first outer surface  111  adjacent to one end of the first belt body  11 . The first connector  13  is a tape of loop member of a hook and loop fastener fixedly mounted on and extending along the major axis of the first belt body  11 . 
         [0017]    The second brace member  20  comprises a second belt body  21 , a second support plate  22 , a second connector  23  and a coupler  24 . The second belt body  21  is made out of a soft, slightly elastic, flexible material, defining a second outer surface  211  and a second inner surface  212  opposite to the second outer surface  211 . The second support plate  22  is a hard member fixedly fastened to the second outer surface  211  adjacent to one end of the second belt body  21 . The second connector  23  is a tape of loop member of a hook and loop fastener fixedly mounted on and extending along the major axis of the second belt body  21 . The coupler  24  is a tape of hook member of a hook and loop fastener fixedly mounted on the second inner surface  212  of the second belt body  21  remote from the second support plate  22 , and detachably connectable to the first connector  13  of the first brace member  10 . 
         [0018]    The first adjustment holder  30  comprises a first holder body  31  and a first rod member  32 . The first holder body  31  includes a first bottom shell  311  and a first top cover shell  312 . The first bottom shell  311  is fixedly bonded to the first support plate  12  of the first brace member  10 . The first bottom shell  311  has a plurality of first protrusions  313  spacedly arranged in a line adjacent to one end of the first belt body  11 . The first rod member  32  is a round rod supported on the first protrusions  313 , thereby defining a plurality of first insertion holes  314  in between each two adjacent protrusions  313 . The first top cover shell  312  is covered on the first bottom shell  311  so that the first rod member  32  is retained between the first bottom shell  311  and the first top cover shell  312 . The first top cover shell  312  has a plurality of openings  315  disposed at two sides corresponding to the two distal ends of the first belt body  11  and in communication with the first insertion holes  314 . 
         [0019]    The second adjustment holder  40  comprises a second holder body  41  and a second rod member  42 . The second holder body  41  includes a second bottom shell  411  and a second top cover shell  412 . The second bottom shell  411  is fixedly bonded to the second support plate  22  of the second brace member  20 . The second bottom shell  411  has a plurality of second protrusions  413  spacedly arranged in a line adjacent to one end of the second belt body  21 . The second rod member  42  is a round rod supported on the second protrusions  413 , thereby defining a plurality of second insertion holes  414  in between each two adjacent protrusions  413 . The second top cover shell  412  is covered on the second bottom shell  411  so that the second rod member  42  is retained between the second bottom shell  411  and the second top cover shell  412 . The second top cover shell  412  has a plurality of openings  415  disposed at two sides corresponding to the two distal ends of the second belt body  21  and in communication with the second insertion holes  414 . 
         [0020]    One pull cord  50  is inserted through the first adjustment holder  30  and the second adjustment holder  40  and alternately running through the first insertion holes  314  on the upper half of the first brace member  10  and the second insertion holes  414  on the upper half of the second brace member  20  in a zigzag manner around the first rod member  32  and the second rod member  42 , and the two distal ends of the pull cord  50  are respectively extending out of the openings  315  and  415  of the first and second adjustment holder  30  and  40 . The other pull cord  60  is inserted through the first adjustment holder  30  and the second adjustment holder  40  and alternately running through the first insertion holes  314  on the lower half of the first brace member  10  and the second insertion holes  414  on the lower half of the second brace member  20  in a zigzag manner around the first rod member  32  and the second rod member  42 , and the two distal ends of the pull cord  60  are respectively extending out of the openings  315  and  415  of the first and second adjustment holder  30  and  40 . 
         [0021]    The two fastening members  70  and  80  are tapes of hook member of a hook and loop fastener. One fastening member  70  is fixedly connected with the ends of the two pull cords  50  and  60  that extend out of the openings  315  of the first adjustment holder  30 , and detachably connectable to the first connector  13  of the first brace member  10 . The other fastening member  80  is fixedly connected with the ends of the two pull cords  50  and  60  that extend out of the openings  415  of the second adjustment holder  40 , and detachably connectable to the second connector  23  of the second brace member  20 . 
         [0022]    After understanding of the structure of the component parts of the back brace  100  and their installation., the use and adjustment of the back brace  100  are described hereinafter. 
         [0023]    When the back brace  100  is used, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the first brace member  10  and the second brace member  20  are attached around the user&#39;s waist or abdomen, and the coupler  24  of the second brace member  20  is fastened to the first connector  13  of the first brace member  10 , thereby securing the back brace  100  to the user&#39;s waist or abdomen and holding the first and second support plates  12  and  22  on the back side of the user&#39;s body to support the muscles of the user&#39;s back and to keep the user&#39;s lumbar spine in shape. 
         [0024]    When adjusting the tightness of the back brace  100  after the back brace  100  is wound round the user&#39;s waist or abdomen, the user uses the two hands to detach the two fastening members  70  and  80  from the first and second connectors  13  and  14 . 
         [0025]    When wanting to tighten the tightness of the back brace  100 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , the user can pull the two fastening members  70  and  80  in direction away from the first and second adjustment holders  30  and  40  to stretch the two pull cords  50  and  60 , causing the rod members  34  and  42  of the adjustment holders  30  and  40  to be moved toward each other subject to the desired tension and then the two fastening members  70  and  80  are respectively fastened to the first and second connectors  13  and  14 . When wishing to loosen the tightness of the back brace  100  after disconnection of the two fastening members  70  and  80  from the first and second connectors  13  and  14 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , the user can move the two fastening members  70  and  80  in direction toward the first and second adjustment holders  30  and  40  for allowing the first brace member  10  and the second brace member  20  to be pulled apart and then fasten the two fastening members  70  and  80  to the first and second connectors  13  and  14 . By means of the aforesaid procedure, the user can conveniently adjust the tightness of the back brace  100 . 
         [0026]    As stated above, the two pull cords  50  and  60  extend over the first and second rod members  32  and  42  of the first and second adjustment holders  30  and  40  in a zigzag manner, and therefore the user can pull the pull cords  50  and  60  to move the first and second rod members  32  and  42  of the first and second adjustment holders  30  and  40  toward each other efficiently with less effort. Therefore an old person, woman or patient can adjust the tightness of the back brace  100  easily. Further, because the invention is a mechanical design, the manufacturing cost is low. 
         [0027]    In the aforesaid preferred embodiment, two pull cords are used; however: this design is not a limitation. Alternatively, the back brace can be made using one single pull cord or more than two pull cords to achieve the same effect. 
         [0028]    The invention being thus described it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.