Abstract:
A sling construction is provided that includes an improved support strap for more uniformly distributing the weight of the supported arm of the wearer&#39;s shoulder while preventing strap bunching and creep. The strap is preferably formed from an elastomer or a rubber that is relatively compliant yet has a low coefficient of elongation. This allows the strap to be highly supportive of the sling while also conforming to the contour of the wearer&#39;s neck and shoulders in a manner that makes the strap and sling comfortable to wear. The inner contact surface of the strap includes nubs or raised features that prevent the strap from sliding. Further, the improved strap support construction may be used in a modular fashion in conjunction with standard sling pouches or with an enhanced sling pouch in order to greatly improve the performance and appearance of the sling.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is related to and claims priority from earlier filed U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/806,949, filed Jul. 11, 2006, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to a sling assembly for comfortably supporting the arm of a wearer. More specifically, the present invention is directed to an improved sling assembly that provides enhanced ability to uniformly distribute the weight of the supported arm across the wearer&#39;s shoulder while also providing auxiliary storage space such that the combination tends to increase user compliance with the need to wear a sling. 
         [0003]    In the medical and rehabilitative therapy industries, there commonly arises the need to support and/or immobilize the arm of a person against the torso of the body as treatment for an injury to various parts of the arm and/or shoulder. In particular, an injury to the shoulder presents difficulty because the rotational capabilities of the shoulder, while enhancing the function of the joint, also complicate treatment of the shoulder following injury or surgery. Such treatment frequently requires determining a desired optimal healing position of the shoulder and associated arm, placement of the shoulder and associated arm in the desired healing position and immobilization of the shoulder and arm in the desired healing position. This type of treatment is particularly applicable, but not limited, to soft tissue injuries involving damage to one or more connective shoulder ligaments and furthermore is oftentimes the treatment of choice following any number of surgical procedures, including surgery for recurrent posterior subluxation, rotator cuff surgery, humeral head or shaft fracture correction and the like. Healing occurs inter alia through diminution of inflammation and/or regeneration of muscle tissues, which is promoted by removing stress from the injured or surgically corrected joint. In most cases, such positioning of the shoulder and/or arm typically requires that the arm that extends from the injured shoulder be placed into an orthopedic support device so that the arm is supported while allowing the shoulder to heal. 
         [0004]    Support devices, such as orthopedic braces, rigid casts, slings and the like are commonly employed alone or in combination for the positioning, support and immobilization of the shoulder with varying degrees of success. For example, rigid casts, which are typically molded plaster or resin, have traditionally been used as joint immobilizers. The rigid cast may be replaced from time to time as swelling is reduced. However, the disadvantages of rigid casts are well known. Rigid casts are heavy and uncomfortable to wear and are relatively laborious and complex to apply. Rigid casts may also unduly limit the mobility of the patient and cause joint stiffening and muscle atrophy. In addition, wound and skin treatments and bathing must usually be postponed until the rigid cast is removed. 
         [0005]    Similarly, there are numerous problems associated with conventional arm slings or supports. These problems arise because such devices support the weight of the arm using a strap that passes over the wearer&#39;s shoulder and rests against the base of the wearer&#39;s neck. These problems are generally the result of the manner in which such slings are constructed. In particular, a traditional sling normally includes at least one strap that wraps around the neck or over the shoulder for supporting the arm cuff and thereby the arm in the desired orientation. In this arrangement, most of the weight of the arm is borne by the person&#39;s neck and collarbone on the opposite side of the supported arm. This can become very tiring and very uncomfortable, especially if the weight of a cast is also involved. The fact that the weight is borne fully by the narrow strap means that the strap consequently supports the entire weight of the arm such that the strap concentrates this force on a very small area of the body. Further contributing to this problem is the fact that the straps are formed from a light weight webbing that slides around on the users shoulder and tends to bunch up further concentrating the point to which the load is transferred. As a result, traditional arm slings are often uncomfortable thereby causing neck pain and frictional abrasion for the wearer and, in some extreme cases, may cause injuries of their own at the support contact points. 
         [0006]    In an attempt to overcome the drawbacks resulting from the bunching and sliding of the sling strap, many prior art devices employ a pad arrangement that is installed into the strap at the location where the strap crosses the wearer&#39;s neck and shoulders. In most cases, this type of arrangement includes foam padding of some sort that is stitched into a fabric pocket that in turn surrounds the strap or is inserted into the strap, with the strap being attached at both ends thereof. With long term wear however, these pads become smelly and dirty while also breaking down under the load and losing their consistency. In most cases, these pads over time deteriorate to the point that they also bunch much like the fabric straps described above. Accordingly, even the padded straps begin to introduce increased and uneven distribution of weight across the wearer&#39;s shoulder and neck causing the wearer to stop using the sling. 
         [0007]    Finally, conventional slings or arm supports are unsightly as they are formed from a fabric that typically emulates the hospital environment having a medicinal appearance in which they are implemented and appear as drab green or blue fabric. All of these drawbacks together generally result in a low frequency of compliance on the part of the user in wearing the necessary sling for the proscribed period of time. 
         [0008]    Accordingly, there is a need for a sling that has an improved construction for better distributing the supported weight over the wearer&#39;s neck and shoulders. Further there is a need for a sling that includes a support strap that provides a more uniform and positive distribution of the supported weight without slipping or bunching so as to reduce stress on the wearer&#39;s cervical spine. There is still a further need for a sling design that employs a strap that has a uniform cross section that prevents bunching while also having a soft feel in order achieve an improved distribution of the supported weight in a manner that assists in increasing wearer compliance with the wearing of the sling. Finally, there is a need for such a sling assembly that includes an improved appearance and integrated storage pockets thereby further enhancing the wearability of the sling. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    In this regard, the present invention provides a sling construction that includes an improved support strap for more uniformly distributing the weight of the supported arm of the wearer&#39;s shoulder while preventing strap bunching and creep. Further, the present invention provides for the use of the improved strap support construction in conjunction with an enhanced sling pouch in order to greatly improve the performance and appearance of the sling. 
         [0010]    In accordance with the present invention, the strap portion of the sling is preferably formed from a compliant material that has a soft feel against the wearer&#39;s neck and shoulders yet that has sufficient body to resist bunching across its cross section. In this manner the width of the strap remains consistent over the contact areas on the wearer, thereby providing an even distribution of the supported weight. The strap is preferably formed from an elastomer or a rubber that is relatively compliant yet has a low coefficient of elongation. This allows the strap to be highly supportive of the sling while also conforming to the contour of the wearer&#39;s neck and shoulders in a manner that makes the strap and sling comfortable to wear. Further, the inner contact surface of the strap includes nubs or raised features that prevent the strap from sliding. The integrated non-slip features prevent the strap from moving, thereby eliminating irritation of the wearer&#39;s skin and also serve to provide better balance of the supported weight against the wearer&#39;s shoulders. 
         [0011]    The strap of the present invention may be made as an integrated component with a sling pouch attached permanently thereto or as a retrofit strap that can be implemented with existing sling pouches. Building the strap in this manner allows for several advantageous features. First, the strap can be modular allowing its use with existing sling pouches. Second, the strap can be made to be easily adjustable by fitting its ends with hook and loop fastener strips and passing them through rings provided on the sling pouch. Finally, the strap can be marketed with modular interchangeable sling pouches so that a wearer can select slings that mach their personal fashion tastes or to coordinate with the garments that the sling will be worn over. 
         [0012]    The sling pouch of the present invention is formed much like sling pouches of the prior art. The pouch has sidewalls that extend upwardly wherein the sidewalls are also attached at the rear of the pouch wherein the wearer&#39;s arm is inserted in the pouch and is supported from the bottom as well as behind the elbow. The attachment points for the strap are provided at the top of the sidewalls both at the rear where the sidewalls are closed and at the front where the sidewalls are open and the user&#39;s hand would extend therefrom. The strap may be stitched directly into the sling pouch as was stated above or threaded through rings that are affixed to the sling pouch to allow adjustment of the strap length and the relative height of the sling on the wearer. 
         [0013]    Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sling that has an improved construction for better distributing the supported weight over the wearer&#39;s neck and shoulders. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a sling that includes a support strap that provides a more uniform and positive distribution of the supported weight without slipping or bunching. It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a sling design that employs a strap that has a uniform cross section that prevents bunching while also having a soft feel in order achieve an improved distribution of the supported weight in a manner that assists in increasing wearer compliance with the wearing of the sling. Finally, it is an object of the invention to provide a sling assembly that includes an improved appearance and integrated storage pockets thereby further enhancing the wearability of the sling. 
         [0014]    These together with other objects of the invention, along with various features of novelty, which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    In the drawings which illustrate the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the present invention: 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a the sling and support strap of the present invention supporting the arm of a wearer; 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of the sling and support strap of the present invention depicting an embodiment with an adjustable length strap; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a fixed length one-piece support strap as provided in the present invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an adjustable length three-piece support strap as provided in the present invention; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view taken along the line  5 - 5  in  FIG. 4 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]    Now referring to the drawings, the sling assembly  10  including the sling pouch  12  and support strap  14  are shown and generally illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The sling assembly  10  can be seen to generally include a sling pouch  12  and a sling support strap  14  that is affixed to the sling pouch  12 . The sling pouch  12  is configured to receive the wearer&#39;s arm  16  in a substantially fixed position and includes first  18  and second  20  attachment points to which first  22  and second  24  ends of the support strap  14  are affixed. The support strap  14  extends upwardly from one of the attachment points  20  on the sling pouch  12 , around the wearer&#39;s back, across their neck, over one of the wearer&#39;s shoulders  26  and back to the other attachment point  18  on the sling pouch  12 . In this manner, the support strap  14  and sling pouch  12  cooperate to receive and support the wearer&#39;s arm  16  from a support surface on a wearer&#39;s body, such as for example the wearer&#39;s shoulder  26 . 
         [0022]    The sling pouch  12  is preferably a fabric pouch that cradles the wearer&#39;s arm  16  by extending upwardly along the sides thereof. Preferably, the back of the sling pouch  12  is closed so that the closed end serves to cradle the wearer&#39;s elbow. It is also preferable that the sling pouch  12  of the present invention be formed so as to be modular. In other words, the sling pouch  12  is formed so that the support strap  14  can easily be removed from the sling pouch  12  and a different sling pouch  12  substituted for use in the sling assembly  10 . In this regard, the present invention anticipates that the sling pouches  12  can be produced in a variety of different fabrics and may include printed patterns  28 . By offering different sling pouch  12  styles, the wearer is provided a broad range of sling pouch  12  selections. This allows a wearer to select a sling pouch  12  that most closely matches their fashion tastes or their particular wardrobe. 
         [0023]    It can also be seen that the sling pouch  12  is formed to include a small pocket  30  on the front sidewall thereof that further includes a closure means in the form of a flap  32  that folds down over the pocket  30  opening. Similarly, this closure may be accomplished through the use of hook and loop fasteners, zippers, buttons, snaps or any other pocket closure means known to one skilled in the relevant art. The inclusion of the pocket  30  on the sling pouch  12  allows a wearer to store personal belongings such as keys, money, credit cards or other small items of value making the sling assembly  10  a convenience article and often eliminating the need for a purse as the wearing of a sling often conflicts with the carrying of a purse. As can best be seen in  FIG. 2 , the sling pouch  12  also preferably includes a second pocket  34  that is sized and particularly configured to receive and retain a cellular telephone or personal digital assistant (PDA)  36  to further enhance the convenience of the sling and reduce the need to carry other items in separate bags or the like. 
         [0024]    Referring again to  FIG. 2 , the support strap  14  can be seen to engage at a first end  22  thereof with a first attachment point  18  on the sling pouch  12  and at a second end thereof  24  with a second attachment point  20  on the sling pouch  12 . Additionally, as can be seen in more detail in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the support strap  14  may have a fixed length ( FIG. 3 ) or an adjustable length ( FIG. 4 ). Further the support strap  14  may be fixed on both ends, adjustable on both ends or have one fixed end and one adjustable end. The sling strap  14  may be affixed directly to the sling pouch  12  or may include D-rings  38  or other attachment loops that facilitate the sling pouch  12  and support strap  14  being separate modular components thereby allowing the interchangeability described above. Generally, the support strap  14  of the present invention is formed from a flexible polymer material having a low coefficient of elongation such that the flexibility of the support strap  14  allows it to conform to the support surfaces, such as the wearer&#39;s shoulder  26  and neck without compression of the width  40  or cross sectional area  42  of the support strap  14 . 
         [0025]    As was stated above, prior art straps were typically formed from webbing and sometimes included a foam pad arrangement of some kind. Over time the prior art straps compressed in both their thickness and bunched across their widths causing a reduction of the contact area on the wearer&#39;s neck and shoulder across which the supported weight was distributed. This bunching caused discomfort in the wearer&#39;s shoulders and made it easier for the strap to rid up against and chafe or pinch the wearer&#39;s neck. In contrast, as can be seen best in  FIG. 5 , the support strap  14  of the present invention has a width  40  and a cross sectional area  42  such that the support strap  14  body is formed entirely a flexible polymer material across its entire cross sectional profile. In this regard the cross sectional profile of the support strap  14  is homogeneous and formed only form a single material. This flexible polymer material has sufficient durometer that it will not bunch and when loaded will not experience any significant compression across the width  40  or cross sectional area  42  of the support strap  14  while remaining flexible enough to conform to the contours of the wearer&#39;s shoulder and neck. This feature makes the support strap  14  of the present invention much more comfortable for the wearer as compared to the slings in the prior art. Further, the polymer material selected for the support strap  14  of the present invention must have a low coefficient of elongation such that the support strap  14  will not experience any significant stretching along its length when loaded and supporting an average human arm  16  weighing between approximately 11 and 14 pounds. 
         [0026]    The support strap  14  of the present invention, being formed from a flexile polymer such as an elastomer or a natural rubber, can be shaped using any known technique for forming polymers including but not limited to extrusion, compression molding and injection molding. In forming the support strap  14 , at least a portion of an inner surface thereof is formed to include integrally molded protrusions  44  that serve to better grip the supporting surfaces of the wearer and maintain the support strap  14  in the correct position on the wearer&#39;s shoulder and/or neck. These protrusions  44  may be raised bumps, circles, diamonds, pyramids, wavy lines, etc. provided they serve to enhance the gripping action of the contact surface on the inner side of the support strap  14 . It should be further appreciated that rather than forming the entire surface of the support strap  14  to include the raised protrusions  44 , the support strap  14  may be formed to include a first end  22 , a second end  24  and a central contact region  25  that includes the raised protrusions  44 . In this regard, as depicted in  FIG. 4 , the first  22  and second  24  ends and the central region  25  may be stitched, adhered or heat welded together to form the support strap  14 . 
         [0027]    While the support strap  14  may be formed to have a fixed length using s single piece of material extending from end to end with stitching therein as depicted in  FIG. 3 , the support strap  14  may also be formed to have an adjustable length as depicted in  FIG. 4 . The support strap  14  in  FIG. 4  can be seen to include one fixed end  24  and an adjustable end  22  that is looped and attached back onto itself using hook and loop fasteners  46 . This arrangement allows the support strap  14  to have an adjustable length. In the alternative, buttons, hooks, snaps, etc. may be used in place of the hook and loop fasteners  46  in order to facilitate the adjustment feature of the support strap  44 . Such looped ends with releasable fasteners also allows for the support strap  14  to be modular in that it can be easily removed from one sling pouch  12  and affixed to an alternate sling pouch  12 . 
         [0028]    It can therefore be seen that the present inventing provides a sling assembly  10  that includes an enhanced support strap  14  that better distributes the supported weight and prevents slippage of the support strap  14  relative to the user. Further, the support strap  14  is formed from a flexible material that prevents bunching and eliminates the force concentrations that result therefrom making the support strap  14  and overall sling assembly  10  much more comfortable to wear. Finally, the present invention provides a sling pouch  12  that includes convenient storage areas  30 ,  34  and has a fashionable flair. In combination, the elements of the present invention serve to provide a sling assembly  10  that will be desirable to the wearer, thereby increasing the level of compliance on the part of the wearer. For these reasons, the instant invention is believed to represent a significant advancement in the art, which has substantial commercial merit. 
         [0029]    While there is shown and described herein certain specific structure embodying the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept and that the same is not limited to the particular forms herein shown and described except insofar as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.