Abstract:
This invention relates generally to a unique arm support device in which the shoulder straps are designed to evenly distribute the weight of the person&#39;s arm evenly across both shoulders and not put a side or forward stress on the wearer&#39;s neck. This device also allows a patient, such as a stroke victim who has the use of only one arm and hand, to put this sling on and remove it without assistance.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
   1. Field of Invention 
   This invention relates generally to a unique arm support device in which the shoulder straps are designed to evenly distribute the weight of the person&#39;s arm evenly across both shoulders and not put a side load on the wearer&#39;s neck. This device also allows a patient, such as a stroke victim who has the use of only one arm and hand, to put this sling on and remove it without assistance and it works equally well for a right or left arm injury. 
   2. Prior Art 
   Prior art in the field of arm support includes many different forms of slings. Most of these slings do not distribute the weight of the arm and sometimes a cast equally on both shoulders. Typically they have a strap over the opposite shoulder from the injured or inoperative arm. These single strap devices tend to place an unwanted pressure against the side of the neck. For many wheel chair bound stroke patients with the need to wear a sling during all their waking hours, the standard sling can cause the head to be pulled over and down exacerbating their original problem. 
   There are several devices that have tried to solve this problem, one of which is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,552 Iwuala 1995 wherein a sling with Humeral Stabilizer is disclosed. All though this device claims to have eliminated the side load to the neck it is a fairly complex mechanism with two straps, multiple strap fasteners and adjusters and fastens to a torso belt. The most significant problem with these type support devices is that they would be very difficult if not impossible for a person with the use of only one hand to put on or take off without assistance and will be relatively expensive to manufacture. 
   The second patented device that attempts to solve this problem is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,141,488 Schrader 1992 wherein a basic pair of suspenders, crossed in the back and clipped on the waist band of a skirt or pair of slacks in both the front and back have adjustable length loops secured to the front of each strap. One adjustable length loop supports the hand or wrist of a patient while the second supports the lower arm. Again this device would be virtually impossible for a person with the use of only one arm to put on or take off with out assistance. 
   SUMMARY 
   An object of the present invention is to provide Arm Sling Apparatus for supporting an injured or inoperable arm for long periods of time without forward or sideways stress on the wearer&#39;s neck. 
   Another object of the present invention is to provide Arm Sling Apparatus for supporting an injured or inoperable arm that has no adjustable straps or fasteners and could be put on or taken off by the patient without assistance. 
   A further object is to provide Arm Sling Apparatus for supporting an injured or inoperable arm that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture. 
   A further object is to provide an Arm Sling Apparatus for supporting an injured or inoperable arm that is self sustaining and does not attach to the waistband of a skirt or slacks since some patients do not dress in such a manner all of the time. 

   
     DRAWINGS 
     In order that Sling may be more fully understood it will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying exemplary drawings in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a front view of an Arm Sling Apparatus supporting a patient&#39;s left arm. 
       FIG. 2  is a rear view of the same Arm Sling Apparatus on said patient. 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an Arm Sling Apparatus. 
       FIG. 3A  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of an Arm Sling Apparatus. 
   

   REFERENCE NUMERALS 
   The same reference numbers are used to refer to the same or similar parts. 
   
     
       
             
             
           
         
             
                 
             
           
           
             
               14 
               Arm Sling Apparatus 
             
             
               16 
               sleeve 
             
             
               18 
               buttons 
             
             
               20 
               Velcro 
             
             
               22 
               waist band 
             
             
               24 
               right shoulder strap 
             
             
               26 
               left shoulder strap 
             
             
               28 
               front cross strap 
             
             
               30 
               rear cross strap 
             
             
               32 
               strap stitching 
             
             
                 
             
           
        
       
     
       
       A—right shoulder strap to front of waist band 
       B—left shoulder strap to front of waistband 
       C—cross over point of front cross straps 
       D—front cross strap to front of right shoulder strap 
       E—front cross strap to front of left shoulder strap 
       F—left shoulder strap to rear of waistband 
       G—right shoulder strap to rear of waist band 
       H—cross over of rear cross straps 
       J—rear cross strap to rear of left shoulder strap 
       K—rear cross strap to rear of right shoulder strap 
     
  
   DESCRIPTION 
   The present invention, in its several embodiments, meets the above mentioned objectives. 
   An object of the present invention is to provide a sling device for supporting an injured or inoperable arm for long periods of time without forward or sideways stress on the wearer&#39;s neck. This is accomplished by fastening two elastic shoulder straps to an elastic waist band with front and back cross straps of the same elastic material, keeping the shoulder straps from sliding off the shoulders and a pouch for supporting an injured or inoperative arm formed of a soft fabric material attached to the waist band on the back of the pouch and buttoned or fastened with Velcro or the like on the top front of the pouch. 
   Another object of the present invention is to provide a sling device for supporting an injured or inoperable arm that has no adjustable straps or fasteners and could be put on or taken off by the patient without assistance. In the preferred embodiment the elastic waistband is approximately 2 inches smaller than the waist of the patient. Several different sizes for different size patients can be readily envisioned by someone skilled in this art. The elastic shoulder straps are also the approximate distance from the waist band, over the shoulder and back to the waistband again less approximately two inches. The patient is able to place the waistband over his arms and head and pull it into position with his good hand, lay his injured arm on the open sleeve and fasten the top, completing the sleeve pouch. 
   A further object is to provide a sling device for supporting an injured or inoperable arm that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture. In the preferred embodiment of this invention the support harness is fabricated from 2 inch wide elastic material such as Stretchrite Elastic from Rode Island Textile Co., Pawtucket, R.I. 02862. The pouch can be fabricated from a rectangular sheet of fabric and attached to the waistband with either two buttons sewn on the front of the waistband engaging the top back surface of the pouch or strips of Velcro type hook and eyes. Seven appropriate lengths of elastic strapping, one 12 by 24 sheet of fabric and two fasteners simply assembled makes the manufacture of the present invention very inexpensive compared to the prior art systems with all the numerous attachment and adjustment features. There are no clips, clamps or strap adjustments to be made with elastic strapping compensating for some variations in patient size. Several different size apparatus can cover the range of patient sizes. The system is simple enough that it can be supplied in kit form and custom fit to a patient with simple sewing assembly steps. 
   A further object is to provide a sling device for supporting an injured or inoperable arm that is self sustaining and does not attach to the waistband of a skirt or slacks since some patients do not dress in such a manner all of the time. In the present invention the shoulder straps are sewn to the elastic waistband and the pouch is also attached to the elastic waistband with no attachment to clothing required. 
   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1  shows a front view of an Arm Sling Apparatus  14  on a patient&#39;s left arm. For the preferred embodiment there is an elastic waistband  22  with an approximately 2 inches smaller circumference than the waist of the patient. There is a right shoulder strap  24  and a left shoulder strap  26  sewn to the inside of waistband  22  in the front at points A and B respectively. These straps are approximately two inches less than the length of the distance from the upper waist of the patient, over the shoulder and back to the waistband. There are two front cross straps  28  that are also sewn into the waistband  22  at points A and B and are sewn into the opposite shoulder strap at approximately points C and D. The two cross straps  30  are sewn together where they cross at point E. An approximate 13 inch wide by 28 inch long rectangle of fabric which makes sleeve  16  is sewn onto the front of the center of waistband  22  or attached removably with buttons  18  which have been sewn on the front of waistband  22  at points A and B. At the bottom of sleeve fabric, two button holes are placed in the fabric matching the locations of buttons  18  when the fabric is pulled up and buttoned forming the sling pouch  16 . 
     FIG. 2  shows a rear view of a patient wearing Arm Sling Apparatus  14 . In the preferred embodiment of Arm Sling Apparatus  14  there are also rear cross straps  30  on the back of Arm Sling Apparatus  14  attached again where the shoulder straps  24  and  26  attach to waistband  22  at points F and G respectively and to the opposite shoulder strap at points K and J. These also are sewn together where they cross at point H. 
     FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of Arm Sling Apparatus  14  without the patient and the fabric rectangle folded up and buttoned at the top, forming sleeve  16 . 
   OPERATION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   An Arm Sling Apparatus  14  apparatus is placed over a patients head and waistband  22  is pulled down to place a small tension on shoulder straps  24  and  26 . The patient&#39;s injured arm is placed on the rectangle of sleeve  16  fabric which has been attached at the top to waistband  22  by buttons  18 . The bottom of the fabric is then lifted up and buttoned using the two buttons  18  attached to the front of waistband  22 , forming a pouch or sleeve  16  that supports the injured arm. The sleeve can be removed from the elastic harness for separate laundering if desired. 
   The description of the Arm Sling Apparatus  14  above is not intended to limit this invention to a particular size apparatus or the techniques of attaching the straps or sleeve to the waistband and each other. Scaling in both size and material selection to suit these purposes can be easily understood by someone of ordinary skill in these arts. Although the preferred embodiment is described with buttons  18 , it is not so limited and several other fastening techniques for the top of the sleeve fabric could be selected from other techniques familiar to those of ordinary skill in these fabrication arts such as snaps, hook and eye or a Velcro type of hook and loop.