Abstract:
A knee brace for use by athletes or others requiring protection and support of the knee. The knee brace protects against abnormal motions of the knee, and provides direct and indirect patella stabilization. A base comprised of elastic material is configured to closely fit around portions of the knee and adjacent leg portions. The knee brace includes at least one upright support member attached to a lateral side of the base, where the upright support member is curved with an upper portion bending away from the front central axis of the brace and a lower portion that bends toward the front central axis of the brace.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to the field of articles worn by persons to reduce the likelihood, severity, or exacerbation of injury to the body, and more specifically to the field of braces worn on the knee. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Flexible knee braces are used by athletes and other persons engaged in vigorous physical activity to protect the knee from injury and to avoid exacerbation of existing injury. The knee is one of the most heavily used joints of the body, as it is used in any activity that involves walking or running. The knee is also a common subject of injury, due to the relatively high levels of stress it must bear. During normal ambulation, in occupations involving physical labor, and especially during strenuous sports, the knee can undergo abnormal motions as a result of quick changes in direction, fatigue, uneven surfaces, or impacts. These abnormal motions can cause sprains or more serious injuries, including dislocation, stretching, or tearing of the tissues that make up the knee. 
     Devices to protect the knee against abnormal motions have been used for many years, in a variety of specific embodiments which vary in their abilities to protect against the different types of abnormal motions. Besides protecting the knee against abnormal motions, the devices sometimes provide additional benefits such as insulating the knee to keep it warm, protecting the knee against impact, or compressing the knee to reduce discomfort. However, prior art devices may incur a reduction in range or ease of normal motion, or may have other undesirable aspects such as added weight on the leg, potential for self-injury or injury to others caused by rigid components, difficulty of application and removal, cost, appearance, and irritation or chafing of the skin. 
     For these reasons, there has long been motivation to find a knee brace which offers improved protection from abnormal motions without affecting the range or ease of normal motion, while avoiding the undesirable aspects of prior art devices. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A knee brace according to the present invention includes a base with lateral sides, an upper end, and a lower end, wherein the knee brace has a front central axis when the knee brace is worn. The brace includes at least one upright support member comprising a resilient stay and fastened to a lateral side, where the upright support member has an upper portion, a central portion, and a lower portion, and wherein the upper portion is farther from the front central axis than the central portion, and the central portion is farther from the front central axis than the lower portion. 
     According to another aspect of the invention, the knee brace includes a base with lateral sides, an upper end, and a lower end, wherein the knee brace has a rear central axis when the knee brace is laid flat. The brace includes at least one upright support member comprising a resilient stay and fastened to a lateral side, where the upright support member has an upper portion, a central portion, and a lower portion, and wherein the upper portion is closer to the rear central axis than the central portion, and the central portion is closer to the rear central axis than the lower portion. 
     According to a third aspect of the invention, the knee brace includes a base with lateral sides, an upper end, and a lower end, wherein the knee brace has a front central axis when the knee brace is worn. The brace includes at least one upright support member comprising a resilient stay and fastened to a lateral side, where the upright support member has an upper portion, a central portion, and a lower portion, and wherein the second upper portion curves away from the front central axis and the second lower portion curves toward the front central axis, whereby the second upright support member is generally shaped like the letter S. 
     Further objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1A  is a front perspective view of a knee brace according to the invention fitted on the leg of a person, with the lower strap unfastened; 
         FIG. 1B  is a front perspective view of a knee brace according to the invention fitted on the leg of a person, with the lower strap fastened; 
         FIG. 2A  is a first side view of a knee brace according to the invention fitted on the leg of a person; 
         FIG. 2B  is a second side view of a knee brace according to the invention fitted on the leg of a person; 
         FIG. 3  is a plan view of the outside surface of a knee brace according to the invention laid flat; 
         FIG. 4  is a plan view of the inside surface of a knee brace according to the invention laid flat; 
         FIG. 5  is a front view of an exemplary resilient stay member; 
         FIG. 6  is a side view of an exemplary resilient stay member; and 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the knee brace of  FIG. 1B  taken along the line  7 - 7  thereof. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the drawings,  FIGS. 1-4  show a preferred embodiment of a knee brace according to the invention indicated generally at  20 . As normally worn by a person, the upper leg  22  extends from an opening at the upper end  40  of the knee brace  20 , and the lower leg  24  extends from an opening at the lower end  48  of the knee brace  20 . 
     The knee brace  20  includes a base  30 , having a front side  32  (best shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B ) that faces forward, and a rear side  38  (best shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B ) that faces rearward, when the brace  20  is worn by a person. The brace  20  has a first side  34  (best shown in  FIG. 2A ) and a second side  36  (best shown in  FIG. 2B ). As shown in  FIG. 4 , the base  30  can be formed of two separate pieces (corresponding to first side  34  and second side  36 ) that are joined together along the vertical seam  64  shown in  FIG. 4 , with each separate piece cut to help the base conform to the knee and then sewn together along the horizontal seam  64  shown in  FIG. 4 . The base  30  is preferably formed as a reclosable sleeve made from a sheet of elastic material of a type that can provide generalized support and compression to the knee area, along with therapeutic warming, but other materials may be used. Alternatively, the base  30  may be formed, for example, of a tubular elastic sleeve shaped to fit snugly about the knee and adjacent leg portions. 
     The base  30  may include a patella opening  46  which generally matches the size of the patella, such that the patella (kneecap)  26  of the wearer extends from the patella opening  46  when the brace  20  is worn, although this is not necessary. In addition to providing direct patella stabilization during use, the patella opening  46  may help to locate the brace  20  with respect to the patella  26  during application of the brace  20 . 
     The base  30  preferably includes an upper base fastening tab  42  bearing hook-type fastening material  60  and an upper base fastening patch  44  bearing loop-type fastening material  62 . When the base  30  of the knee brace  20  is wrapped about the leg of a person, the upper base fastening tab  42  and the upper base fastening patch  44  overlap, allowing the hook-type fastening material  60  and the loop-type fastening material  62  to be pressed together to form a detachable attachment that retains the knee brace  20  on the upper leg  22 . 
     Similarly, the base  30  preferably includes a lower base fastening tab  47  bearing hook-type fastening material  60  and a lower base fastening patch  49  bearing loop-type fastening material  62  to provide a detachable attachment that retains the knee brace  20  on the lower leg  24 . In addition, the brace  20  preferably includes a strap  50  with a first end  52  bearing a reversing loop  54 . The second end  56  of the strap  50  may have strap fastening tab  58  bearing hook-type fastening material  60  and a strap fastening patch  59  bearing loop-type fastening material  62 . As shown in  FIG. 1A , after passing the second end  56  through the reversing loop  54 , the strap  50  can be placed under tension and then the strap fastening tab  58  can be pressed against the strap fastening patch  59  to form a detachable attachment that further retains the brace  20  on the lower leg  24 . 
     As shown in the figures, including the cross-section in  FIG. 7 , one or more curved upright support members  70  are provided on the first side  34  and/or the second side  36  of the knee brace  20 , to provide support and protect the knee against abnormal motions. By way of example and not as a limitation, each curved upright support member  70  may be formed by placing a curved resilient stay member  80  in an elongated side pocket  84 . As shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , each resilient stay member  80  preferably comprises a flattened spiral core of stainless steel or other flexible material of conventional construction commonly used in various types of braces, bent to the required shape with end caps  82  at each end. 
     Each elongate side pocket  84  may be formed, for example, between stitches  86  that fix a side pocket cover strip  88  to the base  30 . The side pocket cover strip  88  may be made of the same elastic sheet material as the base  30 , although this is not necessary. Edge binding may be fastened to the edges of the side pocket cover strips  88 , and/or to the edges of the base  30 , although this is not necessary. 
     Importantly, and perhaps best shown in  FIGS. 1A ,  3 , and  4 , the curved upright support members  70  include a lower portion  76  below the patella, a central portion  74  alongside the patella, and an upper portion  72  above the patella when the brace  20  is worn by a person. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1A , the lower portion  76  bends toward the front central axis  28  of the brace  20  and the upper portion  72  bends away from the front central axis  28 , while the central portion  74  occupies a lateral position (relative to the front central axis  28 ) between the upper portion  72  and the lower portion  76 . In other words, the lateral distance  90  (from the upper portion  72  to the front central axis  28 ) is greater than the lateral distance  94  (from the central portion  74  to the front central axis  28 ), and the lateral distance  94  is greater than the lateral distance  98  (from the lower portion  76  to the front central axis  28 ). 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , with the brace  20  laid flat (the term “laid flat” meaning substantially flat notwithstanding minor contours arising from the fitted nature of the base  30 ), the lower portion  76  bends away from the rear central axis  29  and the upper portion  72  bends toward the rear central axis  29 , while the central portion  74  occupies a lateral position (relative to the rear central axis  29 ) between the upper portion  72  and the lower portion  76 . In other words, the lateral distance  91  (from the upper portion  72  to the rear central axis  29 ) is less than the lateral distance  95  (from the central portion  74  to the rear central axis  29 ), and the lateral distance  95  is less than the lateral distance  99  (from the lower portion  76  to the rear central axis  29 ). 
     There are various possibilities with regard to alternative embodiments of a knee brace according to the invention. 
     Although in a preferred embodiment the knee brace  20  includes a base  30  which is formed as a reclosable sleeve made from one or more sheets of elastic material, this is not required. For example, the base  30  may also be formed of a tubular elastic sleeve shaped to fit snugly about the knee and adjacent leg portions. The base  30  does not need to include a patella opening  46 . The patella opening  46 , if present, could have a variety of shapes, e.g. circular, square, rectangular, elliptical, diamond, trapezoidal, or any substantial equivalent. All such alternative embodiments will be referred to herein as a base. 
     Although in a preferred embodiment the base is detachably fastened about the leg of the wearer using hook and loop material of the type which adheres when pressed together, this is not required. For example, other reclosable fasteners such as buttons, clasps, buckles, pins, zippers, straps, buttons or other substantial equivalents may be substituted for the hook and loop type fastener material. 
     Although in a preferred embodiment, various components are permanently fastened together using stitches, this is not required. For example, other means such as glue, thermal bonding, rivets, or other permanent attachment methods or structures could be used. 
     Although in a preferred embodiment, two upright support members  70 , each comprising two resilient stays  80 , are provided on the first side  34  and second side  36  of the base  30  of the knee brace  20 , this is not necessary, and the exact number, location, and construction of the upright support members  70  may vary. For example, there may be a single elongated side pocket  84  containing a single resilient stay  80  and forming only one upright support member  70 , or there may be a greater number of upright support members  70  or resilient stays  80 . The elongated side pockets  84  may be openable at one end to allow removal of the resilient stays  80  prior to washing the brace, or so that different resilient stays  80  may be inserted to adjust the amount and type of support provided. The resilient stays  80  may have a different construction, such as plastic, metal, or graphite rods or strips of reinforcing sheet material, or other substantial equivalents, or a combination of these various alternatives. 
     It is understood that the invention is not confined to the embodiments set forth herein as illustrative, but embraces all such forms thereof that come within the scope of the following claims.