Patent ID: 7670306

Claim:
A support for an area of a body, comprising: (a) a flexible support member having a surface for abutment with an area of a body, the surface being capable of generally conforming to the area of the body to be supported; and (b) a rotary device configured to tension, by actuation of the rotary device, the surface of the flexible support member in its abutment with the area of the body, the rotary device including a ratcheting mechanism such that the flexible support member is tensioned in increments whereby micro adjustment of the tension in the flexible support member is provided; (c) wherein said flexible support member comprises an elastically stretchable framework, said framework comprises an integrally molded network of interconnected, elastomeric segments, and (i) a first subset of the interconnected, elastomeric segments defines a perimeter of said framework, (ii) a second subset of the interconnected, elastomeric segments located within the perimeter of said framework bounds and defines a plurality of permanent openings in said framework, and (iii) none of the interconnected, elastomeric segments of the first subset are part of the second subset; and (d) wherein said framework is capable of lying generally flat when not in abutment with the area of the body.