Patent ID: 8491512

Claim:
An adjustable cervical collar, comprising: an orthopedic brace assembly adapted for extending around a neck of a wearer; an adjustable chin support adjacent said brace assembly, said chin support comprising a central bridge, and opposing wing panels integrally formed with the bridge; an infinitely variable actuator operatively interconnecting said brace assembly and said chin support, and defining an infinitely variable displacement range between maximum and minimum limits of travel, wherein said infinitely variable actuator comprises a toothed rack integrally-formed with at least one of the wing panels of said chin support, and a rotatable toothed pinion gear operatively engaging said rack; and a locking mechanism cooperating with said infinitely variable actuator to releasably lock said chin support in a selected position within the displacement range, thereby custom setting a height of said chin support relative to said brace assembly, wherein said locking mechanism comprises a slide lock having at least one locking tooth adapted for selectively engaging said pinion gear in a gear-locked position to prevent rotation of said pinion gear and displacement of said chin support, and said slide lock being movable from the gear-locked position to a gear-released position allowing free rotation of said pinion gear.