Patent ID: 7615022

Claim:
A potentiating support for a hinge joint, comprising a framework having a surface for abutment with an area of a body including the hinge joint: (a) wherein said framework is flexible, elastically stretchable and comprises an integrally molded network of interconnected, elongate elastomeric segments, and includes: (i) left and right sides comprising first and second exterior lateral segments and top and bottom sides comprising first and second exterior transverse segments, which left, right, bottom and top sides collectively define a perimeter of the framework, (ii) first, second, third, and fourth interior, mutually exclusive subsets of transverse segments, each of which extends between and interconnects the left and right sides of the perimeter of the framework, (iii) first and second interior, mutually exclusive subsets of lateral segments, each of which extends between and interconnects the top side of the perimeter of the framework and the second interior subset of transverse segments, and each of which intersects and interconnects the first interior subset of transverse segments, and (iv) third and fourth interior, mutually exclusive subsets of lateral segments, each of which extends between and interconnects the bottom side of the perimeter of the framework and the second interior subset of transverse segments, and each of which intersects and interconnects the third and fourth interior subsets of transverse segments, (v) wherein each subset of segments comprises one or more segments; (b) wherein an alignment opening is defined by, (i) the second interior subset of transverse segments, which extends along and bounds a top of the alignment opening, (ii) the third interior subset of transverse segments, which extends along and bounds a bottom of the alignment opening, (iii) the third interior subset of lateral segments, which extends along and bounds a first side of the alignment opening, and (iv) the fourth interior subset of lateral segments, which extends along and bounds a second side of the alignment opening; and (c) wherein said alignment opening is dimensioned to receive therein a joint protuberance of the hinge joint, said alignment opening serving to maintain the support in a proper orientation relative to the hinge joint when the support is worn.