Patent ID: 7615019

Claim:
A potentiating support for an area of a body, comprising: (a) a flexible, elastically stretchable framework having a surface for abutment with an area of a body including a hinge joint, said framework comprising an integrally molded network of interconnected, elongate elastomeric segments, the framework including: (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; and (b) two strut members each attached to a respective one of said left and right sides such that each said strut member spans the hinge joint when said framework is disposed in abutment with the area of the body, said strut members providing a measure of rigidity to said framework in the direction of their respective lengths, each respective said strut member including an intermediate portion thereof spanning the hinge joint that is expandable and recoverable between a first initial state and extended states wherein, when expanded to a said extended state during flexing of the hinge joint, said respective strut member stores potential energy that is released as kinetic energy upon its return to said initial state.