Patent ID: 8800829

Claim:
A device for being worn over a shoulder of a user's body for supporting a load, the device comprising: a generally U-shaped base portion spanning a trapezius muscle of the user's body, wherein the base portion is maintained at a predetermined distance above the trapezius muscle so that the device does not contact the trapezius muscle; an anterior portion extending from the base portion and comprising a pad for abutting a the user's body at the anterior side of the shoulder below the trapezius muscle; and a posterior end portion extending from the base portion and comprising a pad for abutting the user's body at the posterior side of the shoulder below the trapezius muscle, wherein the anterior and posterior end portions transfer the load via the pads onto the anterior and posterior sides of the user's body below the trapezius muscle so that only the pads of the device contact the user's body in order to reduce stress on the trapezius muscle of the user's body from supporting the load; wherein the pad of the anterior end portion is positioned at a first distance from an upper apex point of the base portion, which first distance is larger than a distance from an upper point of the user's shoulder to a collarbone of the user, whereby in use the pad of the anterior end portion is arranged below the collarbone and the base portion is maintained at a predetermined distance above the collarbone; and wherein the pad of the posterior end portion is positioned at a second distance from the upper apex point of the base portion, which second distance is larger than the first distance.