Abstract
A bandage for the back or pelvis has adjacent pads mounted on an inner face of a supporting piece in a back area of the bandage, respectively one fastener strap piece for applying the bandage by joining together the ends of the two fastener strap pieces attaching at the opposite edge regions of the supporting piece, and two tensioning belts being assigned to the supporting piece, which are guided in such a manner that the pads approach each other when tensioning the tensioning belts and apply a pressure dependent on a tension force acting on the tensioning belts onto the relevant body part.
Claims
1-10. (canceled)
11. A bandage for the back or pelvis comprising: a support piece in a back area of the bandage; adjacent pads mounted on an inner face of the supporting piece; first and second fastener strap pieces attached at first and second opposite edge regions of the supporting piece, respectively, for applying the bandage by joining together ends of first and second fastener strap pieces; first and second tensioning belts assigned to the supporting piece which are guided such that the adjacent pads approach each other when tensioning the tensioning belts for applying a pressure dependent on a tension force acting on the tensioning belts onto the relevant body part, the tensioning belts connected to the supporting piece on the inner face of the supporting piece in an area of the pads.
12. The bandage for the back or pelvis of claim 11, wherein the tensioning belts run partially on an outer face of the supporting piece and the supporting piece has at least one opening through which the tensioning belts are guided to the inner face of the supporting piece.
13. The bandage for the back or pelvis of claim 11, wherein the first tensioning belt is guided through a first opening in the supporting piece to the inner face of the supporting piece and the second tensioning belt is guided through a second opening in the supporting piece to the inner face of the supporting piece.
14. The bandage for the back or pelvis of claim 11, wherein the at least one opening is a slit in the supporting piece.
15. The bandage for the back or pelvis of claim 11, wherein the tensioning belts are each guided via a deflection piece mounted at the supporting piece by reversing the direction from the area of the pads to the respective edge region of the supporting piece.
16. The bandage for the back or pelvis of claim 15, wherein the deflection piece is attached on the outer face of the supporting piece.
17. The bandage for the back or pelvis of claim 15, further comprising a deflection lug attached in a center of the supporting piece which forms the two deflection pieces.
18. The bandage for the back or pelvis of claim 11, wherein respectively one tensioning belt is connected in respectively one attachment area of a pad to the supporting piece.
19. The bandage for the back or pelvis of claim 11, wherein the supporting piece has an area made from a knitted fabric which has an open structure made from a plurality of partial elements, wherein the open structure simultaneously is stretchable in the longitudinal direction as well as also in the lateral direction, wherein the partial elements of the structure respectively have a width of at least 2.0 mm and no more than 10.0 mm in the stretched state.
20. The bandage for the back or pelvis of claim 11, wherein the supporting piece and a half of the fastener strap pieces adjacent to the supporting piece have equal elasticity.
Description
[0061] The present invention is described in greater detail on the basis of the subsequent figures and examples, but the shown examples are not to be understood in a restrictive manner.
[0062] FIG. 1 shows a bandage for the back or pelvis according to the present invention with a view toward the outer face of the back area and of the supporting piece;
[0063] FIG. 2 shows the bandage from FIG. 1 with a view toward the inner face of the back area and of the supporting piece;
[0064] FIG. 3 shows the bandage from FIG. 2 having tightened tensioning belts and pads drawn near to each other;
[0065] FIG. 4 shows a detail of the back area having the supporting piece of the bandage with a view toward the outer face of the bandage (FIG. 4a) and toward the inner face of the bandage (FIG. 4b);
[0066] FIG. 5 shows a detail of the warp knit preferably used for the supporting piece and the adjacent partial areas of the fastener strap pieces, having a plurality of partial elements. In FIG. 5a, the warp knit is shown in a non-stretched state. In FIG. 5b, the warp knit is shown in a stretched state.
EXAMPLES
Example 1
A Preferred Embodiment of the Bandage for the Back or Pelvis According to the Present Invention
[0067] FIG. 1 shows a bandage (100) according to the present invention with a view on the outer face of the elastic supporting piece (10). The two fastener strap pieces (20a, 20b) connect at the sides of the supporting piece (10). The supporting piece (10) as well as also the areas (21a, 21b) of the fastener strap pieces (20a, 20b) adjacent to the supporting piece may be advantageously manufactured from the same material and even as one piece, for example, from a stretchable knitted fabric, as it is shown in FIG. 5. Even when the support piece (10) and the adjacent areas (21a, 21b) of the fastener strap pieces (20a, 20b) are manufactured as one piece, they may still be delimited from each other by mounted reinforcements in the form of cross-bracings (11a, 11b). The fastener strap pieces (20a, 20b) may be joined with each other in their end region (22a, 22b), for example, via a respective Velcro® connection. After applying the bandage and closing of the ends (22a, 22b) of the fastener strap pieces (20a, 20b), the bandage (100) may be further tightened via the tensioning belts (30a, 30b). In so doing, the ends of the tensioning belts are connected to the supporting piece on the inner face of the supporting piece (10) facing away from the viewer in FIG. 1. The tensioning belts (30a, 30b) then run on the inner face to the center area of the supporting piece (10) and are there guided through openings (50a, 50b) to the outer face of the supporting piece (10). The openings (50a, 50b) are formed as slits (51a, 51b), which are surrounded by a reinforcement (52a, 52b), so that a tearing of the supporting piece material by the tension forces of the tensioning belts (30a, 30b) is prevented. On the outer face of the supporting piece (10), the tensioning belts (30a, 30b) are then deflected via deflection pieces (41a, 41b), so that they run in the direction of the respective fastener strap pieces (20a, 20b). The deflection pieces (41a, 41b) are advantageously formed by a deflection element (40), including a deflection lug (42) which is connected to the supporting piece (10) via a lug attachment element (43). In the area of the fastener strap pieces (20a, 20b), the tensioning belts (30a, 30b) end at the lug elements in the form of tensioning lugs (35a, 35b), through which respectively one tension strap (31a, 31b, 32a, 32b) is pulled. Preferably, the lug elements (35a, 35b) are not directly attached at the fastener strap pieces (20a, 20b). A tension in the manner of a pulley is applied onto the tensioning belts (30a, 30b) by the tension straps (32a, 32b) when tightened so that the tensioning belts (30a, 30b) apply a tension force on the inner face of the supporting piece (10), and the supporting piece contracts or, when loosening the tensioning belts (31a, 31b, 32a, 32b), relaxes. The tension straps (32a, 32b) may be connected to each other by their ends (33a, 33b), for example, via a Velcro® fastener. Alternatively, an embodiment may of course also be provided, in which the tensioning belts (30a, 30b) are guided completely to the front and there may be directly tightened and be connected to each other.
[0068] FIG. 2 shows the bandage (100) according to FIG. 1 in a position with a view toward the inner face of the elastic supporting piece (10) having the pads (60a, 60b) thereto connected. In this instance, the right pad (60a) in the direction of viewing is only indicated to better see the tensioning belt (30a) situated behind. The supporting piece (10) is delimited from the adjacent fastener strap pieces (20a, 20b) by a reinforcement (12a, 12b) which, however, is a component of the supporting piece (10). In this instance, the reinforcements advantageously serve as Velcro® connection elements for the pads (60a, 60b), so that there the pads (60a, 60b) may be attached to the supporting piece (10) with the aid of a Velcro® connection. In these pad-fastening areas (12a, 12b), the tensioning belts (30a, 30b) are also respectively attached to the supporting piece (10) in attachment areas (13a, 13b). The tensioning belts (30a, 30b) are then guided on the inner face of the supporting piece (10) to the openings (50a, 50b) and from there to the outer face of the supporting piece (10). There, the tensioning belts are deflected by the deflection element (40) and are guided to the lug elements in the form of tensioning lugs (35a, 35b), where the tensioning belts, as it has already been described for FIG. 1, are connected to the tension straps (31a, 31b, 32a, 32b), and the tension straps at their ends (33a, 33b) are closeable via a Velcro® connection.
[0069] FIG. 3 shows the bandage (100) from FIG. 2 having the supporting piece (10) and the fastener strap pieces (20a, 20b) in the closed state. In this instance, the tension straps (32a, 32b) are also tightened and connected to each other. Thus, they apply a tension force onto the tensioning belts (30a, 30b) via the lug elements (35a, 35b). Owing to the deflection of the tensioning belts (30a, 30b) via the deflection element (40) and the subsequent guiding of the tensioning belts (30a, 30b) through the openings (50a, 50b) to the inner face of the supporting piece (10), this tension force directly acts on the attachment areas (13a, 13b) and the pads (60a (here only indicated), 60b) mounted to the attachment areas at fastening areas (12a, 12b), for example via Velcro® connections, so that the pads are more strongly contracted toward the center of the supporting piece (10). For this tensile stress of the two tensioning belts (30a, 30b), it thus results a contraction of the supporting piece (10) on the basis of the inversion of the direction via the deflection element (40) and, for this reason, a respective approach of the pads (60a, 60b) mounted thereto. In this instance, the tension force of the tensioning belts (30a, 30b) advantageously acts directly onto the inner face of the supporting piece (10) and, for this purpose, onto that area (12a, 12b) of the supporting piece (10) where the pads (60a, 60b) are attached.
[0070] FIG. 4 shows an enlarged detail of the bandage (100) in the area of the supporting piece (10). For this purpose, the bandage (100) in FIG. 4a may be seen from the outside and in FIG. 4b from the inside. For a better illustration, only one tensioning belt (30a) having an assigned lug element (35a) is shown for this purpose. The course of the second tensioning belt here not shown results from FIGS. 1 through 3.
[0071] FIG. 4a again shows the reinforcement elements (11a, 11b), which delineate the supporting piece (10) from the adjacent fastener strap pieces. The deflection element (40) again includes a deflection lug (42), which forms the two deflection pieces (41a, 41b) and is attached to the supporting piece (10) via a lug attachment element (43). The openings (50a, 50b), through which the tensioning belts (30a shown) are guided to the inner face of the supporting piece (10), are formed by slits (51a, 51b) surrounded by a reinforcement (52a, 52b).
[0072] In FIG. 4b, the deflection element (40) is only indicated because it is located on the outer face of the supporting piece (10). The tensioning belts (30a here shown) are guided through the openings (50a, 50b) formed as slits (51a, 51b) provided with a border (52b) to the inner face, where they are connected to the supporting piece (10) via attachment areas (13a). The fastening areas (12a, 12b) of the pads (60a here indicated), which for example may be attached to the supporting piece (10) via Velcro® connections, are also located in these attachment areas.
Example 2
Warp knit for the Supporting Piece and the Adjacent Partial Areas of the Fastener Strap Pieces
[0073] A warp knit has been machine-made from a double-covered raw rubber yarn. The stitch-forming yarn used a titer of 940 dtex. FIG. 5 shows a detail of this warp knit (80, 90). The warp knit (80, 90) is netted. The warp knit (80, 90) is made of a plurality of partial elements, each partial element being made of an opening (81, 91) and the yarn (82, 92) surrounding the opening (81, 91), which simultaneously also delineates the opening (81, 91) and, thus, specifies the size of the opening. In FIG. 5a, the warp knit (80) is not stretched. In FIG. 5b, the warp knit (90) is stretched by a specified force. By stretching the warp knit (90), the structure (92) opens, so that the openings (91) increase in size in the direction of stretching. Such a warp knit improves the wearing comfort of the bandage for the back or pelvis according to the present invention by the reduced weight and the air-permeable openings (91).
