Shoulder Brace

Abstract

The invention relates to a shoulder brace for approximation of the humerus head into the shoulder joint of a person, which the shoulder brace includes a shoulder pad adapted to be positioned over the top of a shoulder of a person which he shoulder pad has a dorsal end and a ventral end, and which the shoulder pad configured to extend from the dorsal side over the top of the shoulder to the ventral side; and an adjustable armpit belt. Both ends of the adjustable armpit belt are arranged to the shoulder pad, which the adjustable armpit belt is adapted to run along the armpit opposite of the shoulder on top of which the shoulder pad is positioned; an upper arm sleeve adapted to be worn around the upper arm of a person and configured to enclose the upper arm and extend from the ventral side to the dorsal side of the upper arm; and coupling means arranged with one end to the shoulder pad and with the other end to the upper arm sleeve. The coupling means include at least one flexible tube running over the shoulder pad from the dorsal end to the ventral end and at least one wire running through the at least one flexible tube. Both ends of the at least one wire are arranged to the upper arm sleeve on opposite sides relative to the axis of the upper arm sleeve.

Claims

1. A shoulder brace for approximation of the humerus head into the shoulder joint of a person, which shoulder brace comprises: a shoulder pad adapted to be positioned over the top of a shoulder of a person, which shoulder pad has a dorsal end and a ventral end, and which shoulder pad configured to extend from the dorsal side over the top of the shoulder to the ventral side; an adjustable armpit belt, wherein both ends of the adjustable armpit belt are arranged to the shoulder pad, which adjustable armpit belt is adapted to run along the armpit opposite of the shoulder on top of which the shoulder pad is positioned; an upper arm sleeve adapted to be worn around the upper arm of a person and configured to enclose the upper arm and extend from the ventral side to the dorsal side of the upper arm; and coupling means arranged with one end to the shoulder pad and with the other end to the upper arm sleeve, wherein the coupling means comprise: at least one flexible tube running over the shoulder pad from the dorsal end to the ventral end; and at least one wire running through the at least one flexible tube, wherein both ends of the at least one wire are arranged to the upper arm sleeve on opposite sides relative to the axis of the upper arm sleeve.

2. The shoulder brace according to claim 1, wherein at least one section of the at least one flexible tube is fixed to the shoulder pad and wherein both ends of the at least one flexible tube are arranged free.

3. The shoulder brace according to claim 2, wherein the free ends of the at least one flexible tube are at least 5 cm long.

4. The shoulder brace according to claim 1, wherein at least two flexible tubes run parallel over the shoulder pad from the dorsal end to the ventral end and wherein wires run through each of the at least two flexible tubes and wherein both ends of each wire are arranged to the upper arm sleeve on opposite sides relative to the axis of the upper arm sleeve.

5. The shoulder brace according to claim 4, wherein the ends of both wires on one side of the upper arm sleeve are connected to each other and guided around a guide mounted on said one side of the upper arm sleeve.

6. The shoulder brace according to claim 4, wherein the flexibility of the free ends of the two flexible tubes differ between the two flexible tubes.

7. The shoulder brace according to claim 1, wherein at least one end of the at least one wire is linked to a lockable spool rotationally arranged on the upper arm sleeve.

8. The shoulder brace according to claim 7, further comprising a tightening mechanism attached to the upper arm sleeve and coupled to the spool, the tightening mechanism having a spring for winding a first length of cable around the spool and a manual control for manually winding a second length of cable around the spool to adjust the length of the wire.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] These and other features of the invention will be elucidated in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0034] FIG. 1 shows a front view of a person wearing an embodiment of a shoulder brace according to the invention.

[0035] FIG. 2 shows a back view of the person of FIG. 1.

[0036] FIG. 3 shows a detailed view of the person of FIG. 1 with his upper arm lifted in the frontal plane.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0037] FIG. 1 shows a person P wearing a shoulder brace 1 according to the invention. The shoulder brace 1 has a shoulder pad 2 arranged over the shoulder S of the person P. An adjustable arm pit belt 3, which is attached to the shoulder pad 2 and runs under the arm pit A, keeps the shoulder pad 2 in position. Furthermore, an upper arm sleeve 4 is arranged around the upper arm U near the elbow where the forearm F starts.

[0038] The shoulder pad 2 is provided with two flexible tubes 5, 6 which run over the shoulder pad 2 from the dorsal end (see FIG. 2) to the ventral end (see FIG. 1). Two wires 7, 8 run through the flexible tubes 5, 6 respectively and are wound with one end on a spool 9 and are connected with the other ends to each other and are guided along a guide 10 (see FIG. 2).

[0039] FIG. 3 shows a more detailed view of the person P of FIG. 1 with his upper arm U lifted up in the frontal plane.

[0040] The flexible tubes 5, 6 are mounted to the shoulder pad 2 with mounts 11, leaving each flexible tube 5, 6 with a free end 12, 13 respectively.

[0041] As shown, the free ends 12, 13 of the flexible tubes 5, 6 will bend when the person P lifts his upper arm U in the frontal plane and compensate for the change in distance between the spool 9 and the ends of the flexible tubes 5, 6 if they were fixed to the shoulder pad 2 and would not have been free.