AU2010101236A4 - Abdominal wrap - Google Patents

Description

P/00/011 Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT Invention Title: Abdominal wrap The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: 2 Abdominal wrap Field of the invention The present invention relates to abdominal wraps for compression of the abdominal area post pregnancy. 5 Background of the invention For centuries, mothers all over the World have been using different forms of abdominal compression wraps to speed up weight loss and toning of the abdominal muscles and skin after childbirth. In ancient Indian rituals, binding is practiced to warm and close the open stomach and birth canal. They also believe it speeds up the ridding of waste 10 blood. It is still common for modern Indian women to wear these binders to promote good posture during breastfeeding, persuade the stomach muscles back together, reposition the womb, and eliminate stretch marks. Western women are quickly discovering the many reasons to continue with this ancient Eastern tradition. Women who have just given birth and are physically at their weakest 15 point are expected to carry more weight and responsibility than ever: heavy objects such as car seats, bottle bags, strollers, babies and more, with no support. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an alternative abdominal wrap.

3 Summary of the invention Accordingly, the present invention provides an abdominal wrap including: an elastic longitudinal body for wrapping around the waist and abdominal region of a user, the longitudinal body having a central portion locatable to sit against the users 5 back, a first end portion and a second end portion having respective fastening devices such that the first end portion overlaps the second end portion when wrapped around a user and the respective fastening devices engage to hold the wrap in position providing compression against the users abdominal region; wherein the first end portion includes at least an upper panel and a lower panel 10 that separately fasten to the second end portion allowing the wrap to conform to the shape of the users waist and abdominal region. Advantageously, the upper and lower two panels are of generally triangular shape, with inner ends overlapping and the outer ends of the two panels containing the fastening devices. In this embodiment, the two panels can be fastened with differing compression 15 on the waist and abdominal region, such that the upper panel could be fastened further than the lower panel to conform to the shape difference between a users waist and hips whilst simultaneously compressing the waist and abdominal region. The longitudinal body is preferably provided in five sections: the central portion, the first and second end portions, and two side portions. The central portion is preferably 20 contoured at at least its lower edge, such that the overall width of the longitudinal body is less in the central portion than in the side and end portions. The abdominal wrap is advantageously made from a blend of materials including elastic, preferably of medical grade, with at least one cellulose fibre. The cellulose fibre may include bamboo, Modal@, Lycocell@/Tencel@, and therefore may be ProModal@, 25 which is a blend of Lenzing Modal@ and Tencel@.

4 The fastening device is preferably hook and loop fastener such as VelcroTM, but may also be other types of fastening devices, such as zippers, hook and eyes, buttons or snap locks. The overall length of the longitudinal body is typically in the range of 75cm to 115cm, 5 and may be provided in a variety of different lengths to fit different sized users. The width of the body at the side and end portions is typically around 20-22cm, with the width at the central portion being typically around 17-19cm. Brief description of the drawings The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the 10 accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an abdominal wrap according to the present invention in use, as being wrapped around a user's abdominal area; Figure 2 is a plan view of the outer side of the abdominal wrap shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan view of the inner side of the abdominal wrap shown in Figure 1; 15 Figure 4 is a first side elevational view of the abdominal wrap shown in Figure 1; Figure 5 is a second side elevational view of the abdominal wrap shown in Figure 1; Figure 6 is a first end elevational view of the abdominal wrap shown in Figure 1; Figure 7 is a second end elevational view of the abdominal wrap shown in Figure 1; Figure 8 is a front view of a user wearing the abdominal wrap of Figure 1; and 20 Figure 9 is a rear view of a user wearing the abdominal wrap of Figure 1.

5 Detailed description of the embodiments An abdominal wrap 10 is shown in the drawings for use post pregnancy to provide a constant pressure against the abdominal region, which reduces uterine swelling and aids in decreasing bloating caused by water retention, assisting in flattening the 5 stomach and redefining the waist line. The abdominal wrap helps maintain a straight back, which can help with posture during breast feeding, and provides additional support for legs and back during a time when a users body is recovering from pregnancy and birth. The abdominal wrap 10 has an elastic longitudinal body 12 for wrapping around the 10 waist and abdominal region 14 of a user 16, as shown in Figures 1, 8 and 9. The embodiment shown in the drawings has five sections, a central portion 18, two side portions 20, 22, and first and second end portions 24, 26. The central portion 18 is locatable to sit against the users back 28, with the lower edge 30 in the central portion 18 being contoured (see Figure 2) to sit across the top of a 15 users bottom 32 (see Figure 9), providing comfort whilst still allowing the front of the wrap 10 to sit low across the users hips, abdominal and stomach region, as shown in Figure 8. The curve of the lower edge 30 prevents the wrap 10 from bunching up on a user's waist, particularly on users who are short waisted. The first end portion 24 includes at least an upper panel 34 and a lower panel 36, being 20 generally triangular in shape, with inner ends 38, 40 both being affixed to side portion 20 and having an overlapping section 41. Upper panel 34, lower panel 36 and second end 26 have respective fastening devices, such as hook and loop fastener Velcro TM. In the embodiment illustrated, second end 26 includes a sheet 42 of loops on its outer side, with the upper panel 34 and lower panel 36 including sheets 44, 46 of 25 corresponding hooks on their inner side. As shown in Figure 1, the central portion 18 is placed against the user's 16 back 28, with the second end portion 26 being wrapped around to the front of the user with one hand. The first end portion 24 is then wrapped around to the front of the user with the other hand and is stretched across the abdominal region to fasten the first end portion 6 24 overlapping the second end portion 26, as shown in Figure 8 to provide compression against the user's abdominal region. The upper panel 34 would be fastened first tightly across the ribs and upper abdominal region, followed by the lower panel 36 tightened across the lower abdominal region and hips. The upper and lower panels 34, 36 allow 5 personal fitting of the wrap to conform to a user's body shape. The upper panel 34 can be pulled further across the second end portion 26 than the lower panel 36, as shown in Figure 8. Due to the difference in circumference between many women's waist and hips, it allows the wrap 10 to conform to an individual's shape, by giving flexibility in the fastening of the upper and lower panels, whilst they simultaneously compress the 10 abdominal region. The abdominal wraps 10 can be made in a variety of sizes, with the width remaining the same for the different sizes, but with the length of the central and side portions varying. The overall length of the longitudinal body 12 is typically in the range of 31% to 45 inches (75cm to 115cm), however, it will be appreciated that smaller and larger sizes 15 could be provided by varying this length. The longitudinal body 12 has an overall curved shape. As shown best in Figure 2, the upper edge 48 of the body 12 is upwardly curved towards the first and second end portions 24, 26, with the lower edge 50 generally also being upwardly curved towards the end portions, with the exception of the contoured lower edge 30 of central portion 18. 20 The horizontally measured length of the five individual portions therefore differs at their upper to lower edges. The horizontal length of the central portions 18 upper edge is in the range of 3% to 7 inches, with the lower edge being in the range of 4 to 7% inches, corresponding to a 2 inch difference between the upper and lower edges to create the slight curved nature of the body 12. The side portions 20, 22 have an upper edge 25 horizontal length in the range of 5 to 91/4 inches, whilst the lower edge length is in the range of 6 to 101/2 inches. The second end portion 26 has an upper and lower horizontal length edge of around 8 inches, without varying between sizes. Similarly, the upper panel 34 of the first end portion 24 has a horizontal length of 7% inches, with the lower panel 36 having a horizontal length of 7 inches, without varying between sizes.

7 The upper and lower panels 34, 36 have curved outer ends. The radius of curvature of the upper panel's outer end 52 is 17/ 8 inches, with the radius of curvature of the lower panel's outer end 54 being 27/16 inches. As seen from Figures 2 and 8, the lower panel 36, whilst generally triangular in shape, has a curved cut out 56 where the upper and 5 lower panels overlap 41. The curved cut out 56 means that more coverage and overlap is provided where the upper and lower panels meet the side panel 20, whilst allowing for maximum flexibility in the separate conforming of the two panels. As the abdominal wrap 10 is intended to be worn for extended periods, the material chosen is a blend of materials, including medical grade elastic interwoven with at least 10 one cellulose fibre, such as bamboo or a fabric known as ProModal@, which is a blend of Lenzing Modal@ and Tencel@. The blend of fabrics means that the required compression is provided, whilst being of the required softness to be worn directly against the user's skin underneath outer garments. The present invention provides an improvement over existing abdominal wraps due to 15 its contoured design and ability to conform to the user's natural shape, whilst still providing the required compression of the abdominal region. It will be understood that the invention disclosed and defined in this specification extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from the text or drawings. All of these different combinations 20 constitute various alternative aspects of the invention.

Claims (5)

1. An abdominal wrap including: an elastic longitudinal body for wrapping around the waist and abdominal region of a user, the longitudinal body having a central portion locatable to sit against 5 the users back, a first end portion and a second end portion having respective fastening devices such that the first end portion overlaps the second end portion when wrapped around a user and the respective fastening devices engage to hold the wrap in position providing compression against the users abdominal region; 10 wherein the first end portion includes at least an upper panel and a lower panel that separately fasten to the second end portion allowing the wrap to conform to the shape of the users waist and abdominal region.

2. An abdominal wrap according to claim 1, wherein the upper and lower two panels are of generally triangular shape, with inner ends overlapping and the outer ends of 15 the two panels containing the fastening devices, whereby the upper panel can be fastened further than the lower panel to conform to the shape difference between a users waist and hips whilst simultaneously compressing the waist and abdominal region.

3. An abdominal wrap according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the longitudinal body is 20 provided in five sections: the central portion, the first and second end portions, and two side portions.

4. An abdominal wrap according to claim 3, wherein the central portion is contoured at at least its lower edge, such that the overall width of the longitudinal body is less in the central portion than in the side and end portions. 25

5. An abdominal wrap according to any one of claims 1 to 5, made from a blend of materials including elastic with at least one cellulose fibre.