AU682709B2 - Upper limb brace for sporting activities - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

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Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: Invention Title: MICHAEL ROSS MIDDLETON MIC-HAEL ROSS MIDDLETON H. R. HODGKINSON CO Patent Trade Mark Attorneys 26A Alfred Street MILSONS POINT NSW 2061 P ER,' LIMB BRACE FOR SPORTING ACTIVITIES" The following statement is a full description of performing it known to me: of this invention, including the best method BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION THIS IXVENTION relates to sporting equipment and more particularly to an upperlimb sports training brace for retaining the arm of a user in a straight unbent line during sports training activities. The brace acts as an elbow brace or stiffener and is especially suitable for use as a coaching aid.

Most schools lay at least some emphasis on student participation in various sporting activities, for example cricket and softball, and to a lesser extent in archery, gymnastics and golf. To this end, therefore, coaching aids are often made available to the participants.

In the game of crickeat, the coaching of bowlers is of considerable importance and it is only too evident to coaches that aspiring cricketers very often find it difficult to keep a straight bowling arm during delivery.

It is thus an object of the present invention to overcome the above and other disadvantages by the provision of a brace coaching aid in the form of an upper limb brace or stiffener which may comprise a length of longitudinal-split tubing adapted to at 1 20 least substantially surround and envelop a user's upper limb and to extend above and below the elbow joint (ie. proximally and distally about the elbowjoint in relation to the shouldni joint), and having dimensions such that the elbow is unable to be bent or flexed while the said coaching aid is in position thereon.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION V According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an upper-limb brace when used as a sports training brace for retaining the upper limb of a user in a straight unbent line during sports training activities, the brace comprising an open-ended 30 integral body formed into a substantially cylindrical tubular shell of semi-rigid material having a longitudinally-extending opening which bifurcates one side of tubular shell, said brace being adapted for engaging against and partially surrounding the dorsal and lateral sides of the upper limb both distally and proximally of the elbow and having

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portions shaped to receive the distal end of the upper arm, elbow and proximai end of the forearm of the user to prevent bending or flexing of the elbow.

Ideally, the inventive upper-limb sports training brace is made from plastic tubing, such as polyvinylchloride tubing, or is purpose-built or fabricated by moulding by injection moulding) from suitable plastics materials such as polypropylene or polyvinylchloride.

Preferably, the diameter of the limb brace or stiffener may be made variable, so as to conform with the user's limb, via a suitable adjusting means. Ideally, the design of the brace allows for the diameter of the tubular shell to be reduced (or expanded) contiguously about the user's upper limb, to accommodate different limb sizes. The edges of the length of the tubular shell defining the slit of the coaching aid may well be rounded and the corners thereof be made "radiused" or curved.

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o 0 e BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS In order that a better understanding of the invention may be obtained, hereinafter will be described a preferred embodiment thereof, by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIGURE 1: FIGURE 2: is a perspective view of a coaching aid, in the form of a limb brace or stiffener, in accordance with the present invention; is a plan view of the device; and are schematic transverse cross-sections showing how limbs of very different sizes are able to be accommodated.

FIGURES 3 and 4: DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT iThroughout the drawings, like integers are referenced by the same numeral.

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According to the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, a coaching aid or .;ports training brace, for the practice of bowling a cricket ball in particular, may take the form of an upper limb brace or stiffener, generally referenced 1. Brace 1, in this instance an arm stiffener for a user's bowling arm, comprises a length of tubing 2, ideally P.V.C. or polypropylene tubing, having therealong a longitudinal split 3. The length of tubing 2 is adapted to surround and envelop a user's arm 4 and to extend a suitable distance d,d' on either side of the elbow joint 5 (Figure i.e. along the forearm and the upper arm, tubing 2 having dimensions such that the arm 4 cannot be bent or flexed while brace 1 is in position. The nature of the plastic from which the device is made must be such that the brace is longitudinally rigid while being resilient enough for the length of tubing to be "sprung open" for receiving the bowling arm, and correspondingly to be "curled closed", should the size of the arm be relatively small in diameter.

of buckled straps 8.

To prevent pinching of the wearer's skin it is desirable that the edges aof tile tubing 2 which define longitudinal slit 3 be rounded or beaded as shown referenced 9 in Figures 3 and 4; furthermore, the corners 10 are ideally curved or "radiused". In an unillustrated modification, the length of tubing 2 is lined with a cushioning material such as rubber, rubber or plastic foam, While the above description is couched in terms of an arm brace or stiffener of great value in bowling coaching for aspiring cricketers, it will be realised that such an aid may have application to such sports as archery, gymnastics, softball and golf.

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From the abovegoing it will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that numerous variations and modifications may be made to the invention without materially departing form the spirit and scope thereof as hereinbefore described and illustrated.

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Claims (8)

1. An upper-limb brace when used as a sports training brace for retaining the upper limb of a user in a straight unbent line during sports training activities, the brace comprising an open-ended integral body formed into a substantially cylindrical tubular shell of semi-rigid material having a longitudinally-extending opening which bifurcates one side of the tubular shell, said brace being adapted for engaging against and partially surrounding the dorsal and lateral sides of the upper limb bc.L. distally and proximally of the elbow and having portions shaped to receive the distal end of the upper arm, elbow and proximal end of the forearm of the user to prevent bending or flexing of the elbow.

2. An upper-limb sports training brace according to claim 1, wherein the tubular shell is fabricated from plastics material.

3. An upper-limb sports training brace according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the tubular shell is adjustable for upper limbs of varying diameter.

4. An upper-limb sports training brace according to claim 3 including means for reducing 20 the circumference of said tubular shell contiguously around the user's upper limb.

5. An upper-limb sports training brace according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising means for securement of the brace to the user's limb.

6. An upper-limb sports training brace according to claim 5, wherein said means for securement comprises two or more longitudinally spaced-apart adjustable straps extending transversely of said longitudinally extending opening.

7. An upper-limb sports training brace according to any one of the preceding claims, furither comprising a lining of cushioning material on the inner surface of the tubular :,hell. I unr

8. An upper-limb sports training brace according to any one of the preceding claims, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to the drawings. Dated this 30t. y of May 1997 MICHAEL ROSS MIDDLETON Patent Attorneys for Te Applicant H R Hodgkinson Co 0 *0* 0* S00 e Isrl a ~sa~srra~ l~l ABSTRACT A coaching aid for sporting activities, such as cricket, in the form of an upper limb brace or stiffener having a body formed into an open-ended tubular shell of semi-rigid material, which may comprise a length of longitudinally split tubing, adapted to substantially surround and envelop the user's upper limb and to extend above and below the elbow joint, the tubing having dimensions such that the limb is unable to be bent or flexed while the brace is in position on the limb. S a.o*o a. S a o* e 0*oo *o 9 o *o ~LI