GB2303792A

GB2303792A - Neck support with compressible areas

Info

Publication number: GB2303792A
Application number: GB9515625A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stanley Reed
Original assignee: PROMEDICS Ltd
Current assignee: PROMEDICS Ltd
Priority date: 1995-07-29
Filing date: 1995-07-29
Publication date: 1997-03-05
Also published as: GB9515625D0

Abstract

An orthopaedic neck support comprises a shaped foam core 10 with relatively compressible areas, made of the same material as the foam core, in the chin 12 and chest 13 contacting regions. The compressible areas have slits cut into foam forming fingers allowing conformity with the wearer. Preferably the device is enclosed with a comfortable knitted fabric and is secured by "hook and pile" fastening means. In an alternative embodiment the device may have means, such as a strap (20), to adjust the depth of the support.

Description

ORTHOPAEDIC DEVICE This invention relates to an orthopaedic device for supporting the neck of a body and to a method of supporting the neck of a body.

Previous neck supports have comprised a shaped foam band in a knitted fabric sleeve with hook and pile attachments (eg Velcro) to secure the support around a neck. Problems arise in that a support must be the correct size in both circuinference and depth for a particular neck. An incorrect size of support can give great discomfort to the wearer. Also. a compromise must be made between a support which is sufficiently firm to give the correct amount of protection to the neck and a support which is relatively soft and consequently comfortable for the wearer.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an orthopaedic neck support which alleviates at least some of the above described disadvantages of prior art supports.

According to one aspect of the present invention an orthopaedic neck support comprises: a supportive section; a more compressible section which is located at least in the areas arranged to bear against at least the wearer's chest and/or chin; an outer surface of the neck support which provides a comfortable texture for making contact with the wearer's skin: and a fastening means to secure the neck support around the wearer's neck.

The more compressible section may be made of the same material as the supportive section. the more compressible section accommodating deformation more easily by means of a plurality of recesses along at least the front edges of the support. which front edges are arranged to bear against the wearer s chest and/or chin.

The plurality of recesses may extend along the whole of the top and bottom edges of the support.

The recesses may comprise slits.

Slots, e.g. rectangular slots, may be used instead of, or in addition to, slits.

The neck support may be adjustable in depth, which adjustment may be effected by tightening or loosening an adjustment means which is positioned around the front section of the neck support.

The adjustment means may be a loop of textile material which may be fastened with a hook and pile attachment.

Alternatively a buckle and strap may be used.

The supportive section may be shaped to conform more easily to the shape of the body of the wearer.

The shaping may take the form of variations in the depth of the neck support.

The outer surface of the neck support may comprise a tube of soft knitted fabric which can be placed over the supportive and compressible sections.

The fastening means may comprise cooperating hook and pile attachments at each end of the neck support.

The neck support may be stiffened to provide extra support.

The stiffening may be achieved by means of at least one horizontal strip of plastics material, eg. extending horizontally.

The stiffening strip may extend along the majority of the length of the neck support.

The edges of the neck support may be chamfered to provide increased comfort.

According to another aspect of the present invention a method of supporting a neck comprises: surrounding the neck with a support which has a more compressible section at least where the support is intended to bear against the wearer's chest and/or chin. the support also comprising an outer surface of the support which has a comfortable texture when making contact with the wearer 5 skin: and fastening the collar around the wearer's neck.

The method may include adjusting the depth of the neck support. which adjustment may be effected by tightening or loosening an adjustment means on the front of the neck support.

According to another aspect of the invention, an orthopaedic neck support comprises: a supportive section; an outer surface of the neck support which provides a comfortable texture for making contact with the wearer's skin; a fastening means to secure the neck support around the wearer's neck; and adjustment means. which are arranged to allow adjustment of the depth of the support.

The adjustment means may only adjust the depth of the front of the support.

The adjustment means may be a strap. which may be secured with a hook and pile fastener.

Alternatively a buckle and strap may be used.

By way of example. two specific embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic view of the neck support without its outer cover according to a first embodiment; and Figure 2 is a schematic view of the neck support with its outer cover according to a first embodiment.

Figure 3 in a schelnatic view of a support without its outer cover according to a second embodiment.

An orthopaedic neck support comprises a shaped foam core 10, the foam being shaped to provide greater comfort for the wearer. There is a central dip 11 in the symmetrical upward curve of the top edge 12. The bottom edge 13 has a generally downwardly curving shape.

The main points of contact for such a neck support are at the wearer's chin and chest. It is at the points on the neck support which are designed to contact the chin and chest that the foam of the core 10 is made more compressible. The central portion 11 of the top edge 12 of the core 10 has a number of slits 14 cut into the foam. Between the slits, "fingers" of foam are left and it is these "fingers" which are more compressible and/or flexible and conform more easily to the shape of the wearer's chin than prior art neck supports and so give greater comfort. The slits are each substantially 1" in depth and are arranged in intervals of substantially '/2. This allows the foam to open up and conform to the wearer's chin shape, thereby spreading the load over a larger area.

Similarly. the centre of the bottom edge 13 of the core 10 has a number of slits 14 which act in the same way as the slits 14 on the top edge 12 of the core 10 to provide a more comfortable neck support.

Figure 2 shows the neck support in its completed form. A knitted tube of soft material 16 has been rolled over the foam core 10 shown in Figure 1.

A strap 17 is attached to one end of the body of the neck support. A first fastening strip (not shown) is attached to one side of the strap 17 and a second fastening strip 18 chosen to cling to the first fastening strip, is attached to the body of neck support at the opposite end of the body to the strap 17.

A flexible piece of plastics material 19 is attached to the front of the neck support to give stiffening and reinforcement.

In the centre of the front of the neck support there is a strip of fabric 20 attached to the top edge 12 of the neck support. The strip 20 has hook and pile fastenings (not shown) at the base 21 of the strip 20, so that the strip 20 can be tightened or loosened to reduce or increase the depth of the neck support. The ability to adjust the support means greater comfort can be achieved. This strip 20 may be used with advantages over prior art orthopaedic collars .. ld constitutes a further aspect of the invention.

In use, the neck support is secured around the wearer's neck with the fastenings 17 and 18 to the rear. The wearer's chin and chest contact with the more compressible sections of the support and consequently achieve greater comfort. Next the depth of the neck support can be adjusted with the strip of fabric 20 and comfort can be further increased.

This specific embodiment of the present invention gives a neck support which is both more comfortable and easier to fit than a prior art neck support.

Figure 3 depicts a second embodiment of the invention. The neck collar has a shaped foam core 10. The core 10 has a different shape to that of the first embodiment. The central dip (11 in Figure 1) is not present and the top edge has a simple upward curve 12. The slits 14 described below provide comfort for the wearer. The bottom edge has a downward curve 13, similar to that of the first embodiment.

The main difference between the first and second embodiments is that the second embodiment has slits 14 along the whole length of its top and bottom edges 12 and 13 respectively. The "fingers" of foam which remain between the slits 14 deform more easily than a piece of foam with no slits.

Consequently the collar conforms more easily to the shape of the wearers body. More comfort is given to the chin. head chest. collar bones and shoulders of the wearer. The slits are each substantially 1" in depth and are arranged in intervals of substantially '/2". The "fingers" of foam open up under the load of the wearers head, thereby spreading the load over a larger area.

Although it is not shown in Figure 3 the neck support will be covered with a fabric which is comfortable next to the wearers skin. The neck collar also has, when completed, the external features shown in Figure 2. ie the hook and pile fasteners 17 and 18. the horizontal stiffening strip 19 and the depth adjustment means 20. These features are positioned and operated as described above with reference to Figure 2.

The second embodiment of the present invention also gives a neck support which is both ignore comfortable and cashier to fit than prior art neck supports.

The reader s attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed conctirrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings). and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings). may be replaced by alternative features serving the same. equivalent or similar purpose. unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus. unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination. of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims

1. An orthopaedic neck support comprising: a supportive section; a more compressible section which is located at least in the areas arranged to bear against at least the wearer's chest and/or chin; an outer surface of the neck support which provides a comfortable texture for making contact with the wearer's skin; and a fastening means to secure the neck support around the wearer's neck.

2. An orthopaedic neck support as claimed in claim 1, in which the more compressible section is made of the same material as the supportive section, the more compressible section accommodating deformation more easily by means of a plurality of recesses along at least the front edges of the support, which front edges are arranged to bear against the wearer's chest and/or chin.

3. An orthopaedic neck support as claimed in Claim 2, in which the plurality of recesses extend along the whole of the top and bottom edges of the support.

4. An orthopaedic neck support as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3, in which the recesses comprise slits.

5. An orthopaedic neck support as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 4, in which the recesses comprise slots.

6. An orthopaedic neck support as claimed in any of the preceding claims, in which the neck support is adjustable in depth, the adjustment being effected by tightening or loosening an adjustment means which is positioned around the front section of the neck support.

7. An orthopaedic neck support as claimed in Claim 6, in which the adjustment means comprises a loop of textile material having fastening means.

8. An orthopaedic neck support as claimed in Claim 7, in which the fastening means comprises a hook and pile attachment, or a buckle and strap.

9. An orthopaedic neck support as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the supportive section is shaped to conform more easily to the shape of the body of the wearer.

10. An orthopaedic neck support as claimed in Claim 9, in which the shaping takes the form of variations in the depth of the neck support.

11. An orthopaedic neck support as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the outer surface of the neck support comprises a tube of soft knitted fabric which is placed over the supportive and compressible sections.

12. An orthopaedic neck support as claimed in any of the preceding claims, in which the fastening means comprises cooperating hook and pile attachment, at each end of the neck support.

13. An orthopaedic neck support as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, stiffened to provide extra support.

14. An orthopaedic neck support as claimed in Claim 13, in which the stiffening is achieved by means of at least one horizontal strip of plastics material.

15. An orthopaedic neck support as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the edges of the neck support are chamfered to provide increased comfort.

16. An orthopaedic neck support comprising : a supportive section; an outer surface of the neck support which provides a comfortable texture for making contact with the wearer's skin; a fastening means to secure the neck support around the wearer's neck; and adjustment means, which are arranged to provide adjustment of the depth of the support.

17. An orthopaedic neck support constructed and arranged substantially as herein described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.