JP2003088544A - Knee supporter - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate the bending and extending of not only knee joint but also hip joint to allow a smooth gait by promoting the movement of the muscle of the leg. SOLUTION: A cylindrical supporter body 2 for covering at least the knee upper and lower parts and fossa poplitea of the leg of a wearing person comprises first to third projection parts 10, 11 and 12 on the reverse side. The first projection part 10 is arranged in a position capable of compressing the patellar ligament At under the quadriceps muscle A, the second projection part 11 is arranged in a position capable of compressing the lower tendon Bt' of the semitendinosus muscle B1 and semitendinosus muscle B2 of the hamstring B, and the third projection part 12 is arranged in a position capable of compressing the lower tendon Bt' of the biceps femoris muscle B3 of the hamstring B. The effect of the hamstring B that is the antagonistic muscle of the quadriceps muscle A is promoted by the compression of the patellar ligament At, and the effect of the quadriceps muscle A that is the antagonistic muscle of the hamstring B is promoted by the compression of each tendon.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a knee supporter, and more specifically, it enables a smooth walking by not only knee joint but also hip joint flexion and extension in mountain climbing, trekking or walking. Regarding the knee supporter.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a knee supporter is used not only to protect the patella and keep it warm, but also to assist in bending and stretching the knee joint. A conventional knee supporter is disclosed in, for example, JP-A-7-265354 and JP-A-9-28724.
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-276323, etc., the supporter body covers the patella of the wearer's leg and the upper and lower knees around the patella, and corresponds to the inner and outer surfaces of the wearer's knee in the supporter body. It is mainly composed of an elastic member (spiral bone or spring stay) arranged at a position.

In the conventional knee supporter described above, the elastic member disposed at the position corresponding to the inner and outer surfaces of the wearer's knee assists the bending and stretching of the knee joint by the elastic restoring force of the elastic member, and the lateral deflection of the knee joint. However, it does not intend to enable smooth walking by promoting the movement of the leg muscles during actual walking, which is the purpose of the present invention.

The present invention has been made in view of such conventional circumstances, and by promoting the movement of leg muscles during mountain climbing, trekking or walking,
An object of the present invention is to provide a knee supporter that enables smooth walking by allowing not only knee joints but also hip joints to flex and extend easily.

[0005]

By the way, stretching, which stretches muscles and joints before exercise, is effective for suppressing and reducing muscle tone, and thus is widely used. Peripheral receptors involved in the reduction of muscle tone are called Golgi tendon organs, which are said to exist in large numbers in the muscle-tendon transition part. It has been known that when the Golgi tendon organ is excited, the tension of the muscles related to the tendon is reduced and the muscle is relaxed. For this purpose, direct pressure stimulation of tendon tissue including the Golgi tendon organ is effective. It has become clear from the research conducted by the inventor of the present application.

The invention of claim 1 is made from such research results, and the knee supporter according to the invention of claim 1 is at least the upper and lower parts of the knee of the wearer's leg and the popliteal part (knee). A cylindrical supporter main body that covers the backside) and first to third protrusions provided on the back surface of the supporter main body are provided. The first protrusion is arranged at a position that can press the patella ligament portion below the quadriceps femoris below the wearer's knee, and the second protrusion is at the hamstrings ( The muscle groups on the back side of the thigh) are placed at positions where the lower parts of the semitendinosus and semimembranosus muscles can be pressed. The third protrusion is arranged at a position where it can press the lower part of the biceps femoris of the hamstrings in the popliteal part of the wearer.

According to the first aspect of the invention, when the wearer is upright, the first protrusion on the back surface of the supporter body is
Compress the patellar ligament below the wearer's quadriceps. This excites the Golgi tendon organ inside the ligament, and relaxes the quadriceps muscles.

Then, the action of the hamstrings, which are antagonistic muscles of the quadriceps femoris, is increased, and the knee joint is directed in the bending direction, and at the same time, the hip joint is also directed in the bending direction. As a result, the wearer can step out smoothly.

When the knee joint and hip joint are flexed, the hamstrings are tense. At this time, the second protrusion on the back surface of the supporter main body causes the semitendinosus muscle and the semi-tendonous muscles of the hamstrings at the popliteal part of the wearer. The lower portion of the membranous muscle is compressed and the third protrusion also compresses the lower portion of the hamstring biceps femoris at the popliteal part of the wearer.

As a result, the tendon under the hamstrings is pressed, the Golgi tendon organ inside the tendon is excited, and the tension of the hamstrings relaxes. Then, the action of the quadriceps femoris muscle, which is an antagonistic muscle of the hamstrings, is increased, and the knee joint is directed in the extension direction, and at the same time, the hip joint is also directed in the extension direction. As a result, the wearer can smoothly push the stepped leg forward.

Thus, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the patellar ligament of the quadriceps femoris and the tendon of the hamstrings are alternately pressed, whereby the tension of each muscle relaxes and the muscles of each other relax. The action of the antagonistic muscle of is promoted, which makes it possible for the rhythmical muscle activity to smoothly move in the bending and stretching directions during walking.

When the second projection presses the lower parts of the semitendinosus and semimembranosus muscles of the hamstrings, the lower leg of the wearer is externally rotated and the foot point is directed outward. In addition, when the third protrusion presses the lower part of the biceps femoris of the hamstrings, the lower leg of the wearer is internally rotated and the foot point is directed inward. In the invention of claim 2, the second and third protrusions simultaneously press each tendon under the hamstrings, so that internal and external rotations of the apex do not occur, and the apex of the foot smoothly goes straight. Can be sent to.

The first to third protrusions are preferably made of resin, rubber or sponge, as described in the invention of claim 2. This is because each protrusion effectively presses a desired portion of the leg without causing pain or discomfort to the leg of the wearer. In this case, a plate made of hard resin or metal may be incorporated as the core material.

The first to third protrusions preferably have a thickness of at least 1 mm, as described in the invention of claim 3. This is to effectively press the desired part of the wearer's leg.

According to the invention of claim 4, a strip-shaped taping portion which exerts a taping action on a portion around the patella of the leg of the wearer is integrally provided on the supporter body. In this case, when the supporter is attached, the taping portion exerts a taping action on the periphery of the patella portion, so that it is possible to prevent damage to and around the knee joint site.

According to the invention of claim 5, the taping portion is printed integrally with the supporter body by print-printing rubber or resin on the surface of the supporter body (specifically, (silk) screen printing or transfer printing). Has been formed.

According to the invention of claim 6, the supporter body and the taping portion are made of a knitting structure, and the expansion ratio of the taping portion is lower than the expansion ratio of the supporter body. That is, in this case, when the supporter is attached, the taping portion is less likely to extend than the supporter body, and thus the taping portion can tighten the legs of the wearer and exert a taping action.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the taping portion includes a first taping portion that overlaps the first protrusion portion,
It has the 2nd and 3rd projection part and the 2nd taping part which overlaps. The first taping portion is the first
From the position of the projecting part of the second diagonally upward to the left and right sides, and similarly, the second taping part extends diagonally upward from the positions of the second and third projecting parts to the left and right sides. ing.

In this case, in the supporter body,
Since the portion where the taping portion is provided is less likely to expand than the portion where the taping portion is not provided, when the supporter is attached, each protrusion on the back surface of the supporter main body is desired by the wearer's leg. When the pressure is applied to the part, the supporter body is prevented from being deformed outward by the reaction force acting as a reaction from the leg to the protrusions. Can act on the site.

[0020]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 is a front view of a knee supporter according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a rear view of the knee supporter, and FIG. 3A is a front view of a protrusion provided on the back surface of the knee supporter. FIG. 4B is a vertical cross-sectional view of the protruding portion of the knee supporter, FIG. 4A is a view showing the positional relationship between the protruding portion and the quadriceps femoris when the supporter is attached, and FIG. 4B is when the supporter is attached. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the protrusions and the hamstring muscle groups, FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the action of the protrusions, and FIG. 5A is a diagram showing the state when the knee joint is extended, FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state when the knee joint is flexed.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the knee supporter 1 has a tubular supporter body 2 that covers at least the upper and lower knees of the wearer's leg and the popliteal part (back of the knee). There is. The supporter main body 2 is preferably made of a stretch material that is breathable and can expand and contract in all directions. Here, the stretch material refers to a material having a knitting structure made of elastic fiber such as polyurethane fiber or polyester fiber, or a composite yarn of these fibers and other fibers. Alternatively, a mesh material such as nylon mesh may be used.

On the surface of the supporter body 2, taping portions 3 and 4 extending in strips are provided. The (first) taping portion 3 extends obliquely upward from the position corresponding to the lower part of the knee of the wearer's leg on the front surface of the supporter body 2 toward the left and right sides. (Second) taping section 4
On the rear surface of the supporter body 2 extends obliquely upward from the position corresponding to the upper part of the popliteal part of the wearer's leg toward the left and right sides.

Each of the taping portions 3 and 4 is made of rubber such as silicon rubber or resin, and is printed on the surface of the supporter main body 2 by (silk) screen printing or transfer printing, thereby supporting the supporter. It is provided integrally with the main body 2. This allows
In the main body 2 of the supporter, the portions where the taping portions 3 and 4 are arranged are difficult to stretch, and as a result, when the supporter is attached, the taping portions 3 and 4 tighten the peripheral portion of the patella of the wearer's leg to provide a taping action. It is supposed to affect.

The taping portions 3 and 4 may have the same knitting structure as that of the supporter main body 2. However, in this case, in order to make the taping portions 3 and 4 less likely to extend than the supporter body 2 when the supporter is attached, the extension rate of each taping portion 3 and 4 may be set lower than the extension rate of the supporter body 2. is necessary. Also,
When constructing each taping part 3 and 4 from the knitting structure,
By forming the taping portions 3 and 4 in a ring shape in the circumferential direction on the surface of the supporter body 2, the supporter body 2 may be narrowed in the circumferential direction at the taping portions 3 and 4.

On the front surface of the supporter main body 2, a patella protecting portion 5 made of a knitting structure thicker than other portions is provided at a portion corresponding to the patella. In addition, a popliteal part covering portion 6 made of a material having a higher expansion rate and excellent breathability than the other parts is provided at a part corresponding to the popliteal part on the rear surface of the supporter body 2.

On the back surface of the supporter main body 2, at a portion slightly below the patella of the wearer and below the knee, a first protrusion is provided at a position where the patella ligament portion below the quadriceps femoris can be pressed when the supporter is attached. A section 10 is provided. That is, as shown in FIG. 4A, the first protrusion 10 is arranged at a position facing the patella ligament portion At below the quadriceps femoris A.

Similarly, on the back surface of the supporter main body 2, the semitendinosus muscle of the hamstrings and the tendon below the semimembraneous muscle can be pressed against the wearer's popliteal upper part when the supporter is worn. The second protrusion 11 is provided at the position, and the third protrusion 12 is provided at the position where the lower tendon of the biceps femoris of the hamstrings can be pressed.
That is, as shown in FIG. 4B, the second protrusion 11
Is located at a position facing the semitendinosus muscle B1 of the hamstrings B and the lower tendon Bt of the semimembranosus muscle B2,
The third protrusion 12 is arranged at a position facing the lower tendon Bt 'of the biceps femoris muscle B3 of the hamstring B.

The first protrusion 10 overlaps with the taping portion 3 as shown in FIG. 1, and the second and third protrusions 11 and 12 have taping as shown in FIG. It overlaps with Part 4.

First to third protrusions 10, 11, 12
Is preferably made of resin, rubber or sponge. This is because each protrusion effectively presses a desired portion of the leg without causing pain or discomfort to the leg of the wearer.
A plate made of hard resin or metal may be incorporated as the core material. Also, each protrusion 10, 11, 1
2 has a substantially elliptical shape as shown in FIG. 3, and the length L in the major axis direction, the length H in the minor axis direction, and the thickness t thereof are effective for the target tendon, respectively. The pressure is appropriately set so that pressure can be applied, but in the present embodiment, L = 15 to 2
0 [mm], H = 10 to 15 [mm], t = 1 to 2 [m
m] is set.

Next, the operation and effect of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
Will be explained. In FIG. 5, D is a thigh, K is a lower leg, D'is a femur, K'is a tibia, and S is a patella.

First, when the wearer is wearing the supporter and is standing upright, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 5 (a), the first protrusion 10 on the back surface of the supporter body is the quadriceps of the wearer. Press the patellar ligament part At below A. As a result, the Golgi tendon organ inside the patellar ligament At is excited and the tension of the quadriceps femoris A is relaxed.

As a result, the action of the hamstrings B, which are antagonistic muscles of the quadriceps femoris A, is increased and the knee joint is directed in the bending direction, and at the same time, the hip joint is also directed in the bending direction. As a result, the legs bend easily, and the wearer can step out smoothly.

Next, when the knee joint and the hip joint are flexed, the hamstrings B are tense. At this time, as shown by the arrow in FIG. The protrusion 11 presses the semitendinosus muscle B1 of the hamstring B and the tendon Bt below the semimembranosus B2 at the popliteal part of the wearer, and the third protrusion 12
Compresses the lower tendon Bt 'of the biceps femoris B3 of the hamstring B at the popliteal part of the wearer.

As a result, the Golgi tendon organ inside the tendon is excited and the tension of the hamstrings B is relaxed. Then,
This time, the action of the quadriceps femoris muscle A, which is an antagonistic muscle of the hamstrings B, is increased, and the knee joint is directed in the extension direction, and at the same time, the hip joint is also directed in the extension direction. As a result, the wearer can smoothly push the stepped leg forward.

Thus, in this embodiment, the quadriceps femoris A
Patella ligament At and hamstring B tendon Bt,
By alternately pressing Bt ', the tension state of each muscle is relaxed and the action of antagonistic muscles of each muscle is promoted,
As a result, during walking, rhythmic muscle activity can smoothly move in the bending and stretching directions.

When the second protrusion 11 presses the lower parts of the semitendinosus muscle B1 and the semimembranosus muscle B2 of the hamstrings B, the lower leg K of the wearer is rotated outward and the apex of the foot is outward. When the third protrusion 12 presses the lower part of the biceps femoris muscle B3 of the hamstring B, the third protrusion 12 causes the wearer's lower leg K to inwardly rotate to move the foot point inward. However, in this case, the second and third protrusions 11 and 12 simultaneously press the respective tendons under the hamstrings, so that the inner and outer rotations of the apex do not occur. , It is possible to smoothly point the foot in a straight direction.

Further, in the present embodiment, since the band-shaped taping portions 3 and 4 which exert the taping action on the peripheral portion of the patella of the wearer's leg are provided, these taping portions 3 and 4 are attached when the supporter is attached. According to 4, it is possible to prevent disorders in and around the knee joint region.

Further, in this case, when the supporter is mounted, the protrusions 10, 11 on the back surface of the supporter main body,
When the pressure exerted on the desired part of the wearer's leg is caused by the reaction force acting from the leg as a reaction to each of the protrusions 10, 11, 12, the supporter body 2 is deformed outward by the taping portions 3, 4. It suppresses, by this, each protrusion 1
The pressure due to 0, 11, 12 can be applied to a desired part of the leg without loss. In addition, the taping action of the taping portions 3 and 4 makes it possible to further press the protrusions 10, 11 and 12 against the leg side.

[0039]

As described above, according to the knee supporter of the present invention, the first to third parts are provided on the back surface of the supporter body.
By providing the protrusions, the patella ligament of the quadriceps femoris and the tendon of the hamstrings are alternately pressed when the supporter is attached to relax the tension of each muscle and promote the movement of the antagonistic muscles of each muscle. Since this is done, not only the knee joint but also the hip joint can be easily bent and extended during walking, and there is an effect that smooth walking is possible.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a knee supporter according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the knee supporter (FIG. 1).

FIG. 3A is a front view of a protrusion provided on the back surface of a knee supporter, and FIG. 3B is a vertical cross-sectional view of the protrusion of the knee supporter.

FIG. 4A is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the protrusions and the quadriceps femoris when the supporter is attached, and FIG. 4B is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the protrusions and the hamstrings muscle group when the supporter is attached. is there.

5A and 5B are views for explaining the action of the protrusion, where FIG. 5A is a diagram showing a state when the knee joint is extended, and FIG. 5B is a diagram showing a state when the knee joint is flexed.

[Explanation of symbols]

1: Knee supporter 2: Supporter body 3,4: Taping section 10: First protrusion 11: Second protrusion 12: Third protrusion A: Quadriceps At: Patella ligament B: Hamstrings B1: Semitendinosus B2: Semimembranosus B3: Biceps femoris Bt, Bt ': Tendon D: Thigh K: Lower leg D ′: Femur K ′: Tibia S: Patella

[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] September 26, 2001 (2001.9.2)
6)

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be corrected] Drawing

[Correction target item name] All drawings

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[Figure 1]

[Fig. 2]

[Figure 3]

[Figure 4]

[Figure 5]

Continued front page    (72) Inventor Makoto Iriya             1-6-1, Edakita, Aoba-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa             No. Eda Park Side Mansion 1-A             Limited company foot and walking laboratory (72) Inventor Choshiro Inaguchi             15-1547 Nishitakamatsu, Wakayama, Wakayama Prefecture (72) Inventor Hirohisa Mizumoto             12-35 South Kohoku, Suminoe-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture             Issue Mitsuno Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Hiroshi Furukawa             12-35 South Kohoku, Suminoe-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture             Issue Mitsuno Co., Ltd. F term (reference) 3B011 AA13 AB18 AC13 AC17

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A knee supporter, which is a tubular supporter body that covers at least the upper and lower parts of the knee and the popliteal part of a wearer's leg, and first to third parts provided on the back surface of the supporter body.
The first protrusion is arranged at a position where the first protrusion can press the patellar ligament below the quadriceps femoris of the wearer's lower knee, and the second protrusion is In the popliteal part, the hamstrings are placed in a position capable of compressing the semitendinosus and the semitendinosus muscles of the hamstrings, and the third protrusion is the popliteal part of the wearer's popliteal thighs. A knee supporter, which is arranged at a position where a tendon under a muscle can be pressed. 2. The knee supporter according to claim 1, wherein the first to third protrusions are made of resin, rubber, or sponge. 3. The knee supporter according to claim 1, wherein the first to third protrusions have a thickness of at least 1 mm. 4. The knee according to claim 1, wherein the supporter body is integrally provided with a strip-shaped taping portion that exerts a taping action on a portion around the patella portion of the leg of the wearer. Supporters. 5. The knee supporter according to claim 4, wherein the taping portion is made of rubber or resin, and is printed on the surface of the supporter main body. 6. The support body according to claim 4, wherein the supporter body and the taping portion are made of a knitting structure, and the expansion rate of the taping portion is lower than the expansion rate of the supporter body. A knee supporter. 7. The taping portion according to claim 4, wherein the taping portion overlaps the first taping portion that overlaps the first protrusion, and the second and third protrusions. And a second taping portion, wherein the first taping portion extends obliquely upward from the position of the first protrusion toward both left and right sides,
The knee supporter, wherein the second taping portion extends obliquely upward from the positions of the second and third protrusions toward the left and right sides.