JP2014019966A - Knee supporter - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a knee supporter capable of preventing its upper edge from slipping down without fastening an upper thigh of a wearer.SOLUTION: A knee supporter 10 includes: a knee covering part 11 for covering a knee of the wearer; a cylindrical lower thigh fastening part 12 for fastening an upper portion of the lower thigh of the wearer; and a cylindrical upper thigh covering part 13 for covering a lower portion of the upper thigh of the wearer. A lower edge width wof the upper thigh covering part in a flat shape is 10 cm or more, and a minimum height hof the upper thigh covering part in a flat shape is 5 cm or more. At the same time, the upper thigh covering part has a free-standing structure where it stands independently against the gravity so that the upper thigh covering part when worn does not slip down without fastening the lower portion of the upper thigh of the wearer. Preferably, an above-knee fastening part 14 for fastening an above-knee part of the wearer is provided between the knee covering part and the upper thigh covering part. Preferably, the upper thigh covering part is formed in a tapered shape so that its diameter gets larger as it approaches the upper edge, and also is formed by fulled texture.

Description

  The present invention relates to a cylindrical knee supporter for keeping or protecting a wearer's knee and its surroundings.

  Various types of knee supporters for keeping warm or protecting the wearer's knee are known. These knee supporters are generally formed of a stretch-shaped tubular fabric, and cover not only the wearer's knees but also the upper lower leg and lower upper leg. It is common. However, since the upper leg (thigh) of a person has a shape that gradually becomes thinner from the upper side to the lower side, after wearing the knee supporter for a while, the knee that was initially in a high position on the upper leg There was a problem that the upper edge of the supporter naturally slipped down to the area above the knee. In particular, when the wearer repeats flexing and stretching exercises, the upper edge of the knee supporter will immediately fall off. In view of such a situation, there has been proposed a knee supporter that has been devised so that its upper edge does not fall off.

  For example, Patent Documents 1 to 8 describe knee supporters whose upper edges are formed of a stretchable material. These knee supporters are based on the idea of preventing the knee supporter from slipping off by the tightening force of the upper edge. However, when the tightening force of the upper edge is increased, the wearer feels pressure on the upper thigh, resulting in a problem that the feeling of wearing the knee supporter decreases. In addition, as described above, the upper leg of the person has a shape that gradually becomes thinner toward the lower side, so that the tightening force of the upper edge of the knee supporter can cause the upper edge of the knee support to slip down. It also has a problem of becoming affected. Among these, Patent Document 5 describes a knee supporter in which the tightening force of the upper edge is weakened, and Patent Document 8 describes a knee supporter in which a stretchable cylindrical portion is provided on the upper side of the mouth rubber. Although described, these knee supporters do not change the tightening of the wearer's upper leg with the upper edge, and cannot essentially solve the problem of the upper edge slipping off.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 04-032768 JP 07-31544 A Noto 3010315 gazette Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-079026 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-200411 Noto 3077152 gazette JP 2007-054126 A Japanese Patent No. 4906443

  The present invention provides a knee supporter that can prevent the upper edge from slipping without tightening the upper thigh of the wearer without causing the wearer to feel excessive pressure.

The above issues
A knee supporter for warming or protecting the wearer's knee and its surroundings,
A knee covering for covering the wearer's knee;
A tubular lower leg tightening part for tightening the upper leg of the wearer;
A cylindrical upper thigh covering portion for covering the lower thigh of the wearer,
While the lower edge width of the upper thigh covering part is 10 cm or more and the flat minimum height is 5 cm or more,
By having a self-supporting structure where the upper thigh covering part is self-supporting against gravity,
The problem is solved by providing a knee supporter characterized in that the upper thigh covering portion does not slip downward without tightening the lower thigh of the wearer when worn.

Here, the “lower edge width when flat” of the upper thigh covering portion is defined as follows. That is, when the knee supporter 10 is worn, the knee supporter 10 has a three-dimensional cylindrical shape as shown in FIG. 1, and the upper thigh covering portion 13 has a three-dimensional cylindrical shape. 2, the width in the front-rear direction of the lower edge of the upper thigh covering portion 13 when flattened to the left and right (when flat) is the “lower edge width when flat” of the upper thigh covering portion 13. Define. In the example of FIG. 2, the length (width w ₀ ) of the line segment P ₁ P ₂ is the flat lower edge width of the upper leg covering portion 13. Hereinafter, a line segment defining the flat lower edge width (line segment P ₁ P ₂ in FIG. ₂ ) may be referred to as a “lower edge width measurement line”. The flat lower edge width of the upper thigh covering portion 13 is defined only by a portion where the upper thigh covering portion 13 is in a cylindrical shape, and only a part of the lower thigh covering portion 13 in the circumferential direction of the lower edge is narrowed. The protruding portion in the case where the protrusion is provided is not considered. As will be described later, when the upper knee tightening portion 14 is provided, the flat lower edge width of the upper thigh covering portion 13 is caused by the elastic contraction force received from the portion located below the upper thigh covering portion 13. When being affected, the lower edge width of the upper thigh covering portion 13 when flat is measured in a state where the affected portion is separated from the upper thigh covering portion 13.

Further, the “minimum flat height” of the upper edge covering portion is defined as follows. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, when the upper thigh covering part 13 is crushed so as to be flattened left and right (when flat), the height of the upper thigh covering part 13 (lower edge width measurement line P) The minimum value of the height in the direction perpendicular to the lower edge measurement line P ₁ P ₂ measured from ₁ P ₂ is defined as the “minimum height when flat” of the upper leg covering portion 13. In the example of FIG. 2, the height represented by “h ₀ ” is the minimum height when the upper thigh covering portion 13 is flat. As will be described later, when the upper knee tightening portion 14 is provided, the flat minimum height of the upper thigh covering portion 13 is caused by the elastic contraction force received from the portion located below the upper thigh covering portion 13. In the case of being affected, the minimum height when the upper thigh covering part 13 is flat is measured in a state where the affected part is separated from the upper thigh covering part 13.

Furthermore, it is determined by the method shown in FIG. 4 whether or not “the upper thigh covering portion has a self-supporting structure that is self-supporting against gravity”. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a method for determining whether or not the upper leg covering portion 13 has a self-supporting structure. First, as shown in FIG. 4A, the upper leg covering portion 13 of the knee supporter 10 is cut together with the fabric α below the lower edge width measurement line P ₁ P ₂ , and the upper side when viewed from the horizontal direction. The fabric α is externally fitted and fixed to the cylindrical member 50 so that the lower edge measurement line P ₁ P _{2 of the} thigh covering portion 13 overlaps the upper surface of the cylindrical member 50. Depending on the form of the knee supporter 10, the fabric α may be the knee covering part 11, the upper thigh covering part 13, or the above-knee covering part 14 described later. The vertical width of the fabric α is 5 mm. The dough α is fixed to the columnar member 50 by, for example, winding the adhesive tape 51 from the outside of the dough α and the columnar member 50. The cylindrical member 50 is manufactured so that the outer diameter thereof coincides with the inner diameter of the location along the lower edge measurement line P ₁ P ₂ of the upper thigh covering portion 13.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4A, the upper edge of the upper thigh covering portion 13 is placed with a finger or the like in a state where the columnar member 50 is placed on a table or the like so that the upper surface of the columnar member 50 is horizontal. The shape of the upper thigh covering part 13 is adjusted so that it is stretched naturally (to the extent that the fabric forming the upper thigh covering part 13 does not stretch) so that no wrinkles are formed on the upper thigh covering part 13. The horizontal cross section at each height in the upper thigh covering portion 13 is as close to a circle as possible. In this state, the height H ₀ from the lower edge measurement line P ₁ P _{2 at} the lowest point on the upper edge of the upper thigh covering portion 13 is measured. Next, the finger is gently lifted from the upper edge of the upper thigh covering part 13, and the upper thigh covering part 13 is naturally deformed by gravity. Height ₁ from the lower edge measurement line P ₁ P ₂ of the lowest point on the upper edge of the upper thigh covering portion 13 after 1 minute has passed since the finger was removed from the upper edge of the upper thigh covering portion 13 (FIG. 4 [b] and FIG. 4 [c]). The point at which the height H ₁ at the upper edge of the upper thigh covering portion 13 is measured does not necessarily coincide with the point at which the height H ₀ is measured. Subsequently, a ratio H ₁ / H ₀ of the height H ₁ to the height H ₀ (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as “height change ratio of the upper thigh covering portion 13”) is obtained by calculation. The height change ratio H ₁ / H ₀ of the upper thigh covering portion 13 is an average value for 10 measurements.

When the height change ratio H ₁ / H _{0 of the} upper thigh covering part 13 is 0.6 or more, it is determined that “the upper thigh covering part has a self-supporting structure that is independent of gravity”, and the others In this case, it is determined that “the upper thigh covering portion does not have a self-supporting structure that is self-supporting against gravity”. Specifically, in the example shown in FIG. 4B, the height change ratio H ₁ / H ₀ of the upper thigh covering portion 13 is about 0.85, and the upper thigh covering shown in FIG. The part 13 is determined to have “self-supporting structure”. On the other hand, in the example shown in FIG. 4 [c], the height change ratio _H 1 / _{H 0} of the upper leg covering portion 13 has become approximately 0.38, the upper leg covering portion shown in FIG. 4 [c] 13 Is judged to be “not self-supporting”. The height change ratio H ₁ / H ₀ of the upper thigh covering part 13 is not particularly limited as long as it is 0.6 or more as described above, but from the viewpoint of more reliably preventing the upper thigh covering part 13 from slipping off. Is preferably 0.7 or more. The height change ratio H ₁ / H ₀ of the upper leg covering portion 13 is more preferably 0.8 or more, further preferably 0.9 or more, and is preferably 0.95 or more and 0.99 or more. It is preferable. The height change ratio H ₁ / H ₀ of the upper thigh covering part 13 is substantially 1 (the height of the upper thigh covering part 13 is substantially before and after releasing the finger from the upper edge of the upper thigh covering part 13. It does not change) and is optimal.

  In the knee supporter according to the present invention, as described above, the upper leg covering portion is brought into gravity while the wearer's leg portion is tightened at the lower portion thereof (such as the lower leg tightening portion or the above-mentioned knee upper tightening portion). By having a self-supporting structure that is self-supporting against the back, a structure is realized in which the upper thigh covering part does not slip downward without being tightened by the upper thigh lower part of the wearer when worn. The boots have a self-supporting structure in which the cylindrical portion extending upward from the portion covering the ankle is self-supporting against gravity, and even if the wearer's foot is not tightened by the cylindrical portion, the portion can be Although it does not slip down, the structure of the knee supporter of the present invention that “does not slip out by tightening on the upper side” is similar to this boot.

  In the knee supporter of the present invention, the method for giving the self-supporting structure to the upper leg covering portion is not particularly limited. For example, the following methods are exemplified. First, the thickness of the fabric that forms the upper thigh covering portion (the total thickness when the upper thigh covering portion is configured by stacking a plurality of fabrics) is greater than the thickness of the fabric that forms the knee covering portion. A method of enlarging is mentioned. In addition to thickening the upper thigh covering part consisting of a single layer, this configuration has a multi-layer structure for the upper thigh covering part (including the case where the upper thigh covering part is folded from the upper side to the lower side), etc. Can also be realized. By increasing the thickness of the fabric forming the upper thigh covering part, the rigidity and bending resistance of the upper thigh covering part can be increased and the self-supporting structure can be imparted to the upper thigh covering part.

  The self-supporting structure can also be realized by making the bending resistance of the fabric forming the upper thigh covering part higher than the bending resistance of the cloth forming the knee covering part. In addition to using fibers that are more rigid than the fibers that form the fabric of the knee covering part, such as fibers that form the fabric of the upper thigh covering part, such as yarns, This can be realized by making the fabric of the upper thigh covering portion knitted more densely than the fabric of the knee covering portion. In addition, as described above, even if the fabric forming the upper thigh covering part is thickened or the core material is integrated with the upper thigh covering part as described later, as a result, The overall bending resistance of the covering portion increases.

  Furthermore, the self-supporting structure can also be realized by integrating the core material with the fabric forming the upper thigh covering portion. The core material is not particularly limited in its material and form as long as it has the rigidity or the bending resistance necessary for imparting the above-mentioned self-supporting structure to the upper leg covering portion. Examples of the core material include a resin sheet or a resin wire, a metal sheet or a metal wire, a woven or non-woven fabric made of natural fiber or synthetic fiber, or waterproof paper. When a resin sheet, a metal sheet, a woven fabric, or a non-woven fabric is used as the core material, it may be a belt shape or a mesh shape. The core material may be provided in a cylindrical shape so as to be continuous over the entire circumference of the upper thigh covering portion, but in this case, the upper thigh covering portion cannot be extended from the initial shape. For this reason, it is preferable to provide the core material in a form having a cut in the peripheral portion. Moreover, you may provide locally the linear or strip | belt-shaped core material extended in the height direction of an upper leg covering part in the peripheral part of an upper leg covering part. The method of integrating the core material with the upper thigh covering part is not particularly limited, and in addition to sewing, bonding, welding, etc., the fabric forming the upper thigh covering part has a multi-layer structure composed of the outer material and the lining material. The core material may be sandwiched between the outer material and the lining material. When the core material is a band or a line, a sheath-like pocket may be provided on the inner surface or outer surface of the upper thigh covering portion, and the core material may be inserted into the pocket.

  In the knee supporter of the present invention, the knee covering part and the upper thigh covering part may be directly connected, but for covering and tightening the wearer's knee between the knee covering part and the upper thigh covering part. It is preferable to provide an above-knee tightening portion. Thereby, it is possible to support the upper thigh covering portion with the above-knee tightening portion. Therefore, the upper thigh covering portion can be beautifully self-supported upward from the wearer's knee without using a structure in which the knee covering portion tightens the wearer's knee. In addition, it is possible to reliably block outside air that has entered the upper thigh covering portion from the upper side by the above-knee tightening portion so as not to reach the wearer's knee. Therefore, the heat retention of the knee supporter can be further improved. In addition, it is easy to prompt the person wearing the knee supporter to wear the knee supporter at the correct position by changing the appearance of the knee supporter. For example, if it is stated in a manual such as “Wear so that the upper knee tightening portion matches the recessed portion at the boundary between the knee and upper leg”, the wearer should use the upper knee tightening portion as a guide. The knee supporter can be worn in the correct position. As a guideline for wearing the knee supporter, in addition to providing the above-knee tightening portion, a pattern or the like shown on the outer surface of the knee supporter may be used.

  In the knee supporter of the present invention, the form of the upper thigh covering part is not particularly limited as long as it is cylindrical, and may be cylindrical, but it is tapered so that its diameter increases as it approaches the upper end. It is preferable to form in a shape. The human thigh (upper thigh) is gradually getting thicker from the lower end (upper part of the knee) toward the upper side, but the upper thigh covering part that covers this part is tapered to cover the upper thigh. It is easy to prevent the inner peripheral surface of the part from being in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the upper leg of the wearer. Therefore, the upper thigh covering part does not tighten the upper thigh of the wearer, and it is possible to make it more difficult to slip off.

  Furthermore, in the knee supporter of the present invention, as long as the upper thigh covering part has the above-mentioned self-supporting structure, the kind of the cloth is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the upper leg covering part is formed of a crushed cloth. As a result, it becomes possible to make the upper thigh covering part difficult to shrink from the original dimensions, and the inner peripheral surface of the upper thigh covering part does not adhere to the outer peripheral surface of the wearer even after wearing or washing. Thus, the initial wearing feeling of the knee supporter can be maintained over a long period of time. In addition, when the fabric is shrunk, its eyes are clogged and the density is increased, so that the bending resistance and the stiffness of the fabric forming the upper thigh covering portion can be increased. In addition, the crushed fabric (especially milled fabric) is stretched in a certain direction when it is pulled by applying a tensile force, but the specific direction is maintained even if the tensile force is removed. And has a characteristic of maintaining the stretched state in the specific direction until it is pulled in another direction orthogonal to the specific direction. Therefore, it is possible for the wearer to adjust the thickness of the upper thigh covering part according to the thickness of his / her thigh (upper thigh) by adopting the crushed fabric for the upper thigh covering part become.

  Furthermore, in the knee supporter of the present invention, it is preferable that the knee covering portion has a bulging portion bulging forward. Thereby, when the wearer bends and extends the knee, the displacement around the kneecap is absorbed by the bulging portion so that the displacement does not propagate to the upper thigh covering portion. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably prevent the upper supporter of the knee supporter from slipping down. In addition, it is possible to change the appearance of the knee supporter so that the person wearing the knee supporter can easily recognize the front and back of the knee supporter.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a knee supporter that can prevent the upper edge from slipping without tightening the upper thigh of the wearer and without causing the wearer to feel excessive pressure. It becomes possible.

It is the side view showing the state where the knee supporter of the first embodiment was worn on the knee. It is the side view which showed the state (state at the time of flat) which was crushed so that the knee supporter of 1st embodiment might become flat left and right. It is the side view which showed the state (state at the time of flat) which crushed the knee supporter of 2nd embodiment so that it might become flat on either side. It is explanatory drawing explaining the method to judge whether an upper leg covering part has a self-supporting structure. In measuring the height change ratio of the upper thigh covering part in the knee supporter of the first embodiment, it is a photograph taken from the side of the upper thigh covering part in a state where the finger is removed from the upper edge. It is the photograph which image | photographed the state which hung and mounted two felt pens (total weight 54g) on the upper edge of the upper leg covering part in the state of FIG.

A preferred embodiment of the knee supporter of the present invention will be described more specifically with reference to the drawings.
In the following, the knee supporter of the present invention will be described by taking two embodiments (first embodiment and second embodiment) as examples, but the technical scope of the present invention is limited to these embodiments. Without departing from the spirit of the present invention, appropriate modifications can be made.

1. First, the knee supporter of the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a side view showing a state in which the knee supporter 10 of the first embodiment is worn on the knee 61. FIG. 2 is a side view showing a state in which the knee supporter 10 of the first embodiment is crushed so as to be flat to the left and right (a state when flat). As shown in FIG. 1, the knee supporter 10 of the first embodiment is for keeping or protecting the wearer's knee 61 and its surroundings, and has a cylindrical shape for covering the wearer's knee 61. A knee covering part 11, a tubular lower leg fastening part 12 for fastening the upper part of the wearer's lower leg 62, a tubular upper leg covering part 13 for covering the lower part of the wearer's upper leg 63, and wear And a cylindrical upper knee fastening portion 14 for fastening a person's upper knee (portion between the knee covering portion 11 and the upper thigh covering portion 13).

In the knee support 10 of the first embodiment, the flat lower edge width w ₀ (FIG. 2) of the upper thigh covering part 13 is 10 cm or more, and the flat upper minimum height h ₀ ( FIG. 2) is 5 cm or more. The upper thigh covering portion 13 has a self-supporting structure that is self-supporting against gravity, so that the upper thigh covering portion 13 does not slip down downward without tightening the lower portion of the wearer's upper thigh 63 when worn. It has become. The method for imparting the self-supporting structure to the upper thigh covering portion 13 is not particularly limited as described above, but in the knee supporter 10 of the first embodiment, the thickness t _{3 of the} fabric forming the upper thigh covering portion 13 ( 2), the thickness t ₁ (FIG. 2) of the fabric forming the knee covering portion 11, the thickness t ₂ (FIG. 2) of the fabric forming the lower leg fastening portion 12, and the upper knee fastening portion 14 The self-standing structure is realized by making the thickness larger than the thickness t ₄ (FIG. 2) of the fabric forming the.

The height change ratio H ₁ / H ₀ of the upper thigh covering part 13 measured by the method shown in FIG. 4 is not particularly limited as long as it is 0.6 or more as described above. In the knee supporter 10 of the first embodiment, the height change ratio H ₁ / H ₀ of the upper leg covering portion 13 is substantially 1. FIG. 5 is a side view of the upper leg covering portion 13 in a state where the finger is removed from the upper edge when measuring the height change ratio H ₁ / H ₀ of the upper leg covering portion 13 in the knee supporter 10 of the first embodiment. It is a photograph taken from one side. As shown in FIG. 5, the upper leg covering portion 13 of the knee supporter 10 according to the first embodiment is in a state before releasing the finger without forming a heel or the like even if the finger is released from the upper edge. Keep. On the contrary, as shown in FIG. 6, the upper leg covering portion 13 in the knee supporter 10 of the first embodiment can stand on its own even if a weight (felt pen) is placed on the upper edge thereof. FIG. 6 is a photograph taken from the side of a state where two felt pens (total weight 54 g) are placed on the upper edge of the upper thigh covering portion in the state of FIG. 5 and placed. Thus, it is preferable that the upper thigh covering portion 13 maintains a self-supporting structure even when a weight of 10 g or more is placed thereon. More preferably, the self-standing structure is maintained even when a weight of 20 g or more, a weight of 30 g or more, a weight of 40 g or more, or a weight of 50 g or more is placed. There is no particular upper limit to the weight of the weight that can maintain the self-supporting structure, but it is usually about 200 to 300 g.

In the knee supporter 10 according to the first embodiment in which the upper thigh covering portion 13 is formed of a thick fabric, and thus the self-supporting structure is imparted to the upper thigh covering portion 13, the thickness t of the fabric forming the upper thigh covering portion 13 ₃ (FIG. 2) is determined depending on the type of fabric forming the upper thigh covering portion 13 and is not particularly limited, but is usually 2 to 8 mm, preferably 3 to 6 mm. In contrast, knee covering portion 11, of the fabric forming the lower leg clamping portion 12 and the knee on tightening portion 14 thickness _{t 1, t 2, 1 4} ( Fig. 2) is usually, 0.5 to 3 mm, Preferably, it is 1 to 3 mm. In the knee supporter 10 of the first embodiment, the thickness t ₁ is 2 mm, the thickness t ₂ is 2 mm, the t ₃ is 5 mm, and the thickness t ₄ (FIG. 2) is 2 mm.

  There are no particular limitations on the type of fabric forming the knee tightening portion 11, the lower leg tightening portion 12, the upper thigh covering portion 13 and the upper knee tightening portion 14. However, the crus tightening portion 12 (the portion indicated by the small shaded hatching in FIGS. 1 and 2) and the above-knee fastening portion 14 (the portion indicated by the large shaded hatching in FIGS. 1 and 2) It is formed of a fabric having a tightening force (elastic force) due to a functional request to tighten the upper leg and the knee of the wearer. Specifically, the crus tightening portion 12 and the above-knee tightening portion 14 are formed of a fabric knitted using an elastic thread such as a rubber thread or an integrated elastic material such as rubber. In the knee supporter 10 of the first embodiment, the lower leg tightening portion 12 and the above-knee tightening portion 14 are each made of cotton / rayon yarn (# 30 single yarn × 2) and nylon fiber (10 × 70 denier). , Polyurethane fiber (120 denier) and polyester fiber (75 denier) are formed of a flat knitted fabric (back pile). In this case, the above-knee tightening portion 14 only needs to be loosely tightened on the wearer's knee, so that the tightening force of the above-knee tightening portion 14 is made smaller than the tightening force of the crus tightening portion 12. . That is, the elongation rate of the fabric forming the upper knee fastening portion 14 is made larger than the elongation rate of the fabric forming the lower leg fastening portion 12. In the knee supporter 10 of the first embodiment, a difference is provided between the weight of the lower leg tightening portion 12 (13 g with respect to the total weight 57 g) and the weight of the upper knee tightening portion 14 (8 g with respect to the total weight 57 g). Therefore, there is a difference in tightening force. In addition, the vertical width of the above-knee tightening portion 14 is also made narrower than the vertical width of the crus tightening portion 12. The vertical width of the above-knee tightening portion 14 is usually 0.5 to 10 cm, preferably 1 to 5 cm. On the other hand, the vertical width of the crus tightening portion 12 is usually 5 to 25 cm, preferably 10 to 20 cm.

  On the other hand, the knee covering portion 11 is not required to have a tightening force as high as the lower leg tightening portion 12 or the above-knee tightening portion 14. For this reason, it is not always necessary to apply a tightening force (elastic force) to the knee covering portion 11, but when the knee covering portion 11 is greatly expanded and contracted, the knee periphery when the wearer bends and stretches the knee, etc. This displacement can be absorbed by the knee covering portion 11 so that the displacement does not propagate to the upper thigh covering portion 13 or the like. For this reason, it is preferable that the knee covering portion 11 is formed of a fabric that has a certain degree of tightening force and is highly stretchable (a fabric that has a small tightening force and a high elongation rate). Moreover, it is preferable to form with the fabric excellent in heat retention property from the functional request | requirement of warming a wearer's knee. In the knee supporter 10 of the first embodiment, the knee covering portion 11 is formed of a fabric obtained by flat knitting (rear pile) of cotton / rayon yarn (No. 30 single yarn × 3) and nylon fiber (10 × 70 denier). doing. The basis weight of the knee covering portion 11 is 15 g with respect to the total weight 57 g. As shown in FIG. 1, the knee covering portion 11 is formed with a bulging portion 11 a that bulges forward, and when the knee supporter 10 is worn, the inner surface of the knee covering portion 11 and the knee 61 of the wearer. A gap A (play) is formed between the front surface of the two. Thereby, even if it is a case where a wearer bends and extends a knee, it becomes possible to make it difficult to slip down the upper leg covering part 13 further.

  Further, the upper leg covering portion 13 is not required to have any tightening force. For this reason, it is not necessary to form the upper thigh covering portion 13 with a cloth knitted using an elastic thread such as a rubber thread or a cloth integrated with an elastic material such as rubber. In the knee supporter 10 of the first embodiment, the upper thigh covering portion 13 is made of a fabric obtained by flat knitting (back pile) of cotton / rayon yarn (No. 30 single yarn × 3) and nylon fiber (10 × 70 denier). The fabric is knitted to be larger than the product dimensions and then subjected to shrinking. Shrinking is performed by applying steam to the dough. The shrinkage ratio (the ratio of the difference between the dimension before shrinkage and the dimension after shrinkage to the dimension before shrinkage (longitudinal or laterally long, the same applies hereinafter)) is not particularly limited. However, if the contraction rate is too small, the significance of performing contraction processing decreases. For this reason, the contraction rate of the contraction process is normally 15% or more. The contraction rate of the contraction process is preferably 20% or more, and more preferably 30% or more. On the other hand, the upper limit of the contraction rate is not particularly limited, but is usually 50% or less. In the knee supporter 10 of the first embodiment, the contraction rate of the contraction processing applied to the fabric forming the upper leg covering portion 13 is set to 40%. The basis weight of the upper thigh covering portion 13 is 21 g with respect to the total weight 57 g.

  Bending softness measured in accordance with method A (45 ° cantilever method) in JIS L 1096 “Fabric and knitted fabric testing method” (the same applies hereinafter). ) Is not particularly limited. However, if the bending resistance of the upper thigh covering part 13 is low (the upper thigh covering part 13 is soft), it becomes difficult to give the above-mentioned self-supporting structure to the upper thigh covering part 13. For this reason, the bending resistance of the upper thigh covering part 13 is normally set to 20 mm or more. The bending resistance of the upper thigh covering part 13 is preferably 30 mm or more, more preferably 40 mm or more, further preferably 50 mm or more, and preferably 60 mm or more, 70 mm or more, 80 mm or more, 90 mm or more. However, if the bending resistance of the upper thigh covering portion 13 is too high (the upper thigh covering portion 13 becomes too hard), the wearing feeling of the knee supporter 10 may be lowered. For this reason, the bending resistance of the upper thigh covering part 13 is normally set to 150 mm or less. In the knee supporter 10 of the first embodiment, the bending resistance of the upper leg covering portion 13 is 100 mm. It is preferable that the bending resistance of the upper thigh covering portion 13 is set higher than the bending softness of the knee covering portion 11, the lower leg tightening portion 12, and the above-knee tightening portion 14.

By the way, in the knee supporter 10 of the first embodiment, the upper thigh covering portion 13 is formed in a tapered shape so that the diameter increases as it approaches the upper end. The flat lower edge width w ₀ (FIG. 2) of the upper thigh covering portion 13 is not particularly limited as long as it is 10 cm or more. Further, the flat lower edge width w ₀ of the upper thigh covering portion 13 indicates whether the knee supporter 10 is for adults or children, the type of fabric of the upper thigh covering portion 13 (existence of extensibility), and the like. It depends on the situation. However, if the flat lower edge width w ₀ of the upper thigh covering portion 13 is too small, the wearer may feel a sense of pressure at that portion, and even the knee supporter 10 may be difficult to wear. For this reason, the flat lower edge width w ₀ of the upper thigh covering portion 13 is 12 cm or more (value for adults; about 20 to 40% smaller for children; the same applies hereinafter). And preferred. The flat lower edge width w ₀ of the upper thigh covering portion 13 is more preferably 14 cm or more, and further preferably 15 cm or more.

On the other hand, if the flat lower edge width w ₀ of the upper thigh covering part 13 is too large, the peripheral length of the lower edge of the upper thigh covering part 13 becomes larger than the peripheral length on the wearer's knee. There is a possibility that a heel may be formed on the upper thigh covering portion 13. Further, the gap B (see FIG. 1) between the inner peripheral surface of the upper thigh covering portion 13 and the outer peripheral surface of the wearer's lower leg 63 may become too large, and it may be difficult to keep the heat around the knee 61. is there. For this reason, the flat lower edge width w ₀ of the upper thigh covering part 13 is normally set to 30 cm or less. The flat lower edge width w ₀ of the upper thigh covering portion 13 is preferably 27 cm or less, and more preferably 25 cm or less. The specific value of the flat lower edge width w ₀ of the upper thigh covering portion 13 is preferably set to be about 70 to 110% of the half of the circumference on the knee of the intended wearer. In many adults, the perimeter on the knee is in the range of 35-50 cm.

Further, in knee supporter 10 of the first embodiment, the flat at the minimum height h ₀ of the upper leg covering portion 13 is not particularly limited as long as 5cm or more. Flat at the minimum height h ₀ of the upper leg covering portion 13, the knee supporter 10, varies depending on whether one for those or a child for adults. However, it was somewhat higher flat at the minimum height h ₀ of the upper leg covering portion 13, to be able to be kept wide area around the wearer's knee 61, displacement of the upper leg covering portion 13 The significance of preventing falls will also increase. For this reason, when the flat minimum height h ₀ of the upper thigh covering part 13 is 10 cm or more (value in the case of an adult, lower by about 20 to 40% in the case of a child. The same shall apply hereinafter). preferable. Flat at the minimum height _{h 0} of the upper leg covering portion 13 preferably when the 13cm or more, and more preferably to 15cm or more. On the other hand, too high a flat at the minimum height h ₀ of the upper leg covering portion 13, now upper leg covering portion 13 reaches the top of the wearer's thigh 63, to decrease the wearing feeling of the knee supporter 10 . For this reason, the flat minimum height h ₀ of the upper thigh covering part 13 is normally set to 30 cm or less. The flat minimum height h ₀ of the upper thigh covering portion 13 is preferably 25 cm or less, and more preferably 20 cm or less.

Further, the flat inclination angle (defined by tan ⁻¹ [2h ₀ / (w ₁ −w ₀ )] of the upper leg covering portion 13 formed in a tapered shape is not particularly limited. However, when the flat inclination angle of the upper thigh covering portion 13 is too small, the upper thigh covering portion 13 is likely to be in close contact with the wearer's upper thigh when the knee supporter 10 is worn. For this reason, the flat inclination angle of the upper thigh covering part 13 is normally set to 3 ° or more. The flat inclination angle of the upper thigh covering portion 13 is preferably 5 ° or more, and more preferably 7 ° or more. On the other hand, if the inclination angle when the upper thigh covering portion 13 is flat is excessively increased, the upper edge of the upper thigh covering portion 13 is greatly spread, which may make it difficult for the wearer to walk. Moreover, the appearance of the knee supporter 10 when worn is also deteriorated. For this reason, the flat inclination angle of the upper thigh covering part 13 is normally set to 30 ° or less. The flat inclination angle of the upper thigh covering portion 13 is preferably 25 ° or less, and more preferably 20 ° or less.

  When the knee supporter 10 of the first embodiment described above is worn, as shown in FIG. 1, the upper thigh covering portion 13 becomes independent without tightening the wearer's upper thigh 63. For this reason, even if the wearer bends and stretches the knee or walks, the upper edge of the knee supporter 10 (the upper edge of the upper thigh covering portion 13) does not slip down and maintains the original form. be able to. Therefore, it is possible to keep the knee 61 and its surroundings warm or protected without raising the knee supporter 10.

2. Next, the knee supporter of the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is a side view showing a state in which the knee supporter 10 of the second embodiment is crushed so as to be flat to the left and right (flat state). As shown in FIG. 3, the knee supporter 10 of the second embodiment has a core material 15 integrated with a fabric forming the upper thigh covering portion 13. Here, a pair of left and right belt-like core members 15 extending from the upper edge of the upper thigh covering portion 15 to the lower edge of the lower leg fastening portion 12 are integrated with each fabric. For this reason, the core material 15 can not only give the above-mentioned self-supporting structure to the upper thigh covering part 13 but also can exhibit the function of supporting the wearer's knee from the side. The material of the core material 15 and the method of integration are as described above. In the knee supporter 10 of the second embodiment, the other configuration is the same as that of the knee supporter 10 of the first embodiment, so the description is omitted.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Knee supporter 11 Knee covering part 11a Swelling part 12 Lower leg fastening part 13 Upper leg covering part 14 Upper knee fastening part 15 Core material 50 Columnar member 51 Adhesive tape 60 Wearer's leg 61 Wearer's knee 62 Wearer's knee 62 Lower leg 63 Wearer's upper leg A A gap formed between the inner surface of the knee covering part and the front surface of the wearer's knee B Between the inner peripheral face of the upper leg covering part and the outer peripheral face of the wearer's upper leg front end P of height P ₁ lower edge width measurement line from the lower edge measuring line _P 1 _{P 2} of the height H ₁ point to _{Q 1} from the lower edge measuring line _P 1 _{P 2} of the gap H ₀ point _{Q 0} is formed ₂ Rear edge of the lower edge width measurement line Q ₀ The lowest point on the upper edge of the upper thigh covering part when grasping the upper edge of the upper thigh covering part Q _{1 The} state where the upper edge of the upper thigh covering part is grasped The lowest point on the upper edge of the upper thigh covering part when 1 minute has passed since the release of h h ₀ Minimum height when the thigh covering part is flat t ₁ Thickness of the fabric forming the knee covering portion t ₂ Thickness of the fabric forming the lower thigh fastening portion t ₃ Thickness of the fabric forming the upper thigh covering portion t ₄ Thickness of the fabric forming the upper knee fastening portion W ₀ Lower width of flat upper thigh covering portion w ₁ Upper width of flat upper thigh covering portion α Fabric below lower edge width measurement line P ₁ P ₂

Claims (8)

A knee supporter for warming or protecting the wearer's knee and its surroundings,
A knee covering for covering the wearer's knee;
A tubular lower leg tightening part for tightening the upper leg of the wearer;
A cylindrical upper thigh covering portion for covering the lower thigh of the wearer,
While the lower edge width of the upper thigh covering part is 10 cm or more and the flat minimum height is 5 cm or more,
By having a self-supporting structure where the upper thigh covering part is self-supporting against gravity,
A knee supporter characterized in that the upper thigh covering portion does not slip downward when worn without tightening the lower thigh of the wearer.   The knee supporter according to claim 1, further comprising an upper knee tightening portion for tightening a wearer's upper knee between the knee covering portion and the upper thigh covering portion.   The knee supporter according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the self-supporting structure is realized by making the thickness of the fabric forming the upper thigh covering portion larger than the thickness of the fabric forming the knee covering portion.   The knee supporter according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the self-supporting structure is realized by using a material having a higher bending resistance than the fabric forming the knee covering portion as the fabric forming the upper thigh covering portion.   The knee supporter according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the self-supporting structure is realized by integrating a core material with a fabric forming an upper thigh covering portion.   The knee supporter according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the upper thigh covering portion is formed in a tapered shape so that its diameter increases as it approaches the upper end.   The knee supporter according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the upper thigh covering portion is formed of a fabric subjected to crimping.   The knee supporter according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the knee covering portion has a bulging portion bulging forward.