JP2022076424A - Joint supporter - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a joint supporter in a simple structure that can be attached to either of a knee, an elbow, and an ankle, and can enhance stability of the body and the muscle output during exercising.SOLUTION: The joint supporter that can be attached to either of a knee, an elbow, and an ankle of the body, is obtained by integrally bonding respective one ends and respective other ends of three elastic belts of a first belt, a second belt, and a third belt at a first bonding part and a second bonding part. A tightening force is higher in the order of the third belt, the second belt and the first belt. Each of the first, second and third belts or either one of them has a length adjustment mechanism, and at least either one of the first bonding part and the second bonding part has a protrusion provided on an inner side face thereof.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a joint supporter that can be attached to any of the knees, elbows, and ankles of the human body. More specifically, by attaching a supporter to the joint, which is configured by joining one end of each of the three elastic belts and the other end to each other, any flexor muscle or any flexor muscle involved in the flexion and extension of the joint can be attached. The extensor muscles are stimulated by the contraction force of the belt, and the reflex reaction induced by the stimulation is used to activate the muscles, thereby improving the stability of the body and the muscle output during exercise.

The joint supporter according to the present invention is different from the conventional supporter whose purpose is to support disease improvement and functional recovery by covering, fixing, protecting or compressing (pressurizing) a joint or a specific muscle. By individually stimulating the necessary muscles depending on how they are worn, for each flexion and extension movement of the knee, elbow, and ankle joints required for various sports, positively improve physical posture and physical function. The purpose.

Prior art as disclosed in, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3 is known as a supporter for the purpose of improving the posture of the body, particularly a supporter for the knee. However, they are passive, so to speak, to support the daily activities of patients with knee joint disease by suppressing the sway (displacement) of the knee joint, assisting the muscle strength around the joint, and reducing the burden on the cartilage of the knee joint. It is expected to be effective.

The knee joint supporter disclosed in Patent Document 1 is connected to an upper belt attached to the thigh, a stretchable lower belt attached to the calf, and an upper belt and a lower belt, and is connected to the surface of the knee. It also has a stretchable central part that covers either of the back surface and the back surface, and has a configuration in which a plurality of slit-shaped notches extending in a direction intersecting the bending direction of the knee are provided in the central part. be. With this configuration, the knee joint supporter can effectively prevent lateral displacement of the patella and perform uniform compression regardless of the flexion angle of the knee joint, but it can protect the site with knee joint disease or knee. It is expected to have an effect of preventing joint damage, and is not expected to have a positive effect of improving muscle output of a specific muscle according to the type of exercise.

The knee joint supporter disclosed in Patent Document 2 has a configuration in which a base end portion of a second belt is attached to a stretchable first belt at a predetermined angle. By winding the first belt around the thigh while pulling it from the external rotation direction, pulling the second belt downward according to the attachment angle of the base end to the first belt, and further winding it from the internal rotation direction of the lower leg. , The femur exerts a force to pull back in the opposite direction so that the femur does not twist inward and the tibia does not twist outward. That is, this knee joint supporter mechanically holds the knee joint in an appropriate positional relationship to relieve the pain inside the knee joint due to medial collateral ligament sprain and prevent recurrence. After all, we do not expect positive effects such as improvement of muscle output of specific muscles according to the type of exercise.

The knee-dedicated supporter disclosed in Patent Document 3 covers the front surface of the knee by being joined to the first and second fixing belts that are wound and fixed around the upper part and the lower part of the knee, respectively, and near both ends of both fixing belts. It is composed of the first and second intermediate belts that are fixed so as to be, and the elastic first and second chevron belts that are joined near one end of both fixing belts and are overlapped with both intermediate belts and also cover the front surface of the knee. Will be done. However, such a knee-only supporter moderately presses the entire patella and the muscles around the patella, especially the muscles inside the knee more strongly than other parts, so that patients with osteoarthritis of the knee such as O-legged patients. It is intended to suppress the sway of the knee joint, assist the muscle strength around the joint, and reduce the burden on the cartilage of the knee joint, and is also expected to have positive effects such as improving the muscle output of specific muscles according to the type of exercise. It's not something to do.

On the other hand, as a prior art of the ankle supporter, there is a blood circulation promoting band disclosed in Patent Document 4. However, this is a configuration in which an elastic band provided with an ultra-minimal magnet can be attached to and detached from the ankle by hook-and-loop fasteners provided at both ends. However, as the name suggests, the blood circulation promoting band stimulates the acupuncture points and Achilles tendons of the arch of the foot and stimulates them with the magnetic force of a magnet to promote blood circulation. It is not expected to have a positive effect such as improving muscle output.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-65711 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-6375 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-723304 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-76362

The present invention basically gives a stimulus to any flexor or extensor muscle involved in the flexion and extension of each joint by attaching it to the knee, elbow, and ankle of a healthy person, and the reflex reaction evoked by the stimulus, that is, The somatic reflex is used to activate the muscles, and to actively improve the stability of the body and the muscle output during exercise. In that respect, the present invention is expected to be a target wearer or a supporter according to a prior art for the purpose of protecting a diseased joint, mechanically correcting it, stimulating acupuncture points, and promoting blood circulation in muscles. The effects are fundamentally different.

The human body has various reflexes (physiological reflexes), and from its functions, the visceral reflexes (autonomic nerve reflexes) that contract the visceral muscles and promote the secretion of glands via the autonomic nervous system. It is roughly divided into the somatic reflex that contracts the skeletal muscle. The patellar tendon reflex, in which the lower leg pops up when the patellar tendon is hit with a mallet, is one of the typical somatic reflexes. The reaction of muscle contraction is also a somatic reflex.

The stimulus that induces the somatic reflex is not a strong press like a stimulus such as pushing a so-called acupuncture point, but the sensory receptor organ (mechanoreceptor) of the skin or muscle detects that a foreign substance is in contact with a certain force. As a result, the muscles in that area are unknowingly activated and contract. In particular, since the tendons and innervation nerves of the muscles involved in joint flexion and extension are concentrated in shallow positions in the knees, elbows, and ankles, somatic reflexes can be triggered with a relatively small stimulus. In addition, by changing the position of stimulating the joint, somatic reflexes can be induced in any flexor or extensor muscle, and the muscles required for different exercises can be activated.

Based on this principle, the present invention provides a joint supporter having a simple structure that can be attached to any of knees, elbows, and ankles to improve body stability and muscle output during exercise. Is the solution issue.

In order to solve the above problems, the joint supporter according to claim 1 of the present invention is a joint supporter that can be attached to any of the knees, elbows, and ankles of the body, and is a first belt having elasticity. The feature is that one end of each of the three belts of the second belt and the third belt and the other ends are joined at the first joint and the second joint, respectively, to be integrated. do. The material of the three belts is not particularly limited as long as it has elasticity, and may be a band-shaped rubber or a band-shaped woven rubber thread made of nylon or polyester in which rubber is woven into the core. Further, the method of joining the three belts is also arbitrary, and may be stitched, heat welded, or joined via a joining member. The opening angle of the belt at the joint is approximately 120 ° intervals.

The austerity force of each belt does not need to be strong enough to tighten the attachment site, but it is sufficient to make the skin and muscles (mainly tendons) detect the contact of foreign substances and induce somatic reflexes. Even the first belt, which has the strongest austerity force, does not press the muscles or restrict blood flow like the supporters according to the prior art.

Next, the invention according to claim 2 is the joint supporter according to claim 1, wherein the austerity force of the first belt is higher than the austerity force of the second belt and the third belt. Characterized by being strong.

Next, the invention according to claim 3 is the joint supporter according to claim 2, so that the contraction force becomes stronger in the order of the third belt, the second belt, and the first belt. It is characterized by being configured.

The contraction force of each belt is arbitrary and can be appropriately set according to the wearer's physique (joint size). In addition, by making the contraction forces of the three belts different, somatic reflexes are selectively applied to the skin and muscles of the part where the first belt with the strongest contraction force is in contact when attached to the joint. Can be evoked.

Next, the invention described in claim 4 is the joint supporter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, and is the length of all or any of the first belt to the third belt. It is characterized by being provided with an adjustment mechanism. The structure and position of the length adjusting mechanism are not particularly limited, and a member such as a buckle may be used, or the length of the belt may be adjusted by the position of superposition by the hook-and-loop fastener.

Next, the invention described in claim 5 is the joint supporter according to any one of claims 1 to 4, and is in at least one of the first joint portion and the second joint portion. It is characterized by having a protrusion on the side surface. The size and material of the protrusions are not particularly limited, but they may be small enough to feel a foreign body sensation when they are brought into contact with the side surface of the joint. Those are suitable.

The joint supporter according to the present invention has a simple structure in which three elastic belts are connected, but can be applied to any of knees, elbows, and ankles. Then, the wearer can improve the muscle output of any muscle related to the flexion and extension of the joint according to the characteristics of exercise and the type of sports competition by appropriately selecting and wearing the part to which the first belt is brought into contact. Can be done. Further, since the joint supporter according to the present invention does not obstruct blood flow or muscle movement, it does not lower the muscle temperature during exercise or restrict exercise as compared with the supporters of the prior art.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a joint supporter S according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side view thereof. The joint supporter S is integrated by joining one end of each of the three belts of the first belt B1, the second belt B2, and the third belt B3 and the other ends with the joint portions J1 and J2. There is. The three belts B1, B2, and B3 are joined at the joining portions J1 and J2 at an opening angle of 120 ° intervals, respectively. Further, a protrusion P is provided on the inner surface of the joint portion J1.

The three belts B1, B2, and B3 are all elastic belts made by plain weaving nylon or polyester rubber threads with rubber woven into the core, and the belts with hook-and-loop fasteners that are divided into two pieces can be attached and detached. The length can be arbitrarily adjusted by stacking as much as possible (F1 to F3). Further, the protrusion P is provided by adhering a hemisphere made of silicon to the inner surface surface of the joint portion J1.

The contraction force of the three belts B1, B2, and B3 is configured to be stronger in the order of the third belt, the second belt, and the first belt.

The joint supporter S can be attached to any of the knee, elbow, and ankle joints by appropriately adjusting the lengths of the three belts B1, B2, and B3 with a hook-and-loop fastener. At that time, the effect obtained differs depending on which part of the joint circumference the first belt B1 having the strongest binding force is attached to. The joint supporter S is basically mounted in a direction in which the protrusion P abuts on the outer surface of the joint to be mounted. Hereinafter, the actions and effects of the joint supporter S will be sequentially described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 11 for each joint to be mounted and for each portion with which the first belt B1 is brought into contact. When it is attached to the knee, it is attached so that the protrusion P abuts on the outside of the knee joint.

(1) When attached to the knee (1-1) When the first belt is brought into contact with the back side of the knee joint (Fig. 3)
(Action)
The hamstring muscles on the back of the thigh, especially the biceps femoris stop, and the triceps surae muscles above the calf, especially the gastrocnemius muscle, are stimulated by the strongest tension of the first belt B1. The biceps femoris and gastrocnemius muscle contract due to the somatic reflex.
(effect)
The biceps femoris flexes the knee joint and rotates the lower leg externally, and the gastrocnemius muscle also flexes the knee joint and bends the ankle joint. By activating these muscles by somatic reflexes, it becomes easier to exert the force to support the weight against gravity when sitting on a chair or standing up, and the stability of the body is enhanced.

(1-2) When the first belt is brought into contact with the lower part of the patella (Fig. 4)
(Action)
The quadriceps muscle (rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius, medial broad muscle) that straddles the patella and stops at the upper end of the tibia is stimulated by the strongest tension of the first belt B1 and is a somatic reflex. By contracting the quadriceps muscle, the action of pulling up the patella works. In addition, since the protrusion P abuts on the outside of the knee joint to give a stimulus, the vastus lateralis muscle contracts particularly due to the somatic reflex, and the patella is pushed inward.
(effect)
Since the external rotation (movement to the outside) of the patella is suppressed, the knees and soles are stable, and the legs and trunk are linked.

(1-3) When the first belt is brought into contact with the upper part of the patella (Fig. 5)
(Action)
The patellar ligament near the stop of the quadriceps is stimulated by the strongest tension of the first belt B1, and the somatic reflex activates the contraction of the quadriceps. The quadriceps muscle originates in the ilium (pelvis), stops in the patella and fibula rough surface, and functions to extend the knee joint and flex the hip joint. In addition, since the second belt B2, which has the second strongest tension, comes into contact with the lower part of the patella, the somatic reflex causes the patella to be pulled upward. Further, since the protrusion P abuts on the outside of the patella to give a stimulus, the patella is prevented from rotating externally when the knee is flexed, and as a result, the patella is stabilized. The third belt, which has the weakest tension, is on the back side of the knee joint (effect).
By activating the quadriceps muscles and stabilizing the knees, the burden of raising the knees during walking is reduced, and the movements of the legs when climbing stairs and uphill become smooth.

(2) When attached to the elbow (2-1) When the first belt B1 is brought into contact with the inside (flexion side) of the elbow joint (FIG. 6)
(Action)
Biceps biceps that straddles the elbow joint and stops at the upper part of the radius, and flexors such as the radial carpal flexor, brachioradialis, and pronator teres muscle (not shown) that straddle the elbow joint and start at the lower end of the humerus. The group is stimulated by the strongest tension of the first belt B1 and the somatic reflex causes these muscles to contract.
(effect)
The force to bend the arm at the elbow joint is increased, and the muscle output in the movement of lifting an object or pulling it toward the body is improved. It is advantageous in the instantaneous power of muscles that attracts opponents, which is required in competitions such as sumo, wrestling, and judo.

(2-2) When the first belt B1 is brought into contact with the upper arm side of the outside (extension side) of the elbow joint (FIG. 7).
(Action)
The teres minor muscle, which is the extensor muscle that straddles the elbow joint and stops at the teres minor muscle, is stimulated by the strongest tension of the first belt B1. The ascending chain activates the extensor muscles on the trunk side (broad back muscles, teres major muscles, teres minor muscles, supraspinous muscles, subspinous muscles, subscapular muscles: none of them are shown).
(effect)
In addition to maintaining the posture of the trunk and improving muscle output in exercises that use extensors (boxing, American football, sprinting, throwing competitions, etc.), it also helps maintain posture in so-called model walks.

(2-3) When the first belt B1 is brought into contact with the forearm side on the outside (extension side) of the elbow joint (FIG. 8).
(Action)
New muscles of the forearm such as the extensor carpi radialis brevis muscles (extensor carpi radialis longus, extensor carpi radialis brevis, extensor carpi radialis brevis) that start at the lower end of the humerus and stop at the carpal bone across the elbow joint. The group is stimulated by the strongest tension of the first belt B1 and the somatic reflex causes these muscles to contract.
(effect)
As with 2-2, it maintains the posture of the trunk and improves the austerity force in exercise using the extensor muscles.

(3) When attached to the ankle (3-1) When the first belt B1 is brought into contact with the Achilles tendon (FIG. 9)
(Action)
By applying the stimulus by the strongest tension of the first belt B1 to the Achilles tendon, the gastrocnemius muscle and the biceps femoris muscle, which are the flexors of the calf, contract due to the somatic reflex, and the flexor muscle of the thigh due to the ascending chain of muscle contraction. The hamstring muscles (not shown) such as the biceps femoris, hemi-tendon-like muscle, and hemi-membranous muscle, and the gluteal muscle (not shown) contract.
(effect)
By activating the entire flexor muscles of the lower leg, the muscle output in the movement of kicking the leg backward and producing forward propulsion is improved. Improve the performance of sports that require running ability, such as foot races, soccer, and rugby forwards. In addition, systemic blood flow is promoted by activating the triceps surae muscles such as the gastrocnemius muscle and soleus muscle, which are also called the "second heart".

(3-2) When the first belt B1 is brought into contact with the sole of the foot (FIG. 10).
(Action)
The strongest tension of the first belt B1 is applied to the flexor muscles that make up the plantaris muscle, such as the abductor toe muscle, the adduction toe muscle, the flexor digitorum brevis muscle, the flexor digitorum brevis muscle, and the lumbrical muscle. As a result, the arch shape of the sole of the foot is activated by the somatic reflex. In addition, stimuli are also applied to the tendons of the lower leg muscles (not shown) such as the tibialis posterior muscle and the fibularis longus muscle that stop on the back surface of the metatarsal bone, and these lower leg muscles are contracted by the somatic reflex.
(effect)
The activation of the sole muscle membrane stabilizes the center of gravity of the body, and the improvement of the muscle output of the lower leg muscles that flexes and valgus the ankle joint improves the lower body such as wrestling, judo, sumo, weight lifting, and throwing competition on land. Improves the performance of sports that require a momentary fluff.

(3-3) When the first belt B1 is brought into contact with the instep side of the foot (FIG. 11).
(Action)
The tibialis anterior muscle, which originates on the lateral surface of the tibia and stops at the bottom of the metatarsal bone, is stimulated by the strongest tension of the first belt B1, and this muscle contracts due to the somatic reflex. In addition, due to the ascending chain of muscle contraction, the quadrupedal muscles of the thigh (straight thigh muscle, vastus lateralis muscle, vastus lateralis muscle, medial broad muscle, and sewn muscle: none of which are shown) contract, and further. , The iliopsoas muscles (large lumbar muscle, iliac muscle), which are the inner muscles in the pelvis, are also activated.
(effect)
By activating the tibialis anterior muscle that bends the ankle joint, the quadriceps muscle that bends the knee joint, and the iliopsoas muscle group that is the flexor muscle of the hip joint, movements such as mountain climbing, karate, kickboxing, etc. improves.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the above-described configuration, and the present invention is appropriately used as long as the object of the present invention is achieved and the effect is obtained. Modifications are possible and they belong to the technical scope of the invention as long as they fall within the technical scope of the invention.

The joint supporter according to the present invention is not for the purpose of treatment such as protection of a joint having a disorder such as a disease or reduction of pain, but basically for the purpose of improving the athletic ability of a healthy person. It can be widely used as an orthotic device that can be easily worn to improve the performance of various sports and exercises, or to improve the QOL of elderly people with weakened muscles.

Perspective view of the joint supporter according to the embodiment Side view of the joint supporter according to the embodiment Schematic diagram showing the state of wearing on the knee (1-1) Schematic diagram showing the state of wearing on the knee (1-2) Schematic diagram showing the state of wearing on the knee (1-3) Schematic diagram showing the state of attachment to the elbow (2-1) Schematic diagram showing the state of attachment to the elbow (2-2) Schematic diagram showing the state of attachment to the elbow (2-3) Schematic diagram showing the state of attachment to the ankle (3-1) Schematic diagram showing the state of attachment to the ankle (3-2) Schematic diagram showing the state of attachment to the ankle (3-3)

S joint supporter B1 1st belt B2 2nd belt B3 3rd belt J1 1st joint (outside)
J2 2nd joint (inside)
F1, F2, F3 Joint P protrusion with hook-and-loop fastener

Claims (5)

A joint supporter that can be attached to any of the knees, elbows, and ankles of the body. A joint supporter characterized in that the other ends are integrated by joining at a first joint and a second joint, respectively. The joint supporter according to claim 1, wherein the austerity force of the first belt is stronger than the austerity force of the second belt and the third belt. The joint supporter according to claim 2, wherein the third belt, the second belt, and the first belt are configured so that the contraction force becomes stronger in this order. The joint supporter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a length adjusting mechanism is provided in all or any of the first belt to the third belt. The joint supporter according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a protrusion is provided on the inner surface of at least one of the first joint and the second joint.

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