MX2008001194A - Cervical collar with geared adjustment - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a cervical collar with a rack and pinion adjustment mechanism. The rack moves a chin support member, which raises and lowers a chin piece. Independently, the present invention provides methods and mechanisms in which the chin support can angulate independently of the collar body. Such angulation is preferably accomplish by pivotally supporting the chin piece on the racks, or on the left and right chin support pieces. Thus, in a preferred class of embodiments, the collar has a pivot for the chin support pieces relative to the collar body, and an other pivot for the chin piece relative to the chin support pieces.

Description

CERVICAL NECKLACE WITH GEAR ADJUSTMENT Field of the Invention The field of the invention are cervical collars. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Cervical collars are generally used to keep the spine in neutral alignment. To maintain neutral alignment, the user's chin must be supported in a particular position. Because of this requirement for a neutral alignment, and because the users of the collars are provided drently, the collars are made in various sizes. One of the problems with making collars of various sizes, however, is that medical specialists have to store and store a sliding guide of a multitude of sizes, which can become very cumbersome. To solve the annoyance caused by the need to store adjustable collars of various sizes, adjustable collars have emerged. A more recent patent, the U.S. patent. No. 6,663,581 of Calabrese, teaches a collar that can be adjusted by manually sliding the jaw into position and then inserting a clamp to secure it. Although the Calabrese necklace may have solved the problem of adjustability with medium success, there are still problems Ref.: 189798 with the way in which the adjustment is made. One problem is that the previously known adjustable collars have independently adjusted the left and right sides, which allows asymmetric adjustments. Another problem is that when adjustments are made to the left and right sides, two adjustments are required instead of one. Still a third problem is the failure of the adjustment on one side for the maintenance of the position which can lead to the application of a significant torque on the head and can lead to significant misalignment of the cervical spine. A separate set of problems with respect to the vertical reinforcements of the prior art is that the chin support part is rigidly coupled to the body of the collar, and does not have sufficient allowance for the chins shaped drently. The result is that a user may experience excessive pressure in the localized regions of the chin. This is not a problem so big that it can cause the collar to come out, but it is a very significant problem for a collar proposed for prolonged use. Accordingly, there is a need for an adjustable collar wherein the left and right sides can be adjusted with a single movement, and which provides a chin support that can be angled independently of the collar body.

Brief Description of the Invention The present invention provides methods and mechanisms in which the left and right sides can be adjusted with a single movement. The adjustment of the left and right sides can be effected advantageously using a gear mechanism, and in particular a rack and pinion mechanism. When the pinion is rotated, the chin support member is raised or lowered as a result of the movement of the racks. Independently, the present invention provides methods and mechanisms in which the chin support can be angularly independent of the body of the collar. Such angulation is preferably effected by the rotary support of the chin piece on the racks, or on the chin support pieces, left and right. Accordingly, in a preferred class of embodiments, the collar has a pivot for the chin support parts relative to the body of the collar, and another pivot for the chin portion relative to the chin support parts. Various objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, in the company of the appended figures., in which the similar numerical references represent similar components. Brief Description of the Figures Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a cervical collar. Figure 2 is a front view of the cervical collar of Figure 1, with the cover removed. Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of a cervical collar of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a perspective view of an alternative cervical collar using a single zipper. Detailed Description of the Invention With reference to Figures 1-4, a cervical collar 100 comprises a body 110 of the main collar, a receptacle 111 for the mechanism, a knob 120, a first rack 130, a second rack 140, a first element of support 135 for the chin, a second support element 145 for the chin, and a chin piece 150. The first and second zips 130, 140 and the gears of the differential gear 310 cooperate to adjust the height of the first and second support elements 135, 145 for the chin, and thereby adjust the height of the chin piece 150. These parts are configured to allow the use of a single collar (or a relatively small number of collars) to keep the head and neck in neutral alignment, the supports must be consistent with the key dimension of an individual user. When used herein, the term "key dimension" means the height of the lower surface of the chin where the chin piece supports the chin, relative to a horizontal line drawn on the upper shoulder where the body of the collar rests on- the trapezius muscle. As best shown in Figure 1, the racks 130, 140 are guided between the body 110 of the main collar and the detent 370 of the mechanism towards the differential pinion 310. The bolts 132 and 142 couple the racks to the support elements 135 and 145 for the chin, such that the upward movement of a rack causes the associated chin support member to also move upwards. Similarly, the downward movement of a rack will cause the associated chin support member to move downward. Because the zippers 130, 140 are used to push up the support elements 135, 145 for the chin, relative to the body 110 of the collar (and of course also in relation to the shoulders and the sternum of the user), they are preferably made of a sufficiently rigid material. The contemplated materials include a hard thermoplastic material, a metal, etc.

The differential pinion 310 is preferably constructed of a relatively hard plastic or other suitable material exhibiting relatively little wear over time due to contact with the teeth of the rack (eg, acetyl resin). The teeth of the differential pinion must of course be coupled with the teeth of the racks. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4, the adjustment of the height is effected by rotating the knob 120, which causes the rotation of a differential pinion (see 310 in FIG. 3), which moves the zippers 130, 140 in a manner lateral and vertical, which causes the first and second support elements 135, 145 for the chin, to move up and down. The rotation of the knob 120, and consequently of the gear 310, is preferably bidirectional with one direction (for example in the clockwise direction) causing the racks 130, 140 to move up and in another direction (e.g. in the opposite direction of the clock hands) causing the zippers to move downwards. Since the differential pinion 310 operates on both racks 130, 140 simultaneously, each support element 135, 145 for the chin moves up or down at the same time, at the same speed, and over the same distance. Preferred embodiments include some mechanisms for limiting the travel of the racks 130, 140 and the support elements 135, 145. This can be effected in various ways. For example, the travel of the racks 130, 140 can be easily limited by limiting the rotation of the differential pinion 310, by means of the use of stops, limiting the number of teeth on one or both of the racks 130, 140 and / or limiting the elevation of the support elements 135, 145 for the chin, such as by means of the use of a bolt within a slot. Figures 1 and 2 show the use of pins 132, 142 in cooperation with slots 160, 170 for this purpose. The slots 160 and 170 allow the support elements 135, 145 to move from a fully extended configuration in which the bolts 132, 142 are at their highest point to a fully compressed configuration in which the bolts 132, 142 are at its lowest point. The fully extended configuration is proposed to fit a person to the larger key dimension (long neck), while the more compressed configuration is proposed to fit a person with a particularly small key dimension (short neck). It should also be appreciated that the extent of the rotation of the chin piece 150 should probably be limited in some way to prevent excessive angulation that could lead to sliding away from the chin of the chin support member. Such limitation can be provided by the shapes of the juxtaposition surface of the chin piece 150 and the side pieces 135, 145. The preferred embodiments of the collar 100 can also be easily sized for a user, by the inclusion of marks 190 of the gauge that correspond to the key dimensions. For example, a calibration mark for a "short" collar could correspond to a key dimension of 0.75. The calibration can be in a relatively small unit of measure such as one millimeter, but it is more likely to be in centimeters, inches or some other designation. The placement of the 190 caliber marks must be conspicuous for the person to adjust their size (usually not the user). In Figure 1, for example, calibration marks 190 are shown on one side of the collar body. In other modalities, the calibration can be done on or around the knob or some other place along the route of any rack. The knob 120 not only rotates, but also moves in and out. In the totally inward configuration, the knob is fixed against rotation, and in the outward configuration the knob 120 is rotatable (it is unlocked). In the particular embodiments shown, the differential pinion 310 is directly connected to the knob 120, and the knob 120 is biased towards the fixed (inward) position. A safety device 180, comprising the fastening element 182 and the spring 184, can optionally be provided as a secondary means for preventing the movement of the racks. The security element 180 can operate in any suitable way, but in this particular embodiment the security element 180 prevents the knob 120 from moving to the outward (rotating) position. This can be done by providing a lug on the differential pinion which can be stopped by contact with the safety element. The support elements 135 and 145 for the chin are rotatably mounted to the body 110 of the main collar at points 112 and 114. Additionally, the chin piece 150 is rotatably mounted to the support elements 135 and 145 for the chin at the pivots 137, 147. When used herein, the term "pivot" includes mechanisms that provide for the rotary movement, even when there is no real axis or line around which the rotational movement takes place. Accordingly, the chin piece 150 can be said to be rotatably mounted to the support elements 135 and 145 for the chin on the pivots 137, 147 even in situations where these parts are molded together in a manner that provide enough "play" to effectively provide a movement of the rotating type. An alternative embodiment of a neck collar 400 is shown in Figure 4. The collar 400 has a single central rack 405 and a differential pinion 410 secured to the body 415 of the main collar. The rotation of the differential pinion 410 moves the rack 405 upwards, which therefore elevates the piece 450 for the chin. As with the embodiment of Figures 1-3, the height of the chin piece 450 can be adjusted by rotating a knob 420, which rotates the differential pinion 410. In this embodiment, however, there is a need to pull out the knob. Also, it should be appreciated that the terms "rack" and "pinion" are used herein in a broader manner than ordinary use, and include modalities with teeth of any size, or indeed without teeth at all. In the latter case, for example, the pinion and the rack may each have a rubber surface which together provides sufficient friction for engagement with the relative movements of the pinion and the rack. Furthermore, in common use, the rack portion of a rack and pinion can often be referred to as one that is flat. When used in this application, a zipper does not need to be flat, and really will in most cases be curved. The only essential feature of the pinions and zippers as used here is that the rack is moved in space when the pinion rotates. Where the description is limited to toothed racks and pinions, either the teeth are set expressly, or the pinion is referred to as a pinion differential. Accordingly, the specific modalities and applications of a cervical collar with a gear adjustment have been described. However, it should be evident to those with experience in the art that many modifications are possible besides those already described, without departing from the inventive concepts here. The inventive subject matter will therefore not be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims. In addition, in the interpretation of both the specification and the claims, all terms must be interpreted as broadly as possible in a manner consistent with the text. In particular, the terms "comprises" and "comprising" must be construed as referring to the elements, components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the elements, components or steps, referred to, may be present, or may be used , or can be combined with other elements, components, or stages that are not expressly referred to. It is noted that in relation to this date the best method known by the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention, is that which is clear from the present description of the invention.

Claims (17)

1. Claims Having described the invention as above, the content of the following claims is claimed as property: 1. A cervical collar with a mechanism for adjusting the height of the chin, characterized in that it comprises: a chin piece having a support from the elements of lateral, left and right support; a pinion; and a first rack cooperating with the pinion to provide a concurrent bilateral upward thrust through the side support elements to raise the chin piece.
2. 2. The cervical collar according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a second rack that cooperates with the pinion to assist in the provision of bilateral upward thrust through the lateral supports.
3. 3. The cervical collar according to claim 2, characterized in that at least one of the racks and the pinion has teeth.
4. 4. The cervical collar according to claim 1, characterized in that the rack is coupled to the support elements for the chin, lateral, by means of the left and right arms.
5. 5. The cervical collar according to claim 4, characterized in that the rotational movement of the pinion is bidirectional, in a direction that causes the chin support element to rise and in another direction that causes the support element for the Chin down.
6. 6. The cervical collar according to claim 4, characterized each of the support elements rotates relative to a portion of the body of the collar.
7. The cervical collar according to claim 1, characterized in that the pinion is placed above in relation to a portion of the neck of the user.
8. The cervical collar according to claim 7, characterized in that the pinion is positioned to provide an intermediate medial space between the chin piece and the pinion.
9. 9. The cervical collar according to claim 4, characterized in that the rack is placed inside one of the arms.
10. 10. The cervical collar according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a knob that can be configured between an inward configuration in which the rotation of the pinion is fixed and an outward configuration in which the rotation of the pinion is unlocked .
11. The cervical collar according to claim 1, characterized in that it also comprises a safety element that substantially prohibits the rotation of the pinion.
12. The cervical collar according to claim 1, characterized in that the rack and the pinion have alternate peaks and valleys cooperating with each other to move the rack.
13. 13. The cervical collar according to claim 1, characterized in that it also comprises calibration marks corresponding to different heights of the chin piece.
14. A method of adjusting the height of a piece for the chin of a cervical collar placed around the neck of a user, characterized in that it comprises: raising the chin piece by means of the forces provided by the left support elements and right, and without blocking a medial, anterior portion of the neck; and simultaneously moving the support elements by the operation of a gear.
15. 15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that it further comprises rotating the support elements relative to a body of the collar.
16. 16. The method of compliance with the claim 15, characterized in that the step of operating a gear comprises rotating a portion of the pinion of a rack and pinion apparatus. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that the step of operating a gear comprises rotating a gear in a medial, anterior portion of the collar.