US3480012A

US3480012A - Bandage wrap

Info

Publication number: US3480012A
Application number: US618810A
Authority: US
Inventors: John A Smithers; William A Murray
Original assignee: JOHN A SMITHERS; WILLIAM A MURRAY
Current assignee: JOHN A SMITHERS; WILLIAM A MURRAY
Priority date: 1967-02-27
Filing date: 1967-02-27
Publication date: 1969-11-25
Anticipated expiration: 1986-11-25

Description

NQV 25, 969 J. A. sMlTm-:Rs ET Al. 3,480,012

BANDAGE WRAP Filed Feb. 27. 1967 INVENTOR. JOHN A. SMITHERS 8| WILLIAM A.MURRAY United States Patent O 3,480,012 BANDAGE WRAP John" A. Smithers,` 741 23rd Ave. Court, and William A.

Murray, 3205 15th St. A, both of Moline, Ill. 61265 Filed Feb. 27, 1967, Ser. No. 618,810 Int. Cl. A61f 13/06; A61m 15/00 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF INVENTION Field of invention The present invention relates to an improved bandage or wrap used in athletic and medical fields and which does not require a tape or other tacky material to hold the wrap on the body.

Description of the prior art In U.S. Patent 3,255,749 which issued to John A. Smithers on June 14, 1966, there is shown and described a bandage or wrap composed of a fabric surface on one side fand a soft rubber liner on the opposite side. There is provided on the liner side of the wrap patches of minute hook elements that project therefrom and may be imbedded in the fabric side of the wrap. The patch at the initial end of the wrap is placed a distance equal to the full turn of the body part to be wrapped so that the wrap may be anchored to the body part after its first turn. The wrap at the opposite end is so placed that the wrap at the end may be anchored to itself by pressing the hook elements into the fabric surface at the end of the final turn. U.S. Patent 3,086,529 shows a bandage in which the hooklik elements are imbedded in a patch having loops projecting therefrom.

Ih the former of the above types of wraps, the hook elements must project from the soft rubber liner side of theiwrap since they must contact the fabricside of the wrap. Consequently, the initial patch must be placed at a distance from the end equal to the distance of the circumfernce of the partof the body to be wrapped. This limits theiuse of the particular wrap to one or only a few of the different parts of the body. Also the wrap cannot be reversed so that either end may be the initial or terminal end when placed around a body part. The problem with the" other type of wrap is that the patches of hooks and loops must be exactly placed thereby requiring different parts of the body as well as different sizes of each part of the body.

It has further been found that as the bandage or wrap is stretched it tends to pull on the patch and the extreme oufer edge of the patch and wrap will often curl outwardly 'slightly due to this tension in the wrap. With an active person, this creates a condition in which the patch may become loosened.

SUMMARY With the above in mind, it is the purpose of the present invention to provide a wrap adapted to be wrapped around a body part a multitude of times having crimped fibers on opposite surfaces. On opposite ends and on opposite sides 3,480,012 Patented Nov. 25, 1969 ICC of the wrap are patches of hook elements that may be imbedded into the surface of the fabric to hold both the initial turn of the wrap on the body as well as anchoring the final or terminal end of the wrap to a surface of the wrap.

It is afurther purpose of the invention to provide a pair of patches at the terminal end of the wrap spaced a short lengthwise distance apart so that in the final wrap the patch spaced from the end will resist slippage of the wrap andthe patch at the extreme end may be inserted into the fabric surface without tension being applied on the patch.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. l is an edge view of the bandage.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the wrap as shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view showing the patch sections in contact with the fabric surface.

FIG. 4is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing removal of the patch from the fabric.

FIG. 5 is a View showing a lbody part with the Wrap being applied in its initial stages.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 showing the wrap in its final stage of application.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing a modified form of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, the wrap is composed of an elongated fabric 10 and a pair of patches or

sections

12, 13 on the extreme opposite ends of the Wrap and on opposite sides thereof. The fabric wrap 10 itself is composed in its preferred form of synthetic organic fibers generally of the polyamide or nylon class with each fiber being relatively long. The fibers are best indicated in their looped condition at 20 in FIGS. 3 and 4. The organic fibers are woven into a crimped fabrication preferably yieldable in a lengthwise direction. Rubber elements may be inserted in the wrap in a lengthwise direction to give the wrap lengthwise resilience. In the crimped type weave, the individual fibers are generally in relaxed condition and provide short exposed lengths that eventually become the loops 20 shown in FIG. 4, that accommodate or complement the adhering characteristics of the patches or

sections

12, 13. Consequently, the fabric wrap 10 serves not only as a resiliently yieldable basic support, but also as a part of the adhering or locking portion of the wrap.

The

patch sections

12, 13 are generally identical in characteristics. They are composed of a base layer 22 of a nylon material. Extending from the surface of the base layer 22 are a multitude of short minute nylon adhering elements 23 with outer hook ends. The

patches

12, 13 are male Velcro patches. The elements 23 may also be made of nylon and may yield, bend, or distort upon sufficient pressure being exerted thereon. The hook elements cover the entire areas of the

patches

12, 13. However, the patches are slightly recessed from

opposite edges

24, 25 of the wrap. d

The method of applying the wrap to the body part, here shown as a knee, is to begin with the anchor or initial end laying against the leg with the patch 12 facing outwardly, and to extend the Wrap 10 around the body part so that it is slightly stretched lengthwise. The first step or procedure is best shown in FIG. 5. While the portion is in a stretched condition, the fabric or wrap is laid against the patch 12 with slight pressure so that the hook elements 23 are implanted into the fabric fibers as shown in FIG. 3. This action Will anchor the initial end of the wrap on the leg. Wrapping may then continue, using the initial or anchor end as a base to pull against, by crossing above and below the knee at intervals until the entire wrap is used, as shown in FIG. 6, at which time the end patch 13 is pressed into the fabric and the hook elements implanted into the fibers so that the end of the Wrap is held in a fixed relation to the remainder of the wrap.

There are several features believed to be important relative to the successful operation of the wrap. Of particular importance is the generally long length of the fibers in the fabric portion of the wrap. The fibers must be of such length that they Will operate as complementary to the hook elements 23. The weave of the fabric must be such that individual elements or fibers are sufficiently relaxed that the hook elements 23 may penetrate beneath the fibers for connection thereto. It is believed necessary that the fibers of the fabric must be at least three-fourths inch long, to obtain the necessary anchoring or adhering characteristic relative to the hook elements.

Important also is the basic feature that there is a cornplete mechanical adhering between the patches and the wrap. Consequently, the necessity of using tape or adhesive and tacky compounds is not required. As a result, the discomfort of having the body in contact with the compounds is eliminated.

In removing the wrap it is necessary only to pull the end patch 13 substantially as shown in FIG. 5. The hook elements will bend out and the fiber loops 20 will yield or pull out of the fabric until the hooks are detached from the fabric.

In the modified form of the invention shown in FIG. 7 there is provided patches 16, 17 having minute hook elements spaced lengthwise short distances from the

respective end patches

12, 13 and 0n the same side of the wrap 10 as the

respective patches

12, 13. Assuming the wrap is wrapped on the body part so that the patches 13, 17 are on the terminal end or final turn of the wrap, the patch 17 will anchor the final turn to prevent slippage of the wrap. The patch 13, without being under tension may then be inserted into the fabric and serves only to hold the end of the wrap between patches 17 and 13 onto an outer surface of an inner wrap turn. Consequently, the outer end will not curl as would occur if the patch was under tension. Also, if the patch 13 should become loose the patch 17 would hold and the patch 13 could then be again inserted without any loosening of the wrap. This feature is important when the wrap is used by athletes in contact sports. The patch 16 lis provided so that the wrap may be reversed.

The wrap may be used in reverse order at different times. In other Words there is no necessity of wrapping or unwrapping the wrap in a specific manner. So long as either of the

patches

12, 13 is placed upwardly in the first turn of the wrap around the body part, the remainder of the wrap will function and wrap properly.

What is claimed is:

`1. A fabric wrap adapted to wrap around a body part a multitude of times with an initial end portion disposed next to the body, and being composed of a narrow and elongated fabric having crimped fibers exposed to opposite surfaces, patches of minute hook elements on and projecting outwardly from the surfaces of the wrap at opposite end portions thereof with the hook elements projecting from opposite surfaces at the respective opposite end portions, and with the hook elements at the initial end portion of the wrap projecting outwardly in respect to the body part to engage and grip the crimpedfibers on an underside of the wrap as it is wrapped around the body, and the hook elements of the part of the patches on the terminal end portion of the wrap projecting linwardly in respect to the body part and adapted to contact and grip the fibers of the outer surface of the wrap that is under the latter patch when the wrap is in its wrapped condition.

2. The invention as set forth in claim 1 in whichl the' patches at each end of the wrap are at the extreme ends thereof Awhereby the wrap may be reversed to permit either end thereof to be the initial end portion and either end thereof to be the terminal end thereof.

3. The invention as set forth in claim 1 further characterized by the terminal end portion having two patches, one at its extreme end and another spaced from the end a short distance whereby the latter patch will anchor the end portion against slippage and the patch at the extreme end will normally hold the extreme end on the upper surface of an under wrap.

4. The invention as set forth in claim 3 in which the patches at the initial end portion includes a patch at the extreme end and a patch spaced a short distance therefrom rwhereby either end portion may be the initial end and the terminal end.

5. The invention as set forth in claim 1 in which the fabric is resilient in at least its lengthwise direction.

6. A fabric wrap adapted to wrap around a body part having crimped fibers on its outer surface in respect to the body part being wrapped; and a pair of patches spaced lengthwise along and mounted on the wrap adjacent its terminal end when the wrap is wrapped, with each patch being composed in part of minute hook elements extending inwardly in respect to the body part and adapted to engage and grip the crimped fibers of the wrap surface upon engagement of the patches therewith.

References Cited OTHER REFERENCES 3,086,529 4/1963 Munz et al. 128--171 3,255,749 6/1966 Smithers 128--169 ADELEI M. EAGER, Primary Examiner U.S. C1. X. R.