Padding assembly for an orthopedic brace selectively configurable for creating a wound bridge
Inventors
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-8945031-B2
Publication Date
2015-02-03
Expiration Date
Abstract
A padding assembly has two bridging segments and a base pad. The base pad is attachable to an orthopedic brace while the first bridging segment is releasably attached to a mounting substrate on the base pad and the other bridging segment is releasably attached to the same mounting substrate or to another mounting substrate on the brace. The attached bridging segments are spaced apart from one another and the resulting space between them, termed a wound bridge area, has a thickness substantially less than that of the padding assembly at the first bridging segment or that of the other bridging segment.
Core Innovation
A padding assembly for an associated orthopedic brace includes a first surface attachable to the orthopedic brace and a second surface. A mounting substrate is provided, and a first bridging segment and a second bridging segment are releasably attached to the mounting substrate. The first and second bridging segments are included in a first array selectively reconfigurable to a second array by detaching the second bridging segment from the mounting substrate.
Detaching the second bridging segment defines a first wound bridge area on the second surface of the padding assembly where the second bridging segment is detached. The first bridging segment remains attached to define a first raised area on the second surface where the first bridging segment is attached. A thickness of the padding assembly at the first raised area is substantially greater than a thickness of the padding assembly at the first wound bridge area, and a height of the second surface at the first raised area is substantially greater than a height of the second surface at the first wound bridge area.
By selective reconfiguration, the padding assembly converts corresponding regions between a wound bridge area and a raised area while maintaining thickness relationships that distinguish raised areas from wound bridge areas. In further embodiments, the wound bridge area and raised area placement is adjusted through selective detaching and reattaching of bridging segments, including conversion between first wound bridge area and a second raised area, and conversion between a first raised area and a second wound bridge area. Additional arrays can be formed by selectively reconfiguring the bridging segments among arrays, including selective reattaching of a detached bridging segment to the mounting substrate at a wound bridge area.
Claims Coverage
Independent claims clm-00001, clm-00009, clm-00015, clm-00021, clm-00024, clm-00026, clm-00027, and clm-00028 define a padding assembly with a reconfigurable wound bridge area formed by releasably attached bridging segments, with thickness and height differentials between raised areas and wound bridge areas. Across these independent claims, the core inventive structure is a reconfigurable array of bridging segments that are selectively detached and reattached to convert wound bridge areas to raised areas and vice versa while maintaining substantially greater thickness and, in some claims, height at raised areas.
Reconfigurable bridging segments defining a wound bridge area and a raised area
A padding assembly includes a first surface attachable to an associated orthopedic brace, a second surface, a mounting substrate, a first bridging segment releasably attached to the mounting substrate, and a second bridging segment releasably attached to the mounting substrate, wherein the first and second bridging segments included in a first array are selectively reconfigurable to a second array by detaching the second bridging segment from the mounting substrate, thereby defining a first wound bridge area on the second surface where the second bridging segment is detached and defining a first raised area on the second surface where the first bridging segment is attached.
Thickness and height differential between raised area and wound bridge area
The padding assembly wherein a thickness of said padding assembly at said first raised area is substantially greater than a thickness of said padding assembly at said first wound bridge area, and wherein a height of said second surface at said first raised area is substantially greater than a height of said second surface at said first wound bridge area.
Selective reconfiguration across first, second, and third arrays by detaching and reattaching
A padding assembly wherein the first and second bridging segments included in a first array are selectively reconfigurable to a second array by detaching the second bridging segment from the mounting substrate to define a first wound bridge area and a first raised area, and wherein the second array is selectively reconfigurable to a third array by reattaching the detached second bridging segment to the mounting substrate at the first wound bridge area thereby converting the first wound bridge area to a second raised area, and detaching the first bridging segment from the mounting substrate at the first raised area thereby converting the first raised area to a second wound bridge area.
Opposite sides positioning of the first surface relative to the second surface
A padding assembly wherein said second surface is on a substantially opposite side of said padding assembly from said first surface.
Reconfigurable array conversion using detaching and reattaching with base pad and multiple bridging segments
A padding assembly including a base pad having a first surface and a second surface wherein the first surface is attachable to an associated orthopedic brace; a first bridging segment releasably attached to a first location on a first mounting substrate on the second surface of the base pad; a second bridging segment releasably attached to a second location; and a third bridging segment releasably attached to the first mounting substrate and included in the first array, wherein the first array is selectively reconfigurable to a second array by detaching the first bridging segment from the mounting substrate and attaching the first bridging segment or a fourth bridging segment to the mounting substrate at the first wound bridge area, thereby converting the first wound bridge area to a raised area and defining a second wound bridge area where the first bridging segment is detached from the mounting substrate.
Wound bridge and raised areas defined between bridging segments with substantially greater thickness at raised areas
A padding assembly comprising a base pad having a first surface and a second surface wherein the first surface is attachable to an associated orthopedic brace; a first bridging segment releasably attached to a first mounting substrate on the second surface of the base pad; and a second bridging segment releasably attached to a second mounting substrate, wherein a first wound bridge area is positioned on the first mounting substrate between the first bridging segment and the second bridging segment, wherein a thickness where the first bridging segment is attached to the first mounting substrate is substantially greater than a thickness at the first wound bridge area, and wherein a thickness of the second bridging segment is substantially greater than the thickness of the first wound bridge area.
Additional raised area formed by multiple bridging segments in a second array
A padding assembly having first and second bridging segments included in a first array selectively reconfigurable to a second array by detaching the second bridging segment from the mounting substrate thereby defining a first wound bridge area and a first raised area, and further including a third bridging segment included in the first array and releasably attached to the mounting substrate wherein the second bridging segment is positioned between the first and third bridging segments, wherein the second array defines a second raised area on the second surface where the third bridging segment is attached, and wherein a thickness at the second raised area is substantially greater than the thickness at the first wound bridge area.
Thickness and height differential maintained through array conversion by alternating which bridging segment is detached
A padding assembly wherein a second array is selectively reconfigurable to a third array by reattaching the detached second bridging segment to the mounting substrate at the first wound bridge area converting the first wound bridge area to a second raised area, and detaching the first bridging segment from the mounting substrate at the first raised area thereby converting the first raised area to a second wound bridge area, wherein a thickness and a height of the second surface at the raised areas are substantially greater than at the wound bridge areas.
Base pad with two bridging segments and selective reconfiguration between arrays by detaching one bridging segment and attaching it at a wound bridge area
A padding assembly including a base pad having a first surface and a second surface wherein the first surface is attachable to an associated orthopedic brace; a first bridging segment releasably attached to a first mounting substrate on the second surface of the base pad; and a second bridging segment releasably attached to the first mounting substrate, wherein a first wound bridge area is positioned on the first mounting substrate between the first bridging segment and the second bridging segment, and wherein the first and second bridging segments and the first wound bridge are included in a first array selectively reconfigurable to a second array by detaching the first bridging segment from the mounting substrate and attaching the first bridging segment or a third bridging segment to the mounting substrate at the first wound bridge area thereby converting the first wound bridge area to a raised area and defining a second wound bridge area where the first bridging segment is detached from the mounting substrate.
Across the independent claims, the inventive coverage centers on a padding assembly for an orthopedic brace that uses a mounting substrate with releasably attached bridging segments arranged in arrays that are selectively reconfigurable by detaching and reattaching bridging segments. The claims require that wound bridge areas are defined where a bridging segment is detached, with substantially greater thickness and, in some claims, substantially greater height at raised areas where a bridging segment remains attached, and they further specify array conversion that swaps which regions are wound bridge areas versus raised areas.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Not explicitly described in patent.
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