Supportive orthopedic device

Claim 1

An orthopedic appliance comprising: an elongated belt for releasably encircling the torso of the body of a wearer and being formed of a flexible material, said belt having an exterior side and a body-engageable inner side; said belt having a pair of oppositely disposed longitudinally extending edges and a pair of ends; a pair of darts extending transversely across the width of said belt, said darts being spaced from one another and spaced inwardly, respectively, from one and the other of said belt ends; said darts shortening the length of one longitudinally extending edge of the belt relative to the other one thereof to provide said belt with a tapering hollow ellipsoidal configuration when engaged around the torso of said wearer in one position of use, and the same configuration when said belt is inverted and engaged around the torso of the wearer in a second position of use; a pair of elongated substantially rectangular strips of flexible material disposed on said exterior side of said belt and extending transversely of the width thereof, said strips each having a pair of opposed ends and a pair of opposed sides, one of said strips being disposed intermediate one of said darts and said one end of said belt, and the other of said strips being disposed intermediate the other of said darts and said other end of said belt; stitching means securing said ends and sides of said strips on said belt, said strips cooperating with confronting belt portions To form a pair of pockets; an elongated substantially rectangular stiffening stay in each of, respectively, said pockets and extending transversely across the width of said belt; a laminated elliptical pressure-applying pad including an elongated elliptical backing plate formed of a lightweight semiflexible material to provide stability for said pad, said backing plate having a pair of opposed longitudinally extending edges, said backing plate being concave-convex around its minor axis and having its convex side engaging the inner side of said belt, the major axis of said backing plate extending in the direction of the elongation of said belt with corresponding edges of said belt and backing plate being adjacent one another, the concave side of said backing plate opening inwardly of said belt when said belt is worn in either of its said first and second positions, and a liner formed of a soft material fixedly connected on the concave side of said backing plate and substantially covering the entire area thereof; means connecting said laminated pad on said belt for sliding reciprocable movement thereon and longitudinally with respect thereto whereby said pad may be moved to a preselected position thereon confronting a portion of the torso of the wearer''s body to be supported, said means comprising a substantially rectangular strip formed of a flexible fabric material and having a pair of opposed ends, said strap extending transversely of the width of said belt at the exterior side thereof and having portions adjacent each end thereof folded over said corresponding adjacent edges of said belt and backing plate, the ends of said belt being inserted between said liner and said backing plate; means fixedly connecting said strap ends on said backing plate adjacent each, respectively, of its said edges; and means for releasably securing said belt in its body-encircling relation relative to the torso of the body of the wearer, said releasable securing means being nonmetallic and including a first strip of fabric material connected on the exterior side of said belt on one of its ends, said first strip carrying a loop pile on the outer side thereof, and a second strip of fabric material secured on the inner side of said belt on its said other end and carrying hook pile on the outer side thereof, said other end of said belt being superimposed on said one end thereof to cause said hook pile to releasably connect with said loop pile upon the application of pressure on said other end of said belt.