Portable vertebral column support

Claim 2

A portable vertebral column support device for use as a medical appliance in supporting the vertebral column of a user, said support device consisting of a substantially flat and rectangularly shaped pad which has a length less than the length of the vertebral column of the user and is relatively rigid throughout the complete longitudinal length thereof, said pad comprising: elongated, rectangularly-shaped, flat and flexible envelope means including a single sheet of flexible material folded back upon itself to provide a single bight connecting a pair of completely overlapping sheets having a plurality of free edges and means for securing said free edges together, said envelope means having a pair of laterally spaced apart zones between said overlapping sheets extending parallel to one another the full length of said envelope means, the central portion of said envelope means between said zones being of a width sufficient to span the vertebral column of the user and sufficiently flexible to permit a folding of the envelope means so that said zones may overlap each other, the width of said central portion being a small fraction of the overall width of said pad; elongated rigid slat means in each of said zones for rigidifying said envelope means in said longitudinal direction while permitting the central portion of said envelope means to remain flexible, said rigid slat means extending the full length of each of said zones and engaging one of said overlapping sheets of said envelope means along the full length thereof; means for adhesively securing said slat means to said one overlapping sheet; and flexible padding means positioned between one side of said rigid slat means and the other of said overlapping sheets of said envelope means and extending substantially the full width and lEngth of said rigid slat means to thereby define a padded side and an unpadded side on said pad; said pad being positionable so that the longitudinal axis of said pad extends parallel to the vertebral column of the user with the central portion substantially spanning the vertebral column and the rigidified zones being positioned on opposite sides of the vertebral column and disposed for contact with the user''s back, either the padded or unpadded side of said pad being positioned for contact with the user''s back.

Claim 3

A portable vertebral column support device according to claim 1, wherein said rigid slat means comprises a plurality of laterally spaced slats in each of said zones. the

Claim 4

A portable vertebral column support device according to claim 2, wherein said flexible padding means comprises a thin pad of foamed polyethylene between said plurality of slats in each of said zones and said other of said overlapping sheets and an adhesive for securing said foamed polyethylene pad to each of said slats.

Claim 5

A portable vertebral support device for use as a medical appliance in supporting the vertebral column of a user and designed for use between the user''s back and an external supporting surface, such as a seat back, said support device consisting of a substantially flat and rectangularly shaped pad having a length less than the length of the vertebral column of the user and a width approximately no greater than the width of the user''s back so that the pad directly engages the back muscles of the user, and said pad being relatively rigid throughout the complete longitudinal length thereof, said pad comprising: elongated, rectangularly shaped, flat and flexible envelope means including a pair of overlapping sheetlike portions of flexible material, the opposed edges of said sheetlike portions being fixedly secured together; said envelope means having a pair of laterally spaced zones defined between said overlapping sheetlike portions and extending parallel to one another throughout the full length of said envelope means, said spaced zones being disposed adjacent the opposite longitudinally extending edges of said envelope means; said envelope means including a central portion disposed between said spaced zones and being of a width sufficient to span the vertebral column of the user, the width of said central portion being a small fraction of the overall width of said pad; elongated rigid slat means disposed in each of said zones for rigidifying said envelope means in the longitudinal direction thereof while permitting the central portion of said envelope means to remain flexible, said rigid slat means extending the full length of each of said zones, and means associated with said envelope means and said slat means for substantially maintaining said rigid slat means in position within said zone; flexible padding means positioned between one side of said rigid slat means and the adjacent inner surface of one of said sheetlike portions, said flexible padding means extending substantially the full width and length of said rigid slat means to define a padded side on said pad; said pad being positionable so that the longitudinal axis of said pad extends parallel to the vertebral column of the user with the central portion substantially spanning the vertebral and the rigidified zones being positioned on opposite sides of the vertebral column and disposed for contact with the user''s back muscles, either side of said pad being positionable for contact with the user''s back.

Claim 6

A portable vertebral support device for use as a medical appliance in supporting the vertebral column of a user and designed for use between the user''s back and an external supporting surface, such as a seat back, said support device consisting of a substantially flat and rectangularly shaped pad having a length less than the length of the vertebral column of the user and a width approximately no greater than the width of the user''s back so that the pad directly engages the back muscles of the user, and said pad being relatively rigid throughout the complete longitudinal length thereof, said pad comprising: elongated, rectangularly shaped, flat and flexible envelope means including a pair of overlapping sheetlike portions of flexible material, the opposed edges of said sheetlike portions being fixedly secured together; said envelope means having a pair of laterally spaced zones defined between said overlapping sheetlike portions and extending parallel to one another throughout the full length of said envelope means, said spaced zones being disposed adjacent the opposite longitudinally extending edges of said envelope means; said envelope means including a central portion disposed between said spaced zones and being of a width sufficient to span the vertebral column of the user, the width of said central portion being a small fraction of the overall width of said pad; elongated rigid slat means disposed in each of said zones for rigidifying said envelope means in the longitudinal direction thereof while permitting the central portion of said envelope means to remain flexible, said rigid slat means extending the full length of each of said zones, and means associated with said envelope means and said slat means for substantially maintaining said rigid slat means in position within said zone; flexible padding means positioned between one side of said rigid slat means and the adjacent inner surface of one of said sheetlike portions, said flexible padding means extending substantially the full width and length of said rigid slat means to define a padded side on said pad; said pad being positionable so that the longitudinal axis of said pad extends parallel to the vertebral column of the user with the central portion substantially spanning the vertebral and the rigidified zones being positioned on opposite sides of the vertebral column and disposed for contact with the user''s back muscles, either side of said pad being positionable for contact with the user''s back.