Portable vertebral column support

Claim 2

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 elongated pad having a width approximately no greater than the width of the user''s back so that the support device directly engages the back muscles of the user, and said support device being relatively rigid throughout the complete longitudinal length thereof but being provided with lateral flexibility to conform to the user''s back, and to permit folding, said pad comprising: elongated relatively rigid stiffening members positioned substantially parallel with respect to each other and spaced apart to define a central portion therebetween of width sufficient, but no greater than that necessary, to span the palpable portion of the vertebral column of the user, said central portion having a width which is a small fraction of the overall width of said pad; and retaining means affixed to said stiffening members for holding same in a predetermined position with respect to each other and extending at least substantially the full length and width of said stiffening members; said device being positionable so that the longitudinal axis thereof extends parallel to the vertebral column of the user with said central portion substantially spanning at least the palpable portion of the vertebral column of the user and said stiffening members being positioned on opposite sides of the vertebral column and disposed for contact with at least those of the user''s back muscles which are closely adjacent his vertebral column.

Claim 3

The device of claim 1, wherein said central portion is between 3/4 and 2 1/2 inches wide.

Claim 4

The device of claim 1, wherein said central portion is approximately 2 to 2 1/2 inches wide.

Claim 5

The device of claim 1, wherein said stiffening members comprise at least four such members, the central two thereof being spaced from each other a distance defining said central portion.

Claim 6

The device of claim 1, wherein a thin resilient padding covers the areas of the stiffening members on one face of the support device.

Claim 7

The device of claim 1, wherein said retaining means comprises a solid envelope of molded resilient material completely and permanently enveloping all of the stiffening members.

Claim 8

The device of claim 1, wherein said retaining means is a quantity of elastomeric material molded around said stiffening members.

Claim 9

The device of claim 1, wherein said retaining means is a sheet of flexible resilient material contacting at least one side of said stiffening members and fixedly attached thereto.

Claim 10

The device of claim 8, wherein said retaining means is affixed to one side of said stiffening members by adhesive means.

Claim 11

The device of claim 5, wherein the portion of the retaining means comprising said central portion is of a material other than that lying as padding material adjacent the stiffening members.

Claim 12

The device of claim 5, wherein the resilient padding has a thickness of approximately 1/8 inch.

Claim 13

The device according to claim 1, wherein said pad has a length less than the length of the vertebral column of the user and is rigid throughout said length.

Claim 14

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 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 but being provided with flexibility in at least one central portion across the width thereof, said pad comprising: rectangularly shaped, flexible body means; said body means having a pair of laterally spaced zones extending parallel to one another throughout the full length of said body means, said spaced zones being disposed adjacent the opposite longitudinally extending edges of said body means; said body means having said central portion disposed between said spaced zones and being of a width sufficient to span the protruding portion of the vertebral column of the user, the width of said central portion being between 3/4 and 2 1/2 inches; elongated rigid slat means disposed in each of said zones and generally fixedly with respect to said body means for rigidifying said body means in the longitudinal direction thereof while permitting the central portion of said body means to remain flexible and permitting some flexibility between the slat means of said zones, said rigid slat means extending the full length of each of said zones; 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 at least the protruding portion of 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 muscles.

Claim 15

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 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 but being provided with flexibility in at least one central portion across the width thereof, said pad comprising: rectangularly shaped, flexible body means; said body means having a pair of laterally spaced zones extending parallel to one another throughout the full length of said body means, said spaced zones being disposed adjacent the opposite longitudinally extending edges of said body means; said body means having said central portion disposed between said spaced zones and being of a width sufficient to span the protruding portion of the vertebral column of the user, the width of said central portion being between 3/4 and 2 1/2 inches; elongated rigid slat means disposed in each of said zones and generally fixedly with respect to said body means for rigidifying said body means in the longitudinal direction thereof while permitting the central portion of said body means to remain flexible and permitting some flexibility between the slat means of said zones, said rigid slat means extending the full length of each of said zones; 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 at least the protruding portion of 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 muscles.

Claim 16

A support device according to claim 13, wherein said body means includes a pair of overlapping sheetlike portions of flexible material, the opposed edges of said sheetlike portions being fixedly interconnected.

Claim 17

A support device according to claim 13, wherein the width of said central portion is between about 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 inches.

Claim 18

A support device according to claim 13, wherein, said body means includes a quantity of cushioning material covering said slat means on the side thereof intended to face the user''s back in normal condition of use, said cushioning material not being so thick as to nullify the rigidifying effect of the device.

Claim 19

A support device according to claim 13, wherein the thickness of the central portion of said body means is substantially less than the thickness of said body means in the region of said rigid slat means.