US 12,138,190 B1
Universal hand brace
James J. Weber, Santa Barbara, CA (US); James Buckhout, Keller, TX (US); Jamie McMillan, Glendive, MT (US); and Janakiram Srinivasa Rao Chetlapalli, Frisco, TX (US)
Assigned to Weber Orthopedic, L.P., Santa Paula, CA (US)
Filed by WEBER ORTHOPEDIC, L.P., Santa Paula, CA (US)
Filed on Feb. 6, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/434,257.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/443,689, filed on Feb. 6, 2023.
Int. Cl. A61F 5/01 (2006.01)
CPC A61F 5/0118 (2013.01) 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A finger and hand brace that wraps at least two of a wearer's hand, wrist, finger or fingers, the brace comprising:
an elongated brace body having a top interconnecting strip, an open center, and a bottom interconnecting strip, the body configured to be applied lengthwise to the wrist and finger regions of the left or right hand;
a plurality of flexible straps spaced apart lengthwise and extending from the brace body, wherein the straps are configured to wrap about at least two of the hand, the wrist, and at least one finger of the wearer;
retention means disposed on the brace body to retain the straps in a wrapped condition;
a plurality of elongated stiffeners carried by the brace body, wherein at least one stiffener includes an undulating extent having at least one of a convex and concave curvature to conform to wrist and finger contours with the finger extended in natural condition, and wherein the at least one stiffener is formed from discrete first and second pieces that are detachably joined together at an interface, and wherein at least two of the stiffeners are configured to be overlying with each other and centered at the dorsal and palmer regions of the hand, and are joined only by the top and bottom interconnecting strips of the brace body;
a separation line formed laterally across the brace body configured to be applied proximate to the wrist to enable the brace body to be separated into a distal portion and a proximal portion, wherein the proximal portion including the second piece of the stiffener is detachable from the brace, and wherein the separation line coincides with the open center of the brace body;
a plurality of pockets disposed on the brace body that longitudinally extend across the separation line and that receive the stiffeners therein, wherein the pockets have a proximate portion separable from a distal portion along the separation line, and wherein the distal pocket portion carries the first piece of the stiffener therein and the proximal pocket portion carries the second piece of the stiffener therein;
wherein the straps wrap about at least one of the pockets to exert positive retention compression on the pockets and stiffeners; and
wherein the stiffener interface is located proximate to the separation line.