Under-thigh support

Abstract

A self-inflatable under-thigh support used in combination with a car seat for use by a driver of a vehicle in order to shorten brake-activation reaction time and reduce pressure on the lower side of the thigh for improving blood circulation. The under-thigh support is made in the form of an elongated body of a triangular cross-section that consists of an air-proof inner casing made from a non-stretchable flexible material and a squeezable foam plastic that fills the interior of the casing. The casing is provided with a valve that can be opened for squeezing the pad to a compressed state and then closed for preserving the pad in a compressed state convenient for storage and transportation. For use of the pad, the valve is opened, the squeezed foam plastic is expanded, and then the valve is closed, whereby the pad is maintained in a predetermined shape and with a predetermined rigidity.

1 . An under-thigh support comprising a combination of at least one under-thigh supporting pad with a car seat, wherein the aforementioned under-thigh supporting pad is a self-expandable under-thigh supporting pad. 
   
   
       2 . The under-thigh support of  claim 1 , wherein the aforementioned self-expandable under-thigh supporting pad comprises a casing made from a flexible non-stretchable air-impermeable material, a filler that fills the interior of the aforementioned casing and is made from a squeezable and self-expandable foam plastic having a plurality of pores, and a valve attached to the casing that can be closed for sealing the interior of the casing and opened for communication of the interior of the casing with the atmosphere. 
   
   
       3 . The under-thigh support of  claim 2 , wherein the self-expandable under-thigh supporting pad comprises an elongated body having a triangular cross-section having a support surface and side surfaces. 
   
   
       4 . The under-thigh support of  claim 2 , further comprising means for attaching the self-expandable under-thigh supporting pad to the car seat. 
   
   
       5 . The under-thigh support of  claim 3 , further comprising means for attaching the self-expandable under-thigh supporting pad to the car seat. 
   
   
       6 . The under-thigh support of  claim 5 , wherein the means for attaching the self-expandable under-thigh supporting pad to the car seat comprise tiny hooks and loops formed on the bottom surface of the self-expandable under-thigh supporting pad and capable of frictionally engaging the car seat. 
   
   
       7 . The under-thigh support of  claim 5 , wherein one of the side surfaces has a curvature. 
   
   
       8 . The under-thigh support of  claim 4 , wherein the aforementioned means for attaching the self-expandable under-thigh supporting pad to the car seat comprises straps. 
   
   
       9 . The under-thigh support of  claim 5 , wherein the aforementioned means for attaching the self-expandable under-thigh supporting pad to the car seat comprises straps. 
   
   
       10 . The under-thigh support of  claim 2 , wherein the aforementioned at least one self-expandable under-thigh supporting pad is built into the car seat. 
   
   
       11 . The under-thigh support of  claim 7 , wherein the means for attaching the self-expandable under-thigh supporting pad to the car seat comprise tiny hooks and loops formed on the bottom surface of the self-expandable under-thigh supporting pad and capable of frictionally engaging with the car seat. 
   
   
       12 . The under-thigh support of  claim 8 , that contains at least two of the aforementioned self-expandable under-thigh supporting pads, each being arranged on a thigh-supporting side of the car seat. 
   
   
       13 . The under-thigh support of  claim 10 , that contains at least two of the aforementioned self-expandable under-thigh supporting pads, each being arranged on a thigh-supporting side of the car seat. 
   
   
       14 . The under-thigh support of  claim 9 , wherein the means for attaching the self-expandable under-thigh supporting pad to the car seat comprise tiny hooks and loops formed on one side of the self-expandable under-thigh supporting pad and capable of frictionally engaging with the car seat.