Back support device

Abstract

A garment worn on the upper body is provided with a back support system that can be selectively actuated as needed, and otherwise remains relatively unobtrusive when not actuated. The back support system includes a selectively inflatable and deflatable air bladder positioned at a desired location on a rear part of the garment opposite a portion of the wearer's back that needs support. Preferably, the air bladder is disposed within a pocket or compartment, preferably defined on an interior side of the garment, thereby leaving the exterior of the garment relatively unaltered in a visual sense. In a particular example, the air bladder of the present invention has a physical configuration designed to support specific portions of the spinal column as well as adjoining musculature.

1 . A wearable upper body garment comprising:
 a selectively inflatable and deflatable air bladder disposed on a rear side of the garment, the air bladder having at least one elongate central portion extending along a vertically-extending center line of the rear side of the garment, and at least one side lobe laterally offset from the central portion;   an air pump device for inflating the air bladder, the air pump being operably connected to the air bladder by a tube; and   a valve device for selectively retaining air in and releasing air from the air bladder for inflating and deflating the air bladder.   
     
     
         2 . The garment of  claim 1 , the air bladder comprising a pair of substantially symmetrical side lobes provided on opposing sides of the central portion of the air bladder. 
     
     
         3 . The garment of  claim 2 , the air bladder comprising at least two of the pairs of side lobes spaced apart from one another along the direction of the center line. 
     
     
         4 . The garment of  claim 2 , the air bladder comprising three of the pairs of side lobes, each pair of side lobes being spaced apart from one another along the direction of the center line. 
     
     
         5 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the central portion of the air bladder extends along the center line beyond a height of the at least one side lobe taken along the center line. 
     
     
         6 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one side lobe has a rounded form taken substantially in the plane of the rear side of the garment. 
     
     
         7 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the air bladder is disposed within a pocket defined in the rear side of the garment. 
     
     
         8 . The garment of  claim 7 , wherein the pocket is defined by a material portion attached to an interior side of the garment to define the pocket between the material portion and the interior side of the garment. 
     
     
         9 . The garment of  claim 8 , wherein the material portion is adhesively attached to the interior side of the garment. 
     
     
         10 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein air pump device, the tube connecting the air pump device and the air bladder, and the valve device are attached to the garment in a manner so as to be at least partially hidden from view from an exterior of the garment. 
     
     
         11 . The garment of  claim 10 , wherein the garment includes a lower peripheral hem at a bottom edge thereof, and one or more of the air pump device, the valve device, and at least a portion of the tube connecting the air pump device and the air bladder are disposed within the peripheral hem. 
     
     
         12 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the air pump device comprises an electrical air pump device operably connected to battery power source. 
     
     
         13 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the air bladder is associated with at least one pressure sensor constructed and arranged to detect a force applied to the air bladder when inflated and to provide a perceptible signal when the detected force falls below a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         14 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the extent of the central portion of the air bladder along the center line of the garment provides support when inflated to a combination of two or more of the thoracic vertebrae, the lumbar vertebrae, and the sacrum. 
     
     
         15 . The garment of  claim 5 , wherein the air bladder comprises a pair of substantially symmetrical side lobes provided on opposing sides of the central portion of the air bladder, wherein the air bladder is located in the garment at a location, for a garment of a given size, substantially corresponding to the L1-L5 lumbar vertebrae and the quadratus lumborum muscles of a wearer of the garment, wherein the central portion extending beyond a height of the side lobes extends downwardly to a location substantially corresponding to the sacrum of the wearer of the garment. 
     
     
         16 . The garment of  claim 5 , wherein the air bladder comprises a pair of substantially symmetrical side lobes provided on opposing sides of the central portion of the air bladder, wherein the air bladder is located in the garment at a location, for a garment of a given size, substantially corresponding to the L1-L5 lumbar vertebrae and the quadratus lumborum muscles of a wearer of the garment, wherein the central portion extending beyond a height of the side lobes extends upwardly to a location substantially corresponding to the T4 and T5 thoracic vertebrae of the wearer of the garment. 
     
     
         17 . The garment of  claim 5 , wherein the air bladder comprises a pair of substantially symmetrical side lobes provided on opposing sides of the central portion of the air bladder, wherein the air bladder is located in the garment at a location, for a garment of a given size, substantially corresponding to the T9-T12 thoracic vertebrae and the erector spinae and lower trapezius muscles of a wearer of the garment, wherein the central portion extending beyond a height of the side lobes extends downwardly to a location substantially corresponding to L2-L3 lumbar vertebrae of the wearer of the garment. 
     
     
         18 . The garment of  claim 5 , wherein the air bladder comprises a pair of substantially symmetrical side lobes provided on opposing sides of the central portion of the air bladder, wherein the air bladder is located in the garment at a location, for a garment of a given size, substantially corresponding to the T4-T8 thoracic vertebrae and the erector spinae muscles of a wearer of the garment, wherein the central portion extending beyond a height of the side lobes extends downwardly to a location substantially corresponding to the L2-L3 lumbar vertebrae of the wearer of the garment. 
     
     
         19 . The garment of  claim 5 , wherein the air bladder comprises three pairs of substantially symmetrical side lobes provided on opposing sides of the central portion of the air bladder and being spaced apart from each other along the center line of the garment, wherein the air bladder is located in the garment at a location, for a garment of a given size, so as to extend from approximately the T2 thoracic vertebrae down to the sacrum of a wearer of the garment. 
     
     
         20 . The garment according to  claim 19 , wherein each side lobe of the uppermost pair of side lobes is rounded and is located in the garment at a location, for a garment of a given size, so as to oppose the infraspinatus and iliocostalis muscles. 
     
     
         21 . The garment according to  claim 1 , wherein the garment is made from a rubber material, wherein the air bladder is integrally defined within the rubber material of the garment. 
     
     
         22 . The garment according to  claim 21 , manufactured by a three-dimensional printing process using a rubber material to thereby define the air bladder. 
     
     
         23 . The garment according to  claim 1 , wherein the garment is one of a t-shirt, a tank top, and a camisole. 
     
     
         24 . An inflatable back support device comprising:
 a selectively inflatable and deflatable air bladder disposed on a rear side of the garment, the air bladder having at least one elongate central portion extending along a first direction, and at least one side lobe extending laterally outward from the central portion;   an air pump device for inflating the air bladder, the air pump being operably connected to the air bladder by a tube; and   a valve device for selectively retaining air in and releasing air from the air bladder for inflating and deflating the air bladder.   
     
     
         25 . The device according to  claim 24 , wherein at least the air bladder is housed in a casing. 
     
     
         26 . The device according to  claim 25 , wherein an exterior of the casing includes a fastening mechanism constructed and arranged to engage a cooperating mechanism in a wearable upper body garment so as to positionally fix the device relative to the garment.