Body weight support system

Abstract

A body weight support system for skiing or other physical activities including at least one leg brace. The brace consists of a pair of parallel elongated tubular members interconnected by a cable, a plurality of cylindrical segment members are interposed in the knee section of the brace with the cable extending therethrough to form non-resilient flexure means for allowing the brace to bend with the knee upon flexure of the knee. Tensioning means are provided for the cable to establish the tension therein and hence establish a maximum angle deflection of the flexure means. The brace and flexure means are non-resilient so that once the maximum angle is attained the brace resists further deflection. The brace also includes fabric means spanning the tubular members for supporting the legs of the wearer. Strap means are provided for securing the brace to the leg and to a boot (e.g., ski boot).

I claim: 
     
       1. A body weight support system for releasable securement to at least one leg of a person, comprising first support means, second support means and non-resilient, flexure means, said first support means including a first portion extending along the thigh, said first support means terminating at its upper and immediately adjacent the buttocks-thigh interface to form a seat and terminating at its lower end adjacent the knee, said second support means including a second portion extending along the calf, said second support means terminating at its upper end adjacent the knee and at its lower end adjacent the foot, said flexure means being located adjacent said knee and connected between said first and second support means for permitting the person to repeatedly freely bend and unbend said knee through any angular range up to a predetermined angle of bend and for providing substantial resistance to flexure therebeyond, said first and second support means including securement means for releasably securing said system to said leg. 
     
     
       2. The body weight support system of claim 1 wherein said second suport means is arranged to be stationarily secured to means worn on the foot. 
     
     
       3. The body weight support system of claim 1 wherein said flexure means is adjustable for establishing said angular range of flexure. 
     
     
       4. The body weight support system of claim 3 wherein said flexure means comprise plural elements coupled to one another, via tensioning means, whereupon said elements can pivot with respect to one another, with the degree of pivoting being established by said tensioning means. 
     
     
       5. The body weight support system of claim 4 wherein said tensioning means comprises an elongated, flexible cable on which said plural elements are strung. 
     
     
       6. The body weight support system of claim 5 wherein said cable is fixedly secured to one of said support means. 
     
     
       7. The body weight support system of claim 6 wherein said tensioning cable is connected between said first and second support means and wherein said flexure means includes adjustable means for shortening or lengthening said cable means to establish the tension in said tensioning cable. 
     
     
       8. The body weight support system of claim 7 wherein each of said elements is tubular and include surface means adapted to engage the immediately adjacent element to facilitate uniform pivoting of each of said elements. 
     
     
       9. The body weight support system of claim 1 wherein said system is arranged for use by a skier with said system supporting the skier in a centered position over a ski mounted on a boot on the skier's foot, with the skier's buttocks located over the boot and with the skier's knee forward thereof to expedite skiing. 
     
     
       10. The skier body weight support system of claim 9 wherein said second support means includes releasable securement means for stationarily securing said second support means to said ski boot. 
     
     
       11. The skier body weight support system of claim 10 wherein said flexure means is adjustable to establish said angular range. 
     
     
       12. The skier body weight support system of claim 11 wherein said adjustment means comprises quick acting means wherein once the knee is flexed to the desired angle, the quick acting means can be engaged to impede flexure beyond that angle. 
     
     
       13. The skier body weight support system of claim 11 wherein said flexure means comprise plural elements coupled to one another, via tensioning means, whereupon said elements can pivot with respect to one another, with the degree of pivoting being established by said tensioning means. 
     
     
       14. The skier body weight support system of claim 13 wherein said tensioning means comprises an elongated, flexible cable on which said plural elements are strung. 
     
     
       15. The skier body weight support system of claim 14 wherein said cable is fixedly secured to one of said support means. 
     
     
       16. The skier body weight support system of claim 15 wherein said tensioning cable is connected between said first and second support means and wherein said flexure means includes adjustable means for shortening or lengthening said cable means between said first and second support means to establish the tension in said tensioning cable. 
     
     
       17. The skier body weight support system of claim 16 wherein each of said elements is tubular and include surface means adapted to engage the immediately adjacent element to facilitate uniform pivoting of each of said elements. 
     
     
       18. The skier body weight support system of claim 17 wherein said adjustment means comprises quick acting means wherein once the knee is flexed to the desired angle, the quick acting means is engaged to prevent flexure beyond that angle. 
     
     
       19. The skier body weight support system of claim 9 wherein each of said first and second support means comprises at least one elongated frame-like member. 
     
     
       20. The skier body weight support system of claim 19 wherein each of said support means comprises a pair of generally parallel elongated, frame-like members having webbing means interposed therebetween for engaging an associated portion of the leg of the skier. 
     
     
       21. The skier body weight support system of claim 19 wherein said first and second support means and said flexure means are incorporated in a garment worn on the leg. 
     
     
       22. The skier body weight support garment of claim 21 wherein said releasable securement means comprises strap means arranged for stationarily mounting said second support means on said ski boot. 
     
     
       23. The skier body weight support system of claim 20 wherein said first support means includes strap means for strapping said first support means to the thigh just below the buttocks and just above the knee and wherein said second support means includes strap means for strapping said second support means to the calf just below the knee. 
     
     
       24. The body weight support system of claim 23 wherein said strap means for securing said second mounting means to said boot is adjustably mounted on said second support means to provide an optimal interface with said boot. 
     
     
       25. The skier body weight support system of claim 9 wherein said flexure means includes adjustment means located adjacent the upper end of said first support means for establishing said predetermined angular flexure range. 
     
     
       26. The skier body weight support system of claim 9 wherein said first and second support means and said flexure means are arranged to be worn over a garment on the leg. 
     
     
       27. The skier body weight support system of claim 9 wherein said first and second support means and said flexure means are incorporated in a garment worn on the leg. .Iadd. 
     
     
       28.  A body joint support for limiting angular movement of a selected joint of the body to a preselected range of angular motion, comprising: a. a longitudinally elongated flexible central support member;   b. a plurality of members adjacent to one another and extending in cantilever fashion from a common side of said central support member in a direction interior to the angle through which said selected joint moves, adjacent ones of said members being spaced from one another when said central support member is essentially unflexed and said selected joint is at a corresponding first end of said preselected angular range and adjacent ones of said members interferingly contacting one another to prevent further angular, flexure of said central support member when said central support member is flexed to an extent corresponding to said selected joint being at a second end of said preselected angular range;   c. first support means extending away from said central flexible support member at a first end thereof and adapted for securement to a portion of the body extending away from said joint in a first direction;   d. second support means extending away from said central flexible support member at a second end thereof and adapted for securement to a portion of the body extending away from said joint in a second direction generally oppositely disposed to said first direction. .Iaddend. .Iadd.29. The body support system of claim 28 wherein said flexible central support member passes through said members. .Iaddend. .Iadd.30. The body support system of claim 29 wherein said permissible range of angular motion is from about 0 to about 120 degrees. .Iaddend. .Iadd.31. The body support system of claim 30 wherein each of said members includes top and bottom surfaces with at least a portion of said top surface being generally planar. .Iaddend. .Iadd.32. The body support system of claim 31 where said planar portion of said top surface is generally perpendicular to said central flexible member and adjacent thereto. .Iaddend. .Iadd.33. The body support system of claim 32 wherein said bottom surface has a portion which is generally planar. .Iaddend. .Iadd.34. The body support system of claim 33 wherein said planar portion of said bottom surface is generally perpendicular to said central flexible member and adjacent thereto.   
     
     
        .Iaddend. .Iadd.35.  The body support system of claim 30 wherein top and bottom surfaces of said members each include respective shaped surface portions adapted to complementally interferingly contact corresponding respective shaped surface portions of bottom and top surfaces of immediately adjacent members at maximum angular flexure of said support system thereby preventing further angular flexure of said system. .Iaddend. .Iadd.36. The body support system of claim 35 wherein said planar portions of said member top and bottom surfaces are intermediate said shaped surface portions and said central support member. .Iaddend.