KNEEPAD WITH POSITIONING SUPPORT

Abstract

A kneepad with positioning support has an elongated, rigid, vertical brace extending from a shoe of the wearer up to the kneepad. The adjustable-height kneepad support has two overlapping, vertical braces that attach together at various, adjustable heights. The support is attached to a built-in padded kneepad by a pivoting (hinge) connection or to an existing kneepad with a hinged clamp. The support device prevents the kneepad from slipping down and is held in place with adjustable lower leg and knee straps. The need for over-tightening of the kneepad strap or straps is eliminated, while still allowing for full flexibility of movement and comfort for the user.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to kneepads and particularly to an adjustable height kneepad support having two overlapping vertical braces attached together at the desired height with a bottom padded arch base resting on a shoe of the wearer, an adjustable lower leg strap, and an upper hinge device attached to a built-in padded kneepad or a hinged clamp attached to an existing kneepad.

2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98

The main function of kneepads has always been to protect and comfort people who use their knees or kneel for long periods of time while performing certain activities such as gardening, painting, and in particular, construction work. Workers in the construction industry often kneel or crawl on hard surfaces throughout the day. Many of the kneepads on the market today have various attachment devices, but few provide lasting comfort or protection for prolonged periods of time.

One primary complaint of kneepads on the market today is that the cushioned pad, worn on the knee, must constantly be readjusted as soon as the elastic bands or straps become loose, which causes the pad to fall down to the shins Because the straps constantly need adjusting and tightening, this often causes lack of blood circulation or excessive tension around the leg that is uncomfortable for the worker.

Another common complaint is that the cushioned pad, worn on the knee, becomes thin and ineffective as knee protection after constant, everyday use. Most kneepad cushions are made of foam and wear thin and do not retract to their original form. The life span of some existing kneepads on the market today can be as short as 1 week, depending on the weight of the wearer. The average worker uses 2-4 pairs of kneepads per year. The prior art does not adequately address these problems.

U.S. Patent Application #20080168589, published Jul. 17, 2008 by Richards, claims a knee pad with a support frame, a pad, and a boot. The pad is assembled on the support frame to provide a cushioning surface between the support frame and the wearer's leg. The pad has ears in the knee section and in the ankle section, which serve to maintain the support frame and pad in proper alignment on the leg. The boot provides a non-slip, non-marring surface against the floor, when the wearer is working in a kneeling position. A moisture-absorbent liner, which is easily removed for cleaning or replaceable, may also be fitted on top of the pad, to provide an absorbent layer between the pad and the wearer's leg.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,876,745, issued Oct. 31, 1989 to Richards, is for a knee pad having a flat bottomed support dimensioned to underlie the kneecap and a substantial adjacent length of the tibia. The support has a cushioned concavity for the knee and a channel for the lower leg which is inclined upwardly away from the plane of the flat bottom and towards the foot. The channel terminates in a fork disposed to straddle the instep of the shoe on that foot. The depth of the concavity is such that at least the greater part of the wearer's weight is borne by the tibia. The knee pad has a cuff of hard surfaced but flexible material by which it is detachably secured to a lower leg and fitted against the calf thereof. Both that portion of the support which is to underlie the knee and the forked end of the channel may have sections which may flex.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,772,071, issued Sep. 20, 1988 to Richards, shows knee pads which are to be worn while a person is working on a surface in a kneeling position have a first section provided with a first portion to be attached to a lower leg and a knee seat to accommodate the knee cap and the upper portion of the tibia, a second section connected to the first section and having a seat for a buttock and the adjacent portion of the upper leg and a support engageable with the surface when the user is kneeling with body weight transferred to the surface by the knee pad rather than through the knee joint.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,432,565, issued Dec. 16, 1947 to Ferguson, claims a knee pad comprising a shank which is detachably securable the front of the workman's lower leg. The knee is supported in a padded annular depression formed in the top of the shank. The shank is secured to the leg by a top strap and a bottom ankle strap. The device is further provided with adjustable brackets which allow the kneeling workman to rest his foot in a natural position.

Two U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,427,239 issued Aug. 6, 2002 and 6,637,034 issued Oct. 28, 2003 to Worden, concern a weight distributing knee pad which includes a lower leg support adapted to closely engage a lower leg of a user and a knee cover which conforms to the shape of a knee but is physically separate therefrom. A curved portion connects the lower leg support and the knee cover. A strap is included which is adapted to engage an ankle of a user.

U.S. Pat. No. 926,328, issued Jun. 29, 1909 to Horath, describes a miner's knee pad which is worn with a harness comprising two side braces which extend from the outer edges of the knee pad down to an ankle and instep strap arrangement for securing the knee pad in position.

U.S. Pat. No. 554,776, issued Feb. 18, 1896 to Davis et al, discloses a knee pad with side bars that extend from the ankle to the side of the knee and are adjustably attached to the outer sides of the knee pad. The lower ends of the side bars have a harness for attaching to the wearer's foot.

U.S. Pat. No. 395,228, issued Dec. 25, 1888 to Harris, indicates a coal miner's knee-shoe which comprises a cup made to fit over a person's knee while in the kneeling position and a thin shin protecting board hingedly attached to the knee cup which also holds the cup up in its place.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,733,443, issued Feb. 7, 1956 to Holder, shows a leg, knee and foot guard and support comprising a rigid elongated frame for wearing on the knee and shin. The frame is strapped onto the leg behind the knee and at the ankle and has a foot guard for supporting the foot off the ground while in a kneeling position.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,565,762 issued Aug. 28, 1951 to Ferguson, relates a knee and foot support which comprises a shin-worn shank having a knee pad adjustably attached thereto.

U.S. Patent Application #20080178361, published Jul. 31, 2008 by Yoo et al, describes a protective knee covering which provides motion guidance and orthotic support for a knee. The protective knee covering is made from a layer of rigid material, such as a plastic or a composite material. A central portion of the protective knee covering covers the knee cap portion of the knee. The central portion is curved in a top to bottom direction, but is flat or substantially flat in a medial side to lateral side direction to provide a stable base for kneeling. A medial side portion and a lateral side portion are attached to the central portion at angles. The lateral side portion is attached at a sharper angle than the medial side portion. Both of these portions cover the sides of the knee. The lateral side portion acts as an orthotic guide during bending of the knee to keep the thigh over the knee.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,512,996, issued Apr. 7, 2009 to Yoo et al, puts forth a protective knee covering which provides motion guidance and orthotic support for a knee. The protective knee covering is made from a layer of rigid material, such as a plastic or a composite material. A central portion of the protective knee covering covers the knee cap portion of the knee. The central portion is curved in a top to bottom direction, but is flat or substantially flat in a medial side to lateral side direction to provide a stable base for kneeling. A medial side portion and a lateral side portion are attached to the central portion at angles. The lateral side portion is attached at a sharper angle than the medial side portion. Both of these portions cover the sides of the knee. The lateral side portion acts as an orthotic guide during bending of the knee to keep the thigh over the knee.

What is needed is an elongated, rigid, vertical brace extending from a shoe of the wearer up to the kneepad and attached to the kneepad by a pivoting connection to prevent the kneepad from slipping down and thereby eliminating the need for over-tightening of the kneepad strap or straps while still allowing full flexibility of movement.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide an elongated, rigid, vertical brace which extends from a shoe of the wearer up to the kneepad and attaches to the kneepad by a pivoting connection to allow natural bending of the leg and prevent the kneepad from slipping down, thereby eliminating the need for over-tightening of the kneepad strap or straps while still allowing full flexibility of movement.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a carbon fiber constructed exterior hard outer shell of the kneepad.

One more object of the present invention is to provide a thin, non-skid rubber pad (approx. 1/16″) bonded to the outer shell to prevent slipping on slippery surfaces

An additional object of the present invention is to provide an inner pad made from a memory foam cushion.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a kneepad provided with an inner triangular shaped latex cushion with a flat top, structured to increase airflow and comfort to the knee area.

In brief, a height-adjustable kneepad support comprises an elongated, two-piece vertical brace constructed of carbon fiber, which attaches to the bottom of the kneepad outer shell by a hinge device. The base of this solid support strap is curved and designed to sit on the rim of the wearer's shoe or boot to support the kneepad. This unique design eliminates dropping of the kneepad and the need for readjustment. The two-piece construction of this kneepad support allows it to be adjusted in length to conform to the wearer's height.

The kneepad support and kneepad of the present invention is attached to the wearer around the leg by two elastic straps, each with an easily detachable hook and loop fastener and can be worn by workers wearing long or short pants and does not cause excessive tension on the leg. The elastic straps do not need to be over tightened to support the kneepad, therefore relieving any unnecessary pressure behind the knee which minimizes/eliminates blood restriction or irritation.

The kneepad support of the present invention may also be used with existing kneepads. It consists of a vertical support constructed of carbon fiber which attaches to most kneepads currently on the market by a clip-on fastener which includes at least a 90 degree tilt front-to-back and a 5-10 degree tilt from side-to-side. The base of this support is curved and designed to sit on top of the rim of the wearer's shoe or boot. It is attached to the leg by a single elastic strap.

The main function of the kneepad support which attaches to existing kneepads is to allow the wearer to continue to use his or her favorite kneepads in conjunction with the present invention and eliminate some of the problems that all kneepads have in common.

The primary problem is the kneepad sliding down the leg and the necessity of over-tightening the straps behind the knee to compensate and prevent the kneepad sliding down. This hampers circulation, but is solved by the present invention because the present invention provides vertical structural support to prevent the kneepad from slipping down to eliminate the need for over-tightening.

The present invention provides full support for the kneepad with no excess pressure anywhere on the leg.

The exterior hard outer shell of the kneepad is constructed of carbon fiber. A thin, non-skid rubber pad (approx. 1/16″) would be bonded to the outer shell to prevent slipping on slippery surfaces.

The inner cushioned kneepad is made of a triangular shaped latex cushion with a flat top, structured to increase airflow and comfort to the knee area.

An advantage of the present invention is that it provides a longer-lasting kneepad made from a memory foam cushion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other details of my invention will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are furnished only by way of illustration and not in limitation of the invention, and in which drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the adjustable height kneepad support of present invention supporting a built-in kneepad;

FIG. 2 is an exploded side elevational view in partial section taken through 2-2 of FIG. 1 showing the components of the kneepad support and the kneepad aligned for assembly;

FIG. 3 is an exploded front elevational view of the adjustable height kneepad support and built-in kneepad of FIG. 1 showing the components of the kneepad support and the kneepad aligned for assembly;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of an alternate embodiment of the adjustable height kneepad support of present invention attached to an existing kneepad by a hinged clamp to support the existing kneepad.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In FIGS. 1-4, an adjustable support device 10 for a kneepad 30 and 30A comprises a height-adjustable kneepad support 20 resting on a shoe of a user and attached to the kneepad 30 and 30A by a hinge device.

In FIGS. 1-4, a height-adjustable kneepad support 20 attaches to a lower leg of a user. The kneepad support 20 comprises a pair of interconnected, elongated, rigid, vertical braces 21A and 21B fabricated of high-strength, lightweight material. The bottom brace 21B has a wide base 19B which widens down to the bottom arched base 27 and an attached bottom arched pad 15, both curved to rest laterally over a top of a shoe of a wearer; an adjustable strap 26 for attaching around a lower leg of a user; and a narrower bottom brace vertical connecting portion 18B extending upwardly from the bottom arched base 27. The bottom brace vertical connecting portion 18B has a series of evenly spaced openings 23B along the length thereof.

A top brace 21A comprises a top brace vertical connecting portion 18A that extends downwardly and also has a series of evenly spaced openings 23A along the length thereof to overlap and mate with the bottom brace vertical connecting portion 18B in any of a variety of overlapping configurations with fasteners interconnecting a number of overlapping openings therebetween to adjust the height of the kneepad support 20. A wider top portion 19A extends laterally above the top brace vertical connecting portion 18A and has a horizontal hinge device 22 for attaching the wider top portion 19A of the kneepad support 20 to a kneepad 30 or 30A. The kneepad is attached to a knee of the user by an adjustable strap 36 that allows the kneepad to pivot relative to the kneepad support 20 thereby allowing full range of bending motion between the lower leg and the knee of the user.

The kneepad support 20 rests on a shoe of the user with the bottom pad 15 and the arched base 27 of the kneepad support 20 to support the kneepad 30 or 30A to prevent the it from slipping down the leg of the user, thereby allowing loose attachment of the adjustable straps 36 and 26 around the knee and the lower leg of the user. Adjustable straps 26 and 36 are fastened at the lower leg (26) and knee (36) and are secured by placing the hook 17 into the hook slot 24 (in brace) and 34 (in kneepad), and using the strap adjuster 16, as needed.

In FIGS. 1-3, the kneepad support 20 is attached to a built-in kneepad 30 fabricated of high-strength, lightweight material, and has an adjustable strap 36 attached to it for attaching around a back of a leg of the wearer.

In FIGS. 1-4, the kneepad 30 and the kneepad support 20 each have an outer shell 31, 21A and 21B fabricated of carbon fiber and an inner pad 15 over at least a portion thereof to protect the knee and shin of the wearer.

In FIG. 2, a thin, non-skid rubber pad 37 is bonded to the outer shells 31 of the knee pads 30 to prevent slipping on slippery surfaces. Preferably a non-skid, rubber pad 37, approximately 1/16″, is attached to the outer shell of each of the kneepads 30.

In FIGS. 1-3, a memory foam cushion 15 is attached inside the kneepad, the cushion 15 exhibiting memory characteristics and structured to increase airflow and comfort to the knee area.

In FIGS. 1-4, the hinge device 22, 32, and 33 comprises a molded hinge allowing a front-to-back tilt of at least 90 degrees and a side-to-side tilt of 5 degrees between the kneepad support 20 and the kneepad 30 to allow the kneepad support 20 to align itself to the individual wearer in order to eliminate slipping of the kneepad 30 and eliminate the need for readjustment.

In FIG. 4, the adjustable support device 10 comprises the means for attaching the kneepad support 20A to an existing kneepad 30A using a clip-on fastener 41 on the hinge device 42 attached to the kneepad support 20A.

In use, the curved bottom 27 of the elongated rigid vertical brace 21A and 21B is positioned resting on a shoe of a wearer and the lower leg strap 26 and knee strap 36 comfortably attached around the leg of the wearer with the padded kneepad 30 centered over the knee of the wearer.

In FIG. 4, for use with existing kneepads 30A, the top elongated rigid vertical brace 21A has a hinge connection 42 with clamp jaws 41 at the top that is clipped onto the bottom of the kneepad 30A, and the curved bottom 27 of the elongated rigid vertical brace 21B is positioned resting on a shoe of a wearer and the ankle strap 26 and knee strap 36 comfortably attached around the leg of the wearer with the padded kneepad 30A centered over the knee of the wearer.

It is understood that the preceding description is given merely by way of illustration and not in limitation of the invention and that various modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Claims

1. An adjustable support device for a kneepad, the device comprising:

a height adjustable kneepad support attached to a lower leg of a user, the kneepad support comprising a pair of interconnected elongated rigid vertical braces fabricated of high strength lightweight material comprising a bottom brace having a bottom arched base and an attached bottom arched pad both curved to rest laterally over a top of a shoe of a wearer, an adjustable strap attached around a lower leg of a user, a narrower bottom brace vertical connecting portion extending upwardly from the bottom arched base, the bottom brace vertical connecting portion having a series of evenly spaced openings along the length thereof; a top brace comprising a top brace vertical connecting portion extending downwardly and having a series of evenly spaced openings along the length thereof to overlap and mate with the bottom brace vertical connecting portion in any of a variety of overlapping configurations with fasteners interconnecting a number of overlapping openings therebetween to adjust the height of the kneepad support, a wider top portion extending laterally above the top brace vertical connecting portion; a horizontal hinge device for attaching the wider top portion of the kneepad support to a kneepad attached to a knee of the user by an adjustable strap so that the kneepad pivots relative to the kneepad support to allow a full range of bending motion between the lower leg and the knee of the user with the kneepad support resting on a shoe of the user to support the kneepad to prevent the kneepad from slipping down, thereby allowing loose attachment of the adjustable straps around the knee and the lower leg of the user.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the kneepad support is attached to a built in kneepad fabricated of high strength lightweight material and further comprising an adjustable strap attached to the kneepad for attaching around a back of a leg of the wearer.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the kneepad and the kneepad support are each fabricated of carbon fiber.

4. The device of claim 2 wherein the kneepad and the kneepad support each have an outer shell and an inner pad over at least a portion thereof to protect the knee and shin of the wearer.

5. The device of claim 4 further comprising a thin, non-skid rubber pad bonded to the outer shells to prevent slipping on slippery surfaces.

6. The device of claim 2 further comprising a memory foam cushion attached inside the kneepad, the cushion exhibiting memory characteristics, and the cushion structured to increase airflow and comfort to the knee area.

7. The device of claim 2 wherein the hinge device comprises a molded hinge allowing a front-to-back tilt of at least 90 degrees and allowing a side-to-side tilt of 5 degrees between the kneepad support and the kneepad to allow the kneepad support to align itself to the individual wearer to eliminate slipping of the kneepad and eliminate the need for readjustment.

8. The device of claim 1 further comprising means for attaching the kneepad support to an existing kneepad.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the means for attaching the kneepad support to an existing kneepad comprises a clip-on fastener attached to the kneepad support by a hinge device.