JP7670308B2 - Cervical orthotics - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cervical spine correction device that can be attached to the back of the head and jaw at the back of the neck as a single unit to correct symptoms of the neck being in a wobbly state due to cervical spine disease.

Conventionally, various types of cervical orthodontic devices have been used. For example, a device has been disclosed that is configured to clamp and abut the cervical vertebrae from the front and back with a back-of-the-head abutment body that abuts against the back of the head at the back of the neck located at the rear of the cervical vertebrae and a chin support that is integrally formed continuous with this, thereby fixing the swinging of the cervical vertebrae, and that is configured to finely adjust the abutment positions of the back-of-the-head abutment body and the chin support to correspond to the patient's body when actually worn (see Patent Document 1).

JP2002-336284

However, conventional cervical orthodontics devices have a large overall structure and are heavy, which puts a large burden on the body when worn and makes it difficult to wear for long periods of time. In addition, fine adjustments to each component cannot be made accurately in the short time that the wearer desires. Furthermore, the structure is complex, making manufacturing cumbersome and expensive. Since the cervical orthodontics device has a complex mechanism and is worn around the neck, it interferes with the activity of the entire body. Moreover, since the overall movement of the body is ultimately concentrated in the neck, the cervical orthodontics device worn around the neck interferes with the activity of the entire body, making it difficult to move properly.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and is composed of a back of the head contact mechanism that contacts and supports the back of the head, a chin rest mechanism for supporting the chin, and left and right side band members that separably connect these together. The back of the head contact mechanism contacts the back of the head with a semicircular contact plate and a semicircular support plate, and the chin rest mechanism consists of a semicircular chin rest plate, a U-shaped connecting member connected below the chin rest plate, and a chest contact plate connected below the connecting member and configured to contact the sternum. The back of the head contact part and the chin rest part are separably connected together with the left and right side bands, thereby solving the above problems.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a cervical correction device that is composed of a back of the head contact mechanism for attachment to the back of the head, a chin support mechanism for supporting the chin, and left and right side band members that connect these mechanisms in a separable manner. The back of the head contact mechanism is composed of a semicircular contact plate and a semicircular support plate that is overlapped on the upper surface of the lower edge of the plate and can be adjusted up and down. Each plate is pivotally connected at the left and right ends to allow left and right adjustment and ensure that the plate is fixed in contact with the back of the head. The chin support mechanism is composed of a semicircular chin support plate, a U-shaped connecting member connected below the chin support plate, and a chest contact plate connected below the connecting member and configured to contact the sternum. The back of the head contact part and the chin support part are connected together separably by the left and right side bands, and the chest contact plate is connected to the lower surface of the connecting member so as to overlap the connecting member.

The back of the head contact mechanism is also characterized by the fact that it is freely adjustable up and down by providing multiple adjustment holes or long holes in the semicircular contact plate and varying the fixed position of the semicircular support plate that overlaps the upper surface of the lower edge.

Another feature is that an elastic sheet is placed between the inner surface of the back of the head contact mechanism, the chin support plate for supporting the chin, and the chest contact plate and the surface of the body.

Another feature is that the connecting member of the chin rest mechanism is formed in a roughly U-shape, and the hollow part of the U-shape is configured to expose the throat when the device is attached.

Another feature is that all components other than the elastic sheet and left and right side bands are made from polyethylene material.

According to the invention of claim 1, the mask is composed of a back of the head contact mechanism for attaching to the back of the head and a chin rest mechanism for supporting the chin, and is connected as a single unit in a separable manner, so that the two can be handled separately via the left and right side bands, and can also be easily assembled and handled. Furthermore, the semicircular contact plate in the back of the head contact mechanism and the semicircular support plate overlapping the upper surface of its lower edge are pivotally connected at the left and right ends, so that despite the simple structure, the mask can be rotated at the left and right pivot connections, and the back of the head can be reliably supported and fixed by the back of the head contact mechanism, while the position can be adjusted left and right, so that the mask can be easily attached to the back of the head to fit each person.

The chin rest mechanism is composed of a semicircular chin rest plate, a U-shaped connecting member connected to the lower part of the chin rest plate, and a chest contact plate connected to the lower part of the connecting member and contacting the sternum. The semicircular chin rest plate and the chest contact plate are firmly connected together via the U-shaped connecting member, and the chest contact plate can be in close contact with the sternum and stably contacted, so that the chin rest plate located above it can reliably support the chin.

According to the invention of claim 2, the back of the head contact mechanism is configured to be freely adjusted up and down by providing multiple adjustment holes or long holes in the semicircular contact plate and varying the fixed position of the semicircular support plate that overlaps the upper surface of the lower edge part. Therefore, despite the simple structure, the vertical position can be adjusted at the center of the semicircular support plate while rotating at the left and right pivot joints, and the position can be adjusted to match the position of the cervical vertebrae of the back of the head, which has the effect of making it easier to wear the back of the head to fit each person.

According to the invention of claim 3, the back of the head contact mechanism, the chin support plate for supporting the chin, and the chest contact plate each have an elastic sheet on the inner surface, so that the hard plate does not directly contact the skin surface but flexibly contacts the skin surface, resulting in no fatigue or wearing load even when worn for a long time.

According to the invention of claim 4, the connecting member of the chin rest mechanism is formed in a roughly U-shape, and the hollow part of the U-shape is configured to expose the throat when the device is attached. This allows the throat to be fully exposed to the outside air without being covered by the chin rest mechanism when the device is attached, and has the effect of preventing excessive sweating when the spinal correction device is attached and preventing functional disorders around the throat.

According to the invention of claim 5, the components other than the elastic sheet and the left and right side bands are made of a polyethylene material, which has a certain degree of hardness while being somewhat flexible, making it easy to attach the back of the head contact mechanism, chin rest mechanism, semicircular support plate, semicircular adjustment plate, etc., and allows for secure attachment for accurate correction.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing the cervical orthodontic device of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a rear view showing the cervical orthodontic device of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view showing the cervical orthodontic device of the present invention. 1 is a schematic side view showing a separated state of the occipital region contact mechanism and the chin rest mechanism of the cervical vertebrae orthodontic device of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the up and down adjustment of the occipital region contact mechanism of the cervical vertebrae correcting device of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the adjustment of clamping pressure by left and right band members in the cervical vertebrae orthodontic device of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic enlarged side view showing a connecting member in the cervical orthodontic device of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a rear view showing another embodiment of the cervical orthodontic device of the present invention.

The gist of this invention is that it is composed of a back of the head contact mechanism for attaching to the back of the head, a chin rest mechanism for supporting the chin, and left and right side band members that freely connect these when they are separated, the back of the head contact mechanism is composed of a semicircular contact plate and a semicircular support plate overlapping the upper surface of its lower edge, each plate is pivotally connected at the left and right ends, the chin rest mechanism is composed of a semicircular chin rest plate, a U-shaped connecting member connected below the chin rest plate, and a chest contact plate connected below the connecting member and configured to contact the sternum, the back of the head contact part and the chin rest part are connected together separably by the left and right side bands, and the chest contact plate is connected overlapping the lower surface of the connecting member.

The back of the head contact mechanism is also characterized by the fact that it is freely adjustable up and down by providing multiple adjustment holes or long holes in the semicircular contact plate and varying the fixed position of the semicircular support plate that overlaps the upper surface of the lower edge.

Another feature is that an elastic sheet is placed between the inner surface of the back of the head contact mechanism, the chin support plate for supporting the chin, and the chest contact plate and the surface of the body.

Another feature is that the connecting member of the chin rest mechanism is formed in a roughly U-shape, and the hollow part of the U-shape is configured to expose the throat when the device is attached.

Another feature is that all components other than the elastic sheet and left and right side bands are made from polyethylene material.

[Overall structure and components of the cervical orthodontic device]
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the cervical orthodontic device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
Fig. 1 is a front view of the cervical vertebrae orthodontic device of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a rear view of the cervical vertebrae orthodontic device of the present invention, and Fig. 3 is a side view of the cervical vertebrae orthodontic device of the present invention.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the cervical orthodontic device M of the present invention is basically composed of a back of the head contact mechanism 1 for attaching to the back of the head, a chin support mechanism 2 for supporting the chin, and left and right band members 3 that connect these freely when separated.

To wear the cervical orthodontic device M of the present invention, the occipital abutment mechanism 1 is placed against the occipital region, the chin is placed on the chin rest mechanism 2 located in front of the face, and the two are connected together with the left and right band members 3 to complete the fitting of the device.

Each of the components of the present invention will be described below in order.
Fig. 4 is a schematic side view showing the separated state of the occipital abutment mechanism and the chin rest mechanism of the cervical vertebrae correction device of the present invention. Fig. 5 is a schematic view showing the up-down adjustment of the occipital abutment mechanism of the cervical vertebrae correction device of the present invention. Fig. 6 is a schematic view showing the clamping pressure adjustment by the left and right band members of the cervical vertebrae correction device of the present invention. Fig. 7 is a schematic enlarged side view showing the connecting member of the cervical vertebrae correction device of the present invention.

(1) Head Contact Mechanism The head contact mechanism 1 comprises a semicircular contact plate 11 and a semicircular support plate 12 which is vertically adjustable and overlaps the upper surface of the lower edge of the semicircular contact plate 11.

The plates are pivotally connected at the left and right ends, and are connected at their center portions so that they can be freely adjusted up and down.
The mechanism for connecting the plates so as to be freely adjustable up and down is as shown in FIG. 4, in which a plurality of adjustment holes 13 are drilled vertically in the semicircular abutment plate 11, and engagement pins 14 protruding from the semicircular support plate 12 are inserted into the adjustment holes 13 to fix the two plates in close contact with each other.

In another embodiment, instead of the multiple vertical adjustment holes 13, a vertical long hole can be provided.

In the drawing, reference numeral 15 denotes a screw for pressing and fixing both plates together after the upper and lower adjustments.
The semicircular abutment plate 11 and the semicircular support plate 12 which overlaps the upper surface of its lower edge and can be freely adjusted up and down form large wavy notches at their upper edges when connected, and these notches are configured to maintain a constant pressing force while retaining the strength, flexibility and elasticity of the plate-like form.
An elastic sheet 4 is stretched on the back surfaces of the semicircular contact plate 11 and the semicircular support plate 12 .

(2) Chin Rest Mechanism The chin rest mechanism 2 comprises a semicircular chin rest plate 21, a U-shaped connecting member 22 connected to the lower part of the chin rest plate 21, and a chest contact plate 23 connected to the lower part of the connecting member 22 and configured to abut against the sternum.

The semicircular arc-shaped chin rest plate 21 is configured in a roughly L-shape so that it can support the chin, and an elastic sheet 4 is stretched on the back surface of the chin rest plate 21, and a U-shaped connecting member 22 is connected to the chin rest plate.

That is, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the left and right ends of the connecting member 22 are made up of bifurcated left and right arm bodies 221 and an arc-shaped horizontal connecting body 222 formed integrally with the lower part of the bifurcated left and right arm bodies 221 and the horizontal connecting body 222 form a substantially U-shaped connecting member 22.

The left and right arm bodies 221 are bifurcated at the tip, one of which is connected to the left and right ends of the chin rest plate 21 so that the position can be freely adjusted, and the other of which is pivotally supported on the chin rest plate 21.

As shown in Figures 3 and 6, one of the bifurcated position adjustment mechanisms 223 has multiple adjustment holes 223a in the bifurcated branch, and the adjustment position is fixed by inserting and fixing the engagement pins 211 protruding from the left and right ends of the semicircular arc-shaped chin rest plate 21 into the adjustment holes 223a.

As shown in FIG. 1, the horizontal connector 222 is connected to a chest contact plate 23 that is configured to contact the sternum, and a horizontal long hole 222a is formed in the center of the horizontal connector 222 to promote the flexibility of the horizontal connector 222.

As shown in FIG. 1, the chest contact plate 23 is overlapped and connected to the back side of the horizontal connector 222. The chest contact plate 23 is formed as a semicircular arc plate with a certain vertical width, and the lower edge is formed in a wave shape with multiple notched grooves. The chest contact plate 23 overlapped and connected to the horizontal connector 222 is fixed at both ends outside the horizontal elongated hole 222a of the horizontal connector 222.

The upper edge of the chest contact plate 23 is overlapped and joined to the back side of the horizontal connector 222, and vertical long holes 222b are drilled into the left and right ends of the horizontal connector 222, and a fixing pin protruding from the upper edge of the joined chest contact plate 23 is inserted into the long hole, so that the chest contact plate 23 can be connected to the horizontal connector 222 with a certain vertical position adjustment by pin fixing.

In addition, an elastic sheet 4 is stretched on the back side of the chest contact plate 23 as a buffer plate that is wider than the outer shape of the chest contact plate 23, and is configured to abut tightly against the sternum so that the chin rest mechanism 2 can be stably attached.

(3) Left and Right Band Members The rear head contact mechanism 1 and the chin rest mechanism 2 are integrally connected by left and right band members 3 attached to the left and right ends of the rear head contact mechanism 1. By releasing the connection of the band members 3 when not being worn, the rear head contact mechanism 1 and the chin rest mechanism 2 can be separated as separate entities, as shown in FIG. 4.

The base ends 31 of the left and right band members 3 are fixed to the side of the occipital region contact mechanism 1, and the tips are attached with Velcro (registered trademark) 32 so that the tips can be detachably connected to the side of the chin rest mechanism 2, particularly the chin rest plate 21.

(4) Adjustment Mechanism in Cervical Correction Device A particularly distinctive technology in the cervical correction device M is the adjustment mechanism provided at a specific portion of the occipital contact mechanism 1 and the chin support mechanism 2. The adjustment mechanisms are installed in the following locations and are configured to provide optimal dimensions and flexibility for cervical correction.

1. As shown in Figure 4, the rear head contact mechanism 1 is configured so that the joining position between the semicircular contact plate 11 and the semicircular support plate 12 can be finely adjusted up and down.

Specifically, at the central joint between the support plate 11 and the adjustment plate 12, multiple adjustment holes 13 and vertically elongated holes are formed in the center of the support plate 11, and an engagement pin 14 is protruded from the center of the adjustment plate. The engagement pin 14 is inserted into the hole in the support plate 11 and fixed with a screw 15.

The fine adjustment function of the rear head contact mechanism 1 allows it to form a vertical width that matches the vertical length of the rear head, ensuring full contact with the rear head and restricting rocking of the neck.

In other words, the vertical length from the neck to the back of the head, which varies from person to person, can be adjusted using the fine adjustment function of the back of the head contact mechanism 1, and the cervical vertebrae can be fixed in the correct posture.

It also has the function of adjusting the angle at which the cervical vertebrae are fixed, as shown in Figure 4.

2. As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the rear head contact mechanism 1 and the chin rest mechanism 2 are connected by left and right band members 3 attached to the left and right ends of the rear head contact mechanism 1, and by changing the attachment position of the Velcro 32 at the tip of the band members 3, the cervical vertebrae clamping pressure between the rear head contact mechanism 1 and the chin rest mechanism 2 can be adjusted to prevent unnecessary load from being placed on the chin.

In other words, as shown in Figure 5, it can be adjusted to fit the neck size, which varies depending on the individual's physique, to provide optimal cervical clamping pressure.

3. As shown in Figures 3 and 6, the connecting member 22 of the chin rest mechanism 2 consists of a bifurcated left and right arm body 221 and an arc-shaped horizontal connecting body 222 formed integrally with the lower part of the bifurcated left and right arm body 221. One of the bifurcated ends of the bifurcated left and right arm body 221 is connected to the left and right ends of the semicircular arc-shaped chin rest plate 21 in the chin rest mechanism 2 so that the position can be freely adjusted, and the other bifurcated part is pivotally supported on the semicircular arc-shaped chin rest plate 21 in the chin rest mechanism 2.

As shown in FIG. 5, one of the bifurcated position adjustment mechanisms 223 has multiple adjustment holes 223a in the bifurcated branch, and the engagement pins 211 protruding from the left and right ends of the semicircular arc-shaped chin rest plate 21 are inserted and fixed into the adjustment holes 223a to adjust and fix the adjustment position.

By adjusting the position in this way, the connecting member 22 suspended from the chin support plate 21 rotates from the other pivot part 24 of the two forks, so that the chest contact plate 23 suspended from the connecting member 22 is securely fitted to the sternum.

That is, one of the two prongs at the tip of the connecting member 22 of the chin rest mechanism 2 is pivoted to the left and right ends of the chin rest plate 21, and the other prong is connected so that its position can be freely adjusted to adjust the contact pressure of the lower chest contact plate 23.

4. As shown in FIG. 1, the upper edge of the chest contact plate 23 is joined to the back side of the horizontal connector 222 of the connecting member 22, and vertical long holes 222b are drilled at the left and right ends of the horizontal connector 222. A fixing pin 231 protruding from the upper edge of the joined chest contact plate 23 is inserted into the long hole 222b, and the chest contact plate 23 is connected by adjusting its vertical position by pin fixing.

[Other embodiments]
FIG. 8 is a rear view showing another embodiment of the cervical vertebrae correcting device M of the present invention.

Another embodiment of the cervical orthodontic device M of the present invention is one in which the shape of the occipital contact mechanism 1 is modified.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the center of the wavy portion that forms the upper edge of the semicircular contact plate 11' is U-shaped, and is shaped to contact the curved surface of the back of the head.

The semicircular support plate 12' has a fixing portion 16 that extends in a roughly Y-shape from its upper edge, and the semicircular contact plate 11' has a single engagement hole 17 rather than an adjustment hole 13 as described above, so that the rear of the occipital contact mechanism 1 can be fixed at three points.

This embodiment increases the strength of the plate-like shape while maintaining a constant pressure, making it possible to more firmly fix the cervical vertebrae of severely injured patients in the correct position.

The above-mentioned various effects are merely a list of the most favorable effects resulting from the present invention, and the effects of the present invention are not limited to those described in the present examples.

M Cervical vertebral correction tool 1 Head abutment mechanism 11 Semicircular abutment plate 12 Semicircular support plate 13 Adjustment hole 14 Engagement pin 15 Screw 2 Chin support mechanism 21 Chin support plate 22 Connecting member 23 Chest abutment plate 3 Left and right bands 4 Elastic sheet

Claims (2)

A rear head contact mechanism for attaching the mask to the rear of the head;
a chin rest mechanism for supporting a chin;
These are configured with left and right side band members that freely connect them when separated,
The rear head contact mechanism comprises a flexible curved contact plate and a flexible curved support plate overlapping the upper surface of the lower end edge of the flexible curved support plate , and each plate is pivotally connected at the left and right ends so as to be vertically rotatable ;
The chin rest mechanism includes a curved chin rest plate,
A U-shaped connecting member provided below the chin rest plate;
A chest contact plate is configured to be connected to the lower side of the connecting member and to contact the sternum ,
The back head contact mechanism is configured to be freely adjusted up and down by providing a plurality of adjustment holes or elongated holes in the curved contact plate and varying the fixing position of the curved support plate overlapping the upper surface of the lower end edge portion,
The connecting member and the chest contact plate are connected by a connecting mechanism having a position adjustment mechanism that allows the chest contact plate to be moved in the vertical direction.
A cervical orthodontic device characterized by: The upper edge of the curved abutment plate and the lower edge of the curved support plate are provided with wavy notches.
Characterized by:
The cervical orthodontic device according to claim 1.

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