JP7789615B2 - Waist support - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a lumbar support.

Lumbar supports that are worn around the waist to relieve or prevent lower back pain are already well known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Utility Model Registration No. 3226796

Conventional lumbar supports have low pelvic support capabilities, and wearing them can easily cause problems such as lower back pain. Therefore, there has been a demand for lumbar supports that offer strong pelvic support capabilities.

The present invention was developed in consideration of the above-mentioned problems with the prior art, and its main purpose is to create a lower back support that can properly support the pelvis.

The present invention is primarily directed to a lumbar support made of cloth to be worn on a human body, the lumbar support having a sponge provided in the center thereof, the sponge being located at a position corresponding to the sacrum when the lumbar support is worn on a human body, and a resin or metal bone provided on the outer side of the sponge in the horizontal direction from the center toward the horizontal ends of the lumbar support from the upper end of the lumbar support to the lower end of the lumbar support, the bone being located at a position corresponding to the sacroiliac joint when the lumbar support is worn on a human body, and a resin or metal bone being provided on the outer side of the bone in the horizontal direction of the lumbar support. This lumbar supporter is characterized in that it has a first portion that is located in a position that does not correspond to the muscle belly of the gluteus maximus when the supporter is worn on a human body, and a second portion that is located in a position that corresponds to the muscle belly of the gluteus maximus when the lumbar supporter is worn on a human body and that applies a smaller tightening force than the first portion, and the second portion has a plurality of holes, the number of holes at the lower end being greater than the number of holes at the upper end, and the holes are located in the second portion so that the number of holes gradually increases from the upper end to the lower end .

Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

This invention makes it possible to create a lower back support that can properly support the pelvis.

1A and 1B are a schematic back view and a schematic top view showing a waist supporter 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic front view showing a waist supporter 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a diagram corresponding to the lower diagram of FIG. 1 and is an explanatory diagram for explaining each area of the waist supporter 1. FIG. 3 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 2 and is an explanatory diagram for explaining each area of the lower back supporter 1. 5 is a diagram showing the state in which the waist supporter 1 of FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 is worn on a human body, showing the rear side (dorsal side) of the human body. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the state in which the waist supporter 1 of FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 is worn on a human body, showing the front side (ventral side) of the human body. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a human pelvis 100. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the gluteus maximus muscle 110 of a human body. 1 is a diagram showing a human hip joint 120, femoral head 122, and greater trochanter 130.

The present specification and the accompanying drawings make at least the following clear.
A cloth waist supporter to be worn on the human body,
A sponge is provided in the center of the lower back support, and when the lower back support is worn on a human body, the sponge is located at a position corresponding to the sacrum,
A lumbar support characterized in that a resin or metal bone is provided on the outside of the sponge in the horizontal direction from the center of the lumbar support to the lateral end thereof, from the upper end of the lumbar support to the lower end thereof, and the bone is located at a position corresponding to the sacroiliac joint when the lumbar support is worn on a human body.

This type of lumbar supporter can provide adequate support for the pelvis, particularly the sacrum and sacroiliac joint.

Such a waist supporter comprises:
On the outer side of the bone in the lateral direction,
a first portion located at a position corresponding to a portion other than the belly of the gluteus maximus when the waist supporter is worn on a human body;
It is desirable that a second portion be provided which is located at a position corresponding to the muscle belly of the gluteus maximus when the waist supporter is worn on the human body and which applies a tightening force smaller than that of the first portion.

This type of lower back support makes it possible to create a lower back support that properly supports the gluteus maximus muscles while not interfering with smooth hip joint movement.

Such a waist supporter comprises:
the bone is a first bone,
It is desirable that a second bone be provided between the first part and the second part, extending from the upper end to the lower end, and that the first part and the second part be adjacent to each other with the second bone sandwiched therebetween.

This type of waist support makes it possible to reinforce the tightening force of the first portion adjacent to the second bone.

Such a waist supporter comprises:
a third bone, a fourth bone, and a third portion defined by the third bone and the fourth bone are provided on the outer side of the second portion in the lateral direction;
the third bone is provided from the upper end to the lower end, and is located at the rear side of the human body when the waist supporter is worn on the human body;
the fourth bone is provided from the upper end to the lower end and is located in front of the human body when the waist supporter is worn on the human body;
It is desirable that the width of the third portion at the lower end be smaller than the width of the third portion at the upper end.

This type of waist support makes it possible to create a waist support that suppresses movement of the femoral head, reducing the risk of hip dislocation, while not restricting free movement in areas away from the hip joint.

Such a waist supporter comprises:
The second portion is preferably provided with a plurality of holes, and the number of holes at the lower end is preferably greater than the number of holes at the upper end.

This type of waist supporter allows for smoother hip joint movement.

Such a waist supporter comprises:
The lumbar supporter is characterized in that the number of holes is gradually increased from the upper end to the lower end in the second portion.

This type of waist supporter allows for smoother hip joint movement.

== ...
A lumbar supporter 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9. FIG. 1 is a schematic back view and a schematic top view showing the lumbar supporter 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic front view showing the lumbar supporter 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a view corresponding to the bottom view of FIG. 1 and is an explanatory view for explaining each region of the lumbar supporter 1. FIG. 4 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2 and is an explanatory view for explaining each region of the lumbar supporter 1. FIG. 5 is a view showing the lumbar supporter 1 of FIG. 3 worn on a human body, showing the rear side (dorsal side) of the human body. FIG. 6 is a view showing the lumbar supporter 1 of FIG. 3 worn on a human body, showing the front side (ventral side) of the human body. FIG. 7 is a view showing a pelvis 100 of a human body. FIG. 8 is a view showing a gluteus maximus 110 of a human body. FIG. 9 is a view showing a hip joint 120, a femoral head 122, and a greater trochanter 130 of a human body.

The upper view (schematic top view) of Figure 1 is a view of the lower view (schematic front view) of Figure 1 as seen from the direction of the white arrow in the lower view. Furthermore, Figures 1 to 4 show the lumbar supporter 1 in an unfolded state, and Figures 5 and 6 show the lumbar supporter 1 in a worn (attached) state.

The lumbar supporter 1 is a fabric supporter that is wrapped around the waist of a human body to relieve or prevent lower back pain. The lumbar supporter 1 is made of multiple layers of fabric (three layers in this embodiment, but two, four, or more layers are also acceptable), and these multiple layers of fabric form the supporter body 10 of the lumbar supporter 1. Specifically, each piece of fabric is cut into a horizontally elongated shape (the same shape) as shown in Figure 1 and sewn together with thread (not shown) while overlapping each other. More specifically, a reinforcing fabric (hereinafter, for convenience, referred to as outer edge reinforcing fabric 12) is further provided (attached) around the outer edge of the overlapping multiple layers of fabric, folded back from the front side to the back side, and the supporter body 10 (multilayer fabric) is sewn together with the outer edge reinforcing fabric 12 located on the front and back sides of the supporter body 10 with thread (not shown). Therefore, the lumbar support 1 can be divided into an outer edge region (region F) where the outer edge reinforcing fabric 12 is provided, and an inner region (regions A-E and regions W-Z, described below) surrounded by the outer edge region (where the outer edge reinforcing fabric 12 is not provided) (see Figures 3 and 4).

The lumbar support 1 is also provided with multiple (eight) bones 20. These bones 20 are thin, rectangular, long, flat plates made of metal or resin (in this embodiment, resin (polypropylene)). Due to their material, the bones 20 have a lower degree of stretch (elasticity) than cloth. Therefore, when the lumbar support 1 is worn by the human body, the tightening force (in other words, pressure) applied to the human body by the bones 20 is greater (stronger) than the tightening force applied to the human body by the cloth. In other words, the bones 20 are provided on the lumbar support 1 to apply a stronger tightening force to the human body than the cloth (areas where the bones 20 are not provided).

In this embodiment, the bones 20 include a pair of first bones 22 (left first bone and right first bone) symmetrical about the center line CL, a pair of second bones 24 (left second bone and right second bone) located outboard of the first bones 22 in the horizontal direction from the central portion 3 of the waist support 1 toward the lateral end portions 5 and symmetrical about the center line CL, a pair of third bones 26 (left third bone and right third bone) located outboard of the second bones 24 in the horizontal direction and symmetrical about the center line CL, and a pair of fourth bones 28 (left fourth bone and right fourth bone) located outboard of the third bones 26 in the horizontal direction and symmetrical about the center line CL. The first bones 22, second bones 24, third bones 26, and fourth bones 28 are all provided from the upper end of the waist support 1 to the lower end of the waist support 1. Note that the upper end (lower end) of the lumbar support 1 does not necessarily mean the uppermost end (lowest end) of the lumbar support 1; that is, the bones 20 do not need to reach the uppermost end (lowest end) of the lumbar support 1. In this embodiment, too, the bones 20 do not reach the uppermost end (lowest end), and more specifically, they do not reach the outer edge region (region F, outer edge reinforcing fabric 12). In other words, each bone 20 is provided continuously from just below the outer edge region of the upper part of the lumbar support 1 to just above the outer edge region of the lower part of the lumbar support 1. However, each bone 20 may reach the outer edge region.

Here, the region where the first bone 22 is located is referred to as region W, the region where the second bone 24 is located as region X, the region where the third bone 26 is located as region Y, and the region where the fourth bone 28 is located as region Z (see Figures 3 and 4). The region of the internal area where no bones 20 exist is divided into nine regions by regions W through Z. That is, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, it is divided into region A, which is divided by two regions W (and the outer edge region); two regions B, which are divided by region W and region X (and the outer edge region); two regions C, which are divided by region X and region Y (and the outer edge region); two regions D, which are divided by region Y and region Z (and the outer edge region); and two regions E, which are divided by region Z (and the outer edge region). With the exception of region E, each of the two internal regions (regions B through E, region W through Z) is symmetrical with respect to the center line CL. Each internal region is described in more detail below.

<<<Regarding Area A and Area W>>>
Area A is located in the central portion 3 of the lumbar support and is surrounded (divided) by the two first bones 22 and the outer edge area (area F). Area A is provided with a sponge 30 (a polyurethane cushion) (among all areas A-F and W-Z, this is the only area provided with a sponge 30). The sponge 30 has a trapezoidal shape in a plan view to properly fit the sacrum 102, and is provided from the upper end to the lower end of area A. In other words, the width of the sponge 30 at the upper end is smaller than the width of the sponge 30 at the lower end. Furthermore, the length (thickness) of the sponge 30 in the thickness direction is greater than the length (thickness) of the bones 20 (the first bone 22 to the fourth bone 28) in the thickness direction.

The sponge 30 is inserted into (between) the multi-layered fabric. That is, the sponge 30 is located between the topmost fabric and the bottommost fabric in the thickness direction. In this embodiment, the area of the bottommost fabric in region A is larger than the area of the topmost fabric in region A. This causes the bottommost fabric to sag more than the topmost fabric, so the sponge 30 protrudes toward the back side in the thickness direction (see the upper diagram in Figure 1). In other words, the sponge 30 is located on the back side in the thickness direction when viewed from the outer edge region (region F) adjacent to region A.

When the lumbar supporter 1 is worn by a human body (see Figure 5), the sponge 30 is located at the rear of the human body and in a position corresponding to the sacrum 102 of the pelvis 100 (see Figure 7). In other words, the position of the sponge 30 on the lumbar supporter 1 is set so that it corresponds to the sacrum 102 when the lumbar supporter 1 is worn by a human body. Note that "located in a position corresponding to" the sacrum 102 means that the sacrum 102 is located behind the sponge 30 (inside the human body) when the lumbar supporter 1 is worn by a human body.

Area W (first bone 22) is adjacent to area A and area B, and is located between area A and area B (in other words, area A and area B are adjacent to each other with the first bone 22 in between). In other words, area W (first bone 22) is located outside area A (sponge 30) in the horizontal direction and inside area B in the horizontal direction.

Area W (first bone 22) is positioned diagonally at an angle to the center line CL, in accordance with the direction of the legs of the trapezoidal shape of the sponge 30. In other words, area W (first bone 22) is positioned so that the direction of the first bone 22 is aligned with the direction of the legs of the sponge 30, and so that it extends further outward as it goes downward.

The first bone 22 is inserted within (between) the multi-layered fabric. That is, the first bone 22 is located between the topmost fabric and the bottommost fabric in the thickness direction. To prevent the first bone 22 from moving within the fabric, the fabric portions (supporter body 10) on both sides of the first bone 22 in the horizontal direction are sewn together with thread (see dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2) along the long sides of the first bone 22 (the thread serves to prevent the first bone 22 from moving). More specifically, as shown in the lower diagram of Figure 1 and Figure 2, a bone front-side reinforcing fabric 14 and a bone back-side reinforcing fabric 16, which are slightly larger than the first bone 22 and aligned with the position of the first bone 22, are provided (attached) on the top side of the topmost fabric and the back side of the bottommost fabric. The supporter body 10 (multi-layered fabric) is sewn together with the bone front-side reinforcing fabric 14 and the bone back-side reinforcing fabric 16 with thread (see dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2).

In the lower diagram of Figure 1 and Figure 2, for convenience, the long side of the first bone 22 and the thread are shown overlapping (with a common dotted line), but in reality there is a small gap between them. Also, because the bone front side reinforcing fabric 14 and bone back side reinforcing fabric 16 are set larger than the first bone 22, the bone front side reinforcing fabric 14 and bone back side reinforcing fabric 16 extend slightly beyond area W into adjacent areas A and B.

When the waist supporter 1 is worn on the human body (see Figure 5), the first bone 22 is located at the rear of the human body and in a position corresponding to the sacroiliac joint 104 (see Figure 7) of the pelvis 100. In other words, the position of the first bone 22 on the waist supporter 1 is set so as to correspond to the sacroiliac joint 104 when the waist supporter 1 is worn on the human body.

As described above, in the lumbar support 1 according to this embodiment, a sponge 30 is provided in the central portion 3 of the lumbar support 1, and when the lumbar support 1 is worn by a human body, the sponge 30 is located at a position corresponding to the sacrum 102. Outside the sponge 30 in the horizontal direction from the central portion 3 of the lumbar support 1 toward the lateral end portion 5, a resin or metal bone 20 (first bone 22) is provided extending from the upper end of the lumbar support 1 to the lower end of the lumbar support 1, and this bone 20 (first bone 22) is located at a position corresponding to the sacroiliac joint 104 when the lumbar support 1 is worn by a human body. This provides the following advantages.

The sacrum 102 is recessed inward in the pelvis 100 compared to the adjacent ilium 106. Therefore, with conventional lumbar supporters 1, when the lumbar supporter 1 is worn on a human body, a gap forms between the sacrum 102 and the lumbar supporter 1, preventing the tightening force (pressure) of the lumbar supporter 1 from being properly applied to the sacrum 102. In contrast, with the lumbar supporter 1 according to the present embodiment, when the lumbar supporter 1 is worn on a human body, the sponge 30 is positioned at a position corresponding to the sacrum 102, allowing the sponge 30 to fill the gap. This ensures that the tightening force (pressure) of the lumbar supporter 1 is properly transmitted to the sacrum 102, providing proper support for the sacrum 102. Furthermore, because the sponge 30 is made of a cushioning and resilient material, it is possible to properly fill the gap according to its size, even if the size of the recess (gap) varies between individuals.

The sacroiliac joint 104, which is the joint formed by the sacrum 102 and ilium 106, is an area where a large amount of weight is placed, which causes friction and makes the area vulnerable to injury (often resulting in lower back pain). Therefore, in the lower back support 1 according to this embodiment, the first bone 22 (area W) is positioned to correspond to the sacroiliac joint 104 when the lower back support 1 is worn by a human body. In other words, the position of the first bone 22 (area W), which can apply a greater tightening force (pressure), is set to correspond to the sacroiliac joint 104 when the lower back support 1 is worn by a human body. This makes it possible to provide even more appropriate support for the sacroiliac joint 104.

Furthermore, because the sponge 30 and the first bone 22 (sacrum 102 and sacroiliac joint 104) are close to each other, the above-mentioned actions of the sponge 30 and the first bone 22 are interrelated.

The sacroiliac joint 104 is primarily subjected to pressure from the first bone 22 (area W), but pressure from the adjacent area A, which includes the sponge 30, also acts indirectly (even if the sponge 30 is not located in a position corresponding to the sacroiliac joint 104). If the sponge 30 were not present, the gap described above would not be filled, and the pressure from area A would be significantly weaker, potentially resulting in insufficient pressure on the sacroiliac joint 104. In this embodiment, the sponge 30 fills the gap, eliminating this problem. The pressure from area A is also added, providing adequate support for the sacroiliac joint 104. Furthermore, in this embodiment, although the sponge 30 fills the gap, the pressure from the first bone 22 (area W) acts indirectly on the sponge 30 (area A), further reducing the likelihood of the gap occurring. Therefore, the sacrum 102 is adequately supported.

In this way, this embodiment makes it possible to realize a lower back supporter 1 that can appropriately support the pelvis 100, particularly the sacrum 102 and sacroiliac joint 104.

<<<Regarding Areas B, X, and C>>>
Area B (corresponding to the first portion), area X (second bone 24), and area C (corresponding to the second portion) are provided outside the first bone 22 (area W) in the lateral direction.

Area B is an area made only of fabric and is surrounded (compartmentalized) by the first bone 22, the second bone 24, and the outer edge area (area F). Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1 to 4, the distance from the location of the first bone 22 at the upper end of the waist support 1 (referred to as the first upper end portion 22a) to the location of the second bone 24 at the upper end (referred to as the second upper end portion 24a) is greater than the distance from the location of the first bone 22 at the lower end of the waist support 1 (referred to as the first lower end portion 22b) to the location of the second bone 24 at the lower end (referred to as the second lower end portion 24b). Therefore, the width of area B at the upper end is greater than the width of area B at the lower end, and area B has a rectangular shape that approximates a triangle in a plan view.

When the waist supporter 1 is worn on the human body (see Figure 5), region B is located on the back side of the human body and in a position corresponding to the non-belly portion 112 of the gluteus maximus 110 (see Figure 8). Furthermore, when the waist supporter 1 is worn on the human body, region B is located in a position corresponding to the origin 112a of the gluteus maximus 110 (see Figure 8). In other words, the position of region B on the waist supporter 1 is set so as to correspond to the non-belly portion 112 of the gluteus maximus 110 (and also to the origin 112a of the gluteus maximus 110) when the waist supporter 1 is worn on the human body.

Area X (second bone 24) is adjacent to area B and area C, and is located between area B and area C (in other words, area B and area C are adjacent to each other with the second bone 24 in between). In other words, area X (second bone 24) is located outside area B in the horizontal direction and inside area C in the horizontal direction.

The second bone 24 is inserted within (between) the multi-layered fabric. That is, the second bone 24 is located between the outermost fabric and the innermost fabric in the thickness direction. To prevent the second bone 24 from moving within the fabric, the fabric portions (support body 10) on both sides of the second bone 24 in the horizontal direction are sewn together with thread (see dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2) along the long sides of the second bone 24 (the thread serves to prevent the second bone 24 from moving). More specifically, as shown in Figure 2, a bone front-side reinforcing fabric 14, slightly larger than the second bone 24, is provided (applied) on the outer side of the outermost fabric to align with the position of the second bone 24. The support body 10 (multi-layered fabric) is sewn together with the bone front-side reinforcing fabric 14 with thread (see dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2). (Note that, unlike the first bone 22, a bone back-side reinforcing fabric 16 is not provided.)

In the lower diagram of Figure 1 and Figure 2, for convenience, the long side of the second bone 24 and the thread are shown overlapping (with a common dotted line), but in reality there is a small gap between them. Also, because the size of the bone front side reinforcing fabric 14 is set larger than the second bone 24, the bone front side reinforcing fabric 14 extends slightly from area X into the adjacent areas B and C.

The second bone 24 will be located at the rear of the body when the waist support 1 is worn on the body (see Figure 5).

Region C is an area made only of fabric, and is surrounded (defined) by the second bone 24, the third bone 26, and the outer edge region (region F). As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the distance from the second bone 24 (second upper end portion 24a) at the upper end of the waist supporter 1 to the third bone 26 (referred to as third upper end portion 26a) at the upper end is shorter than the distance from the second bone 24 (second lower end portion 24b) at the lower end of the waist supporter 1 to the third bone 26 (referred to as third lower end portion 26b) at the lower end. Therefore, the width of region C at the upper end is smaller than the width of region C at the lower end, and region C has a rectangular shape that is close to a triangle in plan view.

Furthermore, a plurality of holes 40 with a diameter of 3 mm are provided in region C (this is the only region among all regions A to F and W to Z that has holes 40). As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 , the holes 40 are provided (distributed) in region C so that the number of holes 40 at the lower end of the lumbar support 1 is greater than the number of holes 40 at the upper end. Furthermore, the holes 40 are provided in region C so that the number of holes 40 gradually increases from the upper end to the lower end. Here, "gradual increase in the number of holes 40" is a concept that includes (accepts) not only an increase but also maintaining the current number, and does not mean a decrease. In this embodiment, the holes 40 are arranged so that there is one hole 40 in the first row, two holes 40 in the second and third rows, three holes 40 in the fourth to sixth rows, five holes 40 in the seventh to ninth rows, and seven holes 40 in the tenth and eleventh rows.

As described above, because multiple holes 40 are provided in area C, area C has a greater degree of stretch than the other areas of fabric (areas B, E, etc.). Therefore, when the lumbar support 1 is worn by the human body, the tightening force (pressure) applied to the human body by area C is weaker than the tightening force (pressure) applied to the human body by the other areas of fabric (areas B, E, etc.). In other words, the holes 40 are provided in the lumbar support 1 to apply a weaker (smaller) tightening force to the human body than the other areas of fabric (areas B, E, etc.).

When the waist supporter 1 is worn by a human body (see Figure 5), this region C is located on the rear side of the human body and in a position corresponding to the muscle belly 114 of the gluteus maximus muscle 110 (see Figure 8). In other words, the position of region C in the waist supporter 1 is set to correspond to the muscle belly 114 of the gluteus maximus muscle 110 when the waist supporter 1 is worn by a human body.

As described above, in this embodiment, the first bone 22 is provided on its outer side in the lateral direction with region B (first portion), which is located in a position corresponding to the non-belly portion 112 (e.g., origin 112a) of the gluteus maximus 110 when the waist supporter 1 is worn on the human body, and region C (second portion), which is located in a position corresponding to the muscle belly 114 of the gluteus maximus 110 when the waist supporter 1 is worn on the human body and applies a smaller tightening force than region B (first portion). This provides the following benefits.

When the lower back supporter 1 is worn on the human body, it is necessary to position the lower back supporter 1 in a position corresponding to the gluteus maximus 110 and apply a tightening force to the gluteus maximus 110 from the perspective of providing appropriate support for the gluteus maximus 110. However, applying too much tightening force to the muscle belly 114 of the gluteus maximus 110, which is significantly involved in the movement of the hip joint 120 (see FIG. 9), may hinder the smooth movement of the hip joint 120. Therefore, in this embodiment, the magnitude of the tightening force applied to the muscle belly 114 is made different from that applied to the non-muscle belly portion 112 (e.g., origin 112a). In other words, the tightening force applied to region C, which corresponds to the muscle belly 114 of the gluteus maximus 110, is made smaller (weaker) than the tightening force applied to region B, which corresponds to the non-muscle belly portion 112 (origin 112a) of the gluteus maximus 110. This makes it possible to achieve a lower back supporter 1 that properly supports the gluteus maximus 110 without hindering the smooth movement of the hip joint 120.

In addition, in this embodiment, a second bone 24 is provided between region B (first portion) and region C (second portion) from the upper end of the lumbar support 1 to the lower end of the lumbar support 1, and region B (first portion) and region C (second portion) are adjacent to each other with the second bone 24 sandwiched between them. Therefore, the strong tightening force of the second bone 24 can reinforce the tightening force of region B adjacent to the second bone 24.

In addition, in this embodiment, multiple holes 40 are provided in region C (second portion), and the number of holes 40 at the lower end of the lumbar support 1 is greater than the number of holes 40 at the upper end of the lumbar support 1.

When the waist support 1 is worn on the human body, due to the structure of the human body, the area C at the lower end is located closer to the hip joint 120 than the area C at the upper end. In this embodiment, the number of holes 40 at the lower end is greater than the number of holes 40 at the upper end, so that the area with lower tightening force (pressure) can be increased at the lower end, which is closer to the hip joint 120. This makes it possible to realize a waist support 1 that allows for smoother movement of the hip joint 120.

In addition, in this embodiment, the holes 40 are provided in region C (second portion) so that the number of holes 40 gradually increases from the upper end toward the lower end.

As a result, it is possible to gradually increase the area with lower tightening force (pressure) from the upper end, which is farther from the hip joint 120, to the lower end, which is closer. This makes it possible to create a lower back supporter 1 that allows for even smoother movement of the hip joint 120.

<<<Regarding Area Y, Area D, and Area Z>>>
Region Y (third bone 26), region D (corresponding to the third portion), and region Z (fourth bone 28) are provided outside region C in the lateral direction.

Area Y (third bone 26) is adjacent to area C and area D, and is located between area C and area D (in other words, area C and area D are adjacent to each other with the third bone 26 in between). In other words, area Y (third bone 26) is located outside area C in the horizontal direction and inside area D in the horizontal direction.

The third bone 26 is inserted within (between) the multi-layered fabric. That is, the third bone 26 is located between the outermost fabric and the innermost fabric in the thickness direction. To prevent the third bone 26 from moving within the fabric, the fabric portions (supporter body 10) on both sides of the third bone 26 in the horizontal direction are sewn together with thread (see dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2) along the long sides of the third bone 26 (the thread serves to prevent the third bone 26 from moving). More specifically, as shown in Figure 2, a bone front-side reinforcing fabric 14, slightly larger than the third bone 26, is provided (attached) to the outer side of the outermost fabric in alignment with the third bone 26, and the supporter body 10 (multi-layered fabric) is sewn together with the bone front-side reinforcing fabric 14 with thread (see dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2). (Note that, like the second bone 24, no bone back-side reinforcing fabric 16 is provided.)

In the lower diagram of Figure 1 and Figure 2, for convenience, the long side of the third bone 26 and the thread are shown overlapping (with a common dotted line), but in reality there is a small gap between them. Also, because the size of the bone front side reinforcing fabric 14 is set larger than the third bone 26, the bone front side reinforcing fabric 14 extends slightly from area Y into the adjacent areas C and D.

The third bone 26 will be located at the rear of the body when the lumbar support 1 is worn on the human body (see Figure 5). (Note that "located at the rear" does not mean that the entire third bone 26 is located completely at the rear.)

Region D is an area made only of fabric and is surrounded (defined) by the third bone 26, the fourth bone 28, and the outer edge region (region F). As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the distance from the third bone 26 (third lower end portion 26b) at the lower end of the waist support 1 to the fourth bone 28 (fourth lower end portion 28b) at the lower end is smaller than the distance from the third bone 26 (third upper end portion 26a) at the upper end of the waist support 1 to the fourth bone 28 (fourth upper end portion 28a) at the upper end. Therefore, the width of region D at the lower end (indicated by L1 in FIG. 3) is smaller than the width of region C at the upper end (indicated by L2 in FIG. 3), and region C has a rectangular shape that approximates a triangle in plan view.

When the lumbar support 1 is worn on the human body (see Figures 5 and 6), this region D will be located on the side of the human body. Furthermore, part d of region D at the lower end will be located in a position corresponding to the greater trochanter 130 (Figure 9) when the lumbar support 1 is worn on the human body (see Figures 5 and 6). In other words, the position of part d of region D at the lower end is set to correspond to the greater trochanter 130 when the lumbar support 1 is worn on the human body.

Area Z (fourth bone 28) is adjacent to area D and area E, and is located between area D and area E (in other words, area D and area E are adjacent to each other with the fourth bone 28 in between). In other words, area Z (fourth bone 28) is located outside area D in the horizontal direction and inside area E in the horizontal direction.

The fourth bone 28 is inserted within (between) the multi-layered fabric. That is, the fourth bone 28 is located between the outermost fabric and the innermost fabric in the thickness direction. To prevent the fourth bone 28 from moving within the fabric, the fabric portions (support body 10) on both sides of the fourth bone 28 in the horizontal direction are sewn together with thread (see dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2) along the long sides of the fourth bone 28 (the thread serves to prevent the fourth bone 28 from moving). More specifically, as shown in Figure 2, a bone front-side reinforcing fabric 14, slightly larger than the fourth bone 28, is provided (applied) on the outer side of the outermost fabric to align with the position of the fourth bone 28. The support body 10 (multi-layered fabric) is sewn together with the bone front-side reinforcing fabric 14 with thread (see dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2). (Note that, like the third bone 26, no bone back-side reinforcing fabric 16 is provided.)

In the lower diagram of Figure 1 and Figure 2, for convenience, the long side of the fourth bone 28 and the thread are shown overlapping (with a common dotted line), but in reality there is a small gap between them. Also, because the size of the bone front side reinforcing fabric 14 is set larger than the fourth bone 28, the bone front side reinforcing fabric 14 extends slightly from area Z into the adjacent areas D and E.

The fourth bone 28 will be located in front of the human body when the lumbar support 1 is worn on the human body (see Figure 6). (Note that "located in front" does not mean that the entire fourth bone 28 is located completely in front.)

As described above, in this embodiment, the third bone 26, the fourth bone 28, and the region D (third region) defined by the third bone 26 and the fourth bone 28 are provided laterally outward of region C (second region). The third bone 26 extends from the upper end to the lower end of the lumbar support 1 and is located at the rear of the body when the lumbar support 1 is worn by the human body. The fourth bone 28 extends from the upper end to the lower end and is located at the front of the body when the lumbar support 1 is worn by the human body. The width L1 of region D (third region) at the lower end is smaller than the width L2 of region D (third region) at the upper end. This provides the following advantages.

The femoral head 122 (see Figure 9) is located within the hip joint 120 of the human body. When, for example, the human stands on one leg and lands, this femoral head 122 tends to move laterally outward (sideways) (the direction of movement is indicated by the black arrow in Figure 9). This movement of the femoral head 122 laterally outward (sideways) poses a risk of dislocating the hip joint 120. Therefore, when the waist supporter 1 is worn on the human body, it is desirable to increase the tightening force (pressure) in area D, which is located on the side of the human body and applies a tightening force (pressure) to the laterally inward direction, for the portion close to the hip joint 120 (femoral head 122) in order to suppress the above-mentioned movement of the femoral head 122 and reduce the risk of dislocation (on the other hand, it is desirable to decrease the tightening force (pressure) in the portion farther from the hip joint 120 (femoral head 122) so as not to inhibit free movement).

In this embodiment, the width L1 of region D at the lower end is smaller than the width L2 of region D at the upper end. Therefore, the distance between the third bone 26 and the fourth bone 28 at the lower end is smaller than the distance between the third bone 26 and the fourth bone 28 at the upper end, and the tightening force (pressure) toward the lateral inside of the lower end is greater than the tightening force (pressure) toward the lateral inside of the upper end. Due to the structure of the human body, when the waist support 1 is worn on the human body, part d of region D at the lower end is located closer to the hip joint 120 (femoral head 122) than part d of region D at the upper end. Therefore, this embodiment makes it possible to realize a waist support 1 that suppresses movement of the femoral head 122 to reduce the risk of dislocation of the hip joint 120, while not restricting free movement in areas far from the hip joint 120.

In addition, in this embodiment, portion d of region D at the lower end is located in a position corresponding to the greater trochanter 130 (FIG. 9) when the waist supporter 1 is worn on the human body (see FIGS. 5 and 6). Due to the structure of the human body, the femoral head 122 is located on the back side (inside the human body) of the greater trochanter 130. Therefore, according to this embodiment, portion d of region D at the lower end can apply an appropriate tightening force (pressure) to the femoral head 122, thereby suppressing movement of the femoral head 122 and reducing the risk of dislocation of the hip joint 120.

<<<Regarding Area E>>>
Region E is provided laterally outward of region Z (fourth bone 28) and is surrounded (compartmentalized) by the fourth bone 28 and an outer edge region (region F). A hook-and-loop fastener 50 is provided in region E. More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , a right hook-and-loop fastener 50a is provided at the right end of region E on the right side, and a left hook-and-loop fastener 50b is provided at the left end of region E on the left side. The right hook-and-loop fastener 50a is provided on the back side of the supporter main body 10 (multi-layered fabric) in the thickness direction of the waist support 1, and the left hook-and-loop fastener 50b is provided on the front side of the supporter main body 10 (multi-layered fabric) in the thickness direction.

Each hook-and-loop fastener 50 is sewn together with the supporter main body 10 (multi-layered fabric) with thread (see dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2). In this embodiment, a portion of the right hook-and-loop fastener 50a extends beyond region E and reaches the outer edge region (region F). As a result, a portion of the right hook-and-loop fastener 50a overlaps with the outer edge reinforcing fabric 12, and a portion of the right hook-and-loop fastener 50a is sewn together with the supporter main body 10 (multi-layered fabric) and the outer edge reinforcing fabric 12 with thread. On the other hand, the left hook-and-loop fastener 50b does not extend beyond region E. It is not important whether the hook-and-loop fastener 50 extends beyond region E or not.

===Other Embodiments===
The above-described embodiments are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit thereof, and it goes without saying that the present invention includes equivalents thereof. In particular, the embodiments described below are also included in the present invention.

In the above embodiment, the sponge 30 is inserted into (between) the multi-layered fabric, but this is not limited to this. For example, the sponge 30 may be provided on the outside of the fabric and adhered to the fabric with adhesive or the like.

Similarly, the bones 20 do not need to be inserted within (between) the multiple layers of fabric, but may be located on the outside of the fabric.

1 Waist supporter 3 Central portion 5 Side end portion 10 Supporter body 12 Outer edge reinforcing cloth 14 Bone front side reinforcing cloth 16 Bone back side reinforcing cloth 20 Bone 22 First bone 22a First upper end portion 22b First lower end portion 24 Second bone 24a Second upper end portion 24b Second lower end portion 26 Third bone 26a Third upper end portion 26b Third lower end portion 28 Fourth bone 28a Fourth upper end portion 28b Fourth lower end portion 30 Sponge 40 Hole portion 50 Hook and loop fastener 50a Right hook and loop fastener 50b Left hook and loop fastener 100 Pelvis 102 Sacrum 104 Sacroiliac joint 106 Ilium 110 Gluteus maximus 112 Non-muscle belly portion 112a Origin 114 Muscle belly 120 Hip joint 122 Femoral head 130 Greater trochanter

Claims (3)

A cloth waist supporter to be worn on the human body,
A sponge is provided in the center of the lower back support, and when the lower back support is worn on a human body, the sponge is located at a position corresponding to the sacrum,
a resin or metal bone is provided on the outer side of the sponge in the lateral direction from the central portion toward the lateral end portion of the lumbar supporter, from the upper end portion of the lumbar supporter to the lower end portion of the lumbar supporter, the bone being located at a position corresponding to the sacroiliac joint when the lumbar supporter is worn on a human body ;
On the outer side of the bone in the lateral direction,
a first portion located at a position corresponding to a portion other than the belly of the gluteus maximus when the waist supporter is worn on a human body;
a second portion is provided which is located at a position corresponding to a muscle belly of the gluteus maximus when the waist supporter is worn on a human body and which applies a tightening force smaller than that of the first portion;
a plurality of holes are provided in the second portion, and the number of the holes at the lower end portion is greater than the number of the holes at the upper end portion;
The lumbar supporter is characterized in that the number of holes is gradually increased from the upper end to the lower end in the second portion . The lower back support according to claim 1 ,
the bone is a first bone,
A lumbar supporter characterized in that a second bone is provided between the first part and the second part, extending from the upper end to the lower end, and the first part and the second part are adjacent to each other with the second bone sandwiched between them. The lower back support according to claim 2 ,
a third bone, a fourth bone, and a third portion defined by the third bone and the fourth bone are provided on the outer side of the second portion in the lateral direction;
the third bone is provided from the upper end to the lower end, and is located at the rear side of the human body when the waist supporter is worn on the human body;
the fourth bone is provided from the upper end to the lower end and is located in front of the human body when the waist supporter is worn on the human body;
A lumbar supporter, characterized in that the width of the third portion at the lower end is smaller than the width of the third portion at the upper end.