US3529601A - Therapeutic bandage - Google Patents

Description

J. W- KIRKLAND THERAPEUTIC BANDAGE Sept. 22, 1970" Filed Got. 27, 1967 M mm JIM W. KlRkLM p United States Patent 3,529,601 THERAPEUTIC BANDAGE Jim W. Kirkland, 38 Rue de la Tour, Paris XVI, France Filed Oct. 27, 1967, Ser. No. 679,296 Claims priority, application France, Oct. 29, 1966,

8 07 Int. Cl. A61f 13/00; A61h 36/00 US. Cl. 128-293 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an air-tight and elastic therapeutic bandage applied to naked parts of the human body to obtain a slimmer silhouette thereof. The bandage consists of an assembly of elastic bands wound about the part of the body to be treated so as to provide perspiration without permitting the same to evaporate, the result ant increase in temperature causing a reduction in weight.

It is the primary object of this invention to eliminate the disadvantages and inconveniences of conventional devices for causing perspiration and resultant weight reduction.

It is a more specific object of the invention to provide such a device which may be readily adapted and used for various size bodies, which will apply a uniform pressure upon the entire part of the body covered by the de vice, and which is air-tight when applied.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a device which may be used to condition a predetermined part of the body or limbs so as to reduce only such predetermined parts in dimensions, the applied bandage increasing body temperature and thus causing reduction of fat in the covered zones of the body, the air-tight nature of the bandage preventing evaporation of the ensuing perspiration which may be augmented by body movements while the bandage is in place.

The above and other objects and advantages are accomplished in accordance with the present invention with an air-tight and elastic therapeutic bandage which comprises three cooperating and complementary bandaging means. The first bandaging means is an integral elongated bandaging member applied over the entire surface of a naked part of the human body to be covered by the bandage. The bandaging member consists of a plurality of helical windings wound under uniform tension about the surface. The second bandaging means is a terminal fastening means for the bandaging member, which holds the bandaging member immobilized in position. The third bandaging means is a strapping applied over the zones of the bandaging member where the helical windings thereof overlap. This strapping applies additional pressure to corresponding zones of the covered body part, preventing air from reaching the covered body part in these zones.

Patented Sept. 22, 1970 According to one aspect of this invention, such a bandage is applied by first winding the bandaging member helically about the naked part of the body, with a first winding being started at the level of the hips and a last winding being horizontally positioned at the level just below the arm-pits, while tensioning the elastic bandaging member during winding to apply a uniform radial pressure against the surface of the covered part of the human body. One end of a fastening band is then applied to the fastening means of the last winding of the bandaging member, the fastening band is wound about the chest, and its other end is also fastened. Finally, a plurality of strapping bands are placed over selected zones of the covered part of the body to exert a radial pressure upon the helically wound bandaging member and to prevent displacement of its helical windings. The strapping bands are so placed as to prevent air from penetrating between the helical windings of the bandaging member and humidity from evaporating whereby cooling of the covered part of the body is eliminated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING The above and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent in the following detailed description of a now preferred embodiment, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a female body to which the therapeutic bandage of this invention has been applied;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the outer face of the elongated bandaging member;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the inner face of the fastening band for one end of the bandaging member;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the outer face of a strapping band; and

FIG. 5 is a plane view of the outer face of an additional bandaging member designed to cover portions of the limbs of the human body.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to the drawing and first to FIG. 1, there is shown a naked female body whose hips, waist and torso up to the arm-pits have been covered by the bandage of the invention, one of the legs and one of the arms having applied thereto additional bandaging members in accordance with one aspect of this invention. As shown, the bandage comprises a helically wound bandaging member A covering the naked body, a fastening means B holding the bandaging member A immobilized in position, and a strapping over the bandaging member, the illustrated strapping consisting of three strapping bands C1, C2 and C3.

In the illustrated embodiment, the bandaging member is a band of elastic material impermeable to air and of a sufficient length to permit it to cover the hips, abdomen and torso up to the arm-pits when applied in helical windings, and the terminal fastening means is arranged at one end of the band. As shown in FIG. 2, one end of the elastic band is free while the other end carries the male part 1 of a conventional fastener.

When applying this elastic band to cover the entire surface of the hips, waist and torso up to the arm-pits, the free end of the band is placed on the hips to start the first winding about the hips and helically upwards about the waist and then the chest, with the helical windings overlapping each other, and the last winding being horizontally positioned at the level just below the armpits. While the elastic band is helically wound about the body, it is tensioned longitudinally to a predetermined extent, thus applying a uniform radial pressure against the surface of the covered part of the naked body.

A useful fastening band is illustrated in FIG. 3. It is an elastic band carrying fastening means 3, 3 and 4, 4 at each end thereof. At one end, there is also arranged a female part 2 of a conventional fastener for engagement with male part 1 of the fastener, which is arranged at one of the bandaging member ends.

The fastening band is of sufficient length to extend about the chest and is disposed horizontally at the level of the last winding of bandaging member A. It is attached to the bandaging member end by engaging fastener parts 1 and 2, and is held in position about the chest by engagement of its fastening means 3, 4.

In the illustrated embodiment, the strapping is shown to consist of three strapping bands, each having the configuration shown in FIG. 4. The selected zones are preferably the hips, the waist and the lower part of the chest, below where the fastening band is arranged. In the selected zones, the strapping bands exert a radial pressure upon the helically wound bandaging member underlying them and thus prevent displacement of the helical windings. Also, they provide an additional air-tight covering against the pentration of air to the skin and corresponding evaporation of perspiration therefrom.

It will be obvious from a consideration of FIG. 1 showing the applied bandage that the impermeable, elastic bands will be able to move slightly in relation to each other without being moved out of place when the person to whom it is applied moves around, for instance to do calisthenics.

In the illustrated embodiment, the person also carries a helically wound elastic band D on one thigh and a similar band B on one arm. Useful elastic bands for this purpose are shown in FIG. and they are applied like leggings about the selected part of the limbs, with one end of the band carrying an adjustable lash 7 for holding the band in place.

It is desirable to make all bands of the bandage of the same elastic material impermeable to air although they may be of different widths, as shown in FIGS. 2-5. Useful elastic materials include sulfur-free rubber, i.e. pure rubber, or elasticized textile fabrics with triboelectric properties.

While dimensions of the bands may vary widely, depending primarily on the sizes of the bodies to which they are to be applied, an elastic band having a length of 370 cm. and a width of cm. has been found useful for application to most adult bodies to cover them from hips to arm-pits. As shown in FIG. 2, the one end of the band is slightly tapered and carries the male part 1 of a hook fastener sold under the trademark Velcros 50." Any suitable fastening means will do, of course.

The elastic fastening band used in practice has a width of 15 cm. and a length of 100 cm. It carries at one end the female part 2 of the hook fastener and, along the longitudinal edges of the band at its respective ends, the longitudinally extending male fastener parts 4, 4 and female fastener parts 3, 3 which, upon engagement, hold the fastening band in position about the chest, while its one end is hooked to the one end of the bandaging member by means of fastener 1, 2.

Each strapping band has a width of 10 cm. and a length of 120 cm. in a practical embodiment. One end of each strapping band carries a male fastening part 5 while the other end thereof carries a female fastening part 6 which, when engaged, hold the strapping band in position about the selected zone of the body.

The additional bandaging member shown in FIG. 5 may be applied to any desired part of the body and, depending on its intended use, may have a width of 10 cm. and a length of 130 cm. It carries a lash 7 of a length of 55 cm. at one end, one side of the lash being constituted'by a male fastener part and the other lash side being constituted by a female fastener part so that the lash will hold the bandaging member in position when the male and female fastener parts of lash 7 are engaged, i.e. superposed.

While the invention has been described and illustrated in connection with a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that many variations and modifications will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A method of applying an air-tight and elastic band- 0 age to the human body, comprising the steps of (1) winding an elastic bandaging member helically about a naked part of the human body to cover the entire surface thereof,

(a) a first winding being started at the level of the hips and a last winding being horizontally positioned at the level just below the arm-pits and carrying a fastening means, and

(b) the elastic bandaging member being tensioned during winding to apply a uniform radial pressure against the surface of the covered part of the human body;

(2) applying one end of a fastening band to the fastening means of the last winding of the bandaging member, winding the fastening band about the chest, and fastening its other end; and

(3) placing a plurality of strapping bands over selected zones of the covered part of the human body to exert a radial pressure upon the helically wound bandaging member and to prevent displacement of the helical windings thereof,

(c) the strapping bands being so placed as to prevent air from penetrating between the helical windings of the bandaging member and humidity from evaporating whereby cooling of the covered part of the human body is eliminated.

2. An air-tight and elastic therapeutic bandage for application to the human body, comprising three cooperating and complementary bandaging means, a first one of said bandaging means being an integral elongated, helically wound band of elastic material impermeable to air and of a length sufiicient to permit it to cover the hips, abdomen and torso up to the arm-pits of a human body when applied in helical windings thereabout, and terminal fastening means being arranged at one end of said band, a second one of said bandaging means being a like elastic band impermeable to air and being of sulficient length to extend about the chest of the human body, said latter band carrying fastening means at each end thereof, the latter fastening means including two male fastening elements extending along the edges of the band at one side and at one end thereof and the female fastening elements extending along the edges of the band at the reverse side and at the other end thereof, the male and female fastening elements cooperating to fasten the band, and one of said ends also carrying a transversely extending fastening element for fastening cooperation with the terminal fastening means of the first band; and a third one of the bandaging means being a strapping of a like elastic band impermeable to air applied over the zones of the first bandage where the helical windings thereof overlap, the strapping band carrying elongated fastening elements at respective ends and on opposite sides thereof for cooperation to fasten the ends of the strapping band together.

3. The bandage of claim 2, wherein the first elastic band has a length of 370 cm. and a width of 20 cm., the second elastic band has a length of cm. and a width of 15 cm., and the third elastic band has a length of cm. and a width of 10 cm.

(References on following page) 5 6 References Cited 3,298,366 1/1967 Moore et a1. 128-169 XR UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,310,052 3/1967 Ward 128-293 4/1937 Abrams et a1. 128--156 9 4 6 8/ 9 8 Gongwer XR 11/1950 Corbett 128156 5 ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner 9/1953 Freiberger 128170 P E PI 4/1956 schon 128 156 .SHA R0, Ass1stantExam1ner 6/1965 Kelson. U.S. Cl. X.R.

6/1966 Smithers 128-156 XR 171

Images