Joseph T Gwin

US Patent:

20080146981, Jun 19, 2008

Filed:

Jul 19, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/780115

Inventors:

Richard M. Greenwald - Norwich VT, US
Jeffrey J. Chu - Norwich VT, US
Alexander W. Jessiman - Wilmington DE, US
Aaron T. Buck - West Lebanon NH, US
David W. Bertoni - Beverly Farms MA, US
Joseph T. Gwin - White River Junction VT, US

Assignee:

SIMBEX LLC - Lebanon NH

International Classification:

A61F 5/00
A41D 13/08

US Classification:

602 13, 602 21, 602 5, 2 16

Abstract:

The present invention provides a novel means of joint and body protection using engineered textiles to provide dynamic kinematic control within the device itself and for the underlying body part. The apparatus may be used in apparel or orthosis wherein a textile is organized about the proximal and distal aspects of a joint or body part and uses the mechanical and material characteristics of the engineered textile to dynamically control the kinetics of the body part and more specifically to prevent the body part from reaching extremes in range of motion. The engineered textiles can be designed to provide non-uniform increases in stiffness in any direction. The engineered textile may incorporate strain or strain rate dependant materials in which case stiffness properties would vary non-uniformly with velocity and/or acceleration within the device allowing for protection from blunt trauma, blast, or ballistic events anywhere on the body. A further aspect of the present invention is to provide a novel means of dynamically fitting and anchoring apparel, orthosis, body protection devices or other objects that need to be securely fixed to the body anatomy during joint flexion or extension, by using motion at a body joint to actuate a closure mechanism and bracing system that actively closes upon the body anatomy surrounding the joint and transfers loads created during dynamic restraint of the joint to anchor zones on the body.