Closure devices for medical devices and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10702409-B2
Application number	US-201414173685-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 5, 2014
Priority date	Feb 5, 2013
Publication date	Jul 7, 2020
Grant date	Jul 7, 2020

Abstract

Closure devices that may be used for various articles, such as braces, medical devices, shoes, clothing, apparel, and the like. The closure devices may include a tightening mechanism that may function as a handle that allows an individual to wrap an article around body part, couple the article about the body part, and then tension or tighten the article using a single hand.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A closure component for an article comprising: a body portion having:
a proximal end that is coupleable with a first side of the article via a tension member and a flexible or elastic material strip, the tension member extending from the proximal end of the body portion toward the first side of the article, and the flexible or elastic material strip being coupled with the proximal end of the body portion and with the first side of the article, the flexible or elastic material strip being positioned under the tension member such that the tension member is moveably positioned on a top surface of the flexible or elastic material strip between the body portion and the first side of the article and such that when the article is positioned about a limb or bodily segment, the flexible or elastic material strip is configured to be positioned between the tension member and the limb or bodily segment about which the article is positioned;
a distal end having a coupling component that is coupleable with a second side of the article so as to close a gap between the first side and the second side of the article and thereby secure the article about the limb or bodily segment;
an adjustment mechanism attached to the body portion, the adjustment mechanism being operable to adjust a tension of the article after the article is secured about the limb or bodily segment so as to tighten or loosen the article about the limb or bodily segment; and
a channel for the tension member formed on the body portion, the channel having an opening through which the tension member is positioned and the channel being configured to route or direct the tension member between opposing sides of the body portion, wherein the channel extends from the proximal end to the distal end of the body portion;
wherein the coupling component consists of a single tab consisting of a single flange, wherein the single tab is insertable within a coupling aperture positioned on the second side of the article, and wherein the single tab is positioned on the distal end of the body portion adjacent the adjustment mechanism such that the adjustment mechanism and the single tab are fixed in position relative to each other on the body portion and are moveable together relative to the first side and the second side of the article.

2. The closure component of claim 1 , wherein the coupling component and coupling aperture are not capable of being released from a coupled engagement without releasing the tension of the article.

3. The closure component of claim 2 , wherein the closure component comprises an additional coupling component that includes a single tab consisting of a single flange, wherein the single tab is insertable within an additional coupling aperture positioned on the second side of the article.

4. The closure component of claim 1 , wherein the tension member is slidably coupled with at least one guide member positioned on the article's first side or attached to an extension member extending therefrom, the tension member being tensionable via the adjustment mechanism to tension the article about the limb or bodily segment.

5. The closure component of claim 4 , wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises a reel-based assembly comprising:
a housing;
a spool positioned within the housing, the spool having a channel around which the tension member is wound; and
a knob that is rotatable in a first direction to wind the tension member around the channel of the spool and thereby tension the tension member.

6. The closure component of claim 1 , wherein the single flange of the single tab comprises a top surface along an extension of the single flange, the single tab further comprises a rear surface, the rear surface being orthogonal to the top surface, the top surface and the rear surface being at least partially insertable within the coupling aperture, wherein when the coupling component and the coupling aperture form a coupled engagement and when the adjustment mechanism operates to adjust the tension of the article to tighten the article about the limb or bodily segment, the adjustment of the tension of the article causes the top surface to engage with a downward protrusion disposed inside the coupling aperture, and the adjustment of the tension of the article further causes the rear surface to engage with a lip disposed inside the coupling aperture such that the coupling component and coupling aperture are not capable of being released from the coupled engagement without releasing the tension of the article.

7. A closure component for a brace, the brace having a main body that is configured to fit circumferentially around a limb or bodily segment, the brace having a first side and a second side that are separated by a gap, the closure component comprising:
a panel member that is attachable to the brace so as to span the gap that separates the first side and the second side of the brace, the panel member having:
a proximal end that is coupleable with the first side of the brace via at least two tension member segments and via at least two flexible or elastic material strips, wherein the at least two tension member segments are spaced longitudinally apart and extend laterally from the proximal end of the panel member toward the first side of the brace across the gap, and wherein the at least two flexible or elastic material strips are coupled with the proximal end of the panel member and with the first side of the brace so that each flexible or elastic material strip is positioned under a respective tension member segment such that the respective tension member is moveably positioned on a top surface of the respective flexible or elastic material strip between the panel member and the first side of the brace and such that when the brace is configured to fit circumferentially around the limb or bodily segment, the respective flexible or elastic material strip is configured to be positioned between the respective tension member and the limb or bodily segment;
a distal end having a coupling member that is positionable across the gap and removably coupleable with the second side of the brace so as to close the gap between the first side and the second side of the brace and thereby secure the brace about the limb or bodily segment, the distal end being detachable from the second side of the brace; and
an adjustment mechanism attached to the distal end of the panel member, the adjustment mechanism being detachable from the second side of the brace via detachment of the distal end of the panel member from the second side of the brace and the adjustment mechanism being operable to tension the at least two tension member segments after the brace is secured about the limb or bodily segment so as to tighten or loosen the brace about the user's limb or bodily segment;

wherein the coupling member comprises a single tab consisting of a single flange, wherein the single tab is attached to the panel member adjacent the adjustment mechanism so that the adjustment mechanism and the single tab are fixed in position relative to each other about the panel member and are moveable together with the panel member relative to the first side and the second side of the brace; and
wherein the panel member includes a channel for routing or directing the tension member segments between opposing sides of the panel member, wherein the channel extends from the proximal end to the distal end of the panel member.

8. The closure component of claim 7 , wherein the panel member includes at least two coupling members spaced longitudinally apart that are coupleable with the second side of the brace to close the gap and secure the brace about the user's limb or bodily segment, wherein each coupling member is a single tab consisting of

Assignees

• Boa Tech Inc

Inventors

• Burns Robert
• Capra James
• White Tamara
• Soderberg Mark

Classifications

• A61F5/0102 Primary

  specially adapted for correcting deformities of the limbs or for supporting them; Ortheses, e.g. with articulations · CPC title