Elastic Support Device and Waist Protector Including the Same

The present invention is a Divisional application of application Ser. No. 18/809,698, filed Aug. 20, 2024, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

A waist protector is a protective gear used to surround the waist of the human body and support the waist. It can be used by athletes or people with waist injuries. Conventional waist protectors typically include a flexible band and a rigid supporting plate. The band secures the waist protector to the body, and the supporting plate is often placed against the front or back waist to supports the waist to prevent bending of the waist. However, due to the differences in body shapes of users, the size and curvature of the conventional waist protector support plate is not suitable for every user's body shape, resulting in poor universality.

The present invention is, therefore, arisen to obviate or at least mitigate the above-mentioned disadvantages.

The main object of the present invention is to provide an elastic support device and a waist protector including the same. The elastic support device can elastically stretch according to various users' waist shapes to fit different users' waist shapes, thereby enhancing the supporting effect.

To achieve the above and other objects, an elastic support device configured to be disposed on a waist protector is provided, wherein the elastic support device includes: a main body defining a first direction and a second direction which are transverse to each other, the waist protector extending in the first direction, the main body including a plurality of V-shaped elastic members, each of the plurality of V-shaped elastic members including a connection portion and two ribs extending from the connection portion, in the first direction the ribs of neighboring two of the plurality of V-shaped elastic members being connected to each other, in the second direction the connection portions of neighboring two of the plurality of V-shaped elastic members being connected to each other, the main body being elastically restorable.

The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which show, for purpose of illustrations only, the preferred embodiment(s) in accordance with the present invention.

Please refer tofor a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. An elastic support device of the present invention is configured to be disposed on a waist protectorand includes a main body.

The main bodydefines a first directionand a second directionwhich are transverse to each other. The waist protectorextends in the first direction. The main bodyincludes a plurality of V-shaped elastic members. Each of the V-shaped elastic membersincludes a connection portionand two ribsextending from the connection portion. In the first direction, the two ribsof neighboring V-shaped elastic membersare connected to each other. In the second direction, the connection portionsof neighboring V-shaped elastic membersare connected to each other. Thus, the main bodyis elastically restorable because of elastic compression.

The waist protectorincludes two adjustment portions. The two adjustment portionsare connected to opposing ends of the main bodyin the first direction. The two adjustment portionsare movable relative to each other to adjust the size of the waist protector. In this way, when the two adjustment portionsare brought closer to tighten the waist protectoraround the user's waist, the main bodycan be elastically restorable by elastic compression in the first directionto fit the user's waist size and shape, thus effectively achieving a supporting effect.

In this embodiment, each of the two adjustment portionsis provided with a plurality of winding guides. At least one line(plural linesin this embodiment) is wound along the winding guides. By pulling the lines, the two adjustment portionscan be brought closer to achieve a tightening effect on the waist protector.

The waist protectorincludes two bands. Each of the two bandsincludes the two adjustment portions. The two bandsare detachably connected to each other, allowing the two bandsto be wrapped around the human body.

Preferably, the main bodyincludes two side framesat the opposing ends in the first direction. The two side framesare respectively connected to opposing ends of the V-shaped elastic membersin the first direction. The two side framesare connected to the waist protectorand are generally parallel to the second direction. In this way, the two side framescan provide support in the second directionto support the user's back.

Further, each of the adjustment portionsincludes at least one connecting member(a plurality in this embodiment). Each of the connecting membersis sleeved on one of the side framesto connect the adjustment portionsto the main body. In this embodiment, each of the connecting membersis a hook-and-loop fastener strap, making it easy to assemble and disassemble. In this embodiment, the main bodyis connected to the adjustment portionsby the connecting members, and the adjustment portionsare further connected to the two bands(e.g., using hook-and-loop fasteners). In other embodiments, the ends of the main body may be fixed to a connecting member before being connected to the two adjustment portions.

Additionally, the angle between the two ribsof each of the V-shaped elastic membersis acute. The main bodymay be formed byD printing or injection molding. In the second direction, neighboring V-shaped elastic membersare connected upside down to form an X-shaped structure. Thus, the X-shaped structurescan be elastically compressed in the first direction, providing structural support in the second direction. Preferably, each of the two ribsincludes a hollow portionextending in the extending direction of the rib, achieving a lightweight effect. Preferably, the main bodydefines a central line, which is centered and extends in the second direction. In the first directionthe two ribsof parts of the plurality of V-shaped elastic membersadjacent to the central lineeach has a thickness greater than respective thicknesses of the two ribsof the rest of the plurality of V-shaped elastic members, thus enhancing the structural strength of the main bodynear the central line.

The present invention also provides a waist protectorincluding the above-described elastic support device, two bands, and two adjustment portions. The two bandsare detachably connected to each other. The two adjustment portionsare connected to opposing ends of the main bodyin the first directionand are further connected to the two bands. The two adjustment portionsare movable relative to each other to adjust the size of the waist protector. Thus, when the waist protectoris tightened around the user's waist, the main bodycan be elastically restorable by elastic compression to fit the user's waist size and shape, effectively achieving a supporting effect.

Please refer to, in a second embodiment of the present invention, the main bodyA adjacent to the central lineincludes a first guide blockhaving a first through holeextending in the first direction. The first through holesare configured for at least one line to penetrate through to achieve the effect of arranging the lines, and additionally, to allow the at least one line to be tightly adjacent to the main bodyA.

The two side framesA each include a plurality of winding guidesA. The winding guidesA have at least one line wound around them. Each winding guideA is a semicircular hollow block, and each winding guideA includes a first penetrating holeA at both ends in the second direction. Each winding guideA further includes a second penetrating holeA on an outer side extending in the first direction. The two first penetrating holesA and the second penetrating holeA are in communication with each other and configured for winding the lines.

Preferably, each side frameA further includes a second guide block. Each second guide blockof the side framesA is centered in the second direction relative to the winding guidesA. Each second guide blockhas a second through holeextending in the first direction. The two second through holesare configured for the lines to penetrate therethrough and extend outwardly to be wound around the bands.

Please refer to, in a third embodiment of the present invention, the two side framesB of the main bodyB each include a plurality of winding guidesB. Each winding guideB is a circular hollow block and includes a plurality of third penetrating holesB of an outer circumferential wall thereof. One side of each winding guideB has a recessB, a reelB is received in the recessB, a projectionB is disposed on a bottom of the recessB, and the reelB is rotatably sleeved on the projectionB. Thus, the reelB can stably rotate within the recessB and is configured for winding the lines. The third penetrating holesB are configured for the lines to penetrate therethrough. This structure makes it easier for the lines to be pulled, and the reelB can reduce the friction of the lines, making it more convenient and smooth to use.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.