Support assembly for an orthopedic brace having a length-adjusting mechanism

An adjustable support assembly for an orthopedic brace comprising:

• a support arm;
• a housing including means for slidably receiving said support arm in said housing;
• and
• means for selectively applying a sufficient pressing force to said support arm to prevent slidable displacement of said support arm in said receiving means.

An orthopedic brace comprising:

• a first support assembly having a first support arm, a first housing including a first travel track slidably receiving said first support arm, and a first locking mechanism including a first lock lever selectively transitionable between a first closed position and a first open position, wherein said first lock lever applies a sufficient degree of a first pressing force to said first support arm to prevent slidable displacement of said first support arm in said first travel track when said first lock lever is in said first closed position and said first lock lever withdraws a sufficient degree of said first pressing force from said first support arm to enable slidable displacement of said first support arm in said first travel track when said first lock lever is in said first open position;
• a second support assembly having a second support arm, a second housing including a second travel track slidably receiving said second support arm, and a second locking mechanism including a second lock lever selectively transitionable between a second closed position and a second open position, wherein said second lock lever applies a sufficient degree of a second pressing force to said second support arm to prevent slidable displacement of said second support arm in said second travel track when said second lock lever is in said second closed position and said second lock lever withdraws a sufficient degree of said second pressing force from said second support arm to enable slidable displacement of said second support arm in said second travel track when said second lock lever is in said second open position;
• and
• a joint connecting said first support assembly to said second support assembly.

A method for adjusting the length of a support assembly for an orthopedic brace comprising:

• providing a support assembly having a support arm and a housing with a travel track, wherein said travel track is sized to receive said support arm therein and said support assembly has a plurality of selected lengths, each selected length corresponding to a different position of said support arm in said travel track;
• positioning said support arm in said travel track at a first position such that said support assembly has a first selected length;
• slidably displacing said support arm in a travel direction in said travel track to a second position such that said support assembly has a second selected length different than said first selected length;
• and
• locking said support arm in said second position to maintain said support assembly at said second selected length by applying a pressing force in a force direction to said support arm sufficient to prevent slidable displacement of said support arm in said travel track.

An adjustable support assembly for an orthopedic brace comprising:

• a support arm having an edge with an indentation formed therein to define a step on said edge at a terminus of said indentation;
• a housing including a travel track slidably receiving said support arm;
• and
• a travel limit positioned in said travel track, wherein said indentation clears said travel limit when said support arm is slidably displaced in a travel direction within said travel track but said travel limit engages said step when said support arm is slidably displaced in said travel direction within said travel track to a position where said step is aligned with said travel limit, said travel limit thereby preventing further slidable displacement of said support arm in said travel direction within said travel track.