Anti-Twist Mechanism for a Mechanical Advantage Tensioning Device on an Orthosis

An orthosis comprising:

• a base support worn on the body of a user, said base support having a first mounting location thereon and a second mounting location thereon spacable a mounting distance apart from said first mounting location to define a gap;
• and
• a mechanical advantage tensioning device cooperative with said base support to selectively provide said orthosis with a tensioned state and a relaxed state, wherein said orthosis applies increased compression to the body of the user when in said tensioned state and applies reduced compression to the body of the user when in said relaxed state, and wherein said mechanical advantage tensioning device includes a first housing, a second housing, a tensioning line, and an anti-twist mechanism,
• wherein said first housing is mountable on said first mounting location of said base support and a second housing is mountable on said second mounting location of said base support, and wherein said first and second housings maintain a substantially coplanar operational position when said orthosis is worn on the body of the user,
• wherein said tensioning line extends between said first and second housings across said gap and engages said first and second housings, wherein said orthosis achieves said tensioned state when said tensioning line is pulled in a tensioning direction, and wherein said orthosis achieves said relaxed state when said tensioning line is released,
• wherein said anti-twist mechanism is a continuous closed anti-twist loop having a first segment defining an elastic first anti-twist member and a second segment defining a second anti-twist member, said first and second anti-twist members having a relatively higher degree of elasticity than said tensioning line, said first anti-twist member occupying a first coplanar anti-twist position extending between said first and second housings and engaging said first housing and said second housing and said second anti-twist member occupying a second coplanar anti-twist position extending between said first and second housings and engaging said first housing and said second housing, wherein said first coplanar anti-twist position and said second coplanar anti-twist position are spaced a distance apart from one another in a same operational plane, and wherein said first and second anti-twist members are sufficiently elastic to permit some twisting of said first housing member relative to said second housing member away from said coplanar operational position when said orthosis is not being worn on the body of the user and a torque is applied to said first or second anti-twist member, and wherein said first and second anti-twist members are sufficiently elastic to bias said first and second anti-twist members back toward said coplanar operational position when said orthosis is not being worn on the body of the user and said torque is removed from said first or second anti-twist member.

An orthosis comprising:

• a base support worn on the body of a user, said base support having a first mounting location thereon and a second mounting location thereon spacable a mounting distance apart from said first mounting location to define a gap;
• and
• a mechanical advantage tensioning device cooperative with said base support to selectively provide said orthosis with a tensioned state and a relaxed state, wherein said orthosis applies increased compression to the body of the user when in said tensioned state and applies reduced compression to the body of the user when in said relaxed state, and wherein said mechanical advantage tensioning device includes a first housing, a second housing, a tensioning line, and an anti-twist mechanism,
• wherein said first housing is mountable on said first mounting location of said base support and a second housing is mountable on said second mounting location of said base support, and wherein said first and second housings maintain a substantially coplanar operational position when said orthosis is worn on the body of the user,
• wherein said tensioning line has a relatively higher degree of pliability and extends between said first and second housings across said gap and engages said first and second housings, wherein said orthosis achieves said tensioned state when said tensioning line is pulled in a tensioning direction, and wherein said orthosis achieves said relaxed state when said tensioning line is released,
• wherein said anti-twist mechanism includes a first anti-twist member formed from a first length of substantially non-stretchable material and a second anti-twist member formed from a second length of substantially non-stretchable material, each having a relatively lower degree of pliability than said tensioning line, said first anti-twist member occupying a first coplanar anti-twist position extending between said first and second housings and slidably engaging said first housing and said second housing enabling linear displacement of said first anti-twist mechanism independent of said first housing and said second housing and said second anti-twist member occupying a second coplanar anti-twist position extending between said first and second housings and engaging said first housing and said second housing enabling linear displacement of said second anti-twist mechanism independent of said first housing and said second housing, wherein said first coplanar anti-twist position and said second coplanar anti-twist position are spaced a distance apart from one another in a same operational plane, and wherein said relatively lower degree of pliability of said first and second anti-twist members provides a relatively higher degree of resistance to twisting of said first housing member relative to said second housing member away from said operational plane than does said tensioning line.