Double hinged knee brace with double leg wrap

A knee brace to be worn on a leg secured to the upper leg and lower leg in spanning relationship to the knee joint, comprising:

• upper leg wrap assembly engageable with the upper leg;
• lower leg wrap assembly engageable with the lower leg;
• a composite hinge assembly connecting the upper and lower leg wrap assemblies, said hinge assembly including a first arm having a first end fixed to the upper leg wrap assembly, and extended parallel to the upper leg toward the knee, a second end of the first arm pivotally connected to a first hinge plate at a location above the knee when the upper leg wrap assembly is engaged with the leg, a second hinge plate, said first and second hinge plates being pivotally connected, a second arm having a first end attached to the lower leg wrap assembly and extended parallel to the lower leg toward the knee, a second end of said second arm being pivotally connected to the second hinge plate for pivotal movement about an axis beneath the knee when the lower leg wrap assembly is engaged with the lower leg;
• said first hinge plate having a flat proximal face and a distal face, a first T-shaped rib on the proximal face having a head and a stem, said head located proximate an edge of the first hinge plate facing interiorly of the direction of flecture of the knee, said stem extended transversely across the first hinge plate from the head, said head having interiorly curved upper and lower shoulders at the intersection with the stem;
• the second end of the first arm being pivotally connected to an upper end of the first hinge plate, said second end of the first arm having a downwardly facing outer edge that confronts the upper edge of the stem of the first rib to limit pivotal movement of the first arm and the first hinge plate in rotational direction to straighten the knee, said second end of the first arm having a rearward exterior lower curved shoulder in facing relationship to the upper interior shoulder of the first rib and spaced to intercept it upon rotation of the first arm and first hinge plate to a preselected limit in direction of flexure of the knee;
• said second hinge plate having a flat proximal face and a distal face, a second T-shaped rib on the proximal face having a head and a stem, said head located proximate an edge of the second hinge plate facing interiorly of the direction of flexure of the knee, said stem extended transversely across the second hinge plate from the head, said head having interiorly curved upper and lower shoulders at the intersection with the stem;
• the second end of the second arm being pivotally connected to a lower end of the second hinge plate, said second end of the second arm having an upwardly facing outer edge that confronts the lower edge of the stem of the second T-shaped rib to limit pivotal movement of the second arm and second hinge plate in rotational direction to straighten the knee, said second end of the second arm having a rearward exterior upper curved shoulder in facing relationship to the lower interior shoulder of the second rib and spaced to intercept it upon rotation of the second arm and second hinge plate to a preselected limit in direction of flexure of the knee;
• said first and second hinge plates disposed with proximal faces in facing relationship and pivotally connected, each hinge plate having an edge in confronting relationship to the other edge of the stem of the opposite hinge plate to limit pivotal movement of the first and second hinge plates in rotational direction to straighten the knee, and an outwardly curved shoulder in facing relationship to the other interior shoulder of the rib of the other hinge plate and spaced to intercept it upon rotation of the first and second hinge plates to a preselected limit in direction of flexure of the knee.

A knee brace to be worn on a leg secured to the upper leg and lower leg in spanning relationship to the knee joint, comprising:

• upper leg wrap assembly engagable with the upper leg;
• lower leg wrap assembly engagable with the lower leg;
• composite hinge assembly means connecting the upper and lower leg wrap assemblies, said hinge assembly means including a first arm having a first end fixed to the upper leg wrap assembly, and a second arm with a first end connected to the lower leg wrap assembly, and means hingedly connecting the second ends of the first and second arms;
• each of said wrap assemblies including an inner elongate circumferentially elastic wrap extendible around a leg, outwardly facing fastening means on a first end and inwardly facing fastening means on the second end of the inner wrap for releasably fastening the first and second ends together by holding the first end in position and wrapping the second end around the leg in a first circumferential direction to a position where the first and second fastening means overlap;
• an outer elongate circumferentially elastic wrap having a first end fixed to an intermediate outside portion of the inner wrap and a second end extendible around the leg and the inner wrap in a second opposite circumferential direction, outwardly facing fastening means on the first end and inwardly facing fastening means on the second end of the outer wrap for releasably fastening them together upon wrapping the outer wrap around the leg in said second circumferential direction to a position where the first and second fastening means overlap.