Support harness

Claim 2

A support harness for firmly and comfortably supporting a child with cerebral palsy and the like against the back of a chair in normal sitting position comprising a back portion having means at shoulder and hip levels for detachably securing said back portion to the back of a chair; padded lateral flaps at opposite sides of said back portion of length and width for wrapping around a child's torso over the sides thereof and overlapping each other over the entire chest and abdomen, said lateral flaps and padding therein having cutouts to fit under the child's armpits for freedom of arm movement; releasable fastener means for securing said flaps in such overlapping relation; a longitudinal flap from the lower end of said back portion of progressively narrowing width to extend forwardly from the back of the chair under the child's hips and to extend upwardly through the child's crotch to overlie said overlapped lateral flaps substantially to the upper edges thereof; and shoulder straps including releasable fastener means to interconnect the upper end of said back portion to the end portion of said longitudinal flap, said lateral flaps and said longitudinal flap when wrapped around a child's trunk as aforesaid forming leg openings at the upper portions of the thighs for freedom of leg movement while the child is retained in normal erect sitting position; the padding in said lateral flaps beginning inwardly of said cutouts in the region of the back portion where the child's back curves away from the back of the chair thus to stiffen, without sacrifice of comfort, the portions of the harness which embrace the sides of the child's trunk.

Claim 3

The support harness of claim 1 wherein said shoulder straps constitute longitudinal extensions from the upper end of said back portion, the end portions of said shoulder straps and the end portion of said longitudinal flap having said releasable fastener means thereon which comprise flexible strips on said shoulder straps and longitudinal flap which when pressed together stick to each other and which are released by pulling said shoulder straps away from said longitudinal flap.

Claim 4

The support harness of claim 1 wherein said longitudinal flap has longitudinal shoulder straps releasably secured to the upper end of said back portion; each shoulder strap having said cooperating releasable fastener means and the upper end of said back portion has loops through which the end portions of said shoulder straps are folded under and secured to said loops by said fastener means.

Claim 5

The support harness of claim 1 wherein each lateral flap has a flexible strap secured thereto and extending beyond its end; and wherein one lateral flap outwardly adjacent the armpit cutout has a slot therethrough to receive the strap of the other flap when wrapped over the chest and abdomen with said strap adapted to extend over the adjacent side of the backrest of a chair, the strap of said one flap adapted to extend over the other side of the backrest, said straps having overlapping portions behind said backrest containing said fastener means to retain said flaps in overlapping relation over the chest and abdomen.

Claim 6

The support harness of claim 1 wherein said back portion has secured thereto a flat rigid back support having loops on opposite sides for belts constituting said means at shoulder and hip levels for detachably securing said back portion to the back of a chair; said back support being of width extending to the armpit cutouts but being secured to said back portion within said cutouts to enable wrapping of said lateral flaps over the portions of the child's back curving away from said back support.

Claim 7

A support harness for firmly and comfortably supporting a child with cerebral palsy and the like against the back of a chair in normal sitting position comprising a back portion having means at shoulder and hip levels for detachably securing said back portion to the back of a chair; padded lateral flaps at opposite sides of said back portion of length and width for wrapping around a child's torso over the sides thereof and overlapping each other over the chest and abdomen, said flaps having cutouts to fit under the child's armpits for freedom of arm movement; releasable fastener means for securing said flaps in such overlapping relation; a longitudinal flap from the lower end of said back portion of progressively narrowing width to extend forwardly from the back of the chair under the child's hips and to extend upwardly through the child's crotch to overlie said overlapped lateral flaps; and shoulder straps including releasable fastener means to interconnect the upper end of said back portion to the end portion of said longitudinal flap, said lateral flaps and said longitudinal flap when wrapped around a child's trunk as aforesaid forming leg openings at the upper portions of the thighs for freedom of leg movement while the child is retained in normal erect sitting position; said back portion having secured thereto a flat rigid back support having loops on opposite sides for belts constituting said means at shoulder and hip levels for detachably securing said back portion to the back of a chair; said back support comprising a pillowcase-like member open at one end for insertion of a board-like member having said loops extending through openings in opposite sides of said pillowcase-like member.

Claim 8

A support harness for firmly and comfortably supporting a child with cerebral palsy and the like against the back of a chair in normal sitting position comprising a back portion having means at shoulder and hip levels for detachably securing said back portion to the back of a chair; padded lateral flaps at opposite sides of said back portion of length and width for wrapping around a child's torso over the sides thereof and overlapping each other over the chest and abdomen, said flaps having cutouts to fit under the child's armpits for freedom of arm movement; releasable fastener means for securing said flaps in such overlapping relation; a longitudinal flap from the lower end of said back portion of progressively narrowing width to extend forwardly from the back of the chair under the child's hips and to extend upwardly through the child's crotch to overlie said overlapped lateral flaps; and shoulder straps including releasable fastener means to interconnect the upper end of said back portion to the end portion of said longitudinal flap, said lateral flaps and said longitudinal flap when wrapped around a child's trunk as aforesaid forming leg openings at the upper portions of the thighs for freedom of leg movement while the child is retained in normal erect sitting position; said back portion having secured thereto a flat rigid back support having loops on opposite sides for belts constituting said means at shoulder and hip levels for detachably securing said back portion to the back of a chair; said back support comprising a pillowcase-like member open at one end for insertion of a board-like member having said loops extending through openings in opposite sides of said pillowcase-like member.

Claim 9

The support harness of claim 6 wherein said board-like member has padding material on its front side and is encased in flexible plastic sheet material.

Claim 10

The support harness of claim 6 wherein said pillowcase-like and board-like members are of width extending to the armpit cutouts with said pillowcase-like member being secured to said back portion within said cutouts to enable wrapping of said lateral flaps over the portions of the child's back curving away from said back support.