Flexible anatomical support

Abstract

A flexible support including a body configured to provide anatomical support to a user's appendage, and an insert extending along at least a portion of an edge of the flexible support to reduce irritation and fitment discomfort to the user's appendage from the edge.

1 . A flexible support, comprising:
 a body configured to provide anatomical support to a user's appendage; and   an insert extending along at least a portion of an edge of the flexible support to reduce irritation and fitment discomfort to the user's appendage from the edge.   
     
     
         2 . The flexible support of  claim 1  wherein the flexible support comprises a wrist brace. 
     
     
         3 . The flexible support of  claim 2  wherein the edge of the flexible support comprises a thumbhole. 
     
     
         4 . The flexible support of  claim 3  wherein said at least a portion of the edge of the flexible support comprises a web portion. 
     
     
         5 . The flexible support of  claim 4  wherein the insert has a saddle shape overlaying the web portion. 
     
     
         6 . The flexible support of  claim 3  wherein the insert has a donut shape extending completely around the edge. 
     
     
         7 . The flexible support of  claim 2  wherein the edge of the flexible support comprises a palmer edge. 
     
     
         8 . The flexible support of  claim 7  wherein the insert extends laterally from a thumbhole in the flexible support across the palmer edge. 
     
     
         9 . The flexible support of  claim 1  wherein the insert further extends along at least a portion of a second edge of the flexible support to reduce irritation and fitment discomfort from the second edge to the user's appendage. 
     
     
         10 . The flexible support of  claim 9  wherein the flexible support comprises a wrist brace, the edge of the flexible support comprises a thumbhole, and the second edge of the flexible support comprises a palmer edge. 
     
     
         11 . The flexible support of  claim 1  wherein the insert comprises a cushioning felt. 
     
     
         12 . The flexible support of  claim 1  wherein the insert comprises a lamination of two or more material layers including at least one of a foam layer, a knit, a woven fabric, a non-woven fabric, and a felt material. 
     
     
         13 . The flexible support of  claim 1  wherein the insert contains a filler material. 
     
     
         14 . The flexible support of  claim 13  wherein the filler material includes at least one of a deformable clay-like material, a deformable wax-like material, foam beads, and solid beads. 
     
     
         15 . The flexible support of  claim 1  wherein the insert comprises at least one of a memory foam, a slow recovery foam, and a cold-forming material that conformably shapes due to pressure and time to customize a shape of the insert to the user's anatomy. 
     
     
         16 . The flexible support of  claim 1  wherein the insert includes a perforated pad attached to an interior surface of the support. 
     
     
         17 . A flexible support, comprising:
 a body configured to provide anatomical support to a user's appendage; and   means, extending along at least a portion of an edge of the flexible support, for reducing irritation and fitment discomfort to the user's appendage from the edge.   
     
     
         18 . The flexible support of  claim 17  wherein the flexible support comprises a wrist brace. 
     
     
         19 . The flexible support of  claim 16  wherein the edge of the flexible support comprises a thumbhole. 
     
     
         20 . The flexible support of  claim 19  wherein said at least a portion of the edge of the flexible support comprises a web portion. 
     
     
         21 . The flexible support of  claim 20  wherein the means for reducing irritation and fitment discomfort has a saddle shape overlaying the web portion. 
     
     
         22 . The flexible support of  claim 19  wherein means for reducing irritation and fitment discomfort has a donut shape extending completely around the edge. 
     
     
         23 . The flexible support of  claim 18  wherein the edge of the flexible support comprises a palmer edge. 
     
     
         24 . The flexible support of  claim 23  wherein the means for reducing irritation and fitment discomfort extends laterally from a thumbhole in the flexible support across the palmer edge. 
     
     
         25 . The flexible support of  claim 17  wherein the means for reducing irritation and fitment discomfort further comprises means, extending along at least a portion of a second edge of the flexible support, for reducing irritation and fitment discomfort from the second edge to the user's appendage. 
     
     
         26 . The flexible support of  claim 25  wherein the flexible support comprises a wrist brace, the edge of the flexible support comprises a thumbhole, and the second edge of the flexible support comprises a palmer edge. 
     
     
         27 . The flexible support of  claim 17  wherein the means for reducing irritation and fitment discomfort comprises a cushioning felt. 
     
     
         28 . The flexible support of  claim 17  wherein the means for reducing irritation and fitment discomfort comprises a lamination of two or more material layers including at least one of a foam layer, a knit, a woven fabric, a non-woven fabric, and a felt material. 
     
     
         29 . The flexible support of  claim 17  wherein the means for reducing irritation and fitment discomfort contains a filler material. 
     
     
         30 . The flexible support of  claim 29  wherein the filler material includes at least one of a deformable clay-like material, a deformable wax-like material, foam beads, and solid beads. 
     
     
         31 . The flexible support of  claim 17  wherein the means for reducing irritation and fitment discomfort comprises at least one of a memory foam, a slow recovery foam, and a cold-forming material that conformably shapes due to pressure and time to customize a shape of the means for reducing irritation and fitment discomfort to the user's anatomy. 
     
     
         32 . The flexible support of  claim 17  wherein the means for reducing irritation and fitment discomfort includes a perforated pad attached to an interior surface of the support.