The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 21, 1998
Filed:
Jul. 26, 1996
William R Ouellette, Cincinnati, OH (US);
Sandra H Clear, Longwood, FL (US);
Kurt E Holstein, Cincinnati, OH (US);
Elizabeth M Harvey, West Chester, OH (US);
Timothy A Burkett, West Chester, OH (US);
Jean Mallett, Lebanon, OH (US);
The Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, OH (US);
Abstract
A substantially rectangular piece of flexible web having a first end and a second end and an elastic portion therebetween, stretchable along a longitudinal axis of the piece of web. The piece of web has a length great enough to encircle a user's waist such that the first and second ends overlap. The first end has a reclosable fastening system for attaching the first end to the piece of web near the second end in order to hold the piece of web around the user's waist when the piece of web is stretched. The back wrap further comprises a plurality of individual thermal elements embedded in the piece of web. The plurality of thermal elements have a substantially planar diamond-shaped pattern which approximates the shape of erector muscles in the user's back. The pattern has a gap transverse to the longitudinal axis which corresponds to the user's spine. The elastic back wrap may further include an individual thermal element located in the gap of the pattern such that the single thermal element covers the user's sacroiliac at the base of the user's spine. The elastic back wrap has a means for increasing friction between the piece of web and a user's body in order to reduce slippage of the wrap during use. The means for increasing friction may include a foam strip attached transverse to the longitudinal axis of the piece of web on the body-facing side thereof.