Technical Field

The present invention broadly relates to a compression garment for animals including humans. In particular, the invention relates to an adjustable compression garment for clothing one or more body parts of an animal for medical, therapeutic or protective purposes.

Background of the Invention

Animals and humans, particularly those that regularly take part in competitions, sporting or gaming events, are prone to injuries which commonly cause swelling, pain and/or soreness stiffness. It is well recognised that the promotion of blood and oxygen to muscles or muscle groups in limbs is very effective in eliminating or at least ameliorating the aforementioned symptoms.

It is also believed that augmented blood and oxygen supply to muscle groups also reduces delayed onset muscle soreness, retention of fluid and swelling caused by a lack of room for stretching and exercising of, for example, the legs of sporting or equestrian horses which are often kept in a stable when not competing. The symptoms of fluid retention and swelling in the limbs of animals are also commonly caused by travel tiredness, tying up as a result of a build-up of carbohydrates and standing in one spot for long periods of time.

Previous attempts to overcome the above problems include massage therapy and use of compression garments. Massage therapy involves applying pressure on strained or injured areas of the animals thereby enhancing blood and oxygen supply in the relevant muscles or muscle groups. This however has the disadvantage that the strained or injured areas are not persistently treated outside of the therapy sessions. The use of compression garments on injured or vulnerable areas, such as the knees, cannon bones and fetlocks where venous supply is limited, is effective to a certain extent. However, the existing products available in the marketplace have a shortcoming in that they lack effectiveness over the course of the healing process. This is due to the fact that despite their inherent elasticity, the garments are simply incapable of maintaining the same degree of compression on the relevant body part(s) whose shape and size change as the swelling subsides over time.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a compression garment for animals and humans which may ameliorate the foregoing shortcomings and disadvantages or which will at least provide a useful alternative. Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an adjustable compression garment for clothing a body part of an animal, the garment including: a wrap with an opening, the wrap being adapted to detachably cover the body part; first fastening means adapted to facilitate closing up of the opening so as to keep the garment securely in place; and

an extension means having second fastening means engageable with the first fastening means to achieve adjustment of the garment.

Preferably, the first fastening means includes a first member located along a first edge of the wrap and a second member located along a second edge of the wrap.

Preferably, the first and second edges are located at opposing ends of the wrap defining the opening. More preferably, the first member is engageable with the second member.

In one preferred embodiment, the extension means is in the form of a detachable elongate band with third and fourth edges. The extension means may be replaceable with another extension means with a different shape and/or size. The elongate band may substantially be in the shape of a rectangle, hourglass or taper. Optionally, the elongate band may be tailored-made to conform to the shape of one or more swollen areas. More preferably, the second fastening means includes a third member located along the third edge and a fourth member located along the fourth edge of the elongate band. Even more preferably, the third member of the second fastening means is engageable with the first member of first fastening means whilst the fourth member of the second fastening means is engageable with the second member of the first fastening means. As such, the extension means may be incorporated into the wrap forming part of the compression garment by engaging the third member with th first member, and the fourth member with the second member.

In another preferred embodiment, the extension means forms an integral part of the wrap being in the shape of an elongate band having a fifth edge. Preferably, the first and fifth edges are located at opposite ends of the wrap. More preferably, the second fastening means is provided along the fifth edge. Even more preferably, the second fastening means include a fifth member which is engageable with the first member.

Preferably, the fastening means is a zipper. More preferably, each of the first, second, third, fourth and fifth members is a track made up of a plurality of teeth, each of whic combines a hook and a hollow. Even more preferably, a slider with a pull tab is provided and attached to the first member. Most preferably, an additional slider is provided and attached to the fourth member.

Alternatively, the fastening means is a Velcro™. More preferably, each of the first, second, third, fourth and fifth members includes multiple hook or loop fasteners.

Preferably, the compression garment is in the form of a sleeve adapted to wrap around a limb of an animal.

Preferably, the compression garment includes a reinforcing means in the form of an open-ended band disposed substantially perpendicular to the length of the fastening means. More preferably, each of the open ends of the band includes a section of Velcro™. When the open ends are closed, the band is preferred to be configured such that it wraps around an upper end of the sleeve crossing and concealing a portion of the fastening means.

Optionally, the compression garment is in the form of a swaddle adapted to wrap around the torso of an animal.

Preferably, the opening is adapted to correspond to the chest and/or abdomen of the animal. Alternatively, the opening is adapted to correspond to the back of the animal.

The animal may be a horse, greyhound or human.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wrap of an adjustable compression garment for clothing a body part of an animal, the wrap having:

an opening and being adapted to detachably cover the body part; and

first fastening means adapted to facilitate closing up of the opening so as to keep the garment securely in place;

wherein the adjustable compression garment also includes an extension means associated with the warp, the extension means having second fastening means engageable with the first fastening means to achieve adjustment of the garment.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an extension means for an adjustable compression garment for clothing a body part of an animal, the garment including:

a wrap with an opening, the wrap being adapted to detachably cover the body part; and

first fastening means adapted to facilitate closing up of the opening so as to keep the garment securely in place;

wherein the extension means having second fastening means engageable with the first fastening means to achieve adjustment of the garment. Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention may be better understood from the following non-limiting description of a preferred embodiment, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an adjustable compression garment in the form of a sleeve in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the sleeve of Figure 1 incorporating a first embodiment of an elongate band;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the sleeve of Figure 1 incorporating a second embodiment of the elongate band;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the elongate band of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the elongate band of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the elongate band;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the elongate band;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the sleeve of Figure 3 with pockets;

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the sleeve of Figure 3 being in use wrapping around a severely swelling leg of a horse;

Figure 10 is a perspective view of the sleeve of Figure 2 being in use wrapping around a slightly swelling leg of a horse;

Figure 11 is a perspective view of the sleeve of Figure 1 being in use wrapping around a normal leg of a horse;

Figure 12 is a perspective view of a compression garment in the form of a sleeve in another embodiment in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 13a is a perspective view of the compression garment of Figure 12 being in use in one state wrapping around a swelling leg of a horse;

Figure 13b is a perspective view of the compression garment of Figure 12 being in use in another state wrapping around a normal leg of a horse;

Figure 14 is a bottom plan view of a compression garment in the form of a swaddle in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention being worn by a horse;

Figure 15 is a bottom plan view of the swaddle of Figure 14 incorporating an elongate band;

Figure 16 is a bottom plan view of a compression garment in the form of a swaddle in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention being worn by a horse; and

Figure 17 is a perspective view of a compression garment in the form of a swaddle being in use in accordance with yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention being worn by a greyhound.

Detailed Description of the Drawings

It should be noted that the adjustable compression garment of the present invention may be used on various animals including domestic pets such as cats and animals used for practical working purposes, transportation, recreational activities, artistic or cultural exercises and competitive sport such as racing and show horses and

greyhounds. It should also be noted that the adjustable compression garment of the present invention is suitable for humans. In the present specification, different exemplary embodiments of the compression garment of the present invention will be described being worn by animals including a horse and a greyhound. Also, it will be appreciated that the adjustable compression garment of the present invention is designed to cloth one or more body parts of an animal. Once again, for purpose of illustrating how the present invention can be applied, a sleeve and a wrap will be shown and described as examples of the adjustable compression garment.

An adjustable compression garment in the form of a sleeve designed to be wrapped around the leg of a horse is shown in Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 shows sleeve 10 without any extension means whereas Figure 2 shows sleeve 10A with an extension means. The sleeve 10 has a wrap 12 with an opening 14 which is shown in a closed state in Figure 1. In the present embodiment, the wrap 12 is adapted to detachably cover the leg of a horse. The sleeve 10 also has fastening means 16 which facilitates closing up of the opening 14 so as to keep the sleeve 10 securely in place. Referring to Figure 2, the sleeve 10A now includes the extension means which is in the form of a detachable elongate band 18A. The elongate band 18A on its own is shown in Figure 5.

Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 5, the fastening means 16 has a first member 20 located along a first edge 22 of the wrap 12 and a second member 24 located along a second edge 26 of the wrap 12. The first and second edges 22 & 26 are located at opposing ends of the wrap 12 defining the opening 14. As shown in Figure 1, the first member 20 is engaged with the second member 24 without the elongate band 18A.

Turning to Figures 2 and 5, in this preferred embodiment, the extension means being the detachable elongate band 18A has third and fourth edges 28 & 30. The elongate band 18 has second fastening means 36 (see Figure 5) engageable with the first fastening means 16 to achieve adjustment of the garment. The second fastening means 36 has a third member 32 located along the third edge 28 (see Figure 5) and a fourth member 34 located along the fourth edge 30 of the elongate band 18A. As best shown in Figure 2, the third member 32 of the second fastening means 36 is engaged with the first member 20 of first fastening means 16 whilst the fourth member 34 of the second fastening means 36 is engaged with the second member 24 of the first fastening means 16. As such, the elongate band 18A is incorporated into the wrap 12 forming part of the sleeve 10A by engaging the third member 32 with the first member 34, and the fourth member 34 with the second member 24.

Turning now to Figures 3 and 4, another embodiment of the extension means is shown also being in the form of an elongate band 18B. Elongate band 18B has basically the same configuration as elongate band 18A both having tapering edges. The only exception is that elongate band 18B has a broader width. As such, as best shown in Figure 3, it can be included in the sleeve 10B to accommodate a severely swelling leg of a horse.

Referring to Figures 6 and 7, further embodiments of elongate bands 38 & 40 are shown being in the shapes of an hourglass and the letter T, respectively. Again, the shapes of the elongate bands 18C and 18D are configured so as to accommodate different severities of swelling of the limb of a horse. It will be appreciated that the elongate bands 18A, 18B, 18C and 18D, being in different shapes and sizes, are replaceable and interchangeable with one another. It is contemplated that the elongate band of the present invention may take other shapes or sizes to

accommodate different swelling situations. For instance, the elongate band may be tailored-made to conform to the shape of one or more swollen areas. Also, the elongate bands 18A, 18B, 18C and 18D all have a protective cover 38 (see Figure 6 for example) which is provided to conceal the slider 40 (see Figure 6) once it is pulled down to the bottom end after bringing track 42 into engagement with a corresponding track provided on the sleeve 10A for example.

Referring to Figure 8, a yet further embodiment of the sleeve IOC is shown with holding means in the form of pockets 44. These pockets 44 may be provided on any one both the wrap 12 and elongate bands 18A, 18B, 18C or 18D for containing ice blocks for example which can be used to reduce swelling.

Referring to Figure 9, the sleeve 10B (see Figure 3) being wrapped around a severely swollen leg 46 of a horse 48 is shown having elongate band 18B (see Figure 4) being incorporated into wrap 12. It can be seen that the swelling areas include the hock 50 and fetlock 52. The sleeve 10B is such a situation may be left on the leg 46 for 5 to 10 days for example until the swelling subsides. Turning to Figure 10, the sleeve 10B is now replaced by the sleeve 10A (see Figure 2) being wrapped around the same leg 46 of the same horse 48. The sleeve 10A has the same wrap but a different elongate band 18A is used to replace elongate band 18B. As mentioned below, elongate band 18A has a narrower wide and hence the same or a similar level of pressure is maintained by the sleeve 10A on the slightly swollen hock 50 and fetlock 52. As shown in Figure 11, the now recovered leg 46 of the horse 48 is covered by sleeve 10 (see Figure 1) without any elongate band. Considering that the sleeve 10 is made of a compression fabric, the same level of pressure is maintained on the muscles throughout the covered areas of the leg 46 including the hock 50 and fetlock 52 which are now back to their original sizes and shapes.

Referring to Figures 12, yet another embodiment of the compression garment of the present invention is shown also in the form of a sleeve 54 with an extension means which also takes the form of an elongate band 56. However, the elongate band 56 in this embodiment forms an integral part of the wrap 58. The elongate band 56 has a fifth edge 60 which is located opposite edge 62 (which is the counterpart of the first edge 22 of wrap 12 of sleeve 10 shown in Figure 1) of the wrap 58. A fastening means being the fifth member in the form of a zipper track 64 is provided along the fifth edge 60. The sleeve 54 also has the conventional pair of fastening means in the form of zipper tracks 66 & 68 located along the opposing edges 62 & 70 of the wrap 58. As such, the user has the option of engaging track 66 with track 68 to wrap the sleeve 54 around a normal horse leg 72 as shown in Figure 13b or engaging track 66 with track 64 to wrap the sleeve 54 around a swollen horse leg 74.

It should be noted that the fastening means in the exemplary embodiments described herein are zippers comprising tracks. Each of the first, second, third, fourth and fifth members described above is a track made up of a plurality of teeth, each of which combines a hook and a hollow. Also, a slider (for example 40, see Figure 6) with a pull tab 76 is provided and attached to each of the tracks 20 & 34, for example.

As best shown in Figures 3 and 12 for example, the sleeve 10B and 54 of the present invention include a reinforcing means in the form of an open-ended band 78 disposed substantially perpendicular to the length of any of the tracks. Each of the open ends 80 & 82 of the band 78 includes a section 84 & 86 of Velcro™. Once the open ends 80 & 82 are closed, the band 78 becomes capable of wrapping around an upper end of the sleeve 10B, 54 crossing and concealing a portion of the zipper tracks.

Referring now to Figures 14 to 16, the compression garment of the present invention can also be in the form of a swaddle 88 configured to wrap around the torso 90 of a horse 92. As shown in Figure 14, the swaddle 88 without any extension means has fastening means in the form of a zipper with a pair of tracks 94 & 96 running down the middle of the underside of the swaddle 88 covering the chest and abdomen of the horse 92. Turning to Figure 15, the swaddle 88 includes a detachable and replaceable extension means in the form of an elongate band 98 which runs long the middle of the underside of the swaddle 88. The engaging mechanism between the swaddle 88 and elongate band 98 is identical to that of sleeve 10A for example described above.

Referring to Figure 16, another embodiment of the swaddle 88A is shown also having an elongate band 100. However, the elongate band 100 is affixed to the swaddle 88 having a zipper track 102. The engaging and operating mechanisms of swaddle 88 are identical to those of the sleeve 54 shown in Figure 12. As such, the user has the options of engaging the track 94 with track 96 or track 102 as required. It will be appreciated that the compression swaddles 88 & 88A are suitable for covering and supporting the torso of pregnant horses or treating swelling associated with a hernia.

Turning to Figure 17, another embodiment of a compression garment of the present invention is shown being worn by a greyhound. The compression garment is in the form of a swaddle 104 configured to suit the torso and leg of a greyhound 106. The swaddle 104 is joined to an elongate band 108 via fastening means in the form of zippers 110 & 112. It should be noted that in contrary to the exemplary embodiments described above, the elongate band 108 in this embodiment is provided along the back of the greyhound (instead of the chest and abdomen). This is to illustrate that the elongate band may be located at any location of the compression garment as desired.

It will be appreciated that the compression garment of the present invention may be provided in the form of a sleeve, a swaddle or a suit being a combination of a swaddle and one or more sleeves. Regardless of the form, the adjustability of each piece of garment is individually and independently facilitated by the provision of the extension means which comes with additional fastening means. As a result, the user is able to periodically adjust the garment by way of engaging different fastening means as the swelling situation improves in order to maintain the desired degree of compression.

Now that preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in some detail, it will be apparent to a skilled person in the art that the adjustable compression garment of the present invention may offer at least the following advantages:

1. it is capable of applying reasonably consistent compression on one or more changing body parts of an animal throughout a healing process or a pregnancy;

2. it has virtually no side effects in reducing swelling after surgery such as colic surgery or treating swelling associated with a hernia; and

3. it is easy to apply and simple to operate. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention described herein is susceptible to variations and modifications other than those specifically described. For instance, each of the first, second, third, fourth and fifth members may be a Velcro™ with multiple hook or loop fasteners. All such variations and modifications are to be considered within the scope and spirit of the present invention the nature of which is to be determined from the foregoing description.