Cross References to Related Applications

This application claims the priority of Swiss patent application 01223/16, filed 20.09.2016, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a compression garment, in particular stockings or a bandage, for applying compression to a body part.

Background Art

Compression garments are used to provide a pressure or a compressive force, respectively, to a human body part, especially to a limb such as an arm or a leg for e.g. the treatment of venous diseases and lymphatic disorders. Medical compression garments are elastic or inelastic garments that can, for example, be used to compress a lower leg, an entire leg, an arm, a hand and so on. They can be designed as stockings, socks, panties, arm sleeves, gloves etc.

Many patients do not wear their compression garments due to difficulties in donning the garment and in dosing the compression force. For an easier donning, compression garments comprising hook-and-loop fasteners (known as Velcro) that are wrapped around a patient's body part are used as an alternative. Hook-and-loop fasteners have typically two strips which are mutually attached to be fastened. One component has microscopic hooks which catch the loops of the other component.

Due to the two component fastening system, the hook component can only be attached where a loop component is arranged on the compression garment. To fit the limbs of most patients, many garments have an additional layer on the whole outer surface that is hook compatible. The breathability of the compression garment is considerably reduced due to the loop compatible layer, reducing the comfort to the wearer of the garment accordingly.

Disclosure of the Invention

The object of the present invention is to provide a compression garment with an improved closure system.

In order to meet this object, the invention introduces a compression garment according to the independent claim 1.

The compression garment comprises a spacer fabric part. The spacer fabric part is built so that it has an inner layer and an outer layer which are connected such that a distance between the layers is defined. The inner and outer layer are preferably connected by threads and in particular by spacer yarns. The outer layer is a mesh with openings. Furthermore, the compression garment comprises at least one closing part with at least one macroscopic hook. The at least one closing part is attachable by hooking the at least one macroscopic hook in- to the mesh of the outer layer of the spacer fabric part. Thus, the compression garment, in particular the spacer fabric part and/or the closing parts, can be stretched and the compression garment can be wrapped around the body part and can be fixed by the at least one closing part such that a desired compression force is applied to the body part.

As said, the spacer fabric is a three- dimensional fabric with two knitted layers, the inner layer and the outer layer, which are joined together by spacer yarns.

The preferred yarn types are synthetic such as polyester or polyamide, other yarn types may be used, as well. The spacer fabric is preferably warp-knitted or weft-knitted.

While the inner layer is intended to face the skin, the outer layer has openings to attach to the clos ^¬ ing part by the at least one macroscopic hook. In other words, the openings of the outer layer mesh serve as eyelets for the hooks.

A macroscopic hook is understood to be a hook which is recognized in its functioning as one single hook which can be used to fix the closing part. In other words, the hook is visible as such by the naked eye. In contrast to that, the prior art garment with the hook- and-loop fastener has in fact microscopic hooks and in a macroscopic view it functions like an adhesive tape which can be attached by pressing the hook component to the loop component and not by hooking hooks into openings.

The garment according to the invention has the advantage that the closing part with hooks can be attached everywhere on the spacer fabric part. No additional loop components are required. Furthermore, the open- ings of the spacer fabric part provide a good breathabil- ity even where the hooks are attached.

While lint can be trapped between microscopic hooks and make the hook-and-loop fastener inoperable, this problem does not occur with macroscopic hooks.

In a preferred embodiment the openings may be treated with the thermal process called "heat setting", which gives dimensional stability to the spacer fabrics. This prevents tearing or abrasion of the spacer fabric.

It is further preferred that the openings have a size such that a ball with a diameter of 0.5 mm, in particular 1 mm, in particular 1.5 mm, in particular 2 mm, in particular 2.5 mm, in particular 3 mm passes through such an opening.

Openings with certain diameters have the advantage that the hooks can hook into the openings and do not destroy the spacer fabric by tearing the yarns.

In another preferred embodiment the openings have a size such that only a ball with a diameter of less than 4 mm, in particular less than 3 mm, in particular less than 2 mm, in particular less than 1 mm passes through such an opening.

While the openings should not be too small such that the hooks can be hooked into the openings, the openings should not be too large in order to guarantee a high compression force when the garment is wrapped around the body part.

Furthermore, the inner layer of the spacer fabric part, which faces the skin if donned, has prefera- bly such a high mesh density and the at least one macroscopic hook is preferably shaped such that the hook will not penetrate the inner layer upon hooking the hook to the mesh if the compression garment is donned as intended, so that the inner layer functions as a closed surface thanks to its high mesh density.

This has the advantage that the wearer's skin is protected by the inner layer from being irritated by the hooks because the hooks cannot rub the skin if the body part is moved. Furthermore, the thickness of the whole spacer fabric part protects the skin from being irritated by the hooks.

In a further preferred embodiment the at least one hook is made of metal. Since only a few hooks transmit the forces caused by the stretched garment, the hooks need to have a certain stiffness in order to not deform. As an alternative, hooks made of a plastic mate- rial may be used.

In another preferred embodiment the at least one hook has an L-form such that one L-element is approximately perpendicular to and the other L-element is approximately parallel to the outer layer of the spacer fabric part. Such hooks have already been used as a closure part of bras. Hooks of this shape can be easy to detach and therefore preferred for a garment that is frequently opened.

A further preferred embodiment is a compres- sion garment wherein the at least one hook has a T-form with a T-stem and a T-crossbar such that the T-stem is approximately perpendicular to and the T-crossbar is approximately parallel to the outer layer of the spacer fabric part.

A T-form has the advantage that the closure part cannot easily be pulled out of the spacer fabric part by movements of the body part. Hooks of this shape can be less easy to detach and may be used for garments which are less frequently opened.

Furthermore the at least one hook can have a mushroom-shape with a mushroom-stem and a mushroom head.

In another preferred embodiment the at least one hook has a single part that is set at an acute angle to the outer layer of the spacer fabric part if hooked in. An "acute angle" is less than 90°.

Furthermore the spacer fabric part can fully surround the body part to be compressed. This has the ad- vantage that a homogenous compression can be applied to the whole body part.

Other advantageous embodiments are listed in the dependent claims as well as in the description below.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by describing in de ^¬ tail preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which:

Fig. 1 illustrates an example embodiment of the disclosed compression garment with six closing parts, wherein each closing part comprises two hooks;

Fig. 2a and 2b are detailed views of the spacer fabric part;

Fig. 3a to 3d illustrate four different variants of hooks which are compatible to be attached to the spacer fabric part;

Fig. 4 is a detailed view of an example embodiment, wherein the closing part with the hooks is attached to the spacer fabric part; and

Fig. 5 illustrates an example embodiment of the disclosed invention, wherein the compression garment is donned at the lower leg of the user.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention Fig. 1 illustrates a compression garment which is adapted to be wrapped around a leg and thus is generally of a bandage-like shape. The garment comprises a spacer fabric part 1 which is fully made of spacer fabric. Fig. 1 shows a view directed to the inner layer 2 of the spacer fabric part 1. This inner layer 2 is intended to face the skin of the user if donned. Spacer fabric is a stretchable material which can be stretched such that the leg is compressed by the compression garment if donned. Preferably, the spacer fabric has only little stretchability of less than 10%.

An insert 1' or several inserts 1' may be provided in such a garment which are made of a material different than a spacer fabric and having a greater stretchability than the spacer fabric.

Furthermore, the compression garment of this example embodiment comprises six closing parts 4, wherein each closing part comprises two hooks 5. The closing parts 4 can be made of the same material as the spacer fabric part 1 or in particular they can be made of a more stretchable material. The closing parts 4 have an inner end 41, which is connected to the spacer fabric part 1, and an outer end 42.

The example embodiment may comprise a donning aid. In this case it is a stretchable sleeve 6 with a small compression force, such that it can easily be donned. After having pulled the sleeve over the leg, the user wraps the spacer fabric part 1 around the leg, stretches the spacer fabric part 1 and the closing parts 4 and attaches the closing parts 4 to the outer layer 3 of the spacer fabric part 1 to maintain the stretching and the compression force.

Fig. 2a and 2b illustrate a segment of the spacer fabric part 1 of the compression garment. Fig. 2a shows a view with the outer layer 3 in front and Fig. 2b shows a view with the inner layer 2 in front. The outer layer 3 has a mesh with larger openings 7 than the mesh openings 7' of the inner layer 2. The openings 7 of the outer layer 3 are sized so large that the hooks 5 of the closing part 4 can be hooked into them. The inner layer 2, which is intended to face the skin of the user if donned, is provided with openings sized so small that the hooks 5 cannot pass them. Therefore, the skin is protected from injuries or skin irritations that may otherwise be caused by the hooks 5. The inner layer 2 and the outer layer 3 are joined together by spacer yarns 8.

Fig. 3a to 3d illustrate different types of hooks 5 provided on the closing parts 4. The closing parts 4 can be made of the same material as the spacer fabric part 1 or in particular they can be made of a more stretchable material. Fig. 3a shows a hook 5 which has an L-form. One L-element 51 is approximately perpendicular to and the other L-element 52 is approximately parallel to the outer layer of the spacer fabric part 1 if the closing part 4 is attached to the spacer fabric part 1. In this case the closing part 4 is made of spacer fabric like the spacer fabric part, as an example.

Fig. 3b illustrates a hook 5 with a T-form such that the T-stem 54 is approximately perpendicular to and the T-crossbar 53 is approximately parallel to the outer layer of the spacer fabric if hooked into the mesh of the spacer fabric.

In a further example embodiment the hook 5 has a mushroom-shape with a mushroom-stem 56 and a mushroom-head 55, as shown in Fig. 3c.

Fig. 3d illustrates a very simple hook 5 having one single angled part 57 arranged at the closing part 4.

Fig. 4 shows a detailed view of the compression garment wherein the closing parts 4 are attached to the spacer fabric part 1 by hooking the hooks 5 into the mesh of the outer layer 2 of the spacer fabric part 1. The hook 5 of the closing part 4 has an L-form. It is passed through an opening 7 of the outer layer 3 of the spacer fabric part 1. If the closing part 4 is attached to the spacer fabric part 1, one L-element 51 is arranged perpendicular to the outer layer 3 of the spacer fabric part 1 and the other L-element 52 is arranged in parallel to the outer layer 3 of the spacer fabric part 1. If the compression garment is correctly donned by wrapping the garment around the patient's body part and the closing parts 4 are attached, the spacer fabric part 1 and the closing parts 4 are stretched to compress the body part such that the closing parts 4 are pulled in the direction A. Therefore, the perpendicularly arranged L-element 51 attaches to an edge of the opening 7. The pulling direction A is directed to the opposite side of the outer end 42 of the closing part 4.

Fig. 5 illustrates a compression garment that has been donned at a lower leg of a user. The spacer fab- ric part 1 fully surrounds the body part to be compressed. The closing parts 4 are attached to the spacer fabric part 1 by hooking the hooks 5 into the mesh of the outer layer 3. This Figure shows the garment to close on the medial side of the leg but of course the garment can be arranged as well to be suitable to close on the lateral side of the leg.

The compression garment can be taken off by pulling the closing parts 4 in the direction shown by the arrow B until the hooks 5 can be pulled out through the openings of the outer layer 3.

Thus a compression garment comprises a spacer fabric part 1 with an inner layer 2 and an outer layer 3. The compression garment further comprises a closing part 4 with at least one macroscopic hook 5. If a user dons the compression garment, the spacer fabric part 1 and the closing parts 4 have to be stretched to generate the compression force and the stretched spacer fabric part 1 is fixed by attaching the closing part 4 to the spacer fabric part 1 by hooking the macroscopic hook 5 into an opening 7 of the mesh of the outer layer 3 of the spacer fabric part 1.