Back brace with automatic sensing and adjustment
An improved back brace apparatus employs sensors to automatically change the support provided to the back of a human torso. The sensors can detect the user changing position from a standing position to a bending position and the back brace apparatus automatically responds by increasing the support provided to the back of the user's torso. As the user returns to a standing position, the sensors detect the change and the back brace responds by automatically reducing the support provided to the back of the user's torso.
1. A back brace apparatus fittable to a human torso, the back brace apparatus comprising:
a belt configured to be worn around a waist of the human torso;
a bending sensor comprising an elongated tab disposed on a front portion of the belt and adapted to be vertically aligned with the human torso and configured to detect a change event of the human torso by being deflected by a stomach portion of the torso;
a back brace adjustment system capable of changing a state of the back brace apparatus between a tensioned state when the torso is in a bending position and a relaxed state when the torso is in a standing position; and
a controller configured to control the back brace adjustment system to change the state of the back brace apparatus in response the sensor detecting the change event;
wherein the elongated tab is formed in a U-shape having a first portion disposed on an interior surface of the front portion of the belt, a second portion disposed on an exterior surface of the front portion of the belt and a U-shaped portion formed over a top edge of the belt connecting the first portion and the second portion.
2. The back brace apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein the back brace adjustment system includes a cable and pulley mechanism coupled to a tensioning device.
3. The back brace apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein the sensor is configured to detect an angle of an upper portion of the human torso relative to a lower portion of the human torso.
4. The back brace apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein the sensor comprises a strain gauge.
5. The back brace apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein the sensor comprises a potentiometer.