Ankle brace

Abstract

An ankle brace having a flexible splint that includes a stirrup shape secured to a foot, a middle section formed in a partially helical shape extending from a lateral side of the foot across a dorsum of the foot, and an upper end secured to a leg at a point above the ankle and above a medial side of the foot.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates generally to the field of supports for the human body. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved ankle brace including a novel helical flexible support / splint having enhanced appearance, reduced weight, easier application and removal, and improved performance over the prior art. Background Art

[0002] Ankle braces are used by athletes and other people involved in strenuous physical activity to try to protect the ankle from injury, and also to reduce the worsening of existing injuries. The ankle is one of the most frequently used joints in the body, as it is used in any activity involving walking or running. The ankle is also a common target for injury, as it must withstand relatively high levels of stress. During normal walking, in occupations involving manual labor, and especially during strenuous exercise, the ankle may experience abnormal movements due to rapid changes in direction, fatigue, uneven surfaces, or impacts. These abnormal movements may lead to sprains or more serious injuries, including dislocations, stretching, or tears of the tissues that make up the ankle.

[0003] Many prior art ankle braces for athletic use (e.g., those taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,878,404, 5,814,002, and 7,014,621) combine a flexible sheath or base that wraps around the foot and ankle with a closure system (typically laces that pass through eyelets in the base) for securing the ankle brace to the wearer's foot and ankle. Applying this type of prior art ankle brace typically requires loosening the laces sufficiently to insert the foot into the base, repeatedly tightening the laces, and finally tying the laces. Removal involves reversing the application process. The process of applying and removing this type of prior art ankle brace can be cumbersome and time consuming.

[0004] Furthermore, this type of prior art ankle brace is typically worn under athletic footwear, such as football, basketball, or tennis shoes. The lace closure system and flexible base in this type of prior art ankle brace can be bulky, such that it may not fit comfortably into the user's normal shoe. The material required for the closure system and base can add weight, which slows the athlete down.

[0005] What is needed is an improved ankle brace that avoids or reduces these problems and provides superior performance over the prior art. Summary of the invention

[0006] A first embodiment of the invention is an ankle brace having a splint made of a flexible sheet material and including a partial spiral shape that extends from the lateral plantar of the foot upward and rearward across the instep to a point above the ankle when the ankle brace is worn.

[0007] A second embodiment of the present invention is a splint for use in an ankle brace, wherein the splint is made of a flexible sheet material and includes a partial helical shape that extends from the lateral plantar of the foot upward and rearward across the instep to a point above the ankle when the ankle brace is worn.

[0008] Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] In the attached picture:

[0010] Figure 1R and Figure 1L front perspective views depicting right and left foot versions of an ankle brace according to the present invention as typically applied to a person's foot and ankle, respectively;

[0011] Figure 2R and Figure 2L They are Figure 1R and Figure 1L Lateral (distal) plan view of the ankle brace;

[0012] Figure 3R and Figure 3L They are Figure 1R and Figure 1L Frontal view of the ankle brace;

[0013] Figure 4R and Figure 4L They are Figure 1R and Figure 1L Medial view of the ankle brace;

[0014] Figure 5L and Figure 5R They are Figure 1L and Figure 1R Posterior plane view of the ankle brace;

[0015] Figure 6R and Figure 6L They are Figure 1R and Figure 1L A top plan view of an ankle brace;

[0016] Figure 7R and Figure 7L They are Figure 1L and Figure 1R A bottom plan view of the ankle brace;

[0017] Figure 8R and Figure 8L They are Figure 1R and Figure 1LA front plan view of an ankle brace in isolation and with the fastening straps extended to show detail;

[0018] Figure 9R and Figure 9L They are Figure 1R and Figure 1L A posterior plan view of an ankle brace in isolation and with the fastening straps extended to show detail;

[0019] Figure 10R and Fig.10L front perspective views respectively depicting right and left foot versions of a flexible support for an ankle brace according to the present invention;

[0020] Figure 11R and Fig.11L They are Figure 10R and Fig.10L An outer (distal) plan view of the flexible support;

[0021] Figure 12R and Figure 12L They are Figure 10R and Fig.10L A front plan view of a flexible support;

[0022] Figure 13R and Figure 13L They are Figure 10R and Fig.10L A medial (mesial) plan view of the flexible support;

[0023] Figure 14L and Figure 14R They are Fig.10L and Figure 10R A rear plan view of the flexible support;

[0024] Figure 15R and Figure 15L They are Figure 10R and Fig.10L a top plan view of a flexible support; and

[0025] Figure 16R and Figure 16L They are Figure 10R and Fig.10L A bottom plan view of a flexible support. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] exist Figure 1R / 1L to Figure 7R10R (right foot version) and 10L (left foot version) according to the present invention are shown in various views of FIG. 7L, which are applied around a person's ankle 21. The ankle braces 10R and 10L include flexible bearings / splints 30R (right foot version) and 30L (left foot version), respectively, such as Figure 10R / 10L to Figure 16R / 16L are shown in various views. Ankle brace 10R and Fig.10L The construction and details of the upper belt 60 and the lower belt 50 may be Figure 8R / 8L to Figure 9R This is best shown in / 9L.

[0027] The present invention includes apparatus and methods related to an ankle brace 10R used alone on a right ankle (without an ankle brace 10L on a left ankle), an ankle brace 10L used alone on a left ankle (without an ankle brace 10R on a right ankle), and a combination of an ankle brace 10R on a right ankle and an ankle brace 10L on a left ankle worn as a matching pair. For the sake of brevity, the following detailed description will drop the L and R designations in (left version vs. right version) for both the reference numerals themselves and the index numerals used in the drawings.

[0028] As shown in Figures 1 to 7, the ankle brace 10 is worn by a person around their ankle with the upper strap 60 fastened around the person's calf 20 and the lower strap 50 fastened around the person's foot 22. The person's foot 22 has a dorsum 23 (the top surface of the middle portion of the foot 22 between the toes 29 and the ankle 21) and an arch 24 (the bottom surface of the middle portion of the foot 22 between the toes 29 and the heel 27). The foot 22 has a sole 28, a lateral (distal) portion 25, and a medial (mesial) portion 26.

[0029] Exemplary novel splints / supports 30R (right foot version) and 30L (left foot version) according to the present invention are shown in the various views of Figures 10 to 16 for use in ankle braces 10R and 10L, respectively. The novel flexible splint or support 30 is preferably made as a unitary structure from a single piece of flexible sheet material formed into the shapes disclosed in the drawings and description of the present application.

[0030] The splint 30 is preferably formed of nylon, however other suitable flexible sheet materials such as metal, graphite or carbon fiber or plastic may also be used. To fit people with common sized feet (e.g., men's US shoe sizes 9-11 / women's US shoe sizes 10-12) and ankles, the splint is preferably approximately 1.5" wide and 13" long end to end, with the size appropriately adjusted up or down to fit people of different sizes.

[0031] The splint 30 has an inner face 31, an outer face 32, a lower end 33, and an upper end 39. The splint 30 is shaped with a medial vertical section 34, an arch portion 35, and a lateral vertical section 36, which together form a stirrup shape terminating at the lower end 33. From the lateral vertical section, the splint 30 has an instep portion 37 and a torsion portion 38, which together form a partial spiral extending upwardly and rearwardly across the instep 23 to an upper end 39 of the splint 30 above the medial (mesial) portion 26.

[0032] When applied, the medial vertical section 34 of the splint 30 is adjacent to the medial (mesial) portion 26, the arch portion 35 is adjacent to the arch 24, the lateral vertical section 36 is adjacent to the lateral (distal) portion 25, and the stirrup shape (formed by the medial vertical section 34, the arch portion 35 and the lateral vertical section 36) is fastened to the person's foot 22 using the lower fastening strap 50. Starting from the lateral vertical section 36 adjacent to the lateral (distal) portion 25, the splint 30 has an instep portion 37 and a torsion portion 38, which extend upward and backward to form a partial spiral shape adjacent to the instep 23, which ultimately terminates above the ankle and above the medial (mesial) portion 26 at the upper end 39 that is fastened to the calf 20 using the upper fastening strap 60.

[0033] The cleat 30 has a lower strap fastening slot 40 formed as an aperture between a lower strap fastening slot inner opening 41 on the inner face 31 and a lower strap fastening slot outer opening 42 on the outer face 32, and a lower strap attachment slot 43. The cleat 30 also has an upper strap attachment slot 47 and an upper strap fastening slot 44 formed as an aperture between an upper strap fastening slot inner opening 45 on the inner face 31 and an upper strap fastening slot outer opening 46 on the outer face 32.

[0034] 8-9, the lower strap 50 has an outer face 54 and an inner face 55. The lower strap 50 terminates in a fixed end 51 that is permanently attached to the lower strap attachment slot 43 in the splint 30, such as using an attachment loop 52 formed by stitching 53. In addition to a patch of hook material 57 on the outer face 54 near the loose (fastened) end 58, the outer face 54 carries loop material 56 on its surface.

[0035] 4 , to secure the lower strap 50 around the foot 22, the loose (fastened) end 58 of the lower strap 50 is passed into the inner opening 41 of the lower strap fastening slot 40 and out the outer opening 42 to loop the lower strap 50 back over itself with the hook material patch 57 pressed against the loop material 56 to form a removable attachment.

[0036] As best shown in FIGS. 8-9 , the upper strap 60 has an outer face 64 and an inner face 65. The upper strap 60 terminates in a fixed end 61 that is permanently attached to the upper strap attachment slot 47 in the splint 30, for example, using an attachment loop 62 formed by suture 63. The outer face 64 carries loop material 66 on its surface, except for a patch of hook material 67 near a loose (fastened) end 68 on the outer face 64. The upper strap 60 includes a floating Achilles tendon pad 70 that is loosely connected to the upper strap 60 using a retaining clip 71 that is preferably formed of an elastic material so that the position of the pad 70 can be adjusted by sliding the pad 70 back and forth on the strap 60.

[0037] As perhaps best shown in FIGS. 3-5 , to secure the upper strap 60 over the ankle 21 and around the calf 20 with the Achilles pad 70 properly positioned, the loose (fastened) end 68 of the upper strap 60 is passed into the inner opening 45 of the upper strap fastening slot 44 and out the outer opening 46 to loop the upper strap 60 back over itself with the patch of hook material 67 on the loose (fastened) end pressed against the loop material 66 to form a removable attachment to the brace secured on the wearer.

[0038] Although sutures are mentioned as a preferred method of permanent fastening, for example to form attachment loops 52 and 62, this is not required, and other permanent fastening methods may be used, such as gluing or ultrasonic welding, heat welding, rivets, or other methods. As used in this application and in the claims thereof, the term "permanently attached" means permanently fastened together by any such means, including but not limited to permanently fastening together with sutures or sewing.

[0039] Although apertures or slots in the cleats may be used to receive the fixed ends of the straps, other permanent attachment methods may be used, and the term "slot" as used herein includes any permanent attachment point on the cleats. Although hook-and-loop material is used for removable attachment of the upper and lower straps, other means may be used, such as zippers, buckles, buttons, or closure systems of the type used on sandwich bags.

[0040] The ankle brace 10 of the present invention has several advantages. It has a modern design that is elegant and novel in appearance. It has relatively few parts, which reduces weight and bulk compared to prior art braces. The reduced bulk means that the ankle brace 10 can have a thinner profile (compared to braces using a base that covers most of the foot) and fit better into the athlete's existing shoes. Application requires tightening only two straps, and entry / exit is faster and easier than braces using laces for application. Using the upper strap 60 and the lower strap 50, the flexible splint can be adjustably tightened around the foot and around the ankle area to accommodate different people within a size range, although multiple sizes (SM, MD, LG, XL, etc.) may be required to cover substantially all consumers.

[0041] It is understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments set forth herein as illustrative, but encompasses all such forms thereof falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An ankle brace, comprising: (a) a splint made of a flexible sheet material, the splint having an inner face and an outer face, an upper end and a lower end; (b) an upper fastening strap for removably fastening the upper end of the splint above the ankle and around the person's lower leg; as well as (c) a lower fastening strap for removably fastening the lower end of the splint around the person's foot, the foot having a medial (mesial) portion, a plantar portion, a lateral (distal) portion, and a dorsum of the foot; wherein the lower end of the splint includes a medial vertical section shaped to fit the medial (mesial) portion, a plantar section shaped to fit the sole of the foot, and a medial vertical section shaped to fit the lateral (distal) portion, which together form a stirrup shape; And wherein the splint has a dorsum portion and a torsion portion, the dorsum portion and the torsion portion together forming a partial spiral, the partial spiral extending upward and rearward across the dorsum of the foot to the upper end of the splint above the ankle and above the medial (mesial) portion.

2. The ankle brace according to claim 1, adapted for a left foot, wherein: When viewed from the front, the outer vertical section is on the right side of the cleat and the inner vertical section is on the left side of the cleat.

3. The ankle brace according to claim 1, adapted for a right foot, wherein: When viewed from the front, the outer vertical section is on the left side of the cleat and the inner vertical section is on the right side of the cleat.

4. The ankle brace according to claim 1, wherein: The splint includes a lower strap attachment slot in the instep portion, and the lower fastening strap is permanently attached to the splint using a sewing loop through the lower strap attachment slot.

5. The ankle brace according to claim 4, wherein: The cleat includes a lower strap fastening slot, and the lower fastening strap carries a loop material and carries a hook material.

6. The ankle brace according to claim 1, wherein: The cleat includes an upper strap attachment slot, and the upper fastening strap is permanently attached to the cleat using a sewing loop passing through the upper strap attachment slot.

7. The ankle brace according to claim 6, wherein: The cleat includes an upper strap fastening slot, and the upper fastening strap carries a loop material and carries a hook material.

8. A splint for an ankle brace made of a flexible sheet material, which is generally rectangular in shape, having a length and a width, an inner face and an outer face, an upper end and a lower end; in, said lower end of said splint comprising a lateral vertical section forming a stirrup shape, a sole section and a medial vertical section, wherein said medial vertical section comprises a lower strap fastening slot; wherein the splint includes an instep portion and a torsion portion that together form a partial spiral shape; wherein the instep portion includes a lower strap attachment slot; and Wherein, the upper end of the clamping plate includes an upper strap fastening slot and an upper strap attachment slot.

9. The splint according to claim 8, adapted for a left foot, wherein: When viewed from the front, the outer vertical section is on the right side of the cleat and the inner vertical section is on the left side of the cleat.

10. The splint according to claim 8, adapted for a right foot, wherein: When viewed from the front, the outer vertical section is on the left side of the cleat and the inner vertical section is on the right side of the cleat.

11. The splint according to claim 8, wherein: The width is between 1" and 2", and the length is between 11" and 15".

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