Ankle joint protector and its adjusting mechanism, orthopedic shoe
By introducing a knob and adjustment rope into the ankle brace, the ankle joint correction and adjustment structure utilizes the three-point mechanical principle to solve the problem that existing ankle braces cannot fit snugly, achieving better correction effect and ankle support, and enhancing the rehabilitation effect of orthotic shoes.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- 内蒙古自治区民政社会事务服务中心(内蒙古自治区康复辅助器具中心)
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-18
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-19
AI Technical Summary
Existing ankle braces cannot provide a more secure fit within the shoe to the user's foot, instep, and ankle joint during the support adjustment process, resulting in poor corrective and adjustment effects.
An ankle brace adjustment mechanism is adopted, including a knob and an ankle joint correction adjustment structure. Utilizing the three-point mechanical principle, the adjustment rope is driven by the knob to tighten or loosen the ankle brace, and the ankle joint is stably supported by three fixed points in different directions.
It improves the corrective effect of orthotic shoes, avoids the adverse effects caused by loose shoe openings, enhances the support and balance of the ankle joint, and improves the rehabilitation effect.
Smart Images
Figure CN224370065U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of medical devices, and in particular to an ankle brace and its adjustment mechanism, and an orthotic shoe. Background Technology
[0002] Ankle braces are foot orthotic intervention devices used for congenital disorders such as inversion, eversion, flat feet, clubfoot, and cerebral palsy, as well as ankle joint lesions caused by trauma, degeneration, and postoperative ankle joint surgery. In the process of rehabilitation and correction for patients, ankle braces are key to ensuring the stability of the ankle joint and promoting the recovery of joint function.
[0003] However, although ankle braces can adjust the biomechanics of the foot, improve the patient's standing posture, correct functional deformities of the foot, and prevent deformities, some existing ankle braces often cannot adapt well to the differences in the size and shape of different individuals' ankles, resulting in poor fixation and thus affecting the rehabilitation effect. Therefore, ankle braces need to be equipped with adjustment mechanisms to fine-tune the braces, so as to ensure that the ankle braces can provide stable support and tight wrapping for each patient's foot, so as to achieve the best corrective rehabilitation effect.
[0004] Ankle braces can be used alone or in conjunction with orthotic shoes. By incorporating ankle braces into orthotic shoes, the corrective devices (such as bionic splints) within the ankle braces individually clamp the ankle and foot, thereby altering the force on the sole of the foot, comprehensively adjusting the body's biomechanical state, forcing the body's center of gravity to shift backward, reducing the function of the body's support surface, thus improving the patient's standing ability, correcting functional deformities of the foot, and preventing deformities.
[0005] For individuals wearing ankle braces and orthotic shoes, during daily use, especially after wearing them for a period of time, loosening and gaps often occur at the shoe opening and ankle joint. The shoe upper does not fit snugly around the foot and ankle, reducing the support of the ankle joint. Walking and standing are prone to wobbling, which affects the corrective effect of the orthotic shoes and prolongs the correction and rehabilitation time for deformed feet. Moreover, loosening often occurs at the shoe opening, ankle joint, forefoot, heel and the contact points with the shoe. The adjustment mechanism of existing ankle braces mostly uses the BOA lacing system to adjust the tightness of the splints on both sides of the joint, such as the technical solution proposed in Chinese Patent CN217723845U. Such adjustment cannot well meet the "three-point force" of the foot (the "three-point force principle" refers to the force on three points in the same plane but not in the same straight line, where the force direction of one point is opposite to that of the other two points. According to the action and reaction forces, the law of force decomposition, and the lever balance principle, the interaction of the three-point forces produces a corrective effect). It cannot make the space inside the shoe fit more tightly against the user's foot, ankle, instep, and ankle joint, resulting in poor corrective adjustment effect. Utility Model Content
[0006] This application proposes an ankle brace and its adjustment mechanism, as well as an orthotic shoe, aiming to solve the technical problems existing in the prior art, such as the inability of the ankle brace to fit more tightly into the user's foot, ankle, and other parts during the support adjustment process, resulting in poor correction and adjustment effects.
[0007] The technical solution adopted by the utility model is: an adjustment mechanism for an ankle brace, which includes a knob disposed on the ankle brace and a pair of ankle joint correction and adjustment structures connected to the knob. The ankle joint correction and adjustment structure includes: an adjustment rope, the two ends of which are connected to the knob; a fixing block, which is disposed at the corresponding ankle joint position; a first support member and a second support member, wherein the fixing block, the first support member and the second support member are randomly distributed below and on both sides of the fixing block, and the adjustment rope is movably connected to the fixing block, the first support member and the second support member so that the adjustment rope can be driven by the knob to tighten or loosen the ankle brace.
[0008] Furthermore, the knob is a BOA knob.
[0009] Furthermore, the ankle brace includes an orthosis comprising a bionic splint for clamping the ankle and foot, the bionic splint having a tension adjustment port, the knob being located at the tension adjustment port, and the ankle joint correction adjustment structure being located on the outside of the bionic splint.
[0010] Furthermore, the fixing block is provided with a first through hole, a second through hole, and a third through hole. The adjusting rope passes through the first through hole and connects to the knob and the second support member. The adjusting rope passes through the second through hole and connects to the second support member and the first support member. The adjusting rope passes through the third through hole and connects to the first support member and the knob.
[0011] An ankle brace including the aforementioned adjustment mechanism.
[0012] An orthotic shoe including the aforementioned adjustment mechanism.
[0013] Furthermore, the orthopedic shoe includes a sole, a shoe body, an upper, a tongue, and an ankle brace placed inside the shoe. The knob is located on the tongue, the fixing block is located on the outside of the shoe body, the first support member is located on the outside of the shoe body near the sole, and the second support member is located on the outside of the shoe body near the heel.
[0014] Furthermore, the outer side of the shoe tongue is also equipped with a Velcro closure.
[0015] Furthermore, the sole includes, from bottom to top, an anti-slip sole, a midsole, a heel shock-absorbing pad, a shock-absorbing midsole, and an orthotic insole; the orthotic shoe also includes a heel counter at the front and a heel counter at the rear.
[0016] Furthermore, the knob, the first support member, and the second support member are evenly distributed in three angular directions around the fixed block with the fixed block as the center point.
[0017] Compared with existing technologies, this invention is based on the ankle joint as the center point. According to the principle of three-point mechanics—that is, three points on the same plane but not on the same straight line, where the force at one point is opposite to the force at the other two points—the interaction of these three forces generates a corrective effect based on the law of action and reaction, the law of force decomposition, and the principle of lever balance. The ankle joint fixing and adjusting strap utilizes three fixed points, based on three different directions centered on the ankle joint: the front of the shoe opening, the heel, and the rear of the arch. These three points can simultaneously act on the ankle-foot wrapping part of the orthotic shoe, allowing the shoe to fit more snugly against the user's foot, instep, and ankle joint. The "three-point force" generates three-dimensional spatial pressure, which is beneficial for improving the orthotic effect. Moreover, it is very convenient to use and can be operated with one hand. By adopting the above technical solution, the adverse effects of loose shoe openings on orthotic rehabilitation are avoided. Furthermore, the shoe's conformability is improved, the heel base is stabilized, and the ankle joint's support and balance are enhanced, contributing significantly to the rehabilitation effect of orthotic shoes. Attached Figure Description
[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0019] Figure 1 This is a side view of the orthotic shoe in this utility model.
[0020] Figure 2 This is an exploded structural diagram of the orthopedic shoe in this utility model;
[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the front structure of the orthopedic shoe in this utility model;
[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the back structure of the orthopedic shoe in this utility model;
[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the adjustment function of the adjustment mechanism of the ankle brace in this utility model;
[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the force exerted on the ankle and foot area in this utility model.
[0025] 1. Knob; 2. Adjustment cord; 3. Second support component; 4. Shoe opening; 5. Shoe body; 6. Fixing block; 61. First opening; 62. Second opening; 63. Third opening; 7. Ankle brace; 8. Heel; 9. First support component; 10. Front fixing strap; 11. Ankle joint area; 12. Velcro closure; 13. Heel; 14. Forefoot heel counter; 15. Midsole; 16. Non-slip outsole; 17. Orthopedic insole; 18. Shock-absorbing midsole; 19. Heel shock-absorbing pad. Detailed Implementation
[0026] To make the technical problems, technical solutions, and beneficial effects of this utility model clearer, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present utility model and are not intended to limit the present utility model.
[0027] This utility model provides an adjustment mechanism for an ankle brace, which, in conjunction with the attached... Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the orthotic shoe containing the adjustment mechanism and ankle brace 7 is introduced as the main body. The adjustment mechanism includes a knob 1 and an ankle joint correction adjustment structure. The knob 1 is located on the tongue of the orthotic shoe. An ankle joint correction adjustment structure is set on each of the left and right sides of the ankle brace 7 of the orthotic shoe. Each ankle joint correction adjustment structure includes an adjustment rope 2, a fixing block 6, a first support 9 and a second support 3. The ankle brace 7 is built into the orthotic shoe to wrap the ankle area. The tightness of the ankle brace 7 is adjusted by pulling the adjustment rope 2 through the knob 1.
[0028] The knob 1 is fixed to the outer side of the upper end of the shoe tongue, and the adjustment rope 2 is wrapped around both sides of the ankle brace 7. The knob 1, the first support 9, and the second support 3 are evenly distributed in three angular directions around the fixing block 6 with the fixing block 6 as the center point. The fixing block 6 is located at the corresponding ankle joint. The first support 9 is located below the fixing block 6 (ankle joint 11), and the second support 3 is located on the side of the fixing block 6 near the heel. The two ends of the adjustment rope 2 pass through the front fixing strap 10 (for limiting function) and are connected to the knob 1. The adjustment rope 2 can movably connect the fixing block 6, the first support 9, and the second support 3 to form a triangular tension balance angle. When wearing the brace, only the knob 1 needs to be adjusted to tighten or loosen the ankle brace 7 by driving the adjustment rope 2. The adjustable tightness allows for a controlled, flexible fit around the ankle joint, with adjustable pressure and comfort. Its function is to stabilize the ankle and foot, ensuring the heel, arch, and instep are firmly attached to the inside of the built-in ankle brace 7. This prevents the ankle joint from shifting due to a loose fit at the shoe opening 4, which would reduce support and negatively impact the orthopedic effect. It effectively improves the support and balance of the ankle joint, complementing the orthopedic intervention. This appropriate tightness is crucial for the fixation strap to achieve its optimal effect; it ensures that the strap is neither too loose (loss of fixation and support) nor too tight (pressure on blood circulation or tissues around the ankle). This adjustable structure is suitable for various orthopedic shoes, enabling the prevention and correction of foot deformities.
[0029] In addition to the above-described embodiments, the positions of the knob 1, the first support member 9, and the second support member 3 can be interchanged. It is sufficient to arrange the knob 1, the first support member 9, and the second support member 3 at three positions on the fixing block 6, for example, the knob 1 can be placed below the fixing block 6 or at the heel.
[0030] Preferably, the knob 1 is a BOA knob 1. The BOA knob 1 is existing technology and will not be described in detail here. Only its necessary structure is described functionally. The BOA knob 1 includes a base, a winding wheel, and a rotating button. The base is fixed to the shoe tongue, the winding wheel is installed on the base, and both ends of the adjusting rope 2 are fixed to the winding wheel. The adjusting rope 2 is made of steel wire coated with plastic. The adjusting rope 2 is adjusted to facilitate the operation of the winding wheel. Press the rotating button and rotate the rotating button clockwise to adjust to the required tightness. When disassembling, pull out the rotating button and pull out the adjusting rope 2 to easily remove the ankle brace.
[0031] Preferably, the ankle brace 7 includes an orthosis, which includes a bionic splint for holding the ankle and foot. The bionic splint has a tension adjustment port at the instep, and a knob 1 is located at the tension adjustment port. Ankle correction adjustment structures are respectively located on both sides of the bionic splint.
[0032] Furthermore, the fixing block 6 is provided with a first through-hole 61, a second through-hole 62 and a third through-hole 63. The adjusting rope 2 passes through the first through-hole 61 and connects to the knob 1 and the second support member 3. The adjusting rope 2 passes through the second through-hole 62 and connects to the second support member 3 and the first support member 9. The adjusting rope 2 passes through the third through-hole 63 and connects to the first support member 9 and the knob 1. The first through-hole 61, the second through-hole 62, the third through-hole 63, the second support member 3 and the first support member 9 are all made of wear-resistant nylon tape and are sewn and fixed in the corresponding positions to reduce wear from the adjusting rope 2. The fixing member is made of tensile-resistant leather material.
[0033] This utility model also discloses an orthotic shoe with an adjustment mechanism for the aforementioned ankle brace 7, combined with the attached... Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the orthopedic shoe includes a shoe opening 4, a sole, a shoe body 5, an upper, a shoe tongue, and an ankle brace 7 placed inside the shoe. A knob 1 is located on the shoe tongue, a fixing block 6 is located on the outside of the shoe body 5, a first support member 9 is located on the outside of the shoe body 5 near the sole, and a second support member 3 is located on the outside of the shoe body 5 near the heel. A Velcro closure 12 is also provided on the outside of the shoe tongue to fix the instep position.
[0034] The sole includes, from bottom to top, an anti-slip sole 16, a midsole 15, a heel shock-absorbing pad 8, a shock-absorbing midsole 18, and an orthotic insole 17. The orthotic shoe also includes a heel counter at the front and a heel counter 13 at the rear.
[0035] Combined with appendix Figure 5 , 6 As shown, this utility model is based on the ankle joint as the center point. According to the principle of three-point mechanics—that is, three points on the same plane but not on the same straight line, where the force direction of one point is opposite to that of the other two—the interaction of the three forces produces a corrective effect based on the law of action and reaction, the law of force decomposition, and the principle of lever balance. The ankle joint fixing and adjusting strap utilizes three fixed points in three different directions: the front of the shoe opening 4, the heel, and the rear of the arch, with the ankle joint 11 as the center point. These three points can simultaneously act on the ankle-foot wrapping part of the orthotic shoe, allowing the shoe to fit more tightly against the user's foot, instep, and ankle joint. The "three-point force" generates three-dimensional spatial pressure, which is beneficial for improving the orthotic effect. Moreover, it is very convenient to use and can be operated with one hand. By adopting the above technical solution, the adverse effects on orthotic rehabilitation caused by loosening of the shoe opening 4 are avoided. Furthermore, the shoe's adaptability is improved, the heel 8 is stabilized, and the ankle joint's support and balance are enhanced, which is of key significance in improving the rehabilitation effect of the orthotic shoe.
[0036] Before using the orthotic shoe with the added ankle joint fixation strap, it is necessary to select the appropriate size, firmly push the foot forward, and leave about one finger's width of space at the heel. For special foot orthoses, the ankle joint brace 7 (orthosis), corrective insole, etc., should be installed inside the shoe before trying it on; ensure that the fixing block 6 fits well and securely against the ankle joint. Then, slowly tighten the knob 1. During the fixation process, continuously ask the patient about their feelings, and finely adjust the tightness of the fixing block 6 by observing the fit between the fixation strap and the ankle joint, changes in the patient's skin color (to determine if blood circulation is affected), and the patient's feedback on the tightness, until the appropriate tightness is achieved. During rehabilitation training, when the patient performs rehabilitation exercises such as ankle flexion and extension, inversion and eversion, the tightness and comfort of the ankle joint fixation strap should be constantly monitored. Technical guidance or rehabilitation coaches can provide personalized guidance according to the individual patient's situation. If abnormalities occur in walking posture, gait, etc., training should be stopped immediately to ensure the safety and effectiveness of rehabilitation training.
[0037] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present utility model should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.
Claims
1. An adjustment mechanism for an ankle brace, characterized in that, The ankle brace includes a knob on the ankle joint brace and a pair of ankle joint correction and adjustment structures connected to the knob. The ankle joint correction and adjustment structures include: an adjustment rope with both ends connected to the knob; a fixing block located at the corresponding ankle joint position; a first support member and a second support member, wherein the fixing block, the first support member and the second support member are randomly distributed below and on both sides of the fixing block, and the adjustment rope is movably connected to the fixing block, the first support member and the second support member so that the adjustment rope can be driven by the knob to tighten or loosen the ankle brace.
2. The adjusting mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The knob is a BOA knob.
3. The adjusting mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ankle brace includes an orthosis comprising a bionic splint for holding the ankle and foot, the bionic splint having a tension adjustment port, a knob located at the tension adjustment port, and an ankle joint correction adjustment structure located on the outside of the bionic splint.
4. The adjusting mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fixing block is provided with a first through hole, a second through hole and a third through hole. The adjusting rope passes through the first through hole and connects to the knob and the second support member. The adjusting rope passes through the second through hole and connects to the second support member and the first support member. The adjusting rope passes through the third through hole and connects to the first support member and the knob.
5. An ankle brace comprising an adjustment mechanism as described in any one of claims 1 to 4.
6. An orthotic shoe comprising an adjustment mechanism as described in any one of claims 1 to 4.
7. The orthotic shoe according to claim 6, characterized in that, The orthopedic shoe includes a sole, a shoe body, an upper, a tongue, and an ankle brace placed inside the shoe. The knob is located on the tongue, the fixing block is located on the outside of the shoe body, the first support member is located on the outside of the shoe body near the sole, and the second support member is located on the outside of the shoe body near the heel.
8. The orthotic shoe according to claim 7, characterized in that, The outer side of the shoe tongue is also equipped with a Velcro closure.
9. The orthotic shoe according to claim 7, characterized in that, The sole includes, from bottom to top, an anti-slip sole, a midsole, a heel shock-absorbing pad, a shock-absorbing midsole, and an orthotic insole; the orthotic shoe also includes a heel counter at the front and a heel counter at the rear.
10. The orthotic shoe according to claim 7, characterized in that, The knob, the first support member, and the second support member are evenly distributed in three angular directions of the fixed block with the fixed block as the center point.