Ankle Brace Pivot Leg Design for Malleolus Protrusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional ankle braces cause irritation due to the location of hinges or rivets near the ankle bones, and existing separable hinge designs are bulky and uncomfortable, failing to adequately accommodate the protruding malleolus bones while allowing for necessary mobility and exercise after an ankle injury.
Innovation Solution
An ankle brace design featuring a stirrup with pivot legs that are releasably and rotatably connected, allowing the malleolus bones to protrude through circular openings, reducing contact with the hinge surface and minimizing bulkiness, enabling forward and backward flexion while limiting lateral movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a hinge or rivet is located adjacent the ankle bone to provide structural connection, then the brace can control ankle movement, but it causes pressure, rubbing and irritation of the protruding ankle bones
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the traditional hinge or rivet connection point from the ankle bone area and relocates it to the heel counter and vamp portions. This extraction eliminates the source of irritation (hinge/rivet contact) while preserving the structural connection function through alternative attachment points that do not directly contact the sensitive malleolus bones.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces the heel counter and vamp as intermediary structures that provide structural support and connection without direct contact with the ankle bones. These intermediaries transfer the mechanical connection function away from the sensitive area, allowing the brace to maintain structural integrity while avoiding irritation of the protruding malleolus.
2Ease of manufacture
If a separable hinge design is used to allow removal of the upper portion, then manufacturing becomes easier and storage is improved, but the hinge surface rotates about the ankle bone causing irritation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the rotational hinge mechanism from the ankle bone area and relocates the separable connection to the heel counter and vamp. This allows the upper portion to be removed for storage while eliminating the rotating hinge surface that caused irritation. The separable connection now occurs away from the sensitive ankle bone area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the location of the separable connection from the traditional hinge position at the ankle to a different spatial dimension at the heel counter and vamp. This dimensional relocation maintains the separability function while removing the harmful rotational contact with the ankle bones.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a circular hinge with large openings is used to accommodate the malleolus, then irritation is reduced, but the device becomes bulky and non-separable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the large circular hinge structure from the design and replaces it with a separable connection system at the heel counter and vamp. This eliminates the bulkiness associated with large hinge openings while maintaining the benefit of reduced ankle bone irritation through the alternative connection location.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the brace into separable upper and lower portions connected through the heel counter and vamp, replacing the monolithic circular hinge design. This segmentation reduces bulkiness by allowing compact storage of the upper portion while maintaining the protective function during use.
Data Source
AI summary
An ankle brace has a stirrup with a flat bottom portion and a first and second upright leg. Each of the first and second upright legs has an upper end and a lower end, the upper end having a circular opening therethrough and the lower end attached to the flat bottom portion. First and second pivot legs, each having a circular opening therethrough, are releasably and rotatably connected to the first and second upright legs respectively. When connected, the circular openings in the pivot legs overlap the respective circular openings in the upright legs, and each pivot leg is rotatable about an axis through and perpendicular to the pivot leg circular opening. The circular openings in the first and second upright legs are positioned and sufficiently large to allow at least a portion of the malleolus bone of an ankle to protrude therethrough.