External Ankle Brace With Pivotable Uprights for Shoe Fit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ankle braces either lack sufficient support or require users to change shoe sizes, compromising fit and increasing injury risk.
Innovation Solution
An external ankle brace that fits around the shoe, providing rigid support with adjustable straps and pivotable upright extensions to restrict or permit ankle movement, allowing for a secure fit without altering shoe size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If rigid uprights braces are used to provide strong ankle support, then the support strength is improved, but the device becomes much heavier and larger, requiring users to move up a shoe size which compromises shoe fit
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions the brace from an internal configuration (inside the shoe) to an external configuration (outside the shoe). The rigid heel enclosure and upright extensions are positioned externally, allowing the brace to provide strong support without occupying space inside the shoe that would compromise fit. This dimensional change resolves the contradiction by maintaining strength while eliminating the need to increase shoe size.
Solution Approach 2:
The brace is divided into distinct functional components: a rigid heel enclosure for structural support, upright extensions for lateral/medial support, and separate fastening systems for securing. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while keeping the overall device compact and externally mounted, avoiding the need for increased shoe size.
2Weight of stationary object
If woven fabric braces are used to provide ankle support, then the device remains lightweight and compact, but the material lacks sufficient resistance to prevent the ankle from rolling under intense forces
Solution Approach 1:
The invention combines rigid materials (for the heel enclosure and upright extensions) with flexible materials (for the fastening straps and comfort padding). This composite construction provides the necessary structural strength to prevent ankle rolling while maintaining a lightweight design. The rigid components provide force resistance, while the flexible components provide comfort and adjustability.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the brace have different material properties optimized for their specific functions: rigid plastic or composite materials in the heel enclosure and upright extensions for structural support, while flexible straps and padded surfaces provide comfort and adjustability. This local differentiation of material quality achieves both strength and light weight.
3Device complexity
If fabric braces are worn within the shoe to provide support, then the device remains compact, but the shoe fit becomes tighter or requires moving up a shoe size, compromising the intended use and purpose of the shoe
Solution Approach 1:
The invention relocates the brace from the internal dimension (inside the shoe) to the external dimension (outside the shoe). This allows the brace to be compact without affecting the interior shoe space, thereby maintaining proper shoe fit and comfort while providing the necessary ankle support.
4Strength
If the upright extensions are fixed to prevent any pivoting, then the ankle support strength is improved, but the device complexity increases and adjustability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The upright extensions are designed with selective pivotability - they can pivot in certain directions to accommodate natural ankle movement while being prevented from pivoting in harmful directions (inversion/eversion). This dynamic design provides strength where needed while maintaining adjustability and reducing complexity compared to completely fixed structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The pivot prevention features are pre-configured in the upright extensions to automatically prevent harmful pivoting motions without requiring additional complex mechanisms or user adjustment. This preliminary design approach provides the necessary restraint while keeping the device simple and easy to use.
Data Source
AI summary
An external ankle brace for restricting movement of an ankle in a first direction and permitting movement of the ankle in a second direction includes a rigid heel enclosure having a rear portion and a forward portion. A lateral upright extension is perpendicular to the rigid heel enclosure and is attached to the lateral sidewall. A medial upright extension is perpendicular to the rigid heel enclosure and is attached to the medial sidewall. At least a chosen one of the lateral and medial upright extensions is selectively pivotally attached to a corresponding lateral or medial sidewall and includes a pivot prevention feature configured to selectively prevent pivoting of the chosen one of the lateral and medial upright extensions with respect to the corresponding lateral or medial sidewall.