US 6,602,215 B1Granted

Ankle brace with arch sling support

OwnerDouglas H. Richie, Jr.inventor

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Abstract

An ankle brace having a lateral upright limb member and a medial upright limb member to which a footplate/stirrup is pivotably secured. The brace includes a medial sling mechanism including a medial lifting strap secured to the stirrup at the location of the medial arch and arranged to be extended over the wearer's foot for releasable connection to the lateral upright. A lateral sling mechanism is also provided. The lateral sling mechanism includes a lateral lifting strap secured to the stirrup at the location of the lateral arch and slightly posteriorly of the medial sling strap. The lateral lifting strap is arranged to be extended over the wearer's foot to releasable connection to the medial upright. The footplate/stirrup includes a pair or recesses into which portions of respective ones of the lifting straps extend and a cushion pad covering the recesses.

Claims28

Dependent claims

An ankle brace comprising a stirrup, a lateral side limb member, a medial side limb member, and a medial lifting strap, said lateral side limb member being arranged for securement to the lateral side of a wearer's leg, said medial side limb member being arranged for securement to the medial side of the wearer's leg, said stirrup being arranged to receive the foot of the wearer and comprising a bottom plate having heel receiving end, a medial side, a contiguous medial arch area, a lateral side, a contiguous lateral arch area, a lateral sidewall projecting upward from said bottom plate on said lateral side adjacent said heel receiving end, and a medial sidewall projecting upward from said bottom plate on said medial side adjacent said heel receiving end, said lateral sidewall being pivotably connected to said lateral side limb member, said medial sidewall being pivotably connected to said medial side limb member, said medial lifting strap including a first portion secured to said bottom plate at said medial arch area under the tarsal region of the arch of the wearer's foot and projecting upward from said medial side of said bottom plate for extension over the foot of the wearer, said medial lifting strap also including a second portion arranged for releasable securement to said lateral side limb member, whereupon when said second portion of said medial lifting strap is secured to said lateral side limb member said medial lifting strap applies a lifting force to the foot crossing perpendicularly to the axis of rotation of the foot's subtalar joint and the foot's rear foot complex joints.

An ankle brace comprising a stirrup, a lateral side limb member, a medial side limb member, and a lateral lifting strap, said lateral side limb member being arranged for securement to the lateral side of a wearer's leg, said medial side limb member being arranged for securement to the medial side of the wearer's leg, said stirrup being arranged to receive the foot of the wearer and comprising a bottom plate having heel receiving end, a medial side, a contiguous medial arch area, a lateral side, a contiguous lateral arch area, a lateral sidewall projecting upward from said bottom plate on said lateral side adjacent said heel receiving end, and a medial sidewall projecting upward from said bottom plate on said medial side adjacent said heel receiving end, said lateral sidewall being pivotably connected to said lateral side limb member, said medial sidewall being pivotably connected to said medial side limb member, said lateral lifting strap including a first portion secured to said bottom plate at said lateral arch area under the tarsal region of the arch of the wearer's foot and projecting upward from said lateral side of said bottom plate for extension over the foot of the wearer, said lateral lifting strap also including a second portion arranged for releasable securement to said medial side limb member, whereupon when said second portion of said lateral lifting strap is secured to said medial side limb member said lateral lifting strap applies a lifting force to the foot to elevate the lateral arch.

An ankle brace comprising a stirrup, a lateral side limb member, a medial side limb member, a medial lifting strap and a lateral lifting strap, said lateral side limb member being arranged for securement to the lateral side of a wearer's leg, said medial side limb member being arranged for securement to the medial side of the wearer's leg, said stirrup being arranged to receive the foot of the wearer and comprising a bottom plate having heel receiving end, a medial side, a contiguous medial arch area, a lateral side, a contiguous lateral arch area, a lateral sidewall projecting upward from said bottom plate on said lateral side adjacent said heel receiving end, and a medial sidewall projecting upward from said bottom plate on said medial side adjacent said heel receiving end, said lateral sidewall being pivotably connected to said lateral side limb member, said medial sidewall being pivotably connected to said medial side limb member, said medial lifting strap including a first portion secured to said bottom plate at said medial arch area under the tarsal region of the arch of the wearer's foot and projecting upward from said medial side of said bottom plate for extension over the foot of the wearer, said medial lifting strap also including a second portion arranged for releasable securement to said lateral side limb member, whereupon when said second portion of said medial lifting strap is secured to said lateral side limb member said medial lifting strap applies a lifting force to the foot crossing perpendicularly to the axis of rotation of the foot's subtalar joint and the foot's rear foot complex joints, said lateral lifting strap including a first portion secured to said bottom plate at said lateral arch area under the tarsal region of the arch of the wearer's foot and projecting upward from said lateral side of said bottom plate for extension over the foot of the wearer, said lateral lifting strap also including a second portion arranged for releasable securement to said medial side limb member, whereupon when said second portion of said lateral lifting strap is secured to said medial side limb member said lateral lifting strap applies a lifting force to the foot to elevate the lateral arch.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.