TRAINING ASSIST BRACE

• US 3,805,773 A
• Filed: 01/17/1973
• Issued: 04/23/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Henry Sichau
• Original Assignee: Henry Sichau
• Inventors: Sichau, Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaudet, Richard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yasko, J.
• Application Number:
  US05/324,473
• Time in Patent Office: 461 Days
• Field of Search: 128/80,83,84,85,88,87
• US Class Current: 602/28
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0127 for the feet A61F5/0111 takes precedence

Abstract

A fully adjustable orthopedic training assist brace comprises a relatively rigid foot member having a heel portion and a stirrup connected thereto, an adjustable Velcro closure ankle strap and two crossing adjustable Velcro closure instep straps for securing the foot member to various size feet, and a pair of adjustable length lower leg members pivotally coupled to the stirrup at the ankle and having adjustable Velcro closure calf bands for attachment to the calf. Also provided is a thigh brace including a modified calf member having outwardly flared knee portions extending above the calf bands, a pair of adjustable length thigh members coupled to the knee portion for limited pivotal movement with respect thereto, and having adjustable Velcro closure thigh bands for attachment to the thigh, and a latch sleeve surrounding the joint between the thigh and calf members to lock them against pivotal movement.

Claims

1. An orthopedic training assist brace adjustable readily to fit numerous sizes of feet and legs, said brace comprising a relatively rigid foot member including a flat sole pad for readily receiving thereon the foot of the wearer with or without an associated shoe and a heel portion engaging the heel of the foot and limiting rearward movement thereof with respect to said foot member, adjustable ankle straps connected to said heel portion and two pairs of instep attachment straps connected to said foot member for extending over the foot forwardly of the ankle in a criss-cross pattern to secure the foot to said foot member, a stirrup connected to said foot member and projecting upwardly therefrom adjacent to a side edge thereof, a lower leg member connected to said stirrup for pivotal movement with respect thereto adjacent to the ankle, said lower leg member being provided at the upper end thereof with an elongated slot therethrough, adjustable bias means on said lower leg member to provide dorsoflexion and plantarflexion assistance to the foot of the wearer, a calf member having a plurality of longitudinally aligned spaced-apart holes therethrough, said calf member being disposed in use in overlapping relationship with said lower leg member with slected ones of said holes disposed in alignment with said slot, and fastening means receivable through said aligned holes and slot for adjustably coupliNg said lower leg member to said calf member to vary the combined length of said calf and lower leg members, and adjustable calf attachment means connected to said calf member adjacent to the upper end thereof and extending in use about the calf for securing said calf member thereto.

2. The orthopedic training assist brace set forth in claim 1, and including a pair of said lower leg members respectively disposed along the opposite sides of the leg of the wearer, and a pair of said calf members respectively connected to said leg members, said adjustable calf attachment means comprising a pair of calf bands respectively connected to said calf members and cooperating to surround the calf of the wearer with the free ends of one of said calf bands respectively disposed in overlapping relationship with the free ends of the other of said calf bands, and fastening means for securing together the overlapping ends of said calf bands.

3. An orthopedic training assist brace adjustable readily to fit numerous sizes of feet and legs, said brace comprising a relatively rigid foot member for accommodating a foot thereon and including a heel portion, said heel portion engaging the heel of the foot and limiting rearward movement thereof with respect to said foot member, adjustable foot attachment straps connected to said foot member for extending over the foot forwardly of the ankle to secure the foot to said foot member, a stirrup connected to said foot member and projecting upwardly therefrom adjacent to a side edge thereof, a lower leg member connected to said stirrup for pivotal movement with respect thereto adjacent to the ankle, a calf member having a first abutment surface thereon inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis thereof and being adjustably coupled to said lower leg member adjacent the upper end thereof and generally parallel thereto for varying the combined length of said calf and lower leg members, adjustable calf attachment means connected to said calf member and extending in use about the calf for securing said calf member thereto, a lower thigh member having a second abutment surface thereon inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis thereof and being connected to said calf member for pivotal movement with respect thereto adjacent to the knee, said first and second abutment surfaces being engageable with each other when said calf member and said lower thigh member are disposed substantially parallel to each other in a straight-leg configuration for preventing pivotal movement of said lower thigh member forwardly with respect to said calf member, a sleeve disposed in surrounding relationship with said lower thigh member for sliding movement longitudinally thereof between a latching condition and a relating condition, said sleeve in the latching condition thereof being engageable with the upper end of said calf member along the side edge thereof for preventing pivotal movement of said lower thigh member rearwardly with respect to said calf member thereby to lock said calf member and said lower thigh member in the straight-leg configuration thereof, said sleeve in the releasing condition thereof being out of engagement with said calf member for accommodating pivotal movement of said calf member and said lower thigh member with respect to each other, said lower thigh member having a widened stop portion at the bottom thereof dimensioned to prevent the passage of said sleeve thereover, and a depressable stop member projecting from said lower thigh member adjacent to the lower end of said second abutment surface for yieldably resisting the passage of said sleeve thereover, said sleeve in the latching condition thereof being disposed between said stop member and said widened stop portion and yieldably held in place thereby, said sleeve in the releasing condition thereof being disposed above said stop member and yieldably held out of said latching condition thereby, and two knee straps respectively disposed on said lower thigh member and said calf member immediateLy above and below the knee for strapping across the front of the leg securely to position the knee with respect to said calf member and said lower thigh member, an upper thigh member adjustably coupled to said lower thigh member adjacent to the upper end thereof and generally parallel thereto for varying the combined length of said upper and lower thigh members, and adjustable thigh attachment means connected to said upper thigh member adjacent to the upper end thereof and extending in use about the thigh for securing said upper thigh member thereto.

4. The orthopedic training assist brace set forth in claim 3, and including a pair of said upper thigh members respectively disposed along the upper sides of the thigh, said thigh attachment means comprising a pair of calf bands respectively connected to said upper thigh members and cooperating to surround the thigh with the free ends of one of said thigh bands respectively disposed in overlapping relationship with the free ends of the other of said thigh bands, and fastening means for securing together the overlapping ends of said thigh bands.

5. An orthopedic training assist brace adjustable readily to fit numerous sizes of feet and legs, said brace comprising a relatively rigid foot member for accommodating a foot thereon, adjustable foot attachment means connected to said foot member for securing the foot thereto, a stirrup connected to said foot member and projecting upwardly therefrom adjacent to a side edge thereof, elongated lower leg structure connected to said stirrup for pivotal movement with respect thereto adjacent to the ankle, said lower leg structure having a first abutment surface thereon inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis thereof, elongated upper leg structure connected to said lower leg structure for pivotal movement with respect thereto adjacent to the knee, said upper leg structure having a second abutment surface thereon inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis thereof and engageable with said first abutment surface when said upper and lower leg structures are disposed generally in vertical alignment with each other in a straight-leg configuration for preventing pivotal movement of said lower leg structure forwardly with respect to said upper leg structure, a sleeve carried by said upper leg structure for sliding movement longitudinally thereof between a latching condition and a releasing condition, said sleeve in the latching condition thereof being engageable with the upper end of said lower leg structure for preventing pivotal movement thereof with respect to said upper leg structure thereby to lock said upper and lower leg structures in the straight-leg configuration thereof, said sleeve in the releasing condition thereof being out of engagement with said lower leg structure for accommodating pivotal movement of said upper leg structure and said lower leg structure with respect to each other, said upper leg structure having a widened stop portion at the bottom thereof diminished to prevent the passage of said sleeve thereover, and a depressable stop member projecting from said upper leg structure adjacent to the lower end of said second abutment surface for yieldably resisting the passage of said sleeve thereover, said sleeve in the latching condition thereof being disposed between said stop member and said widened stop portion and yieldably held in place thereby, said sleeve in the releasing condition thereof being disposed above said stop member and yieldably held out of said latching condition thereby, and attachment means connected to said upper and lower leg structures for attachment thereof to the leg.