Removable, shoe interior ankle brace

• US 5,449,005 A
• Filed: 12/22/1993
• Issued: 09/12/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tony R. Echols
• Original Assignee: Tony R. Echols
• Inventors: Echols, Tony R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Michael A.
• Application Number:
  US08/171,417
• Time in Patent Office: 629 Days
• Field of Search: 128/882, 128/869, 602/23, 602/27, 602/28, 602/62, 602/63, 602/64, 602/65, 602/66, 36/89, 36/88, 36/140
• US Class Current: 128/882
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/20 Ankle-joint supports or holders
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0111 for the feet or ankles

Abstract

A quarter-top to high-top athletic shoe insert including horizontally elongated, generally parallel and panel-like edge upstanding wings having corresponding front and rear ends joined at their rear ends by an integral, curved and edge upstanding bight panel portion with the inner surfaces of the rear ends of the wings and the central portion of the lower margin of the bight panel portion including fluent material filled flexible pads supported therefrom and the outer surfaces of the rear ends of the wings and the outer surface of the bight panel portion above the lower margin thereof provided with thistle-type fastening strips for coacting releasable anchoring to similar opposing thistle-type fastener strips secured to the inner surfaces of the athletic shoe top in which the insert is placed, the insert being constructed of stiff, but somewhat flexive material.

Claims

1. An ankle brace insert for lining a high top or quarter-top shoe and adapted to provide lateral ankle support for a foot in said shoe and to thereby effectively increase resistance of the foot against ligament damage and to increase the stress capacity of the foot to enable greater forces to be exerted thereby when the shoe user is attempting a leap, said insert including horizontally elongated, generally parallel, panel-shaped edge upstanding wings having inner and outer surfaces and corresponding front and rear ends joined at their rear ends by an integral, curved and edge upstanding bight panel portion having inner and outer surfaces and opposite ends coextensive with the rear ends of said wings, said wings and bight panel portion each including upper and lower margins, at least the forward end portions of the upper margins of said wings being lower than the upper margin of said bight panel portion and the lower margin of said bight panel portion being higher than the lower margins of said wings, said insert wings and bight panel portion being constructed of stiff, but somewhat flexive material, at least some of the inner surface portions of said wings and bight panel portion having padding means thereover, said outer surfaces of said wings and bight panel portion including fastening means thereon for releasable securement of said insert within a high-top or quarter-top shoe.

2. The insert of claim 1 wherein the rear portions of the upper margins of said wings are elevated relative to the forward and central portions of said upper margins of said wings.

3. The insert of claim 2 wherein said padding means includes mid-height fluent material filled flexible material packs secured over the inner surfaces of the rear ends of said wings adapted to oppose the malleolus bone areas of a human foot having the heel portion thereof substantially seated against said inner surface of said bight panel portion.

4. The insert of claim 3 wherein said padding means includes a fluent material filled flexible material pad secured over at least the central portion of the lower margin of said bight panel portion.

5. The insert of claim 4 wherein the last mentioned pad also laps beneath said lower margin of said bight panel portion and at least slightly upwardly over said outer surface of said bight panel portion immediately above said lower margin of said bight panel portion.

6. The insert of claim 2 wherein said wings are slightly vertically concavo-convex with said upper and lower margins thereof curved slightly inwardly.

7. The insert of claim 6 wherein said central portions of said upper margins of said wings each include a rounded upwardly opening notch formed therein of a height between 1/3 and 1/2 the height of the corresponding wing forward end and center portion.

8. The insert of claim 1 wherein said fastening means comprises thistle-type fastening strips adapted for releasable anchoring engagement with coacting thistle-type fastening strips anchored within an associated shoe.

9. In combination with a shoe of at least quarter-top height and including an upper incorporating a rear heel portion and opposite side side walls extending forwardly from said heel portion, an insert including horizontally elongated, generally parallel and panel-shaped edge upstanding wings having inner and outer surfaces and corresponding front and rear ends and joined at their rear ends by an integral, curved and edge upstanding bight panel portion having inner and outer surfaces and opposite ends coextensive with the rear ends of said wings, said insert being disposed in said upper with said bight panel portion conforming to and spaced slightly forward of said heel portion and said wings extending along and closely opposing said opposite side walls immediately inward thereof, said wings and bight panel portion each including upper and lower margins, at least the forward end portions of the upper margins of said wings being lower than the upper margin of said bight panel portion and the lower margin of said bight panel portion being higher than the lower margins of said wings, said insert wings and bight panel portion being constructed of stiff, but somewhat flexive material, at least some of the inner surface portions of said wings and bight panel portion having padding means thereover, said outer surfaces of said wings and bight panel portion and the opposing inner surfaces of said opposite side walls and heel portion including coacting fastening means releasably stationarily securing said insert within said upper.

10. The combination of claim 9 wherein said rear portions of the upper margins of said wings are elevated relative to the forward and longitudinal central portions of said upper margins of said wings.

11. The combination of claim 10 wherein said padding means includes mid-height fluent material filled flexible material packs secured over the rear portions of the inner surfaces of said wings adapted to oppose the malleolus bone areas of a human foot disposed in said shoe and having the heel portion thereof substantially seated against said inner surface of said bight panel portion.

12. The insert of claim 11 wherein said padding means includes a fluent material filled flexible material pad secured over at least the central portion of the lower margin of said bight panel portion and lapped beneath said lower margin of said bight panel portion and slightly upwardly over said outer surface of said bight panel portion immediately above said lower margin thereof, whereby the portion of the fluent material filled flexible material pad carried by the lower margin of said bight panel portion will function to pad the opposing heel of a human foot relative to the insert and the inner surface of the heel of said upper relative to said lower margin of said bight panel portion.