Ankle brace with adjustable heel strap

• US 5,951,504 A
• Filed: 02/10/1998
• Issued: 09/14/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ossur hf
• Original Assignee: Royce Medical Products, Co.
• Inventors: Skahan, Michael, Arnold, William K., Johnson, Eric E., Grim, Tracy E., Iglesias, Joseph M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Apley, Richard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEWIS, KIM M
• Application Number:
  US09/021,497
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• Field of Search: 602/5, 602/23, 602/27-29, 602/16
• US Class Current: 602/27
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0111 for the feet or ankles
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/012 inflatable

Abstract

An improved ankle brace that is easily adjustable for improved comfort and use. The ankle brace includes a pair of relatively rigid side supports to fit about a lower leg of a patient, and the lower area of the side supports may be adapted to position an assembly of heel straps. The assembly may include at least two straps, which are coupled at the ends and adapted to adjust the effective length of the assembly, so that it may be accommodated for different heel widths of different patients. Alternatively, the assembly may include three pieces, an intermediary member for linking the other two straps. The assembly may be attached to the side supports through a pin mechanism that may be either capped (as by heat staking) or welded at the end to hold it in position. Alternatively, a cap with protruding plastic pin may be molded directly onto the strap, effectively making them one piece to be assembled as such. Also, the assembly is preferably made of flexible resilient material so that it will comfortably conform to patient'"'"'s heel, but be resistant to stretching.

Claims

1. An ankle brace, comprising:

a pair of side supports, said side supports being configured to fit about a lower leg of a patient and to encase both sides of an ankle of the patient; and

a flexible heel strap assembly pivotally attached at lower ends of said side supports and extending between said lower ends, said assembly having its effective length being adjustable to accommodate for different heel widths or fits of patients.

2. An ankle brace as defined in claim 1, wherein said flexible heel strap assembly has a pair of flexible heel straps, which are adapted to couple at free ends thereof.

3. An ankle brace as defined in claim 2, wherein one of said pair of straps has hook material and other of said pair of straps has loop material adapted to releasably mate with said hook material.

4. An ankle brace as defined in claim 2, wherein one of said pair of straps has a plurality of upright elements and the other said pair of straps has a plurality of open slots, said pair of straps are coupled by engaging said upright elements into said open slots.

5. An ankle brace as defined in claim 1, wherein said flexible heel strap assembly comprises a pair of flexible heel straps and an intermediary linking member which is adapted to couple at opposite ends thereof to said pair of flexible heel straps.

6. An ankle brace as defined in claim 5, wherein said pair of flexible heel straps has a hook material at the free ends to connect adjustably to said intermediary linking member having a loop material adapted to form the assembly which can accommodate for different heel widths of different patients.

7. An ankle brace as defined in claim 5, wherein said pair of flexible heel straps has a loop material at the free ends to connect adjustably to said intermediary linking member having a hook material adapted to form the assembly which can accommodate for different heel widths of different patients.

8. An ankle brace as defined in claim 5, wherein said pair of flexible heel straps has a plurality of upright elements at the free ends and said intermediary linking member has a plurality of open slots adapted to adjustably connect to said plurality of upright elements to form the assembly to accommodate for different heel widths or fits of patients.

9. An ankle brace as defined in claim 5, wherein said pair of flexible heel straps has a plurality of open slots at the free ends and said intermediary linking member has a plurality of upright elements adapted to adjustably connect to said plurality of open slots to form the assembly to accommodate for different heel widths or fits of patients.

10. An ankle brace as defined in claim 5, wherein said flexible heel strap assembly has a plurality of intermediary linking members adapted to connect adjustably to said pair of straps to form the assembly to accommodate for different heel width of different patients.

11. An ankle brace as defined in claim 1, wherein said side supports at lower ends each has an opening hole, said flexible heel strap assembly at both of its ends has an opening hole, wherein said assembly is pivotally attached at lower ends of said side supports by respective pins engaging through both said assembly and side support holes.

12. An ankle brace as defined in claim 11, wherein each of said pins is capped by an ultrasonic weld.

13. An ankle brace as defined in claim 11, wherein a cap snap fits to each of said pins.

14. An ankle brace as defined in claim 11, wherein said pins are capped by heat staking.

15. An ankle brace as defined in claim 1, wherein said side supports at lower ends each has an opening hole, said flexible heel strap assembly at both of its ends is pivotally attached at lower ends of said side supports by respective pins, said pins snap fitting to said side supports through said opening holes.

16. An ankle brace as defined in claim 1, wherein said side supports at lower ends each has a hole, said flexible heel strap assembly at both of its ends has a pin, wherein said assembly is pivotally attached at lower ends of said side supports by said respective pins engaging through each said side support hole.

17. An ankle brace as defined in claim 16, wherein said pin is capped by an ultrasonic weld.

18. An ankle brace as defined in claim 16, wherein said pin is capped by a heat staking.

19. An ankle brace as defined in claim 16, wherein said pin is directly injection molded onto said flexible heel strap assembly.

20. An ankle brace as defined in claim 16, wherein a cap is formed from said pin by an ultrasonic weld.

21. An ankle brace as defined in claim 16, wherein said pin is a long protruding member.

22. An ankle brace as defined in claim 1, wherein said assembly has at least two straps, at least one of said straps has a plurality of regions, at least one of said regions being adapted for adjustably connecting to said other strap, and said at least one region being adapted to hold a pin.

23. An ankle brace as defined in claim 1, wherein said assembly has at least two straps, at least one of said straps has a plurality of regions, at least one of said regions being adapted for adjustably connecting to said other strap, and said at least one region having a hole for receiving a pin.

24. A method of bracing an ankle, comprising the steps of:

positioning a pair of side supports about a lower leg of a patient, with a flexible heel strap assembly pivotally attached at lower ends of said side supports;

extending said flexible heel strap assembly across the patient'"'"'s heel; and

adjusting an effective length of said flexible heel strap assembly to accommodate for different heel widths of different patients.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein said adjusting and assembling steps include:

releasing two straps from said flexible heel strap assembly; and

assembling said flexible heel strap assembly to accommodate for different heel widths or fits of patients.

26. A method of bracing an ankle, comprising the steps of:

positioning a pair of side supports about a lower leg of a patient, with a flexible heel strap pivotally attached at each lower end of said side supports;

positioning said flexible heel strap from each said side supports across the patient'"'"'s heel;

adjusting said flexible heel strap from each said side supports to have a combined effective length to accommodate for different heel widths or fits of patients; and

assembling said flexible heel strap from each said side support at the combined effective length.

27. A method according to claim 26, wherein said adjusting and assembling steps including:

securing together said flexible heel strap from each said side supports along its respective ends.

28. A method according to claim 26, wherein said adjusting and assembling steps including:

positioning an intermediary linking member between said flexible heel strap from each said side supports; and

assembling said intermediary linking member to each of said flexible heel straps from each said side supports.

29. A method of bracing an ankle, comprising the steps of:

positioning a pair of side supports about a lower leg of a patient, with a flexible heel strap assembly pivotally attached at lower ends of said side supports;

extending said flexible heel strap assembly horizontally across said patient'"'"'s heel; and

adjusting an effective length of said flexible heel strap assembly to accommodate for different heel widths or fits of patients.