Ankle stress relief device
First Claim
1. An ankle gapping device comprising:
- a lower leg engaging apparatus;
a foot engaging apparatus having a first surface adapted to abut a first side of a foot and a second surface adapted to abut an opposite side of said foot; and
a biasing member disposed between said lower leg engaging apparatus and said foot engaging apparatus to bias said lower leg engaging apparatus and said foot engaging apparatus away from each other, said biasing member exerting a continuous force to simultaneously bias said first and second surfaces of said foot engaging apparatus away from said lower leg engaging apparatus, thereby providing a sufficient force to gap the ankle of a user.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A novel ankle gapping device includes a lower leg engaging apparatus, a foot engaging apparatus, and a biasing member disposed between the lower leg engaging apparatus and the foot engaging apparatus. The leg engaging apparatus is adapted to securely engage a user'"'"'s leg such that the leg engaging apparatus will remain stationary when the biasing member exerts an upward force thereon. The foot engaging apparatus is contoured to fit the user'"'"'s foot. In a particular embodiment, the biasing member is a pneumatic biasing member, such as an inflatable tube that is actuated by a pump. As the pump provides compressed air (or some other fluid) to the biasing member, the pressure inside the biasing member increases, causing an increase in the volume of the biasing member. This pressure and volume increase exerts an upward force via the leg engaging apparatus to the lower leg, and a downward force via the foot engaging apparatus to the foot. The forces applied to the leg and the foot cause separation of the ankle joint, allowing the synovial fluid to flow over the articulating surfaces of the bones of the joint.
30 Citations
45 Claims
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1. An ankle gapping device comprising:
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a lower leg engaging apparatus; a foot engaging apparatus having a first surface adapted to abut a first side of a foot and a second surface adapted to abut an opposite side of said foot; and a biasing member disposed between said lower leg engaging apparatus and said foot engaging apparatus to bias said lower leg engaging apparatus and said foot engaging apparatus away from each other, said biasing member exerting a continuous force to simultaneously bias said first and second surfaces of said foot engaging apparatus away from said lower leg engaging apparatus, thereby providing a sufficient force to gap the ankle of a user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 43)
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37. A method for gapping an ankle joint, comprising:
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applying a foot engaging apparatus to a person'"'"'s foot, said foot engaging apparatus having a first surface disposed to abut a first side of said person'"'"'s foot and a second surface disposed to abut an opposite side of said person'"'"'s foot; applying a leg engaging apparatus to the person'"'"'s leg; disposing a biasing member between said foot engaging apparatus and said leg engaging apparatus; and actuating said biasing member to urge said foot engaging apparatus and said leg engaging apparatus apart from one another, said biasing member exerting a continuous force operative to simultaneously bias said first and second surfaces of said foot engaging apparatus away from said leg engaging apparatus, said force sufficient to gap an ankle of said person. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 44)
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42. An ankle gapping device comprising:
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lower leg engaging means; foot engaging means including at least a first surface for abutting a first side of a foot and a second surface for abutting a second side of said foot; and means for continuously pushing said lower leg engaging means and said foot engaging means in opposite directions, thereby simultaneously biasing said first and second surfaces of said foot engaging means away from said leg engaging means and providing a sufficient force to gap an ankle of a user. - View Dependent Claims (45)
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Specification