ORTHOPEDIC WALKER BOOT HAVING A REMOVABLE HEEL PLATE

• US 20100100020A1
• Filed: 07/21/2009
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Breg Incorporated (Breg Acquisition Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Breg Incorporated (Breg Acquisition Corp.)
• Inventors: Regan, Jeffrey R., Nelson, Paul H., Bell, Tiffany A., Fout, James M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,251,936 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 602/23
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0111 for the feet or ankles
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/012 inflatable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0195 Shoe-like orthopaedic devices for protecting the feet against injuries after operations

Abstract

An orthopedic walker boot for wearing on a lower limb of a wearer has a rigid external shell, a pliant internal boot positioned in the external shell, and a heel plate selectively detachable or attachable to the external shell. Selective transition of the heel plate between the detached condition and attached condition selectively provides the orthopedic walker boot with an open-heel configuration or a closed-heel configuration. The external shell includes an outer sole having a walking surface which is configured with two curved axes to facilitate walking while wearing the orthopedic walker boot.

Claims

1. An orthopedic walker boot comprising:

an external shell configured to receive a lower limb of a wearer; and

a heel plate selectively transitionable between a detached condition and an attached condition with respect to said external shell, wherein said external shell has an open-heel configuration when said heel plate is in said detached condition and said external shell has a closed-heel configuration when said heel plate is in said attached condition.

2. The orthopedic walker boot of claim 1, wherein in said external shell is substantially rigid.

3. The orthopedic walker boot of claim 1, wherein said external shell has a heel plate retention segment including a retention slot.

4. The orthopedic walker boot of claim 1, wherein said heel plate has a guide runner.

5. The orthopedic walker boot of claim 1, wherein said external shell has a heel plate retention segment including a retention slot and said heel plate has a guide runner, further wherein said retention slot is configured to slidably receive said guide runner therein when said heel plate is in said attached condition and to slidably discharge said guide runner when said heel plate is in said detached condition.

6. The orthopedic walker boot of claim 3, wherein said heel plate has an outside face with a protruding upper portion having a bottom edge and an outside surface, said heel plate has a recessed lower portion having an outside surface, and said heel plate retention segment has an inside face, an outside face, and a top edge, further wherein said outside surface of said lower portion slidably engages said inside face of said heel plate retention segment and said bottom edge of said upper portion engages said top edge of said heel plate retention segment when said heel plate is in said attached condition.

7. The orthopedic walker boot of claim 6, wherein said bottom edge of said upper portion continuously engages said top edge of said heel plate retention segment when said heel plate is in said attached condition such that said outside surface of said upper portion in combination with said outside face of said heel plate retention segment forms an essentially smooth continuous posterior surface of said orthopedic walker boot.

8. The orthopedic walker boot of claim 1 further comprising an internal boot positioned in said external shell.

9. An orthopedic walker boot comprising:

a rigid external shell;

a selectively removable heel plate having a detached condition and an attached condition to provide said external shell with an open-heel configuration or a closed-heel configuration, respectively; and

a pliant internal boot positioned in said external shell, wherein said internal boot has a foot portion, a leg portion and a heel portion and is sized to enclose an ankle, a foot, and a heel of a lower limb of a wearer, further wherein said heel plate in said attached condition is positioned adjacent to and covers said heel portion thereby shielding said heel of said lower limb, and further wherein said heel portion is uncovered by said heel plate in said detached condition.

10. The orthopedic walker boot of claim 9, wherein said external shell has a heel plate retention segment including a retention slot and said heel plate has a guide runner, further wherein said retention slot is configured to slidably receive said guide runner therein when said heel plate is in said attached condition and to slidably discharge said guide runner when said heel plate is in said detached condition.

11. The orthopedic walker boot of claim 10, wherein said heel plate has an outside face with a protruding upper portion having a bottom edge and an outside surface, said heel plate has a recessed lower portion having an outside surface, and said heel plate retention segment has an inside face, an outside face, and a top edge, further wherein said outside surface of said lower portion slidably engages said inside face of said heel plate retention segment and said bottom edge of said upper portion engages said top edge of said heel plate retention segment when said heel plate is in said attached condition.

12. The orthopedic walker boot of claim 11, wherein said bottom edge of said upper portion continuously engages said top edge of said heel plate retention segment when said heel plate is in said attached condition such that said outside surface of said upper portion in combination with said outside face of said heel plate retention segment forms an essentially smooth continuous posterior surface of said orthopedic walker boot.

13. An orthopedic walker boot comprising:

an external shell configured to receive a lower limb of a wearer, said external shell including an outer sole having a walking surface, wherein said walking surface has two curved axes.

14. The orthopedic walker boot of claim 13, wherein a first axis of said two curved axes is longitudinal and a second axis of said two curved axes is latitudinal.

15. The orthopedic walker boot of claim 13, wherein in said external shell is substantially rigid.

16. The orthopedic walker boot of claim 13 further comprising an internal boot positioned in said external shell.

17. An orthopedic walker boot comprising:

a rigid external shell including an outer sole having a walking surface, wherein said walking surface has a curved latitudinal axis.

18. The orthopedic walker boot of claim 17, wherein said walking surface has a curved longitudinal axis.

19. The orthopedic walker boot of claim 17, wherein in said external shell is substantially rigid.

20. The orthopedic walker boot of claim 17 further comprising an internal boot positioned in said external shell.