Hallux valgus brace
First Claim
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1. A hallux valgus brace to be worn on a user'"'"'s foot inside a shoe having a toe cap;
- comprising;
a spring device comprising a flat spring extending between a spaced pair of junctions with an elongated lever arm and an abbreviated pry arm respectively;
said pry arm being configured to be interposed between a users'"'"' big toe and index toe;
said lever arm being configured to be disposed overlying at least one knuckle of the user'"'"'s index toe, middle toe and fourth toe, such that said lever arm receives downward urging from the toe cap of the shoe;
said pry arm and lever arm having at least two relative configurations relative to each other, an un-flexed configuration and a flexed configuration in which the flat spring not only supports the pry arm as a cantilevered arm but is also flexed in opposition to a restoration force to the un-flexed configuration due to a spring coefficient for the flat spring;
wherein the un-flexed configuration is characterized by, prior to any flexing forces applied to said brace, the pry arm and lever arm defining an angle between each other representing an open extreme;
wherein the flexed configuration is characterized by the application of a flexing force between the pry arm and lever arm to close the angle representing the open extreme of the un-flexed configuration to an angle representing a flexed angle for the flexed configuration, with the pry arm interposed between the big toe and index toe, and with the shoe'"'"'s toe cap urging down the lever arm which in turn urges down on the at least one knuckle of the user'"'"'s index toe, middle toe and fourth toe; and
wherein, because of the restoration force due to the spring coefficient of the flat spring, the pry arm applies an inward restoring force against the big toe as a result of seeking to restore said brace to the un-flexed configuration.
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Abstract
A hallux valgus brace has an L-shape with a downward, pry arm portion and a horizontal, lever arm portion. The pry arm portion inserts in the interspace between a wearer'"'"'s big and second toe. The lever arm portion overlies the second and third knuckles of at least the second through fourth toes of the wearer. An applied force on the lever arm portion translates into a force against the big toe prying it from out and from under the wearer'"'"'s second toe. The applied force is typically supplied by the wearer'"'"'s shoe or sandal.
26 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A hallux valgus brace to be worn on a user'"'"'s foot inside a shoe having a toe cap;
- comprising;
a spring device comprising a flat spring extending between a spaced pair of junctions with an elongated lever arm and an abbreviated pry arm respectively; said pry arm being configured to be interposed between a users'"'"' big toe and index toe; said lever arm being configured to be disposed overlying at least one knuckle of the user'"'"'s index toe, middle toe and fourth toe, such that said lever arm receives downward urging from the toe cap of the shoe; said pry arm and lever arm having at least two relative configurations relative to each other, an un-flexed configuration and a flexed configuration in which the flat spring not only supports the pry arm as a cantilevered arm but is also flexed in opposition to a restoration force to the un-flexed configuration due to a spring coefficient for the flat spring; wherein the un-flexed configuration is characterized by, prior to any flexing forces applied to said brace, the pry arm and lever arm defining an angle between each other representing an open extreme; wherein the flexed configuration is characterized by the application of a flexing force between the pry arm and lever arm to close the angle representing the open extreme of the un-flexed configuration to an angle representing a flexed angle for the flexed configuration, with the pry arm interposed between the big toe and index toe, and with the shoe'"'"'s toe cap urging down the lever arm which in turn urges down on the at least one knuckle of the user'"'"'s index toe, middle toe and fourth toe; and wherein, because of the restoration force due to the spring coefficient of the flat spring, the pry arm applies an inward restoring force against the big toe as a result of seeking to restore said brace to the un-flexed configuration. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
- comprising;
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19. A hallux valgus brace to be worn on a user'"'"'s foot inside a shoe having a toe cap;
- comprising;
an elongated spring device comprising a composite structure having at least one insert and covering layer covering the insert; said elongated spring device further comprising an abbreviated flat spring portion flanked between an elongated lever arm portion and an abbreviated pry arm portion, respectively; said pry arm portion being configured to be interposed between a user'"'"'s big toe and index toe; said lever arm portion being configured to be disposed overlying the at least one knuckle of the user'"'"'s index toe, middle toe and fourth toe, such that said lever arm portion receives downward urging from the toe cap of the shoe; said pry arm portion and lever arm portion having at least two relative configurations relative to each other about the flat spring portion, an un-flexed configuration and a flexed configuration; said at least one insert having a spring coefficient, and wherein said pry arm portion is cantilevered from the lever arm portion about the flat spring portion such that the insert tends to induce the pry arm portion to return from the flexed configuration for the pry arm and lever arm portions to the un-flexed configuration therefor; wherein the un-flexed configuration is characterized by, prior to any flexure of the spring device, the pry arm and lever arm portions defining an angle between each other representing an open extreme; wherein the flexed configuration is characterized by, after flexure to close the angle representing the open extreme, an inward restoring force (R) due to the spring coefficient of the insert that is applied by the pry arm portion against the big toe as the shoe'"'"'s toe cap urges down on the lever arm portion. - View Dependent Claims (20)
- comprising;
Specification