United States Patent [191

Transcription

1 ' United States Patent [191 Wise [111 3,777,751 [45] Dec. 11, 1973 [54] ANKLE SUPPORTS [76] Inventor: Elmo E. Wise, 138 Hicks Rd., Castle Rock, Wash [22] Filed: Nov. 29, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 202,898 [52] 0.8. CI /166 [51] Int. Cl A611 13/06 [58] Field of Search /166, 165, [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,013,757 9/1935 Jung, Jr /166 3,383,708 5/1968 Pappas /166 X 1,030,861 7/1912 Anderson /166 1,443,844 1/1923 Jensen /166 2,708,930 5/1955 Lowman /l66.5 X 2,539,170 1/1951 Waite et al l28/166.5 Primary Examiner- Lucie H. Laudenslager Attorney Stephen W. Blore et a1. [57] ABSTRACT An inelastic,?exible strap secured under tension to an annular band surrounding the lower portion of an ankle of an athlete and bearing against the upper por tions of the foot and heel bears snugly against the eu boid portion of the foot and limits inward roll of the foot to prevent outside sprain. 10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures

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4 ' ' ' 1. ANKLE SUPPORTS This invention relates to ankle supports, and more particularly to quickly appliable ankle supports. An object of the invention is to provide new and im proved ankle supports. Another object of the invention is to provide quickly appliable ankle supports. _ Another object of the invention is to provide simple, inexpensive ankle supports which positively limit in ward roll (outside sprain) of feet to prevent ankle sprains. ' > i I A further object of the invention is to provide one piece, inelastic,?exible ankle supports, which prevent inward and/or outward roll offeet. The invention provides ankle supports for a person of which each ankle'support includes an annular band of?exible, inelastic material bearing against the portions of the foot and the heel just below the ankle and an in elastic strap' secured to the band and to the legv'above the ankle under tension in a position engaging the un derside and cuboid portion of' the foot to prevent in ward roll of the foot beyond a predetermined extent. 3,777,751 in the Drawings : I 25 FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of an ankle supporter forming one embodiment of the invention; FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the ankle supporter I of FIG. 1 on a foot; > FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the ankle supporter of FIG. I; 7 FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3; and, ' i ' FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation'view of an ankle supporter forming an. alternate embodiment of a safe extent does not appreciably prevent all other?exing of the ankle. Each of the'band l2 and strap l4 preferably is com posed of a thin, strong,?exible, inelastic woven tape or webbing, one excellent webbing being of a cotton web with ya herring bone weave and about 2 inches wide. The band l2'may be of single or double thickness with end. corner portions 30 and 32' (FIG. 1) fully over lapped, at right angles to each other and secured to 0 gether and to end portions 34 and 36 of the tongue by cross-stitching38. The tongue is of double vthickness with the two layers secured together by stitching 40 at the edge'portions thereof with'the two end portions being at opposite faces of the band EMBODIMENT, OF FIG. 5 7 An ankle supporter 50 forming an alternate embodi ment of the invention is of one-piece construction of a web or tape 51 having a tapered, shirt collar-like, band portion 52 and a tongue portion 54. End portion 56 is releasably secured to fastening portion 58 by velcro fasteners secured to these portions and with the end portion 56 positioned under and retained by the por tion 58. If desired, the outer side of portion 60 of the band and the portion of the tongue crossing the portion 60 may have fasteners such as, for example, velcro fas teners'or?at hooks and eyes. It is also contemplated to have a supporter comprising a fastened gauntlet or col lar on the leg just above the ankle and a wide tongue or band passing under the foot and secured under ten sion tothe gauntlet. If desired, to hold a loose, injured ankle joint close for healing, two of thesupporters 10 or 50 may be used on the foot, one with its tongue taped under tension on the outer side of the leg foot and the other with its tongue taped under tension to the inner side of the leg. This pulls the ankle tight or close and prevents separa _, > - ' the invention. ' ' Referring now in detail to the drawings, there is shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 an ankle supporter 10 forming tion during healing thereof.v one embodiment of the invention including a tapered What is claimed is: or?ared, collar-like annular band 12 and a tongue or In an ankle supporter, strap 14. The ankle supporter 110 is not handed. That an annular inelastic tape-like band positioned on the is, it can be used for either the right foot or the left foot, leg and bearingagainst the outer side-of the portion and inside or outside, of the person using it, and is of the leg above the heel and arch portions of the shown in FIGS; 2, 3, and 4 on the outside of a left foot foot, ' 16 of the user. The user slips his foot 16 through the 45 and an inelastic tape-like tongue attached at one end band 12 of the ankle supporter, pulls the band down to to the portion of the band at the inner side of the the position thereof shown in FIGS. 2 to.4 with the leg and substantially centered relative to the band tongue at the inner side of the foot and the band engag and passed directly down from and substantially ing the outer side of the ankle l7 and the upper por centered relative to the ankle and secured under tions of the foot and the heel. The tongue then is passed tension to tbe outer side of the leg directly above under the arch and cuboid portion 18 of the foot, is the articulating point of the ankle to form a ten pulled taut upwardly and is adhesively taped by a tape sioned outer tendon holding the foot against rolling 19 to the outer side of the lower portion 20, above the inwardly. articulating point of the ankle, of the leg of the user. 2. The ankle supporter of claim 1 including securing 55 Taping of the tongue, while under tension, to the leg up means securing the tongue under tension to the portion above the ankle, in effect, attaches the cuboid portion of the leg above the articulating point of the ankle. 18, the underside of the foot, and the inner side of the 3. The ankle supporter of claim 2 wherein the secur foot, including the heel, to the leg above the ankle ing means comprises adhesive tape. through an inelastic tendon, thereby permitting the 4. The ankle supporter of claim 1 wherein the band foot to roll inwardly counter-clockwise, as viewedin is a web having end portions securedto the tongue an FIG. 4, only slightly, and not sufficiently to sprain the gularly crossing over one another. ankle. Only a few turns of the adhesive tape 19, around 5. The ankle supporter of claim 4 wherein the band the portion 17 of the leg and under the foot, are needed and the tongue are a single tape with releasable secur to secure the tongue 14 to the portion 17 to prevent ing portions at the crossover portion of the band. 65 any inward roll sprain, only a small fraction of the ad 6. The ankle supporter of claim 4 wherein the tongue hesive tape previously required to tape an ankle. The is a double tape with end portions secured to the cross taped supporter 10, other than limiting inward roll to over portion of the band at opposite sides of the band.

5 3,777, The ankle supporter of claim 6 including stitching 10. The ankle support of claim 1 wherein the band is Secunng the tongue to the band- tapered and collar-like so that it does not bunch when 8. The ankle support of claim 4 wherein the end por snuggled down on the upper portions of the foot and tions of the band cross over each other at about The ankle support of claim 1 wherein the band is 5 the heel suf?ciently large to be passed over the foot of the user. * * * *