Patent ID: 6447469
Filing Date: 2002-09-10
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
An ankle support for wearing over a person's foot, and providing lateral support by extending over a portion of a leg having a shin and a foot, the foot having an external portion opposite an arch, the ankle support comprising:a stiff L-shaped stirrup and ankle brace of unitary construction, the stirrup and ankle brace having an elongated, generally straight shin portion and terminating in an elongated, generally straight stirrup portion, the shin portion being at an obtuse angle to a mid-portion and the stirrup portion defining the lower, generally horizontal portion of the L-shape, while the shin portion and the mid-portion define the vertical portion of the L-shape, the stirrup portion being of a length that has been adapted for extending over the external portion of the foot and under the foot, terminating near the arch area of the foot; a flexible ankle strap attached to the stirrup and ankle brace, the flexible ankle strap including a first end and a second end, the first end of the flexible ankle strap being aligned with and extending away from a free end of the stirrup portion, the second end of the ankle strap being aligned and attached to the mid-portion of the ankle brace, the mid-portion of the ankle brace extending between the shin portion of the stirrup and ankle brace and the stirrup portion of the stirrup and ankle brace; and a flexible shin strap attached the shin portion of the stirrup and ankle brace, so that the shin portion of the stiff stirrup and ankle brace extends over a portion of the tibia while the stirrup portion of the stiff stirrup and ankle brace extends around the external part of the foot to approximately the arch area of the foot during use, allowing the flexible ankle strap to extend from underneath the foot to retain the stirrup portion of the stiff stirrup and ankle brace under the foot wrapped around the ankle area and over the foot, while the shin strap is wrapped around the leg area behind the shin during use.