Patent ID: 7674212
Filing Date: 2010-03-09
Classification: A61F,Y10S

Abstract:
1. The combination comprising (a) a shoe for providing support to a foot-drop affected foot of a person relative to a lower leg belonging to the foot and (b) an accessory cooperating with the shoe such that the foot is prevented from dropping down relative to the lower leg when the foot is raised by the lower leg from a supporting surface; said shoe having a toe portion, a heel portion and an instep portion, the instep portion having on its upper side an upper closure that when open enables a foot to be inserted into the shoe and when closed for maintaining the shoe on a foot; and said accessory comprising a first attachment member for removably attaching the accessory about the lower leg of a foot affected with drop-foot, a separate second attachment for removably engaging the shoe when the upper closure is closed, and an elongated flexible connecting member interconnecting the first attachment and the separate second attachment in a spaced relationship, said elongated flexible connecting member comprised of at least two elements at least one of which is a flexible elongated element, one end of each element being fixed, respectively, to the first attachment member and to the separate second attachment member, the other ends of the at least two elements having mutually coacting coupling elements mounted thereon to form a quick acting closure for detachably holding together the two elements longitudinally aligned; the separate second attachment of the accessory being placed in engagement with the shoe in the area of the instep of the foot when a foot of a person affected by a foot-drop is inserted into the shoe with the upper closure open, whereupon closing the upper closure the separate second attachment is trapped in engagement with the upper portions of the shoe; and the at least two elements being coupled together so that the flexible connecting member extends at an acute angle from the lower leg of the person at a point above the joint of the leg and foot to a point forward of the leg at the instep of the foot, so that the person is thus enabled with an upwardly directed supporting force that is transmitted via the shoe to the foot-drop affected foot as the leg of the person is lifted upwardly.