Abstract:
A leg support that attaches to a user&#39;s leg and extends below the user&#39;s foot, where stepping on the portion below the user&#39;s foot causes the portion around the user&#39;s upper leg to tighten. This allows the leg support and the user&#39;s leg to bear the user&#39;s weight with the user&#39;s foot remaining untouched. When the user takes his or her weight off of the leg support, the portion around the user&#39;s upper leg loosens for the user&#39;s comfort. The leg support insures that there is zero pressure on the bottom of the user&#39;s foot and all of the user&#39;s weight and vertical shear pressure is converted into horizontal compression pressure around the user&#39;s leg.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE 
       [0001]    This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/186,990 filed Jun. 20, 2016, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/959,897 filed Dec. 4, 2015, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/546,191 filed Nov. 18, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,204,985, which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    This invention relates generally to a leg support, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a leg support that allows a user to walk without putting any pressure on the user&#39;s foot by transforming a portion of the vertical shear force to horizontal compressive force around the user&#39;s upper or lower leg. 
         [0004]    Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    There are many circumstances that require a person to keep all pressure off his or her foot or lower leg, including broken bones, sprains, tears, cuts, bruises, abrasions, burns, and injuries due to diabetes. Typically, this necessitates the use of crutches or a wheelchair, both of which are cumbersome and limit the mobility of the user. Many people in such circumstances opt for a device that allows them to continue walking, such as a boot or other device designed to minimize the impact on the injured area. These devices do not completely relieve the pressure on the injured area, however, potentially prolonging recovery time and increasing the user&#39;s pain. 
         [0006]    For example, diabetes can cause a variety of injuries to a person&#39;s foot, including ulcers. The standard treatment for a foot ulcer is a boot with a pad surrounding the ulcer, with an opening cut into the pad at the location of the ulcer to prevent impact to the ulcer itself. Every step, however, impacts the skin adjacent the ulcer, pulling the healing tissue. This is not only painful, but also delays healing. Unhealed ulcers can lead to amputation. The best course of treatment is to keep any and all pressure from the entire foot, but many people do not want or cannot tolerate the resultant disruption to their lives caused by such lack of mobility. 
         [0007]    A further consideration is that a person&#39;s knee needs to bend to allow the person to sit or stand without assistance. Many braces, however, are rigid at the knee and do not provide for bending. Getting up from a seated position is very difficult, if not impossible, with a rigid, straight leg brace. 
         [0008]    Based on the foregoing, it is desirable to provide a leg support that transfers all of the pressure of walking to the leg rather than the foot. 
         [0009]    It is further desirable for such a leg support to allow a user to walk without putting any pressure on the user&#39;s foot. 
         [0010]    It is further desirable for such a leg support not to touch the bottom of a user&#39;s foot at all. 
         [0011]    It is further desirable for a user to be able to take such a leg support off and on without having to insert his or her foot through any openings. 
         [0012]    It is further desirable for such a leg brace not to inhibit the bending of the user&#39;s knee to allow the user to get up from a seated position. 
         [0013]    It is further desirable to allow the user to finely adjust the pressure of the leg support to maximize comfort and pressure for all positions: standing, seated, and walking. It is desirable for the user to have total control of the pressure of the leg support on the user&#39;s leg. It is further desirable for such a leg brace to allow small adjustments and to hold those adjustments without constant readjustment as the leg support is used. 
         [0014]    It is further desirable for such a leg support to have a knee hinge that bends in an arch rather than at a 90° angle, if the leg support extends above the knee. 
         [0015]    It is further desirable for the knee hinge of the leg support to bend or flex in only one plane or direction, if the leg support extends above the knee. 
         [0016]    It is further desirable for such a leg support to provide confidence in a user to facilitate increased usage. 
         [0017]    It is further desirable for such a leg support to be simple and consistent in usage in design, allowing for mass production and affording removal of leg pain and pressure on leg, knee, ankle, foot, and sole of foot without major cost of production. 
         [0018]    It is further desirable for such a leg support to allow a user to put the leg support on and take the leg support off easily and to quickly and accurately adjust all pressure and clearance of the sole of the foot. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0019]    In general, in a first aspect, the invention relates to a leg support system for use on a user&#39;s leg, the system comprising: an upper assembly, where the upper assembly is capable of being secured around the user&#39;s leg; a lower assembly comprising a foot plate with a top and a bottom and a rigid elongate structure connecting the upper assembly to the foot plate; a first bladder located within the upper assembly such that inflating the bladder decreases an internal circumference of the upper assembly; and a second bladder located on the bottom of the foot plate, where the second bladder is in fluid communication with the first bladder. When the user takes a step, the second bladder may be compressed between the foot plate and a walking surface, causing air to travel from the second bladder to the first bladder, which may cause the upper assembly to tighten around the user&#39;s leg. 
         [0020]    The upper assembly may comprise a wrap. The upper assembly may further comprise hook and loop material, such that the hook and loop material is capable of securing the wrap around the user&#39;s leg, and/or a wire assembly comprising: at least one wire at least partially surrounding the wrap; at least one anchor attached to the wrap or attached to the lower assembly, where the wire is capable of sliding through or around the at least one anchor; an optional closure device capable of opening and closing the wire; a tensioning device capable of shortening and lengthening the amount of wire at least partially surrounding the wrap; and a plate located between the wire and the wrap, where the plate is curved, rigid, and capable of dispersing pressure from the wire across a larger surface. 
         [0021]    The foot plate may lie in a plane generally perpendicular to at least a portion of the rigid elongate structure. The rigid elongate structure of the lower assembly may comprise two rigid elongate bars, where the bars are attached to the upper assembly and to the foot plate in such a location that the two bars run along opposing sides of the user&#39;s leg during use. The rigid elongate structure of the lower assembly may comprise a hinge assembly allowing an upper portion of the rigid elongate structure and the upper assembly to pivot relative to a lower portion of the rigid elongate structure and the foot plate. 
         [0022]    The leg support system may further comprise tubing connecting the first bladder and the second bladder. The tubing may pass through an opening in the foot plate. The leg support system may further comprise a bulb and valve in fluid communication with the first bladder, where the bulb may be capable of injecting air into the bladder and the valve may be capable of releasing air from the bladder. 
         [0023]    The leg support system may further comprise a shoe adaptor. The shoe adaptor may comprise a shoe with a thick sole or a lift capable of being attached to a sole of a shoe to raise the height of the shoe. The shoe adaptor may have a customizable height. Additionally or alternately, the leg support system may comprise multiple shoe adaptors of varying heights. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0024]      FIG. 1  is a side view of the leg support of the present invention in place on a user&#39;s leg, with the leg support in a relaxed position; 
           [0025]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the leg support in place on a user&#39;s leg, with the leg support in a compressed position; 
           [0026]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the leg support in place on a user&#39;s leg, with the leg and leg support in a bent position; 
           [0027]      FIG. 4  is a front view of the leg support; 
           [0028]      FIG. 5  is a back view of the leg support in place on a user&#39;s leg, with the leg support in the compressed position, also showing a shoe adaptor in place on a shoe on the user&#39;s other foot; and 
           [0029]      FIG. 6  is a detailed view of the bladder within the upper assembly. 
       
    
    
       [0030]    Other advantages and features will be apparent from the following description and from the claims. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0031]    The devices and methods discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific manners in which to make and use this invention and are not to be interpreted as limiting in scope. 
         [0032]    While the devices and methods have been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be noted that many modifications may be made in the details of the construction and the arrangement of the devices and components without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. It is understood that the devices and methods are not limited to the embodiments set forth herein for purposes of exemplification. 
         [0033]    In general, in a first aspect, the invention relates to a leg support  1 . The leg support  1  may wrap around a user&#39;s upper leg  2 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 through 3 and 5 . The leg support  1  may surround the user&#39;s lower leg  3  and foot  4 , and may optionally have a strap  5  that secures the leg support  1  to the user&#39;s lower leg  3 . The strap  5  may allow the user to control their center of gravity within the leg support  1  by moving their lower leg  3  forward or backward in the leg support  1 , or the user may use the leg support  1  without the strap if desired. Alternately, the leg support  1  may wrap around the user&#39;s lower leg  3 , with the leg support  1  surrounding the user&#39;s foot  4 . Whether the leg support  1  wraps around the user&#39;s upper leg  2  or lower leg  3 , the leg support  1  may not touch the user&#39;s foot  4 , either when the user has his or her weight on his or her leg or not. 
         [0034]    The leg support  1  may comprise an upper assembly  10 , which surrounds the user&#39;s upper leg  2  or lower leg  3  when in use, and a force conveyance assembly  30 , which extends from the upper assembly  10  to beyond the user&#39;s foot  4  when in use. During use, the user may secure the upper assembly  10  around the user&#39;s upper leg  2  or lower leg  3  at a comfortable tension. The user may take a step, shifting his or her weight to the leg support  1 . As the force conveyance assembly  30  extends beyond the user&#39;s foot  4 , the force conveyance assembly  30  may come into contact with the floor before the user&#39;s foot  4 . As a result of coming into contact with the floor, the force conveyance assembly  30  may cause the upper assembly  10  to tighten around the user&#39;s upper leg  2  or lower leg  3 , as described below. Thus, a portion of the vertical shear pressure from the step may be transferred into horizontal compressional force around the user&#39;s upper leg  2  or lower leg  3 , essentially causing the user&#39;s upper leg  2  or lower leg  3  to bear the user&#39;s weight. The increased compressive force may prevent the upper assembly  10  from slipping on the user&#39;s upper leg  2  or lower leg  3  and may keep the user&#39;s foot  4  from ever coming into contact with either the floor or the leg support  1 . The result of this unique design may be zero pressure on the sole of the user&#39;s foot. 
         [0035]    The upper assembly  10  may comprise a wrap  11 . The wrap  11  may comprise hook and loop material  100  for securing the wrap  11  against the user&#39;s upper leg  2  or lower leg  3 . The upper assembly  10  may additionally comprise at least one wire  12  encircling at least a portion of the wrap  11 . For example, as shown in  FIGS. 1 through 4 , the wires  12  may pass through anchors  23  located on either side of the wrap  11  and around the front of the wrap  11 . Anchors  23  may each have two openings through which the wire  12  may pass, one located higher than the other. For example, as shown, one opening may be located above the midline of the upper assembly  10 , while the other opening may be located below the midline of the upper assembly  10 . By passing through both openings, the wire  12  may provide pressure that is disseminated over a larger area than if the openings were closer together. 
         [0036]    The wires  12  may attach to a closure device  17 , allowing the upper assembly  10  to be opened, placed around the user&#39;s upper leg  2  or lower leg  3 , and closed for use. In particular, both the closure device  17  and the wrap  11  may be opened for placement of the upper assembly  10  around the user&#39;s leg  2  or  3 , and then both may be closed for use. The closure device  17  may be any desired closure device. The upper assembly  10  may open completely to go around the user&#39;s leg and may close completely to allow pressure adjustment. The design of the upper assembly  10  may allow pressure to be totally uniformly distributed around the user&#39;s leg with no one pressure point causing pain and discomfort. 
         [0037]    The wire  12  may attach to the closure device  17  in such a way that its tension may be adjusted. For example, the closure device may comprise a tensioning device  22 , such that tightening the tensioning device  22  may cause the wire  12  to slide through the anchors  23 , decreasing the amount of wire located between the tensioning device  22  and the anchors  23 , and thus decreasing the diameter of the upper assembly  10 . Loosening the tensioning device  22  may produce the opposite effect, assuming the tensioning device  22  was previously tightened such that there is slack wire  12  available. Alternately, multiple wires  12  and multiple tensioning devices  22  may be used. 
         [0038]    The upper assembly  10  may further comprise a plate  101  located behind the tensioning device  22 , closure device  17 , and/or wire  12 . The plate  101  may be curved to contour to the user&#39;s leg. The plate  101  may be rigid or semi-rigid. The plate  101  may be sufficiently large to cover the all or the majority of the height of the wrap  11 , extending from the bottom or near the bottom of the wrap  11  to the top or near the top of the wrap  11 . The plate  101  may act to disperse the pressure of the wire  12  across a larger area, increasing the effectiveness of the wire  12  and the comfort of the leg support  1 . 
         [0039]    The force conveyance assembly  30  may comprise two bars  31  extending downward from the upper assembly  10 , where one bar  31  may extend downward from either side of the upper assembly  10 . Anchors  23  may be attached to or may be part of the bars  31 . The bars  31  may be joined at their bottoms by a foot plate  32  extending therebetween. The foot plate  32  may be generally rectangular, foot-shaped, or any other desired shape and may be large enough to cover the bottom of the user&#39;s foot  4 , as shown, or any other desired size. The bars  31  may be sufficiently long that the foot plate  32  is located below, but not touching, the user&#39;s foot  4  when the leg support  1  is in use. 
         [0040]    If the upper assembly  10  is intended to be worn around the user&#39;s upper leg  2 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 through 3 and 5 , the force conveyance assembly  30  may include further elements to allow the force conveyance assembly  30  to bend at the user&#39;s knee  6  for greater ease of use. For example, each of the bars  31  may have a hinge assembly  40 . Each bar  31  may comprise an upper bar  41 , a lower bar  42 , and a middle piece  43  between the upper bar  41  and the lower bar  42 . The upper bar  42  may have a rounded corner  44  adjacent the middle piece  43 , and the middle piece  43  may have a rounded corner  45  adjacent the lower bar  42 . The upper bar  41 , middle piece  43 , and lower bar  42  may be connected via a connector plate  46 . The upper bar  41 , middle piece  43 , and lower bar  42  may be pivotally connected to the connector plate  46  via attachment devices  47 , such as screws or bolts. The foregoing elements may allow the bars  31  to bend, as shown in  FIG. 3 . The pivot points of the hinge assembly  40  may facilitate the arch bend of the user&#39;s knee. The center pivot point may be forward of the other two pivot points to allow the arch movement of middle piece  43  in relation to upper bar  41  and lower bar  42 . The eccentric knee bend of the leg support  1  may allow constant pressure in all planes of movement. 
         [0041]    The upper assembly  10  may further comprise a bladder  110 . The wrap  11  of the upper assembly  10  may house the bladder  110 . The bladder  110  may be large and relatively flat, covering a large surface area within the wrap  11 . The bladder  110  may be centered at the back of the wrap  11  and may extend at least halfway around the wrap  11 , such that the bladder  110  surrounds at least half of the user&#39;s leg when the wrap  11  is in place thereon. The bladder  110  may be attached to and lie against an interior surface of the wrap  11 , or may be housed between multiple layers of the wrap  11 . The bladder  110  may be inflatable, such that inflating the bladder  110  decreases the interior circumference of the upper assembly  10 . The large surface area of the bladder  110  may disseminate pressure over a wider area, making the upper assembly  10  more effective and more comfortable to the user. 
         [0042]    The bladder  110  may be connected via tubing  111  to a second bladder  112  located on the bottom of the foot plate  32 , such that the bladder  110  is in fluid communication with the second bladder  112 . The tubing  111  may be a single tube, multiple tubes, one or more connectors, or combinations thereof. The tubing  111  may connect to the bladder  110  at the bottom of the bladder  110 , such that air entering the bladder  110  may fill the bottom of the bladder  110  first and may form a seal around the user&#39;s leg. 
         [0043]    The bladder  110  may have a series of vertical channels  130  extending across its width. The bladder  110  may have an open area  131  below the point at which the vertical channels  130  begin. The tubing  111  may enter the bladder  110  at the open area  131 . The open area  131  may have a height bigger than the width of the channels  130 . Thus, when air enters the bladder  110 , the open area  131  may fill before the channels  130 , thus disseminating pressure around the leg rather than making a lump at the back of the leg. 
         [0044]    The second bladder  112  may be rounded. In particular, the second bladder  112  may be hemispherical or may define some other dome, spherical or otherwise, with the flat portion lying against the foot plate  32  and the rounded portion pointing downward. The second bladder  112  may be located on the bottom of the foot plate  32  such that the vertex of the second bladder  112  may be located along the user&#39;s center of gravity when wearing the leg support  1 . This aspect of the leg support  1  may be customizable, with the second bladder  112  being attached to the bottom of the foot plate  32  during fitting of the leg support  1  to a particular user based on the center of gravity of that particular user. For purposes of this placement, the center of gravity of the user may be considered to be the axis at which, when the vertex of the second bladder  112  is located along that axis, the vertex of the second bladder  112  is the first point that comes into contact with the ground or other walking surface when the user takes a step while wearing the leg support  1 . 
         [0045]    The tubing  111  may be attached to the force conveyance assembly  30  at one or more points, such as through one or more brackets  113  or other devices. The tubing  111  may connect directly to the second bladder  112  or may connect via a connector  114 . The tubing  111 , the connector  114 , some portion of the second bladder  112  or some combination thereof may extend through an opening in the foot plate  32 . Alternately, the tubing  111 , the connector  114 , some portion of the second bladder  112  or some combination thereof may extend around the edge of the foot plate  32 . 
         [0046]    The bladder  110  may also be in fluid communication with a bulb  115 , which may be connected to the bladder  110  via tubing  116  and a valve  117 , allowing the user to partially inflate the bladder  110  to a comfortable level prior to use, thus decreasing the amount of air needed from the second bladder  112  to fully inflate the bladder  110 . The valve  117  may allow the user to release air from the system. Thus, the user can control the amount of air force in the leg support  1  to a suitable, comfortable, yet effective level. 
         [0047]    The leg support  1  may be part of a leg support system  120  further comprising a shoe adaptor  121 . The shoe adaptor  121  may be a shoe with a thick sole or a lift for attaching to an existing shoe. The shoe adaptor  121  may be worn on the user&#39;s other foot  122  to bring the height of the user&#39;s other foot  122  to the level of the foot  4  on the leg bearing the leg support  1  when the user places his or her weight on the leg bearing the leg support  1 . The shoe adaptor  121  may be customizable to a particular user, such that, during fitting of the leg support  1  to a particular user, the height of the shoe adaptor  121  may be adjusted to ensure that both of the user&#39;s feet  4  and  122  are at the same height and the user&#39;s pelvis is level when the user is wearing the leg support  1  and the shoe adaptor  121 . The leg support system  120  may comprise a plurality of shoe adaptors  121 , facilitating the customized fit of the leg support system  120  to a particular user. 
         [0048]    During use, the user may open the upper assembly  10 , if not already open, place his or her leg therein, and close the upper assembly  10 . Opening the upper assembly  10  may comprise opening the closure device  17 , if present, opening the hook and loop material  100 , if present, and opening the wrap  11 . Closing the upper assembly  10  may comprise closing the wrap  11  around the user&#39;s leg, with the bladder  110  located between the user&#39;s leg and the interior surface of the wrap  11 , securing the hook and loop material  100 , if present, and closing the closure device  17 , if present. The user may close the hook and loop material  100 , if present, tight enough that the wrap  11  is secure against the user&#39;s leg but not uncomfortably tight. The user may ensure that his or her foot  4  is not in contact with the foot plate  32  prior to closing the upper assembly  10 . 
         [0049]    The user may then tighten the tensioning device  22 , if present, to more precisely and securely secure the wrap  11  against the user&#39;s leg, but again not uncomfortably tight. The user may then squeeze the bulb  115  to inject air into the bladder  110 , if needed. These three actions, namely tightening the hook and loop material  100 , tightening the tension device  22 , and injecting air into the bladder  110  via the bulb  115  or other device, may allow the user to finely calibrate the tightness of the upper assembly  10  to be as tight as possible without being uncomfortable. They may also allow the user to ensure that this tightness is not lost during use of the leg support  1  due to stretching or relaxing of the components thereof. 
         [0050]    While wearing the shoe adaptor  121 , if present, on the user&#39;s other foot, the user may take a step onto the leg bearing the leg support  1 . The second bladder  112  may come into contact with the ground or other walking surface and may be compressed against it. As the second bladder  112  is compressed, air within the second bladder  112  may travel up the tubing  111  to the bladder  110  in the upper assembly  10 . The addition of air into the bladder  110  may decrease the interior circumference of the upper assembly  10 , tightening the upper assembly  10  around the user&#39;s leg to the point that the user&#39;s leg cannot slide downward within the upper assembly and the user&#39;s foot  4  cannot come into contact with the foot plate  32 . Rather, the user&#39;s weight may be borne entirely by the leg support  1  and the user&#39;s upper leg  2  or lower leg  3 , depending on where the leg support  1  is secured, with no pressure on the user&#39;s foot  4 . 
         [0051]    When the user takes a step with the other foot  122 , taking his or her weight off of the leg support  1 , air may return from the bladder  110  to the second bladder  112 . This may allow the upper assembly  10  to return to a comfortable tightness around the user&#39;s leg. The process may repeat with each step. 
         [0052]    Whereas, the devices and methods have been described in relation to the drawings and claims, it should be understood that other and further modifications, apart from those shown or suggested herein, may be made within the spirit and scope of this invention.