Abstract:
An ankle brace having an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper portion defines an interior having a first circumference. The lower portion defines an interior having a second circumference. The ankle brace further comprises a means for adjusting the sizes of the first and second circumferences independently from each other.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to the field of ankle braces and more particularly to an ankle brace for independent adjustment of the upper and the lower portions of the brace. 
     Ankle braces are generally employed to immobilize or inhibit the movement of the foot and ankle with respect to the leg. In this manner, an ankle injury can be healed more effectively. Ankle braces can also be employed to provide support to the joint during continuous or high stress activities. The devices have been utilized in many fields including many commercial and industrial applications. 
     Initially, ankle immobilization (or the inhibition of movement of the ankle) was achieved through the application of tape. However, taping takes expertise and is generally time consuming. Further, taping works well for immobilization but does not allow the joint to flex to any great degree and can also be somewhat difficult to remove. 
     Ankle brace devices have been devised to overcome these shortcomings. Generally, prior art ankle braces have been formed as a boot-shaped body having an open front and a hole at the heel. An opening at the toe allows the toes to move freely. The devices have generally had a tongue fitted into the open front and securing systems for holding the front edges together. 
     The most common securing system has provided a plurality of eyelets positioned along the front edges and a lace threaded through the eyelets and tied together at its ends to hold the front edges together. The lace can be tightened or loosened to adjust the overall size of the brace, thereby adjusting the size of the boot and/or the amount of immobilization provided. 
     It may be desirable to have the upper portion of the boot tightened to a different degree than the lower portion of the boot, or vice versa. These configurations cannot be achieved by the prior art devices because there is only a single lace for adjustment. Furthermore, it is sometimes desirable to make gross adjustments to the brace, for example, to test general fit, and then make fine adjustments without altering the initial gross adjustments. The lace devices of the prior art cannot accomplish this function because the lace provides only one means for both gross and fine adjustments. Additionally, the use of a single lace design provides uniform force to all areas of the front of the brace. It may be desirable in some applications to have reduced force in the region directly above the ankle. This reduced force allows the ankle some freedom of movement. The single lace design of the prior art cannot provide the increased freedom of movement necessary for such applications. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally provides an ankle brace having an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper portion defines an interior having a first circumference. The lower portion defines an interior having a second circumference. The ankle brace further comprises a system for adjusting the sizes of the first and second circumferences independently of each other. 
     A preferred embodiment of the present invention generally provides a body having upper and lower portions and an open front. The brace is adapted to receive one or more laces that are arranged to span the open front and to be received by the body. 
     The size adjustment of the first and second circumferences may be accomplished via a plurality of tabs each having a lace receiving eyelet, the tabs being releasably and adjustably attached to the body. The tabs may be constructed and arranged to provide independent gross adjustment and/or fine adjustment of the sizes of the first and second circumferences. 
     Gross adjustment may be provided by two or more first tabs each having one or more eyelets for receiving a lace, one of the first tabs being releasably attached to the upper portion of the brace while another first tab is releasably attached to lower portion. Fine adjustment may be provided by two or more second tabs each having an eyelet for receiving a lace, one of the second tabs being releasably attached to the upper portion of the brace while another second tab is releasably attached to the lower portion. 
     In the described embodiment, the tabs are utilized in sets of one first tab and one second tab. The brace may be arranged to utilize the sets of tabs wherein one of the tabs is capable of being releasably attached to the body on one side of the front opening, while the other tab is capable of being releasably attached to the body on the other side of the front opening. 
     The mechanism for adjustment of the size of the upper portion of the brace may be provided by a pair of tabs each having an eyelet thereon for receiving a lace and means for releasable attachment of each tab to the body. One of the tabs is capable of being releasably attached to the body on one side of the front opening, while the other tab is capable of being releasably attached to the body on the other side of the front opening. This embodiment of the brace may be arranged such that one tab is utilized for gross adjustment and one tab for fine adjustment of the portion of the brace to which the pair is releasably attached. 
     The aforementioned benefits and other benefits including specific features of the invention will become clear from the following description by reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side view of one side of an embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of the second side of the embodiment of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a front view of the embodiment of FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 4 is a back view of the embodiment of FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals denote like elements throughout the several views, FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of an embodiment of the present invention. 
     The embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4 is generally comprised of a body  10 , a plurality of tabs  24  and  28 , and a lace  22 . The body  10  has an opening at its front wherein a tongue  18  is positioned. Preferably, the tongue  18  is attached to the inside of the body  10  near the front edges of at least one of the side portions  12 . 
     The main portions of the body  10  may be formed from a single piece of material that is bent into a U-shape to form the side portions  12  and a U-shaped bottom. Alternatively, the body  10  may be comprised of two or more pieces of material that are joined together. 
     The back edges of the side portions  12  are also to be joined together to form the back of the body  10 . The joinder of the side portions at the bottom and back edges may be accomplished by any means known in the art. 
     For example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the side portions  12  may be joined by a piece of material  20  spanning between their edges. The piece of material  20  is preferably flexible in one, or more preferably, multiple directions to enable the greatest freedom of movement to the wearer. Such material is commonly known in the art, however, has not be utilized for this specific purpose. 
     The body  10  may also utilize features to allow for greater flexibility of the brace, thereby, providing greater comfort to the wearer. For example, a notch  16  can be cut in the body material  10 . This notch  16  allows for the movement of the ankle without having to deform the front edges of the body  10 . The notch  16  may be filled with a flexible fabric material if desired. 
     Each side portion  12  has at least two tab attachment structures  14  affixed thereon. Any suitable structure may be utilized. For example, hook and loop fastening systems may be utilized wherein the tab attachment structure  14  is comprised of a surface having either a hook or a loop material and at least a portion of the tabs  24  and  28 , to be mated with said tab attachment structure  14 , are comprised of the mating hook or loop material. 
     The configuration of the present ankle brace, shown in the figures, provides upper and lower sets of tabs generally dividing the ankle brace into an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper portion defines an interior having a first circumference. The lower portion defines an interior having a second circumference. The first and second circumference may be adjusted independently. 
     FIG. 1 shows a plurality of first tabs  24  each having at least one eyelet thereon. At least a portion of the tab  24  is constructed and arranged to releasably attach the tab  24  to a tab attachment structure  14 . 
     FIG. 2 shows a plurality of second tabs  28  having at least one eyelet  30  thereon. These tabs  28  also contain a portion that is constructed to releasably engage the tab  28  to a tab attachment structure  14 . FIG. 2 also shows a plurality of eyelets  32 , on the body  10  of the brace. The eyelets  32  are preferably aligned along the front edge of one of the side portions  12 . 
     The plurality of eyelets on the first and second tabs  24  and  28  and the body  10  are utilized in conjunction with one or more laces and the eyelets  32  to adjust the size and tightness of the brace. The use of a plurality of tabs  24  and  28  allows the body  10  of the brace to be independently adjusted over two or more portions of the body  10 . For example, the brace shown in FIGS. 1-4 utilizes two sets of tabs, an upper set controlling the upper portion of the body  10  and a lower set controlling the portion of the body  10 . Each set of tabs is comprised of at least one first tab  24  and one second tab  28 . 
     This structure provides an adjustment to the size of the circumference of the interior within the upper portion, by repositioning the tabs  24  and  28  attached to the upper tab attachment structure  14 , while allowing the size of the circumference of the interior of the lower portion to be independently adjusted by movement of the lower set of tabs  24  and  28  attached to the lower tab attachment structure  14 . 
     The number of eyelets on the body and the tabs may be any suitable number. One embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1-4, provides a brace wherein the first tabs  24  have three eyelets  26 , the second tabs  28  have one eyelet  30 , and the body  10  has six eyelets  32 . Any desired number of eyelets  32  on the body  10  and corresponding eyelets  26  may be employed within the scope of the present invention. It is contemplated that a single eyelet  30  is all that is required on the second tabs  28  to accomplish the purposes of the present invention. 
     When a lace is threaded through this configuration of eyelets, the brace not only provides independent upper and lower portion adjustment, but can additionally provide independent gross and fine adjustments for each set of tabs. Generally, in this embodiment, the first tabs  24  provide for gross adjustment of a portion of the brace, while the second tabs  28  provide for fine adjustment. The lacing and arrangement of the eyelets of this embodiment is shown in detail in FIG.  3 . 
     The lacing of this embodiment is accomplished as follows. The tabs and eyelets are arranged having an upper set of tabs including one first tab  24  and one second tab  28  and a lower pair of tabs having one first tab  24  and one second tab  28 . The lace  22  is threaded from one end that is attached to the second tab  28 , through a first eyelet  26  on the first tab  24  of the upper pair of tabs, through a first and back through a second eyelet  32  on the body  10 , through the second eyelet  26  on said first tab  24  of the upper pair of tabs, through a single eyelet  30  on the second tab  28  of the upper pair of tabs, through the third eyelet  26  on the first tab  24  of the upper pair of tabs, and through a third and back through a fourth eyelet  32  on the body  10 . This lacing sequence provides the lacing of the upper portion of the brace. 
     The lacing continues on to the lower portion from the fourth eyelet  32 , through a first eyelet  26  on the first tab  24  of the lower pair of tabs, through the single eyelet  30  on the second tab  28  of the lower pair of tabs, through a second eyelet  26  on the first tab  24  of the lower pair of tabs, through a fifth and back through a sixth eyelet  32  on the body  10 , through a third eyelet  26  on the first tab  24  of the lower pair of tabs, and back to the second tab  28  of said lower pair of tabs, where the end of the lace  22  is attached thereto. 
     The arrangement of the lace  22  and the plurality of eyelets  26 ,  30 , and  32  allows the user to first affix the first tabs  24  in place. Since the tabs have the laces threaded therethrough, the positioning and attachment of the first tabs  24  to the tab attachment structures  14  on the body  10  either loosens or tightens the lace  22  and thereby either enlarges or reduces the circumference of a portion of the body  10 . This allows the user to roughly size the boot-shaped body  10  to fit the foot on which this device is placed and establishes a general size and tightness for each portion of the brace. The user can then utilize the second tabs  28 , to make fine adjustments to each of the portions as desired, without disrupting the gross adjustments made with the first tabs  24 . This is accomplished by the attachment of the second tabs  28  to the attachment structures  14 . The pulling or slacking of the lace  22 , attached or threaded through each tab  28 , either loosens or tightens the lace  22  and, thereby, either further enlarges or reduces the circumference of that portion of the body  10 . 
     Since many possible embodiments may be made of the present invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted in the illustrative and not limiting sense.