PATENT CLAIM ANALYSIS

Application Number: 15905747
Application Type: Utility
Filing Date: 2018-02
Publication Date: 2019-08
Patent Classification: ["602", "012000"]

Abstract:
An orthopedic ankle support is disclosed which provides an ultra-thin profile and selective restriction of movement of the user's ankle. In an embodiment, sections of a thin, tense material are welded onto a non-rigid body. The sections may include a tense anchor segment which may be proximate the heel opening and/or sole, and one or more tension segments that may extend from the anchor segment to upper portions of the support. In an embodiment, certain of the tension segments may be connected to an attachment portion affixed on the body, such as a thick lace-up area for tightening the support. Welding of the tension segments onto the body using thermal fusion obviates the need for uncomfortable stitching and material lumps. In addition, welding the tension segments into predetermined orientations enables the designer to have control over the properties of the support such that, for example, the tension segments may be oriented so as to restrict undesirable rotatory motion of the ankle without restricting natural forward and rearward motions of the foot.

Claim (Index 37):
An ultra-low profile ankle brace, comprising:\n a body comprising a shell including an open heel region and an open toe region, the body formed of a flexible, stretchable material; a tongue connected to the body; a reinforcement layer welded, without stitching, to the body, the reinforcement layer having a lesser flexibility and a lesser elasticity than the body, and comprising:\n an anchor tension segment extending to and at least partially enclosing the open heel region; \n an extension tension segment extending proximally from the anchor tension segment along a plantar region of the support; \n a vertical tension segment extending from the anchor tension segment in a vertical orientation; and \n a plurality of elongate ligament directional tension segments extending from the anchor tension segment in respective radial directions; and \n an upper region connecting a first end the vertical tension segment to a first end of selected elongate ligament directional tension segment; and \n a planar attachment member welded to the upper region of the reinforcement layer; wherein the reinforcement layer forms windows than circumscribe and expose regions of the body to form expansion zones between the plurality of elongate ligament directional tension segments, the expansion zones entirely bounded by the reinforcement layer.

Metadata:
- Claim Count in Document: 2.0
- Percentile: 88.0
- Lexical Diversity: 1.82353
- Patent Class: 602.0
- Transitional Phrase Type: open
- Component Type: 1
- Foreign Priority: False
- Related Applications: ['12414378', '13851725', '11243754', '11215323', '14474173']

Analysis Scores:
- 35 USC 101 Eligibility (BERT): 0.5886181079278145
- 35 USC 102 Novelty (BERT): 0.4735555784600794
- Combined Prediction Score: 0.5771118549810411
- Mean Citation Score: 224.686752
- Max Citation Score: 238.78905
- Similarity Product: 199.67708282323483

Labels:
- Claim Label 101: 1
- Claim Label 102: 1
- Claim Label 103: 1
- Claim Label 112: 1
- Combined Label: 1
- Label 101 Adjusted: 1

Dataset: test