Comfortable orthopaedic support and the method of making the same
US7018351B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 29, 1997 |
| Grant date | Mar 28, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 29, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61F5/0111
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An ankle support (100) is constructed using a molded pad (110) and a rigid shell (112). The pad (110) and the shell (112) may be sealed together to form a bladder-pad cushion for comfort. The internal structure of the pad (110) is molded to include geometrically shaped cells of various size, shape and thickness to provide differing levels of localized comfort to the user of the ankle support (100). The pad may be made from a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) which is spring-like and resists compression sets. The pad may include integrally-molded fingers extending to the shell. The fingers may have different lengths in one or more regions, in order to increase the cushioning effect in a particular region. The pad/shell combination may form a sealed bladder, and a pneumatic pump may be provided in conjunction with the shell so that the user can inflate the bladder.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.