US 12,403,031 B2
External ankle brace
Michael W. Bean, South Bend, IN (US); and Frederick John Ferlic, South Bend, IN (US)
Assigned to TayCo Brace, Inc., South Bend, IN (US)
Filed by TayCo Brace, Inc., South Bend, IN (US)
Filed on Aug. 15, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/888,428.
Application 17/888,428 is a continuation of application No. 15/642,430, filed on Jul. 6, 2017, granted, now 11,413,180.
Application 15/642,430 is a continuation in part of application No. 15/074,339, filed on Mar. 18, 2016, abandoned.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/135,823, filed on Mar. 20, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2022/0395389 A1, Dec. 15, 2022
Int. Cl. A61F 5/01 (2006.01); A43B 7/20 (2006.01)
CPC A61F 5/0127 (2013.01) [A43B 7/20 (2013.01); A61F 5/0195 (2013.01)] 56 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An external ankle brace, comprising:
a heel enclosure having a rear portion and a forward portion, wherein
the external ankle brace is disposed on the exterior of a shoe, the shoe having a heel portion, a sole, and oppositely disposed sides, said rear portion is configured for receiving the heel of the shoe, and said forward portion includes a medial sidewall and a lateral sidewall for surrounding the sides of the shoe, each of the medial and lateral sidewalls having a proximal portion extending continuously from the rear portion of the heel enclosure, the medial and lateral sidewalls each being configured to extend from the heel portion of the shoe in a longitudinal direction beyond a talus of a wearer's foot and toward the toe, each of the medial and lateral sidewalls having a distal portion longitudinally spaced from the proximal portion of the corresponding medial or lateral sidewall such that the distal portion is at least partially located adjacent to an instep area of a corresponding medial or lateral side of the shoe and the distal portions of the medial and lateral sidewalls are spaced apart, and
the external ankle brace further comprises:
a lateral upright extension selectively perpendicular to at least the lateral sidewall of said heel enclosure and pivotally attached to the proximal portion of the lateral sidewall;
a medial upright extension selectively perpendicular to at least the medial sidewall of said heel enclosure and pivotally attached to the proximal portion of the medial sidewall;
a lower fastening system comprising at least one connecting strap for connecting the distal portion of the lateral sidewall to the distal portion of the medial sidewall underneath the sole of the shoe longitudinally forward of the talus of the wearer's foot; and
an upper fastening system comprising at least one connecting strap extending from said lateral sidewall to said medial sidewall across the top of the shoe,
wherein at least a chosen one of the lateral or medial upright extensions is selectively pivotally attached to a corresponding lateral or medial sidewall, the at least a chosen one of the lateral or medial upright extensions including a pivot prevention feature configured to selectively prevent pivoting of the at least a chosen one of the lateral or medial upright extensions with respect to the corresponding lateral or medial sidewall, and
wherein the at least one connecting strap of the upper fastening system is configured to connect to the lateral sidewall and medial sidewall longitudinally forward of the talus of the wearer's foot.