Patent Application
20210267783
The present invention is a medical ambulatory aid. The applicant is aware of the following prior art.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,010,474 entitled, Orthopedic brace for legs, issued to Wycoki on Jan. 4, 2000 teaches a medical brace that is arranged to transfer weight bearing, during walking, above the patient's knee to the patient's thigh and pelvic infrastructure. This patent does not teach a device that uses a waist belt and under-leg strap. Therefore, Wycoki does not have the utility that the present invention has. The present invention transfers all the weight to the thigh and pelvic infrastructure teaching a more complete and comprehensive transfer of weight from the knee, lower leg and foot areas than Wycoki does.
U.S. Pat. No. 10,434,003 entitled, lower extremity isolating leg brace, issued to Robinson on Oct. 8, 2019 does incorporate a waist band. However, its buckle is not quick release which helps the patient with easy removal and application. Also, Robinson does not teach the under-leg strap. The present invention teaches the under-leg strap which holds the weight that is transferred to the pelvic region.
The present invention is a medical ambulatory aid. The medical ambulatory aid comprises in combination a waist belt harness, a thigh brace, a calf brace and a walking boot.
There is also a heel strap detachedly attached to the walking boot. There is a metal assembly supporting the waist belt harness, a thigh brace, a calf brace, and a walking boot. This assembly comprises a first metal bar detachedly attached to a side wall of the walking boot at a distal end of the first metal bar. There is surmounted on a near end of the first metal bar, a second metal bar that has a distal end. There is also surmounted on the distal end of the second metal bar, a calf U-channel that has a distal end. The calf brace is attached to the near end of the calf U-channel.
There is a third metal bar that is attached to the near end of the second metal bar.
There is a knee hinge surmounted on the near end of the third bar. There is a fourth metal bar surmounted on a near end of the knee hinge. There is a thigh U-channel surmounted on a near end of the fourth metal bar. There is a thigh brace mounted on the thigh U-channel.
There is a fifth metal bar surmounted on a near end of the thigh U-channel. There is also a hip hinge surmounted on a near end of the fifth metal bar.
There is a waist belt harness attached to a near end of the hip hinge. The waist belt harness is comprised of a waist belt that is configured to rest on a wearer's ilium bone. The waist belt harness has a belt release mechanism attached thereto and an under-leg strap that is configured to wrap around a wearer's gluteus maximus muscles and ischium bone.
There is a heel strap 10 detachedly attached to the walking boot 12. There is a metal assembly 14 supporting the waist belt harness 4, a thigh brace 6, a calf brace 8 and the walking boot 12. This assembly 14 comprises a first metal bar 16 detachedly attached to a side wall 18 of the walking boot 12 at a distal end 20 of the first metal bar 16. There is surmounted on a near end 22 of the first metal bar 16, a calf U-channel 28. There is a second metal bar 24 that has a distal end 26. There is also surmounted on the distal end 26 of the second metal bar 24, a calf U-channel 28 that has a distal end 30. The calf brace 32 is attached to the near end 29 of the calf U-channel 28. There is a third metal bar 34 that is attached to the near end 36 of the third metal bar 34.
There is a knee hinge 38 surmounted on the near end 36 of the third bar 34. There is a thigh U-channel 42 surmounted on a near end 39 of the knee hinge 38 and near end 35 of the U-channel 42. There is a thigh U-channel 42 surmounted on a near end 44 of the fourth metal bar 40.
There is a thigh brace 6 mounted on the thigh U-channel 42. There is a fifth metal bar 48 surmounted on a near end 50 of the thigh U-channel 42. The fifth metal bar 48 has a distal end 49. There is also a hip hinge 52 surmounted on a near end 50 of the fifth metal bar 48.
There is a waist belt harness 4 attached to a near end 49 of the fifth metal bar 48, this waist belt harness 4 comprised of a waist belt 4 that is configured to rest on a wearer's ilium bone. The waist belt harness 4 has a belt release mechanism 56 attached thereto and an under-leg strap 60 that is configured to wrap around a wearer's gluteus maximus muscles and ischium bone.
The present invention incorporates a quick release buckle for ease of release for the waist strap and under-leg strap. It has been discovered that the waist belt and under-leg strap give a higher level of weight transfer from the knee, lower leg or calf and foot areas than other devices that either have neither or just one component. The present invention teaches the under-leg strap that holds the weight that is transferred to the pelvic region. This is the essence of the present invention. The weight transfer provided by the under-leg strap that is configured to wrap around a wearer's gluteus maximus muscles and ischium bone, transfers the weight.
The ability of the present device to place the weight in the pelvic region provides the present invention a greater utility over all prior art inventions.
