Patent Application
20190209386
The present invention relates to weather protectors for a human leg and foot in a walking brace, cast, and/or orthotic device.
Protective covers for walking braces, casts, and/or orthotic devices have been used for many years. Several covers are known for protecting a human leg and foot, separately or as a whole, that have been placed in a walking brace, cast, and/or orthotic device. The current available protective covers for these devices have various flaws.
A casted leg or arm were previously protected by a cast protector, for example U.S. Pat. No. 7,955,284 B2, but were limited to providing protection while taking showers and baths. This protector was entirely waterproof, but did not allow the wearer to safely walk using the cover, as it did not have a non-slip sole.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,475,501 B1 is an example of a cover for a walking brace, cast, and/or orthotic device which was designed to be weather-resistant. In contrast to the previously mentioned protector, this protective cover contained an outer sole for walking in various weather conditions. The protector was composed of a waterproof material, but had one major flaw. This cover was only large enough to shield up to the wearer's ankle region, therefore the entire walking brace, cast, and/or orthotic device would not be completely protected.
These walking braces, casts, and/or orthotic devices can also be damaged by contact with physical objects. Some of these devices do not provide protection to the entire foot, specifically the most anterior portion of the forefoot. When walking, especially outdoors, it is important to protect both the entire patient's foot and the anterior portion of the device. U.S. Pat. No. 3,487,830 details a device which solely protects the anterior portion of the patient's foot in a cast. This protective cover does not provide protection to the any other portion of the patient's foot/leg in a walking brace, cast, and/or orthotic device.
Another major issue with the protective covers for walking braces, casts, and/or orthotic devices, is that many do not allow for the device to be adjusted while the protective cover is on. U.S. Pat. No. 4,217,706 is an example of a device which when protecting the walking brace, cast, and/or orthotic device, said device can no longer be adjusted in any way.
Currently there is a need for a protective cover for walking braces, casts, and/or orthotic devices which are waterproof, allow for the device to be adjusted, and contains a rigid sole.
The present device was invented to surround all portions of walking braces, casts, and/or orthotic devices, to allow the wearer to freely move in any environment. This protective cover is composed of a weather-resistant, resilient, natural and/or synthetic fiber such as neoprene. This material allows for the cover to tightly fit onto the walking brace, cast, and/or orthotic device, without causing any damage to said device, or interfering with the purpose of said device.
The portion of the protective cover which shields the most anterior portion of the forefoot, contains a rigid material for additional protection.
The protective cover also contains a thin, flexible material to encompass the buttons which adjust the volume in the interior of walking braces, casts, and/or orthotic devices.
The protective cover has a vertical fastening device along the entire posterior region. Furthermore, a drawstring is present along the uppermost rim of the protective cover to ensure the waterproof cover encompasses the entirety of the medical device.
An inner and outer sole are also present on the protective cover. The inner sole is comprised of multiple layers of foam, with the uppermost layer being soft, and the lowermost layer being the most firm. The outer sole being rigid with a slip-resistant tread. The sole also has a portion between the ball of the foot and the heel which does not come into contact with the surface in which the patient is walking. The following detailed description, along with its corresponding drawings, will detail supplementary and/or additional information regarding the present invention.
The present invention is a protective, weather-resistant cover for a cast, brace, or orthotic device. This cover protects the cast, brace, or orthotic device under various weather-conditions, while simultaneously allowing the wearer to walk without risking further injury due to slipping.
As best seen in
Extending upwards from the front end of inner sole 16 is an enclosed toe section 6. The toe cover is squared with rounded edges. The toe cover is attached to the front portion of the outer embodiment 2 by any suitable means for example stitching. It comprises of a hard, lightweight plastic, which covers all the toes in their entirety. A squared off, front toe cover allows for a universal application, in that the model of the cover can be used over a brace and on either the wearer's right or left foot.
As seen in
The body portion 2 is tubular in shape and extends upwardly along the lower leg. This body portion is roughly symmetrical, with a longitudinal fastener 22 placed at the midpoint of the rear of the tubular leg portion, as seen on
The button cover patches 4 depicted in
Attached to the top of body portion 2 is an additional extremely flexible, weather-resistant fabric, that is anchored to this upper body portion. This material will create a tube-like structure 12 around the top of the body portion 2. This tube 12 contains a string 14, which can be tied in a snug position around the wearer's leg to a desired tightness. This adjustment prevents any material or debris from coming into contact with the walking brace, cast, and/or orthotic device, while wearing said cover.
The following description for the preferred embodiment of a device to cover all portions of walking braces, casts, and/or orthotic devices, which allows the patient to freely move in any environment, is merely exemplary in nature. This description is in no way intended to limit the scope of the invention, but rather the scope is depicted in the claims.
