Below knee orthosis

Claim 2

A brace comprising foot plate means having a front toe region, a rear heel region, and an intermediate arch region, said foot plate means having an upper surface adapted to be situated beneath a foot, and said foot plate means being formed with at least one transverse slot situated beneath said upper surface and extending inwardly from a side of said foot plate means at a location situated at the rear of said intermediate arch region but forwardly of a rear end of said heel region of said foot plate means, upright bar means having a lower substantially L-shaped bar portion provided with a lower substantially horizontal leg adapted to be received in said slot and with a substantially upright leg extending upwardly from said lower leg, said upright bar means also having an upper bar portion extending upwardly from said upright leg of said lower bar portion, said upright bar means including a pivot means interconnecting said upper bar portion at a lower end region thereof and said lower bar portion at an upper end region thereof pivotally to each other for providing a given degree of turning of said upper bar portion with respect to said lower bar portion about an axis extending transversely across said foot plate means, said upper bar portion of said upright bar means terminating in an upper end region distant from said lower bar portion, upper strap means connected with said upper end region of said upper bar portion for encircling a leg above the ankle thereof for securing said upright bar means at said upper end region of said upper bar portion thereof to a leg, and ankle strap means operatively connected with said foot plate means to the rear of said slot for securing said foot plate means to a foot at the region of an ankle thereof, said foot plate means, upright bar means, upper strap means, and ankle strap means forming a unit of separate from a shoe and capable of being removably inserted into a shoe, so that said unit can be used with different shoes, said foot plate means being formed to the rear of said slot beneath said upper surface of said foot plate means with an additional slot extending transversely of said foot plate means for receiving a part of said ankle strap means.

Claim 3

A brace comprising foot plate means having a front toe region, a rear heel region, and an intermediate arch region, said foot plate means having an upper surface adapted to be situated beneath a foot, and said foot plate means being formed with at least one transverse slot situated beneath said upper surface and extending inwardly from a side of said foot plate means at a location situated at the rear of said intermediate arch region but forwardly of a rear end of said heel region of said foot plate means, upright bar means having a lower substantially L-shaped bar portion provided with a lower substantially horizontal leg adapted to be received in said slot and with a substantially upright leg extending upwardly from said lower leg, said upright bar means also having an upper bar portion extending upwardly from said upright leg of said lower bar portion, said upright bar means including a pivot means interconnecting said upper bar portion at a lower end region thereof and said lower bar portion at an upper end region thereof pivotally to each other for providing a given degree of turning of said upper bar portion with respect to said lower bar portion about an axis extending transversely across said foot plate means, said upper bar portion of said upright bar means terminating in an upper end region distant from said lower bar portion, upper strap means connected with said upper end region of said upper bar portion for encircling a leg above the ankle thereof for securing said upright bar means at said upper end region of said upper bar portion thereof to a leg, and ankle strap means operatively connected with said foot plate means to the rear of said slot for securing said foot plate means to a foot at the region of an ankle thereof, said foot plate means, upright bar means, and ankle strap means forming a unit separate from a shoe and capable of being removably inserted into a shoe, so that said unit can be used with different shoes, said foot plate means being formed with a transverse slot means situated beneath said upper surface with said slot forming part of said transverse slot means, said transverse slot means including a second slot extending inwardly from a side of said foot plate means opposite from the side from which said first-mentioned slot extends inwardly, and said lower leg of said lower portion of said upright bar means being adapted to be selectively received in either one of said slots.

Claim 4

A brace comprising foot plate means having a front toe region, a rear heel region, and an intermediate arch region, said foot plate means having an upper surface adapted to be situated beneath a foot, and said foot plate means being formed with at least one transverse slot situated beneath said upper surface and extending inwardly from a side of said foot plate means at a location situated at the rear of said intermediate arch region but forwardly of a rear end of said heel region of said foot plate means, upright bar means having a lower substantially L-shaped bar portion provided with a lower substantially horizontal leg adapted to be received in said slot and with a substantially upright leg extending upwardly from said lower leg, said upright bar means also having an upper bar portion extending upwardly from said upright leg of said lower bar portion, said upright bar means including a pivot means interconnecting said upper bar portion at a lower end region thereof and said lower bar portion at an upper end region thereof pivotally to each other for providing a given degree of turning of said upper bar portion with respect to said lower bar portion about an axis extending transversely across said foot plate means, said upper bar portion of said upright bar means terminating in an upper end region distant from said lower bar portion, upper strap means connected with said upper end region of said upper bar portion for encircling a leg above the ankle thereof for securing said upright bar means at said upper end region of said upper bar portion thereof to a leg, and ankle strap means operatively connected with said foot plate means to the rear of said slot for securing said foot plate means to a foot at the region of an ankle thereof, said foot plate means, upright bar means, and ankle strap means forming a unit separate from a shoe and capable of being removably inserted into a shoe, so that said unit can be used with different shoes, said foot plate means being formed with a transverse slot means situated beneath said upper surface with said slot forming part of said transverse slot means, said transverse slot means including a second slot extending inwardly from a side of said foot plate means opposite from the side from which said first-mentioned slot extends inwardly, and said lower leg of said lower portion of said upright bar means being adapted to be selectively received in either one of said slots.

Claim 5

The combination of claim 2 and wherein said upper strap means is pivotally connected to said upper end region of said upper bar portion for turning movement with respect thereto about an axis extending transversely across said foot plate means, so that said strap means can be oriented properly depending upon which of said slots receives said lower leg of said lower bar portion of said upright bar means.

Claim 6

A brace comprising foot plate means having a front toe region, a rear heel region, and an intermediate arch region, said foot plate means having an upper surface adapted to be situated beneath a foot, and said foot plate means being formed with at least one transverse slot situated beneath said upper surface and extending inwardly from a side of said foot plate means at a location situated at the rear of said intermediate arch region but forwardly of a rear end of said heel region of said foot plate means, upright bar means having a lower substantially L-shaped bar portion provided with a lower substantially horizontal leg adapted to be received in said slot and with a substantially upright leg extending upwardly from said lower leg, said upright bar means also having an upper bar portion extending upwardly from said upright leg of said lower bar portion, said upright bar means including a pivot means interconnecting said upper bar portion at a lower end region thereof and said lower bar portion at an upper end region thereof pivotally to each other for providing a given degree of turning of said upper bar portion with respect to said lower bar portion about an axis extending transversely across said foot plate means, said upper bar portion of said upright bar means terminating in an upper end region distant from said lower bar portion, upper strap means connected with said upper end region of said upper bar portion for encircling a leg above the ankle thereof for securing said upright bar means at said upper end region of said upper bar portion thereof to a leg, and ankle strap means operatively connected with said foot plate means to the rear of said slot for securing said foot plate means to a foot at the region of an ankle thereof, said foot plate means, upright bar means, upper strap means, and ankle strap means forming a unit separate from a shoe and capable of being removably inserted into a shoe, so that said unit can be used with different shoes, said foot plate means being formed with a transverse slot means of which said slot forms a part, said transverse slot means including a second slot extending inwardly from said foot plate means at a side thereof opposite from the side from which said first-mentioned slot extends inwardly, and a pair of said upright bar means respectively having lower bar portions respectively provided with said horizontal legs which are respectively received in said slots, said pair of upright bar means respectively having upper bar portions connected by a pair of said pivot means to said lower bar portions and respectively terminating in upper end regions to which said upper strap means is connected.

Claim 7

A brace comprising foot plate means having a front toe region, a rear heel region, and an intermediate arch region, said foot plate means having an upper surface adapted to be situated beneath a foot, and said foot plate means being formed with at least one transverse slot situated beneath said upper surface and extending inwardly from a side of said foot plate means at a location situated at the rear of said intermediate arch region but forwardly of a rear end of said heel region of said foot plate means, upright bar means having a lower substantially L-shaped bar portion provided with a lower substantially horizontal leg adapted to be received in said slot and with a substantially upright leg extending upwardly from said lower leg, said upright bar means also having an upper bar portion extending upwardly from said upright leg of said lower bar portion, said upright bar means including a pivot means interconnecting said upper bar portion at a lower end region thereof and said lower bar portion at an upper end region thereof pivotally to each other for providing a given degree of turning of said upper bar portion with respect to said lower bar portion about an axis extending transversely across said foot plate means, said upper bar portion of said upright bar means terminating in an upper end region distant from said lower bar portion, upper strap means connected with said upper end region of said upper bar portion for encircling a leg above the ankle thereof for securing said upright bar means at said upper end region of said upper bar portion thereof to a leg, and ankle strap means operatively connected with said foot plate means to the rear of said slot for securing said foot plate means to a foot at the region of an ankle thereof, said foot plate means, upright bar means, upper strap means, and ankle strap means forming a unit separate from a shoe and capable of being removably inserted into a shoe, so that said unit can be used with different shoes, said foot plate means being formed with a transverse slot means of which said slot forms a part, said transverse slot means including a second slot extending inwardly from said foot plate means at a side thereof opposite from the side from which said first-mentioned slot extends inwardly, and a pair of said upright bar means respectively having lower bar portions respectively provided with said horizontal legs which are respectively received in said slots, said pair of upright bar means respectively having upper bar portions connected by a pair of said pivot means to said lower bar portions and respectively terminating in upper end regions to which said upper strap means is connected.

Claim 8

The combination of claim 4 and wherein said foot plate means is formed to the rear of said transverse slot means with a further slot means extending transversely across said foot plate means beneath said upper surface thereof for receiving a part of said ankle strap means.

Claim 9

A brace comprising foot plate means having a front toe region, a rear heel region, and an intermediate arch region, said foot plate means having an upper surface adapted to be situated beneath a foot, and said foot plate means being formed with at least one transverse slot situated beneath said upper surface and extending inwardly from a side of said foot plate means at a location situated at the rear of said intermediate arch region but forwardly of a rear end of said heel region of said foot plate means, upright bar means having a lower substantially L-shaped bar portion provided with a lower substantially horizontal leg adapted to be received in said slot and with a substantially upright leg extending upwardly from said lower leg, said upright bar means also having an upper bar portion extending upwardly from said upright leg of said lower bar portion, said upright bar means including a pivot means interconnecting said upper bar portion at a lower end region thereof and said lower bar portion at an upper end region thereof pivotally to each other for providing a given degree of turning of said upper bar portion with respect to said lower bar portion about an axis extending transversely across said foot plate means, said upper bar portion of said upright bar means terminating in an upper end region distant from said lower bar portion, upper strap means connected with said upper end region of said upper bar portion for encircling a leg above the ankle thereof for securing said upright bar means at said upper end region of said upper bar portion thereof to a leg, and ankle strap means operatively connected with said foot plate means to the rear of said slot for securing said foot plate means to a foot at the region of an ankle thereof, said foot plate means, upright bar means, upper strap means, and ankle strap means forming a unit separate from a shoe and capable of being removably inserted into a shoe, so that said unit can be used with different shoes, said foot plate means being relatively thin and including along a peripheral part of said heel region a substantially U-shaped projection extending downwardly from a lower surface of said foot plate means and formed with said slot, said substantially U-shaped portion being formed with a second slot in line with said first-mentioned slot and extending inwardly from a side of said foot plate means opposite from the side from which said first-mentioned slot extends, so that a pair of said upright bar means can be received in said slots, respectively or so that a single upright bar means may be interchangeably received in said slots.

Claim 10

A brace comprising foot plate means having a front toe region, a rear heel region, and an intermediate arch region, said foot plate means having an upper surface adapted to be situated beneath a foot, and said foot plate means being formed with at least one transverse slot situated beneath said upper surface and extending inwardly from a side of said foot plate means at a location situated at the rear of said intermediate arch region but forwardly of a rear end of said heel region of said foot plate means, upright bar means having a lower substantially L-shaped bar portion provided with a lower substantially horizontal leg adapted to be received in said slot and with a substantially upright leg extending upwardly from said lower leg, said upright bar means also having an upper bar portion extending upwardly from said upright leg of said lower bar portion, said upright bar means including a pivot means interconnecting said upper bar portion at a lower end region thereof and said lower bar portion at an upper end region thereof pivotally to each other for providing a given degree of turning of said upper bar portion with respect to said lower bar portion about an axis extending transversely across said foot plate means, said upper bar portion of said upright bar means terminating in an upper end region distant from said lower bar portion, upper strap means connected with said upper end region of said upper bar portion for encircling a leg above the ankle thereof for securing said upright bar means at said upper end region of said upper bar portion thereof to a leg, and ankle strap means operatively connected with said foot plate means to the rear of said slot for securing said foot plate means to a foot at the region of an ankle thereof, said foot plate means, upright bar means, upper strap means, and ankle strap means forming a unit separate from a shoe and capable of being removably inserted into a shoe, so that said unit can be used with different shoes, said foot plate means being relatively thin and including along a peripheral part of said heel region a substantially U-shaped projection extending downwardly from a lower surface of said foot plate means and formed with said slot, said substantially U-shaped portion being formed with a second slot in line with said first-mentioned slot and extending inwardly from a side of said foot plate means opposite from the side from which said first-mentioned slot extends, so that a pair of said upright bar means can be received in said slots, respectively or so that a single upright bar means may be interchangeably received in said slots.

Claim 11

A brace comprising foot plate means having a front toe region, a rear heel region, and an intermediate arch region, said foot plate means having an upper surface adapted to be situated beneath a foot, and said foot plate means being formed with at least one transverse slot situated beneath said upper surface and extending inwardly from a side of said foot plate means at a location situated at the rear of said intermediate arch region but forwardly of a rear end of said heel region of said foot plate means, upright bar means having a lower substantially L-shaped bar portion provided with a lower substantially horizontal leg adapted to be received in said slot and with a substantially upright leg extending upwardly from said lower leg, said upright bar means also having an upper bar portion extending upwardly from said upright leg of said lower bar portion, said upright bar means including a pivot means interconnecting said upper bar portion at a lower end region thereof and said lower bar portion at an upper end region thereof pivotally to each other for providing a given degree of turning of said upper bar portion with respect to said lower bar portion about an axis extending transversely across said foot plate means, said upper bar portion of said upright bar means terminating in an upper end region distant from said lower bar portion, upper straip means connected with said upper end region of said upper bar portion for encircling a leg above the ankle thereof for securing said upright bar means at said upper end region of said upper bar portion thereof to a leg, and ankle strap means operatively connected with said foot plate means to the rear of said slot for securing said foot plate means to a foot at the region of an ankle thereof, said foot plate means, upright bar means, upper strap means, and ankle strap means forming a unit separate from a shoe and capable of being removably inserted into a shoe, so that said unit can be used with different shoes, said foot plates means being relatively thin and including along a peripheral part of said heel region a substantially U-shaped projection extending downwardly from a lower surface of said foot plate means and formed with said slot, said substantially U-shaped portion being formed to the rear of said transverse slot with additional transverse slots for receiving part of said ankle strap means.

Claim 12

A brace comprising foot plate means having a front toe region, a rear heel region, and an intermediate arch region, said foot plate means having an upper surface adapted to be situated beneath a foot, and said foot plate means being formed with at least one transverse slot situated beneath said upper surface and extending inwardly from a side of said foot plate means at a location situated at the rear of said intermediate arch region but forwardly of a rear end of said heel region of said foot plate means, upright bar means having a lower substantially L-shaped bar portion provided with a lower substantially horizontal leg adapted to be received in said slot and with a substantially upright leg extending upwardly from said lower leg, said upright bar means also having an upper bar portion extending upwardly from said upright leg of said lower bar portion, said upright bar means including a pivot means interconnecting said upper bar portion at a lower end region thereof and said lower bar portion at an upper end region thereof pivotally to each other for providing a given degree of turning of said upper bar portion with respect to said lower bar portion about an axis extending transversely across said foot plate means, said upper bar portion of said upright bar means terminating in an upper end region distant from said lower bar portion, upper straip means connected with said upper end region of said upper bar portion for encircling a leg above the ankle thereof for securing said upright bar means at said upper end region of said upper bar portion thereof to a leg, and ankle strap means operatively connected with said foot plate means to the rear of said slot for securing said foot plate means to a foot at the region of an ankle thereof, said foot plate means, upright bar means, upper strap means, and ankle strap means forming a unit separate from a shoe and capable of being removably inserted into a shoe, so that said unit can be used with different shoes, said foot plates means being relatively thin and including along a peripheral part of said heel region a substantially U-shaped projection extending downwardly from a lower surface of said foot plate means and formed with said slot, said substantially U-shaped portion being formed to the rear of said transverse slot with additional transverse slots for receiving part of said ankle strap means.

Claim 13

A brace comprising foot plate means having a front toe region, a rear heel region, and an intermediate arch region, said foot plate means having an upper surface adapted to be situated beneath a foot, and said foot plate means being formed with at least one transverse slot situated beneath said upper surface and extending inwardly from a side of said foot plate means at a location situated at the rear of said intermediate arch region but forwardly of a rear end of said heel region of said foot plate means, upright bar means having a lower substantially L-shaped bar portion provided with a lower substantially horizontal leg adapted to be received in said slot and with a substantially upright leg extending upwardly from said lower leg, said upright bar means also having an upper bar portion extending upwardly from said upright leg of said lower bar portion, said upright bar means including a pivot means interconnecting said upper bar portion at a lower end region thereof and said lower bar portion at an upper end region thereof pivotally to each other for providing a given degree of turning of said upper bar portion with respect to said lower bar portion about an axis extending transversely across said foot plate means, said upper bar portion of said upright bar means terminating in an upper end region distant from said lower bar portion, upper strap means connected with said upper end region of said upper bar portion for encircling a leg above the ankle thereof for securing said upright bar means at said upper end region of said upper bar portion thereof to a leg, and ankle strap means operatively connected with said foot plate means to the rear of said slot for securing said foot plate means to a foot at the region of an ankle thereof, said foot plate means, upright bar means, upper strap means, and ankle strap means forming a unit separate from a shoe and capable of being removably inserted into a shoe, so that said unit can be used with different shoes, said foot plate means being relatively thin and including along a peripheral part of said heel region a substantially U-shaped projection extending downwardly from a lower surface of said foot plate means and formed with said slot, said substantially U-shaped portion being separate from the remainder of said foot plate means, and adjusting means interconnecting said substantially U-shaped portion of said foot plate means with the remainder thereof for adjusting the location of said U-shaped portion longitudinally along said foot plate means at a selected location between said heel and toe regions thereof, to adjust the position of said slot.

Claim 14

A brace comprising foot plate means having a front toe region, a rear heel region, and an intermediate arch region, said foot plate means having an upper surface adapted to be situated beneath a foot, and said foot plate means being formed with at least one transverse slot situated beneath said upper surface and extending inwardly from a side of said foot plate means at a location situated at the rear of said intermediate arch region but forwardly of a rear end of said heel region of said foot plate means, upright bar means having a lower substantially L-shaped bar portion provided with a lower substantially horizontal leg adapted to be received in said slot and with a substantially upright leg extending upwardly from said lower leg, said upright bar means also having an upper bar portion extending upwardly from said upright leg of said lower bar portion, said upright bar means including a pivot means interconnecting said upper bar portion at a lower end region thereof and said lower bar portion at an upper end region thereof pivotally to each other for providing a given degree of turning of said upper bar portion with respect to said lower bar portion about an axis extending transversely across said foot plate means, said upper bar portion of said upright bar means terminating in an upper end region distant from said lower bar portion, upper strap means connected with said upper end region of said upper bar portion for encircling a leg above the ankle thereof for securing said upright bar means at said upper end region of said upper bar portion thereof to a leg, and ankle strap means operatively connected with said foot plate means to the rear of said slot for securing said foot plate means to a foot at the region of an ankle thereof, said foot plate means, upright bar means, upper strap means, and ankle strap means forming a unit separate from a shoe and capable of being removably inserted into a shoe, so that said unit can be used with different shoes, said foot plate means being relatively thin and including along a peripheral part of said heel region a substantially U-shaped projection extending downwardly from a lower surface of said foot plate means and formed with said slot, said substantially U-shaped portion being separate from the remainder of said foot plate means, and adjusting means interconnecting said substantially U-shaped portion of said foot plate means with the remainder thereof for adjusting the location of said U-shaped portion longitudinally along said foot plate means at a selected location between said heel and toe regions thereof, to adjust the position of said slot.

Claim 15

The combination of claim 6 and wherein said substantially U-shaped portion is integral with the remainder of said foot plate means.