Abstract
The present disclosure provides a joint protection device, comprising a joint protection body that matches a shape of a joint. The joint protection body is a hollow housing having an opened bottom and comprises a front supporting portion and side supporting portions providing supports for the joint. A notch is provided in a portion of the joint protection body, which is close to a joint movement area. The notch divides the joint protection body into a plurality of joint pieces, adjacent joint pieces are connected by two local junctions respectively provided at appropriate positions on two sides of the joint protection body and can rotate with the local junctions as rotation fulcrums. Meanwhile, the present disclosure further provides other joint protection devices similar to the above, where an upper end of a joint protection body is provided with a clearance structure to ensure forward and backward movement of the joint.
Claims
1. A joint protection device, comprising a joint protection body whose horizontal shape substantially matches a shape of a joint, wherein the joint protection body is a hollow housing having an opened bottom and comprises a front supporting portion and side supporting portions distributed on two sides of the front supporting portion, the front supporting portion and the side supporting portions respectively wrapping a front surface and side surfaces of the joint to provide front and side supports for the joint; at least one notch is provided in a portion of the joint protection body, which is close to a joint movement area; the at least one notch divides the joint protection body into a plurality of joint pieces; adjacent joint pieces are connected by two local junctions respectively provided at appropriate positions on two sides of the joint protection body, and the adjacent joint pieces are capable of rotating with the local junctions as rotation fulcrums.
2. The joint protection device according to claim 1, wherein the joint protection device comprises a strip-shaped fixing belt, one end of the fixing belt is integrally formed on one side of the joint protection body while the other end of the fixing belt is provided with at least one buckle; the joint protection body is provided with through holes matched with the at least one buckle, and after wrapping around the joint, the fixing belt is fastened to the through holes by means of the buckle; wherein the other end of the fixing belt is further provided with at least one saw-toothed barb, and the joint protection body is further provided with corresponding through holes or semi-through holes matched with the at least one saw-toothed barb.
3. The joint protection device according to claim 1, wherein the joint protection device comprises at least one of an opened fixing ring and a closed fixing ring which are fixed to the joint protection body.
4. The joint protection device according to claim 1, wherein an elastomer with an elasticity is injected between the joint pieces through overmolding, to support a part of a body weight by an elastic tension of the elastomer when the joint projection body is bent.
5. The joint protection device according to claim 1, wherein at least one joint piece is further provided with hook-shaped structures that are mutually cooperated, and when the joint is bent inwardly until the hook-shaped structures contact with each other, the joint stops bending; wherein the joint protection body is further provided with notches, a middle part of the notch is provided with a middle junction, and the joint pieces on two sides of the middle junction rotate in any direction with the middle junction as a rotation fulcrum.
6. The joint protection device according to claim 1, wherein one end of the joint protection body extends to form a thin wall having an L-shape in a cross section.
7. The joint protection device according to claim 1, wherein the joint protection device further comprises a footwear; the joint protection body is higher than an ankle of a wearer; the footwear comprises a shoe sole, an upper, a heelpiece and a fastener, the joint protection body is disposed at the heelpiece of the footwear and wrapped between inner and outer layers of the upper; the joint protection body comprises a fixing portion below the ankle and an upper supporting portion above the ankle; the fixing portion is at least partially fixed to the heelpiece; the fastener of the footwear fits and fixes the joint protection body to the wearer's leg and foot; a cushion structure is provided between the joint protection body and the foot of the wearer, a contour of a bottom of the fixing portion is designed to be consistent with a contour of the shoe sole, and gradually expands laterally in an upward direction; the joint protection body is generally tightened in a width direction from the inner and outer ankle parts upward.
8. The joint protection device according to claim 7, wherein the footwear is elastic along a longitudinal direction of the outer layer of the upper in an anterior-posterior region corresponding to an ankle height, and there is no fixation between the upper and the joint protection body in this region, so as to ensure flexibility of the shoe.
9. The joint protection device according to claim 7, wherein a material-removing structure is provided in the upper supporting portion; and in a state in which the wearer is upright, a longitudinal axis of the joint protection body is consistent with a longitudinal axis X2 of the heelpiece.
10. The joint protection device according to claim 1, wherein heights of the plurality of joint pieces increase or decrease in a step-wise manner; and a bottom width of the upper notch is larger than a top width of the upper notch.
11. The joint protection device according to claim 10, wherein the joint protection device comprises at least one of an opened fixing ring and a closed fixing ring which are fixed to the joint protection body.
12. The joint protection device according to claim 10, wherein an elastomer with an elasticity is injected between the joint pieces through overmolding, to support a part of a body weight by an elastic tension of the elastomer when the joint projection body is bent.
13-15. (canceled)
16. A joint protection device, comprising a joint protection body whose horizontal shape matches a shape of a joint, the joint protection body being a hollow housing having an opened bottom and comprising a front supporting portion and side supporting portions distributed on two sides of the front supporting portion, the front supporting portion and the side supporting portions respectively wrapping a front surface and side surfaces of the joint to provide front and side supports for the joint; and an upper end of the joint protection body provides a clearance structure that allows joint movement.
17. The joint protection device according to claim 16, wherein the clearance structure is a notch formed by a middle position of the upper end being depressed downward, or is a moving space formed by the upper end being inclined rearward.
18. The joint protection device according to claim 16, wherein the joint protection device further comprises a footwear; the joint protection body is higher than an ankle of the wearer; the footwear comprises a shoe sole, an upper and a heelpiece; the joint protection body is disposed at the heelpiece of the footwear and wrapped between inner and outer layers of the upper; the joint protection body comprises a fixing portion below the ankle and an upper supporting portion above the ankle; the fixing portion is at least partially fixed to the heelpiece; a fastener of the footwear fits and fixes the joint protection body to the wearer's leg and foot; a cushion structure is provided between the joint protection body and the foot; a contour of a bottom of the fixing portion is designed to be basically consistent with a contour of the shoe sole, but gradually expands laterally in an upward direction; the joint protection body is generally tightened in a width direction from the inner and outer ankle parts upward.
19. The joint protection device according to claim 18, wherein material of the upper at a corresponding position of the notch of the joint protection body is elastic, or the upper at this position is also provided with a corresponding shoe notch.
20. The joint protection device according to claim 18, wherein a material-removing structure is provided in the upper supporting portion; and in a state in which the wearer is upright, a longitudinal axis of the joint protection body is consistent with a longitudinal axis of the heelpiece.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0033] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a joint protection device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0034] FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of a joint protection device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0035] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the joint protection device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0036] FIG. 4 is a diagram of a use state of the joint protection device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0037] FIG. 5 is a diagram of a use state of the joint protection device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0038] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a lateral cross-sectional view of a fastened state of the joint protection device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0039] FIG. 7 is a side view of a joint protection device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0040] FIG. 8 is a partial sectional view of the joint protection device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0041] FIG. 9 is a side perspective view of a joint protection device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0042] FIG. 10 is a side view of a joint protection device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0043] FIG. 11 is a front perspective view of a joint protection device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0044] FIG. 12 is a side perspective view of a joint protection device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0045] FIG. 13 is a front perspective view of a joint protection device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0046] FIG. 14 is a front perspective view of a joint protection device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0047] FIG. 15 is a diagram of a use of a joint protection device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0048] FIG. 16 is a diagram of a use of a joint protection device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0049] FIG. 17 is a structural diagram of a joint protection body with a weight-bearing elastomer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0050] FIG. 18 is a structural diagram of a joint protection body for protecting a wrist and a thumb according to the present disclosure.
[0051] FIG. 19 is a structural diagram of a joint protection body for protecting an ankle according to the present disclosure.
[0052] FIG. 20 is a structural diagram showing that a joint protection body is integrated with a footwear according to the present disclosure.
[0053] FIG. 21 is a structural diagram of a footwear that is not used in integration with a joint protection body according to the present disclosure.
[0054] FIG. 22 is a structural diagram of the joint protection body in FIG. 20 with a completely opened bottom.
[0055] FIG. 23 is a structural diagram of the joint protection body in FIG. 20 with a sutured fixing portion extending at the bottom end.
[0056] FIG. 24 is a side view of the joint protection body in FIG. 20.
[0057] FIG. 25 is a front view of the joint protection body in FIG. 20.
[0058] FIG. 26 is a longitudinal b-b section view of the joint protection body in FIG. 25.
[0059] FIG. 27 is a lateral d-d section view of the joint protection body in FIG. 25.
[0060] FIG. 28 is a diagram of a joint protection body when the leg is in an upright standing state.
[0061] FIG. 29 is a diagram of a joint protection body disposed on the foot.
[0062] FIG. 30 is a lateral c-c section view of the joint protection body in FIG. 29.
[0063] FIG. 31 is a diagram of a foam member shaped by molding.
[0064] FIG. 32 is a rear view of a joint protection body with foam adhered thereto or infusion molded therein.
[0065] FIG. 33 is a longitudinal e-e section view of the joint protection body in FIG. 32.
[0066] FIG. 34 is a structural diagram of an embodiment of an ankle protection body according to the present disclosure.
[0067] FIG. 35 is a front view of the ankle protection body in FIG. 34.
[0068] FIG. 36 is a structural diagram of another embodiment of an ankle protection body according to the present disclosure.
[0069] FIG. 37 is a structural diagram of an embodiment of an ankle protection body wrapping the ankle according to the present disclosure.
[0070] FIG. 38 is a structural diagram showing that a joint protection body is integrated with a footwear according to the present disclosure.
[0071] FIG. 39 is a structural diagram showing that another joint protection body is integrated with a footwear according to the present disclosure.
[0072] FIG. 40 is a structural diagram of another embodiment of an ankle protection body according to the present disclosure.
[0073] FIG. 41 is a front view of the ankle protection body in FIG. 40.
[0074] FIG. 42 is a section view of an ankle protection member in FIG. 40.
[0075] FIG. 43 is a structural diagram of another embodiment of an ankle protection member according to the present disclosure.
[0076] FIG. 44 is a front view of an ankle protection member in FIG. 43.
[0077] FIG. 45 is a structural diagram of an embodiment in which an ankle protection member wraps the ankle according to the present disclosure.
[0078] FIG. 46 is a structural diagram showing that another joint protection body is integrated with a footwear according to the present disclosure.
[0079] FIG. 47 is a structural diagram showing that another joint protection body is integrated with a footwear according to the present disclosure.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0080] In order to make the aims, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention clear, the technical solution of the present disclosure is described in detail in the following with reference to specific embodiments and drawings of specification. It is understood that the following specific embodiments are merely illustrative and not for limiting.
[0081] As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 47, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a joint protection device, including a joint protection body 1 whose horizontal shape matches a shape of a joint. The joint protection body 1 is an integrally formed hollow housing having an opened bottom. Preferably, the joint protection body is made of a plastic material though injection molding using a mold, and thus has good rigidity. The joint protection body 1 include a front supporting portion 171 and side supporting portions 172 distributed on two sides of the front supporting portion 171. The front supporting portion 171 and the side supporting portions 172 respectively wrap a front surface and side surfaces of the joint to provide front and side support for the joint.
[0082] As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 33, at least one notch 10 is provided in a portion, close to a joint movement area, of the joint protection body 1. At least one notch 10 divides the joint protection body 1 into a plurality of joint pieces 12. Adjacent joint pieces 12 are connected by two local junctions 13 respectively provided at appropriate positions on two sides of the joint protection body 1. The adjacent joint pieces 12 are capable of rotating with the local junctions 3 as rotation fulcrums. When the joint pieces 12 rotate around the rotation fulcrums to a limiting position, the adjacent joint pieces 12 contact with each other and stop rotating.
[0083] When the local junction 13 is located at a bottom edge of the joint protection body 1, the joint protection body 1 only has an upper notch 11; when the local junction 3 is located at a certain distance above the bottom edge of the joint protection body 1, the joint protection body 1 has both an upper notch 11 and a lower notch 14. Taking the finger supporting protector as an example, when the fingers are straightened, adjacent joint pieces 12 on both sides of each upper notch 10 contact with each other and do not rotate no longer. In this way, the joint is prevented from overbending toward a direction to back of a hand, thereby achieving the aim of protecting a finger. Regarding to finger joints, most importantly, the finger needs to be prevented from overbending toward the back of the finger, which is a primary cause to injury to the finger joints. The case of the above embodiment may be adopted when restricting the finger joints from bending toward a direction of a palm of the hand is left out of account.
[0084] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the adjacent joint pieces of the upper notch 11 just come into contact with each other when the joint is straightened, at the moment the adjacent joint pieces 12 do not rotate anymore because of a rigid support action of the joint protection body, so that the joint is prevented from overbending toward the direction of the back of the hand, thereby achieving the aim of protecting the finger. When the joint bends toward the direction of the palm of the hand to a certain extent, two adjacent joint pieces 12 of the lower notch 14 just come into contact with each other, at the moment the adjacent joint pieces 12 of the lower notch 14 do not rotate anymore because of a rigid support action of the joint protection body, so that the joint is prevented from overbending toward the direction of the palm of the hand, thereby achieving the aim of protecting the finger.
[0085] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, edges of the upper notch 11 or the lower notch 14 and the joint piece 12 are rounded off. Here, edges of the upper notch 11 or the lower notch 14 and the joint piece 12 are rounded off to improve fitness to the human body and performance.
[0086] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in FIG. 10, bottom width of the upper notch 11 is larger than top width thereof, so that rotating part connecting the adjacent two joint pieces 12 is stronger and not easy to break, thus the overall elasticity of the joint protection device is improved. Of course, according to actual demands, in other embodiment, it is possible to take some other means to improve the overall elasticity of the joint protection device.
[0087] As shown in FIG. 34 to FIG. 47, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a joint movement protection device, wherein an upper end of the joint protection body 1 provides a clearance structure 18 that allows joint movement. Further, the present disclosure provides two different clearance structures.
[0088] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 34 to FIG. 39, the clearance structure 18 is a notch 18a formed by a middle position of the upper end being depressed downward. This notch can ensure the forward and backward movement of the ankle. The depth of the notch 18a can control the range of the forward and backward movement of the ankle. The notch is not limited to a specific shape and depth, as long as when the wearer is standing straight in normal use, the lowest part of the middle part of the upper end is lower than the highest parts on both sides, which belongs to the “notch” in the middle position above the supporting member. The “upper end” in the embodiments refers to the part above the center of the inner ankle.
[0089] FIG. 40 to FIG. 47 illustrate another embodiment of an application of a clearance structure. In order to allow the foot to move forward and backward, the clearance structure 18 may also be, for example, an moving space 18b formed by the upper end of the joint protection body 1 being inclined rearward, and the inclination angle is greater than 10 degrees. Preferably, an optical interval of the inclination angle is 20 degrees to 50 degrees. The magnitude of that angle can control the desired range of forward and backward movement of the ankle. As shown in FIG. 42, D is an included angle between a connecting line of the lowest point X and the highest point Y of the upper end of the joint protection body 1 on the middle longitudinal section and a vertical line under the condition that the wearer stands straight in normal use, and D>10°. The “upper end” in the embodiments refers to the part above the center of the inner ankle.
[0090] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in FIG. 12, heights of a plurality of the joint pieces 12 increase progressively, and each joint piece 12 extends outwardly and covers over top of the upper notch 11, thus, when finger joints are bend to some extent in a direction towards palm, the adjacent two joint pieces 12 rotate reversely around the rotation fulcrum 13, then, top of the upper notch 11 opens, since edge of each joint piece 12 extends outwards and cover over top of the upper notch 11, top of the upper notch 11 will not expose entirely, preventing injury from external objects to fingers or invasion of external objects, thus the overall safety of the joint protection device is improved.
[0091] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 12, the above joint protection device includes at least one fixing device 2, such as strip-shaped fixing belts 20. An end of the fixing belt 20 and a side of the joint protection body 1 are integrally molded, and another end of the fixing belt 20 is provided with at least one buckle 22, correspondingly, the joint protection body 1 is provided with a plurality of through holes 23 matched with the buckle 22. In this way, the fixing belt 20, after wrapping around the joint, is fastened to the through hole 23 on the joint protection body 1 by means of the buckle 22, so that the fixing belt 20 can form a connection with the joint protection body 1, and therefore the joint protection body 1 is tightly fixed over the joint. Meanwhile, another end of the fixing belt 20 may be further provided with at least one saw-toothed barb 21, correspondingly, the above joint protection body 1 is further provided with through holes 23 or semi-through holes 24 matched with the saw-toothed barb 21, so that the saw-toothed barb 21 is engaged with the through hole 23 or semi-through hole 24.
[0092] FIGS. 6 to 8 show a detailed state when the buckle 22 is fastened to the through hole 23. The saw-toothed barb 21 and the buckle 22 cooperate with different through holes 23 or semi-through holes 24 so that a degree of tightness of the fixing belt 20 can be adjusted. In this way, the same joint protection body can fit to fingers of different sizes to a certain extent. The above saw-toothed barb 21 is mainly responsible for bearing a longitudinal pulling force on the fixing belt 0, and the buckle 22 is mainly responsible for fitting the fixing belt 20 to the joint protection body 1 to ensure a good engagement between the saw-toothed barb 21 and the through hole 23 or semi-through hole 24. The combined use of the saw-toothed barb 21 and the buckle 22 enables the joint protection body 1 to be stably and reliably fixed on the joint, and be worn and removed conveniently and quickly.
[0093] In other embodiments of the present disclosure, a suitable structural style adopting other types may be selected as required for the fixing device 2. For example, a traditional Velcro tape can be adopted for fixation, or the joint protection body 1 may be inlaid and fixed into a glove or an elastic fabric. Alternatively, the joint protection device itself may not include a fixing device 2, but is fixed by means of a separate fixing belt of other types. For example, a separate adhesive tape may be adopted to wrap it around and fix it to the wearer's body. An independent fixing belt, which can adopt a material in a proper form and match with a buckle having a proper structure to closely fitting the joint protection body 1 to the joint of the human body. It should be noted that the term “closely fitting” used in the context of this text refers to a positional relationship between the joint protection body and the joint. It is not limited to directly fitting the joint protection body to the joint. On the contrary, the joint protection body may also be indirectly fitted to the joint. For example, the situations in which a certain structure (such as a fabric) exists between the joint protection body and the joint also belong to the “closely fitting” situations. In addition, the term “joint” used in the context of this text does not exactly correspond to the “joint” in anatomy, but refers to an area where the joint is located or even includes areas near it. For simplicity, only “joint” is used for the description.
[0094] As shown in FIG. 9, in another embodiment of the present disclosure, the above fixing device 2 may include the above fixing belt 20 and a fixing ring 25 arranged on two ends of the joint protection body 1. The fixing ring 25 adopts a soft plastic annular structure. At the same time, the joint protection body 1 is provided with a containing slot 200 on the back, to accommodate the fixing belt 20, i.e. when the fixing belt 20 surrounds the back of the joint protection body 1, the outer end portion of the fixing belt 20 is accommodated in the containing slot 200, so that the height of the fixing belt 20 is flush with the back of the joint protection body 1, avoiding being unaesthetic and scratch; furthermore, an opening 220 is provided at the middle of the buckle 22, thanks to the opening 220, the buckle 22 can access to the above through hole 23 more easily, improving convenience to take on and off.
[0095] Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 11, the fixing device 2 may also include a closed fixing ring 26 which is fixed to the joint protection body 1. Here, the closed fixing ring 26 is set to be corrugation, so that it can adapt to joint having different sizes, broadening the application of the joint movement protection device and meeting people's different demands. At the same time, the joint protection body 1 is also provided with a containing slot 200 on the back, to accommodate the fixing belt 20, thereby avoiding being unaesthetic and scratch.
[0096] Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 12, the fixing device 2 may also include an opened fixing ring 27 which is fixed to the joint protection body 1. As such, it can adapt to joint having different sizes, broadening the application of the joint protection device and meeting people's different demands.
[0097] Alternatively, the joint protection body 1 can be fixed on joint by the following means: the joint protection body 1 matched with the shape and structure of joint to be protected may be inlaid or fixed into a fabric, and then the fabric is wrapped around the joint and fixed by Velcro.
[0098] FIGS. 13, 17 to 19 are examples of an application of a protector in which the joint protection body is connected to the fabric. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 13, for example, in order to protect knee-joint, the fixing device 2 includes Velcro 2a and fabric 2b, and the joint protection body 1 is disposed on fabric 2b, then the fabric 2b is wrapped around the leg, and at last, Velcro 2a on two ends of the fabric 2b are adhered or engaged together.
[0099] Exemplarily, as shown in FIG. 17, on the joint protection body 1, the elastomer 105 may be injected between the joint pieces 12 by using overmolding or similar processes. The selected elastomer 105 is a material with a good elasticity, such as TPU, silicone, etc. When the human body squats and the knees bend, the gap between adjacent joint pieces 12 becomes larger. At this point, the joint pieces 12 will be pulled backward due to an elastic tension of the elastomer 105 between the joint pieces 12, thereby a supporting force for the knee is generated by the joint protection body 1, and in this way the effect of sharing the body weight borne by the knee joint can be further improved.
[0100] FIG. 18 is a joint protection body 1 which can be applied to a joint protection device for a wrist and a thumb. At least one notch 10 is provided in each of the portions, close to a wrist joint movement area and a thumb joint movement area, of the joint protection body 1. The notch 10 divides the joint protection body 1 into a plurality of joint pieces 12. Adjacent joint pieces 12 are connected by two local junctions 13 respectively provided at appropriate positions on two sides of the joint protection body 1. Adjacent joint pieces 12 are capable of rotating with the local junctions 13 as rotation fulcrums. The joint pieces 12 of the joint protection body 1 in the thumb joint area are also provided with hook-shaped structures 8 matched with each other. When the joint (for example, the thumb) is bent inwardly until the hook-shaped structures 8 contact each other, the joint stops bending. In this way, the joint protection body 1 can protect the thumb joint no matter when it is bent inward or outward. The joint protection body 1 is also provided with a notch 15 in the wrist joint area, and a junction 9 is provided in the middle of the notch 15. The joint pieces 12 on two sides of the junction 9 can rotate in any direction with the junction 9 as a rotation fulcrum, so as to satisfy the movement requirements of the wrist joint in all directions. Meanwhile, the movement range of the wrist joint is limited to a certain extent due to contact of adjacent joint pieces, thereby achieving the purpose of protecting the wrist joint.
[0101] FIG. 19 is a joint protection body 1 which can be applied for an ankle. FIG. 9 shows a left view of the joint protection body 1. In the area of ankle and the area around the ankle, the horizontal shape of the joint protection body 1 is consistent with the shape of the wearer's foot. The joint protection body 1 is an integrally formed rigid hollow housing having an opened bottom, and is provided with at least one notch 10 in an area close to the ankle. The notch 10 divides the joint protection body 1 into a plurality of joint pieces 12. Adjacent joint pieces 12 are connected by two local junctions 13 respectively provided at appropriate positions on two sides of the joint protection body 1, and are capable of rotating with the local junctions 13 as rotation fulcrums. The heights of the plurality of joint pieces 12 increase or decrease in a step-wise manner. The joint protection body 1 includes a front supporting portion and side supporting portions respectively distributed on two sides of the front supporting portion. The front and side supporting portions can wrap around the front and sides of the joint to provide front and side support for the joint. One end of the joint protection body 1 extends to form a thin wall having an L-shape in a vertical cross section. To be specific, the joint protection body 1 extends on an end close to the foot sole to form a foot sole supporting member 150 that has the same shape and size as the wearer's foot sole, and is provided with a side plate 151 on the inside of the wearer's foot. The foot sole supporting member 150 and the side plate 151 connect with each other and form a thin wall having an L-shape in a vertical cross section for strengthening the lateral fixation to the foot.
[0102] Furthermore, if people need to restrict movement of joint in multiple directions, a plurality of joint protection bodies 1 can be used, i.e. the joint protection body 1 matched with the shape and structure of joint to be protected may be inlaid or fixed into a fabric with certain shape and size, and then the fabric is wrapped around the joint and fixed by Velcro. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 14-15, for example, in order to protect wrist joint, the fixing device 2 includes Velcro 2a′ and fabric 2b′, and two joint protection bodies 1 are disposed on fabric 2b′, when in use, the two joint protection bodies 1 are positioned on the wrist joint of an arm 2c′ oppositely, then the fabric 2b′ wraps around the arm 2c′, and at last, Velcro 2a′ on two ends of the fabric 2b′ are adhered or engaged.
[0103] The joint protection device according to the present disclosure can be further applied to some other parts of human body, such as elbow, ankle, waist, wherein the structures and principles thereof are the same, but different shapes should be designed for different body parts to be protected.
[0104] Alternatively, the above joint protection device can be used in combination with self-adhesive non-woven fabrics or various tape or gummed paper or some other fixing means, directly applied to sports protection or health care. For example, in order to protect knee-joint, see FIG. 16, the fixing device 2 includes self-adhesive non-woven fabric 27 (or tape or gummed paper), and the joint protection body 1 is positioned tightly on knee-joint 3, then joint protection body 1 is fixed on the knee-joint 3 through self-adhesive non-woven fabric.
[0105] In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the above joint protection device can also be inlaid into sporting gloves (such as goalkeeper's gloves) as a reinforce, to withstand the impact when hands catch a football, to prevent injuries to the fingers; alternatively, the above joint protection device can also be applied as an internal layer of surface decorative parts of artificial limbs, as a support of the decorative parts; through the joint protection device, the structures of the artificial limbs can be simplified, making it more aesthetic, while keeping it flexible.
[0106] Based on the above technical features, the joint protection device proposed in the embodiments of the invention can be firmly attached to a joint part, does not affect the normal joint movement, and effectively protect joints; moreover, it is simple in structure and low in cost, and can be efficiently and conveniently worn and detached.
[0107] The joint protection device according to the present disclosure also comprises a footwear. The joint protection body in the joint protection device can be used in combination with the footwear to play a role of ankle protection. Detailed description is given below in combination with the figures and embodiments.
[0108] Referring to FIGS. 20 to 47, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a footwear 4 capable of being used in integration with the joint protection body to play a role of ankle joint protection. The footwear 4 comprises a shoe sole 31, an upper 32 and a heelpiece 30. The joint protection body 1 mentioned above is disposed at the heelpiece 30. The horizontal shape of the joint protection body 1 is kept consistent with the shape of the wearer's foot. The joint protection body 1 is an integrally formed hollow housing having a certain rigidity and higher than the ankle which opens at the bottom and the top, and comprises a front supporting portion and side supporting portions distributed on two sides of the front supporting portion. The front and side supporting portions wrap respectively around the front and sides of the ankle joint to provide front and side support for the ankle joint. Further, the joint protection body may be, for example, a housing having an arc-shaped cross section. The joint protection body 1 comprises a fixing portion 16 below the ankle and an upper supporting portion 17 above the ankle. The ankle is divided into an inner ankle and an outer ankle, and the fixing portion and the supporting portion are defined herein on the basis of the center of the inner ankle for simplicity. The lower end of the joint protection body 1 is at least partially fixed to the heelpiece 30 and wrapped between an inner layer and an outer layer of the upper (32), and said fixation here includes a direct or indirect fixation to the heelpiece 30 and its adjacent positions. The fixation manner may be one of or a combination of the conventional fixation manners such as glue fixation and a suturing fixation, and may also be other possible fixation manners, such as sewing the inner and outer layers of the upper vamp in areas corresponding to the joint protection body 1 into a closed region, and enclosing the joint protection body 1 inside the closed region. A fastener 33 of the shoe 1, such as a shoelace, a strap, etc., fits and fixes the joint protection body 1 to the wearer's leg and foot. A cushion structure 34 is provided between the joint protection body 1 and the foot, to prevent a ankle protection member 2 which is hard from causing discomfort to the foot. The cushion structure 34 can be made of sponge or other soft materials. The contour of the bottom of the fixing portion 16 is designed to be consistent with the contour of the shoe sole 31, but gradually expands laterally in an upward direction, so as to allow enough space for filling of more cushion material for body parts that have higher cushioning requirements and are relatively fragile (such as an ankle and an inner side of a leg), without affecting the accommodation of the wearer's leg and foot. In order to achieve the lowest possible upper and the best possible protection effect of the joint protection body, the joint protection body 1 is generally tightened in the width direction (e.g. the direction indicated by the arrow X in FIG. 41) from the inner and outer ankle (center) upward so as to better fit the corresponding part of the supporting foot on both sides, thereby better preventing excessive overturning of the ankle part and preventing ankle sprain. Specifically as shown in FIG. 41, the size E is less than the size F. The size E is an average value of the maximum and minimum width values above the inner and outer ankles.
[0109] In embodiments of the present disclosure as shown in FIGS. 20 to 33, the joint protection body 1 is provided with at least one notch 10 in a portion corresponding to the wearer's ankle. The notch 10 divides the joint protection body 1 into a plurality of joint pieces 12 which are segmented, wherein, the upper segments of the joint pieces 12 are leg supporting members 38, the lower segments of the joint pieces are foot fixing members 36, and the middle segments of the joint pieces 12 are intermediate connecting members 37. Adjacent joint pieces 12 are connected by two local junctions 13 respectively provided at appropriate positions on two sides of the joint protection body 1. Adjacent joint pieces 12 are capable of rotating with the local junctions 13 serving as rotation fulcrums, thereby ensuring that the ankle can move freely. Optionally, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the joint protection body 1 is placed laterally of, behind, and medially of a heel of the wearer's foot, and in a state in which the wearer is upright, the longitudinal axis X1 of the joint protection body 1 is consistent with the longitudinal axis X2 of the heelpiece 30.
[0110] Optionally, the heights of the plurality of joint pieces 12 increase or decrease in a step-wise manner. When the joint bends, adjacent joint pieces overlap without interfering with each other or affecting joint movements, thereby ensuring that the joint can move freely, and other structures on the footwear 4 can be prevented from getting stuck in the notch. In addition, in terms of the supporting effect, the increase or decrease of the heights of the adjacent joint pieces 12 in a step-wise manner can avoid influence to the rigidity and supporting of the whole joint protection device due to the needs to enlarge and widen the notch and to reduce the width of each joint piece in order to prevent mutual interference between the joint pieces 12 when the joint is moving.
[0111] In embodiments of the present disclosure as shown in FIGS. 20 to 47, the end, close to the foot sole, of the joint protection body 1 can only extend in a lateral direction of the heelpiece 30, and can be completely opened in a direction of the shoe sole 31, as shown in FIG. 22. Alternatively, although the end, close to the foot sole, of the joint protection body 1 opens in the direction of the shoe sole 31, the bottom edge of the joint protection body 1 has a fixing structure 162 that fixes the joint protection body 1 to the shoe sole 31, as shown in FIG. 23. The two solutions described above produce no feeling of hard objects on the foot sole, thus will not influence the comfort level and proprioception of the foot sole, and thereby can ensure the comfort level of the wearer when wearing it. Meanwhile, since the bottom of the joint protection body is not closed, the bottom of the joint protection body can be deformed to accommodate a shoe sole having a deviation from its size, so that the joint protection body of one size can be used for several yards of shoes.
[0112] Optionally, in order that the tightened upper supporting portion 17 does not press too hard on the foot and leg to cause discomfort, the embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a material-removing structure 20 for increasing the flexibility of the corresponding part of the joint protection body 1. The present application provides two types of material-removing structures 20: 1) as shown in FIG. 36, FIG. 43, and FIG. 44, the material-removing structure 20 may include, for example, an upper supporting portion (whole or partial) wall thickness decrease 20(20a), such that a thickness of the whole or partial upper supporting portion is smaller than a thickness of the inner and outer ankle parts, which makes corresponding parts have greater flexibility; 2) as shown in FIG. 36 and FIG. 44, the material-removing structure 20 may also include, for example, hole or notch 20 (20b) disposed in an upper supporting portion to reduce the rigidity of the corresponding part. It should be noted that although FIG. 36 shows two types of material-removing structures, at least one of them may be selected according to actual conditions. In addition to increasing the comfort of the foot, the above-mentioned material-removing structure for increasing the flexibility of the corresponding part of the supporting member can also enable the fastener of the shoe to bind and fit the corresponding part of the supporting portion of the supporting member to the foot more effectively, so as to achieve a better support and protection effect on the foot.
[0113] Optionally, the lower end of the fixing portion 16 extends downwardly in the shoe to the sole. Since the supporting member fixing portion is fixed to the heelpiece of the shoe so that the supporting member is formed integrally with the shoe sole without any excessive deformation region therebetween, thus they have excellent rigidity as a whole, thereby supporting and protecting the ankle well.
[0114] Optionally, referring to FIG. 29 and FIG. 30, the upper supporting portion 17 wraps at least ⅓ of the limb in the corresponding position. Too little limb being wrapped may affect the support of the joint protection device.
[0115] Further, referring to FIG. 20, the joint protection body 1 is placed and fixed between the inner and outer layers of the upper 32. Of course, for the appearance or other reasons, the upper 32 may partially expose the joint protection body 1, which should also be considered as falling within the scope of this patent.
[0116] In embodiments of the present disclosure as shown in FIG. 20 to FIG. 33, as shown in FIG. 21, the footwear (4) is elastic along the longitudinal direction of the outer layer of the upper in the front and rear areas (i.e., Area A and Area B) corresponding to the ankle height, and there is no glue fixation between the upper and the joint protection body (1) in this area, to ensure that the joint protection body 1 and the inner and outer layers of the heelpiece 30 can slide relative to each other at this position, thereby ensuring the flexibility of the footwear 4. Further, referring to FIG. 20 and FIG. 31 to FIG. 33, if the general cushion material (e.g. sponge) in the shoe does not have a good elasticity, a certain limitation will exist when applying the cushion material to the ankle protecting shoe according to the present disclosure, which affects the flexibility of the shoe in use. In addition, the strength of sponge is not high, and different positions of the foot have different requirements for cushioning, for example, the requirement for cushioning under the heel is relatively low, hence the sponge under the heel can be very thin; and in contrast, the requirement for cushioning at the ankle joints on both sides is relatively high, hence the sponge at the ankle joints on both sides needs to be thicker. However, the sponge is usually a thin sheet of uniform thickness, and it is difficult to cut it into nonuniformity thicknesses. Therefore, the cushion structure 34 in the ankle protecting shoe according to the present disclosure is preferably molded using a mold and adhered to the joint protection body 1.
[0117] Further, in order to improve the quality and efficiency, a process of foam injection molding may also be employed. A high-strength foam material is directly molded onto the joint protection body to fabricate a joint protection body with a cushion structure inside it. The hardness of the foam material is very important for the performance of the footwear 4. If the foam material is too hard, it will affect the comfort level of the shoe. If it is too soft, the thickness of the foam cushion structure must be increased, and if the material is too soft, its strength will also decrease. Therefore, the foam cushion structure preferably has a hardness between 18 HC and 38 HC. The foam cushion structure with a hardness within this range has the best overall performance and can ensure the comfort level of the wearer.
[0118] In non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure shown in FIG. 34 to FIG. 39, in order to allow greater flexibility of the shoe 1, material of the upper at a position corresponding to the notch 18 of the joint protection body 1 may be elastic, or the upper at this position may also be provided with a corresponding shoe notch 19.
[0119] Since shoes are products that are worn on feet for a long time, the life span of the shoes is very important. For the footwear 4 in the present disclosure, the weakest portions are the local junctions 13 between adjacent joint pieces, i.e. the rotation fulcrums between the adjacent joint pieces. Referring to FIG. 25, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, a ratio G:F of the minimum thickness G to the length F of the local junction 13 is between 0.15 to 1.1. Within this range, the comprehensive properties such as strength, rigid and service life of the joint protection device are good, which allow the joint protection device to be bent easily on the premise of ensuring its rigidity and strength, thereby ensuring the flexibility of the ankle protecting shoe. If G:F is less than 0.15, the rigidity of the joint protection body 1 used for an ankle is too poor, and hence the ankle protecting effect of the shoe is reduced. Meanwhile, the local junctions 13 does not have enough tensile strength and is prone to breakage. If G:F is greater than 1.1, the local junction 13 has a poor fatigue strength, thus the joint protection body 1 used for an ankle is difficult to bend, which affects the flexibility of the shoe.
[0120] Further, as shown in FIG. 26, in order to ensure that each joint piece 12 produces as little radial offset as possible when rotating, which affects the flexibility of the joint, when the wearer is in normal use and stands straight, each lateral notch 10 is approximately horizontal, and the included angle D between each lateral notch 10 and a horizontal direction is within ±35°. In this range, the joint protection device has a small radial offset during joint movement, thereby ensuring the comfort level and flexibility of the ankle protecting shoe.
[0121] The above-mentioned footwear 4 includes various shoes that need the ankle protection function (for example, roller skates, basketball shoes, football shoes, badminton shoes, outdoor sports shoes, etc.). Since their structures and functions are basically the same, they will not be specifically described and defined here.
[0122] In addition, the above are merely specific implementations of the present disclosure, but the protection scope of the present disclosure is not limited to this. The skilled familiar to the art can make various equivalent transformations and substitutions without departing from the spirit of the invention and these transformations and substitutions fall within the scope defined by claims. Therefore, the protection scope of the present disclosure should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.
