FOOT SLEEVE

Abstract

A sleeve for use with a foot, the sleeve including a compression portion operable to apply compression to the midfoot region of the foot. The foot sleeve further includes a raised heel support portion for abutment with the base of the heel region of the foot, and a ball portion for abutment with the ball region of the foot. The thickness of the raised heel support portion is greater than the thickness of the ball portion. The foot sleeve can be used for the treatment of plantar fasciitis.

Claims

1. A sleeve for use with a foot, the sleeve comprising a compression portion operable to apply compression to the midfoot region of the foot, the foot sleeve further comprising a raised heel support portion for abutment with the base of the heel region of the foot, and a ball portion for abutment with the ball region of the foot, wherein the thickness of the raised heel support portion is greater than the thickness of the ball portion.

2. The sleeve according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve is formed of a textile material.

3. The sleeve according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve comprises a first high compression portion operable to apply compression to the midfoot region of the foot, and a second high compression portion arranged to abut the rear of the foot above the heel.

4. The sleeve according to claim 3, wherein the sleeve comprises a low compression portion operable to abut the heel region.

5. The sleeve according to claim 4, wherein the heel low compression portion is arranged between the first high compression portion and the second high compression portion.

6. The sleeve according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve further comprises a medium compression portion arranged to abut the top of the foot.

7. The sleeve according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve further comprises a low compression portion operable to abut the top of the foot.

8. The sleeve according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve comprises a top low compression portion operable to abut the top of the foot above the subtalar joint, a top low compression portion operable to abut the top of the foot above the heel region, and/or a top low compression portion operable to abut the top of the forefoot above the metatarsal bones.

9. The sleeve according to claim 8, wherein two or more low compression portions are present and the low compression portions are separated by a higher compression portion.

10. The sleeve according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the thickness of heel support portion to the thickness of the ball portion is between 20:0.05 and 10:5.

11. The sleeve according to claim 1, wherein the heel support member extends along between 20 and 90% of the sleeve operable to abut the base of the foot.

12. The sleeve according to claim 1, wherein the heel support potion comprises an indent in the upper face for abutting the heel.

13. The sleeve according to claim 1, wherein the heel support portion comprises a disc.

14. The sleeve according to claim 1, wherein the heel support portion has a horizontal cross section in the form of an oval shape.

15. (canceled)

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0038] FIG. 1 shows a side view of an embodiment of the sleeve according to the present invention.

[0039] FIG. 2 shows a plan sectional view of the sleeve of FIG. 1.

[0040] FIG. 3 shoes a perspective side view of the sleeve of FIG. 1 arranged on a foot.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0041] FIGS. 1 to 3 show an embodiment of the foot sleeve 102 of the present invention. Foot sleeve 102 is formed of flexible tubular sleeve 104 having ankle open end 106 and toe open end 108. Sleeve 104 is bent along its longitudinal axis such that open end 108 is offset from diametric opposition to open end 106 by 40? (angle Z). Sleeve 104 is formed of integrally knitted textile material extending continuously from open end 106 to open end 108.

[0042] The textile material of sleeve 104 contains several different areas having different levels of compression. The edges of ends 106 and 108 are formed of annular bands of low denier textile material. Arranged on the upper face 118 of sleeve 104 between the bands of ends 106 and 108 are a series of compression portions (not shown) having different levels of compression. A medium compression portion 118a extends along the whole length of the upper face 118 of sleeve 104 between the bands of ends 106 and 108. Extending inwardly from the inner edges of bands 106 and 108 are semi-circular low compression portions 118b and 118d, respectively. The curved edge of low compression portions 118b and d extend away from the inner edge of the bands. Arranged wholly within medium compression portion 118a is a further semi-circular low compression portion 118c which is arranged opposite to the heel portion 110 of the sleeve. The flat edge of low compression portion 118c extends parallel with the edge of ankle end 106 and the curved edge of low compression portion 118c extends toward toe end 108.

[0043] Arranged on the bottom face 120 of sleeve 104 are further compression portions having different levels of compression. Around heel portion 110 is arranged low compression portion 120b. Portion 120b is formed of a lower denier textile material than the surrounding compression portions. Between low compression portion 120b and the band of end 106 extends high compression portion 120a and between low compression portion 120b and the band of end 108 extends high compression portion 120c.

[0044] Arranged along the bottom face 120 of sleeve 104 between heel portion 110 and the band of end 108 are the portions of the sleeve that abut the base of the midfoot 114 and the ball portion 116, in use.

[0045] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, arranged on the internal surface of the bottom face 120 of sleeve 104 is oval shaped heel support disc 112. Disc 112 has one end arranged in heel portion 110 at the point at which the sleeve begins to extend upwardly. Disc 112 extends from its heel end 60% of the distance toward the toe end 108 of sleeve 104. After 60% of the distance, the thickness of the sleeve is the same as at the ball portion 116 of sleeve 104.

[0046] Disc 112 has a thickness of 10 mm at its heel end and a thickness of 3 mm at the end proximal to toe end 108. Disc 112 generally slopes linearly downwardly from its heel end to its toe end. Disc 112 further contains an indent (not shown), which is the exception to the linear slope. Ball portion 116 has a thickness of 1 mm.

[0047] Disc 112 is formed of silicone and is fixedly attached to the textile material of bottom face 120 by a cover (not shown) of textile material that is arranged over disc 112 and fixedly attached to the textile material of face 120 with adhesive.

[0048] In use, the user inserts a foot into end 106 (as shown in FIG. 1 as direction X). The foot sleeve 102 is pulled over the foot of the user until disc 112 is arranged under the heel of the foot. As shown in FIG. 3, with sleeve 102 in position over the foot, the toes of the foot will extend from the end 108 (as shown in FIG. 1 as direction Y). Once in position, sleeve 102 elevates the heel of the foot whilst applying compressive pressure. This combination of features allows for an easy improved treatment of plantar fasciitis.

[0049] Attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

[0050] All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

[0051] Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

[0052] The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.