US20240157223A1

US20240157223A1 - Apparatus for medially thickened shin pad to reduce lower leg discomfort when snow skiing

Info

Publication number: US20240157223A1
Application number: US18/381,158
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert Ray Blocker; Weston Robert Blocker
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2022-10-17
Filing date: 2023-10-17
Publication date: 2024-05-16
Also published as: US20250161786A1

Abstract

The present invention comprises a novel device that is placed over the anterior portion of the lower leg with the intent to reduce pressure on the Tibialis Anterior muscle and Tibialis Anterior tendon when a direct force is applied to the anterior lower leg. This may provide relief to and protection against the “shin-bang” condition which many suffer from, principally those who are snow skiing. One way this is achieved is through a novel medially thickened shin pad embedded in an innovative ski sock. Another way is through a novel medially thickened shin pad embedded in the tongue of a ski boot.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 63/416,650, filed Oct. 17, 2022, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, including but not limited to those portions that specifically appear hereinafter, this incorporation by reference being made with the following exception: In the event that any portion of the above-referenced application is inconsistent with this application, this application supersedes the above-referenced application.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND

This invention relates to the field of alpine sports and specifically that of snow skiing. In particular, it relates to a medially thickened shin pad embedded in an innovative ski sock that is designed to reduce discomfort in the lower leg and increase control for the snow skier.
Discomfort due to ski boots is nearly universal in the field of snow skiing. Much of this discomfort is caused by the large amounts of stress induced on the anterior lower leg. As ski boots have a uniform front shin pad, equal pressure is exerted on all aspects of the anterior lower leg. However, there exist major differences in the medial and lateral aspects of the anterior lower leg. The medial aspect of the anterior lower leg has the boney surface of the tibia. The middle and lateral aspects of the anterior lower leg are partly comprised of the anterior compartment of the leg composed of soft tissue including muscle and fascia. When skiing, repetitive trauma often occurs as the ski boot hits the shin area of the leg. This may result in inflammation of the muscles and fascia of the anterior compartment of the lower leg and leads to a condition called “shin-bang” resulting from skiing.
While various efforts have been made to distribute the force exerted on the shin, through thicker lined socks, different ski boot tongue designs, gel inserts on the heel and shin area, and custom insoles, there still exists a need for a better solution. The prior solutions lack any structure to reduce pressure exerted on the Tibialis Anterior muscle and the associated Tibialis Anterior Tendon by exerting additional pressure over the boney aspects of the tibia.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure set forth wherein comprises a novel device that acts to dispense some of the force normally exerted directly on the middle part of the anterior compartment of the lower leg, to the more inflammation resistant boney surface of the medial tibia. The device, which may be comprised of various materials including, foam, gel, plastic, and/or cloth is either placed separately or embedded within a ski sock so that the medial portion of the device is thickened as compared to the rest of the device. The device may also be incorporated into the tongue of a ski boot. When worn, this thickened medial portion is configured to rest on the medial boney surface of the tibia, thereby exerting an exaggerated force on this surface and a less exaggerated force on the anterior compartment of the lower leg. This dispersion of force away from the anterior compartment reduces the likelihood of discomfort from inflammation and the development of “shin-bang.”

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The figures provided herein illustrate one embodiment of the present Medially Thickened Shin Pad to Reduce Lower Leg Discomfort when Snow Skiing. While a variety of embodiments are described herein as examples, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited by the description provided herein or by the figures in the accompanying drawings, in which like references may indicate similar elements and in which:

FIG. 1A shows a detail of one embodiment of a Medially Thickened Shin Pad to Reduce Lower Leg Discomfort when Snow Skiing, showing an embodiment attached to socks with separate left device and right device being split down the middle to more easily put on the sock.

FIG. 1B shows the lower part of a pair of socks with a Medially Thickened Shin Pad to Reduce Lower Leg Discomfort, showing one method of distinguishing the right and left socks for effective use of the device.

FIG. 1C shows one embodiment of a sock with a Medially Thickened Shin Pad to Reduce Lower Leg Discomfort when Snow Skiing, showing the lower portion of a sock secured to a shin pad.

FIG. 1D shows one embodiment of a sock with a Medially Thickened Shin Pad to Reduce Lower Leg Discomfort when Snow Skiing, showing the upper portion of a sock with the shin pad secured to it.

FIG. 1E shows a cross section view of a Medially Thickened Shin Pad to Reduce Lower Leg Discomfort when Snow Skiing, showing the medial portion being thickened as compared to the lateral and middle portions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles in accordance with this disclosure, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the disclosure is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications of the features illustrated herein, and any additional applications of the principles of the disclosure as illustrated herein, which would normally occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the disclosure claimed.
Before the devices, systems, processes and methods will be disclosed and described, it is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the particular configurations, process steps, and materials disclosed herein as such configurations, process steps, and materials may vary somewhat. It is also to be understood that the terminology employed herein is used for the purpose of describing particular illustrative embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting since the scope of the disclosure will be limited only by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.
In describing and claiming the subject matter of the disclosure, the following terminology will be used in accordance with the definitions set out below.
It must be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
As used herein, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “containing,” “characterized by,” “having” and grammatical equivalents thereof are inclusive or open-ended terms that do not exclude additional, unrecited elements, method steps, and/or groups thereof.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical, medical, and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one having ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present disclosure and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly defined herein.
For convenience in describing the method and use of the current disclosure, singular masculine or feminine pronouns have been used to describe the person executing the methods described. It is to be understood that no limitation of the invention to use by one gender or the other is intended by such use.
In describing the embodiments of this disclosure, it will be understood that a number of techniques and steps are disclosed. Each of these has individual benefit and each can also be used in conjunction with one or more, or in some cases all, of the other disclosed techniques. Accordingly, for the sake of clarity, this description will refrain from repeating every possible combination of the individual steps or applications in an unnecessary fashion. Nevertheless, the specification and claims should be read with the understanding that such combinations are entirely within the scope of the invention and the claims.
New devices, apparatuses, and methods for an invention to reduce stress and discomfort in parts of the lower leg are discussed herein. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be evident, however, to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details.
The devices will next be described by referencing the appended figures representing illustrative embodiments. In one embodiment of the device, depicted in FIG. 1A, a device 10 is placed over the anterior portion of the lower leg with the intent to reduce pressure on the Tibialis Anterior muscle and associated tendon (part of the anterior compartment) when a direct force is applied to the anterior lower leg. In one embodiment of the invention, shown in FIG. 1A, the device 10 is incorporated into a ski sock 11. In one embodiment, the device is split into an upper portion 12 and a lower portion 13 to create improved flexibility and aid the user in putting the sock on.
In another embodiment of the invention, shown in FIG. 1D, the device 10 may be a solitary piece placed over the area of the shin. It will be understood that FIG. 1D depicts a left sock with the device being a solitary piece stitched into the sock over the area of the shin. The specific details of pad may be modified as required.
In one embodiment, shown in FIG. 1E, a mid-cross-section of the device is depicted, showing the increased thickness of the medial aspect 21 of the device as compared to the middle 22 and lateral aspects 23. The additional thickness of the medial portion 21 when compared to the middle 22 and lateral 23 portions, is configured to place more of the pressure from the ski boot on the medial boney portion of the tibia, taking pressure away from the middle and lateral portions of the tibia. In addition, the extra padding 24 on the medial side helps protect the shin bone. In this way, the device is placed so that the ski boot will exert less direct force on the middle part of the lower leg, the majority of the tibialis anterior muscle, and/or the upper part of the tibialis anterior tendon, and, consequently, will reduce inflammation of the anterior compartment of the lower leg and decrease the incidence of the “shin-bang” condition in many users. In one embodiment, a gap area 25 is present in the middle portion of device. This gap area 25 reduces pressure points on the center surface of the leg, helping protect the leg from inflammation and avoid the “shin-bang” condition from developing in many users. While the device can be primarily used for alleviating pressure exerted on the lower leg by a ski boot, it can also be used to alleviate pressure caused by other types of footwear such as an ice skate or other similar footwear.
In one embodiment of a Medially Thickened Shin Pad to Reduce Lower Leg Discomfort, the device may be approximately 14 cm long and 10 cm wide with a uniform cross section with a medial 21 thickness of 10 mm and a middle 22 and lateral 23 thickness of 5 mm. In another embodiment, the device may be lengthened or shortened to appropriately fit a user's leg. Similarly, the width of the device may be adjusted to an individual user's needs. In general, the thickness of the device will have a medial thickness of approximately 10 mm and a middle and lateral thickness of approximately 5 mm, but these measurements may also be adjusted as required for a particular user's body, so long as the measurements are in keeping with the medial thickness being greater in order to keep the pressure mostly on the medial, boney portions of the tibia, taking pressure away from the middle and lateral portions of the tibia, while protecting the boney portions of the tibia with the additional padding.
In one embodiment the device may be comprised of one or more preferred material, including: foam, rubber, gel, cloth, thermoplastics, plastics, wool, and carbon fiber. In one embodiment the device may be comprised of either open or closed cell foam of with various hardness. In one embodiment, different types of foam may be used for different parts of the device, with different parts having a variety of hardnesses in order to properly cushion and distribute the force exerted on the leg. In another embodiment, the device may be comprised of a variety of fabric or yarn. While illustrative materials for the device have been described, the device is not limited by these materials. Wood, plastics, foam, rubber, fiberglass, metal allows, aluminum, vinyl, various fabrics, sand, and other material may comprise some or all of the elements of the device and devices in various embodiments of the present disclosure.
It will be appreciated that for the device to properly be positioned with the thicker portion over the medial area of the shin and thinner portions over the middle and lateral portions of the shin, a left and right device will not be identical, but must be separately constructed. FIG. 1B shows the lower portion of a pair of socks 11 equipped with a Medially Thickened Shin Pad to Reduce Lower Leg Discomfort while Snow Skiing which has been marked with L and R to make distinguishing the left and right socks simple for a user. In one embodiment of a Medially Thickened Shin Pad to Reduce Lower Leg Discomfort, the device may be attached to the exterior of a sock so as to be positioned over the area of the shin, with a separate left sock and right sock. In another embodiment, the device may be attached to the interior of the sock, similarly with a separate left sock and right sock. The device may be secured to the sock by stitching, adhesives, or any other method known in the art to secure a device of said material to fabric. FIG. 1C shows one embodiment of the lower portion of a sock 11 to be attached to a Medially Thickened Shin Pad to Reduce Lower Leg Discomfort while Snow Skiing, while Figure D shows one embodiment of the upper portion of a sock 11 with the device 10 attached. In one embodiment, the device may be incorporated into the sock during the manufacturing process. In another embodiment the device may be constructed or sold as an add-on to be secured to the sock by the user. In yet another embodiment, the device may be constructed as an insert which is not directly attached to any other system, but which is held against the leg by pressure, whether that of a sock or ski boot. A final embodiment may see the device secured to a ski boot in a fashion so as to position it in the proper location. One further embodiment of the invention includes a modified ski boot tongue, wherein the ski boot tongue is modified to include a Medially Thickened Shin Pad to Reduce Lower Leg Discomfort, wherein the pad is positioned over the shin as with a Shin Pad which is incorporated into a sock or not attached to another system, positioned in the proper location, with the medial thickness being greater in order to keep the pressure mostly on the medial, boney portions of the tibia, taking pressure away from the middle and lateral portions of the tibia, while protecting the boney portions of the tibia with the additional padding.
Although the present disclosure has been illustrated and described herein with reference to illustrative embodiments and specific examples thereof, it will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other embodiments and examples may perform similar functions and/or achieve like results. All such equivalent embodiments and examples are within the spirit and scope of the present invention, are contemplated thereby, and are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.
The device is placed so that the ski boot will exert less direct force on the middle part of the lower leg, the majority of the tibialis anterior muscle, and/or the upper part of the tibialis anterior tendon, and, consequently, may reduce inflammation of the anterior compartment of the lower leg and decrease the incidence of the “shin-bang” condition in many, if not all, users.
It will now be appreciated that the present apparatus reduces lower leg discomfort and incudes a device placed onto the anterior portion of the lower leg to reduce pressure on the Tibialis Anterior muscle and associated tendon when a direct force is applied to the anterior lower leg including a medially thickened shin pad, wherein a medial portion of the shin pad is thicker than a middle and a lateral portion and wherein the thickened medial portion of the shin pad is configured to put exaggerated pressure on the medial boney portion of the tibia. Moreover, the shin pad can be approximately 14 cm in length and 10 cm in width and the medially thickened shin pad has a medial thickness of approximately 10 mm, a middle thickness of approximately 5 mm, and a lateral thickness of approximately 5 mm. Still further, the medially thickened shin pad is comprised of closed cell foam of one or more varieties and can be comprised of one or more of the following: fabrics, yarn, plastics, metal, open cell foam, closed cell foam, wood, rubber, fiberglass, and sand and the medially thickened shin pad is split into two or more segments and can be attached to a sock. Still further, the method of the present disclosure can utilize one or more of the above reference elements to obtain the benefits described herein.
Although the present disclosure has been illustrated and described herein with reference to preferred embodiments and specific examples thereof, it will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other embodiments and examples may perform similar functions and/or achieve like results. All such equivalent embodiments and examples are within the spirit and scope of the present invention, are contemplated thereby, and are intended to be covered by the following claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus designed to reduce lower leg discomfort comprising:

a device placed onto the anterior portion of the lower leg to reduce pressure on the Tibialis Anterior muscle and Tibialis Anterior tendon when a direct force is applied to the anterior lower leg.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the device comprises a medially thickened shin pad, wherein a medial portion of the shin pad is thicker than a middle and a lateral portion.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the thickened medial portion of the shin pad is configured to put exaggerated pressure on the medial boney portion of the tibia.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the shin pad is approximately 14 cm in length and 10 cm in width.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the medially thickened shin pad has a medial thickness of approximately 10 mm, a middle thickness of approximately 5 mm, and a lateral thickness of approximately 5 mm.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the medially thickened shin pad is comprised of one or more of open cell foam of one or more varieties or closed cell foam of one or more varieties.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the medially thickened shin pad is comprised of one or more of: fabrics, yarn, plastics, metal, open cell foam, closed cell foam, wood, rubber, fiberglass, and sand.

8. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the medially thickened shin pad is split into two or more segments.

9. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the medially thickened shin pad is attached to a sock.

10. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the medially thickened shin pad is an insert secured against the leg.

11. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the medially thickened shin pad is attached to the tongue of a ski boot.

12. A method of reducing pressure on an anterior portion of the lower leg including the Tibialis Anterior muscle and Tibialis Anterior tendon when a direct force is applied to the anterior lower leg, comprising:

Securing a medially thickened shin pad between the leg and the source of the direct force, the medially thickened shin pad comprising a pad having a thickened medial portion and a thinner middle and lateral portion, wherein the medial portion is placed to put exaggerated pressure on the medial boney portion of the tibia while the middle and lateral portions reduce pressure on the anterior compartment of the leg.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the shin pad is approximately 14 cm in length and 10 cm in width.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the medial portion of the medially thickened shin pad has a thickness of approximately 10 mm, while the middle portion and lateral portion each have a thickness of approximately 5 mm.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the medially thickened shin pad is comprised of one of: closed cell foam of one or more varieties and open cell foam of one or more varieties.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the medially thickened shin pad is comprised of one or more of: fabrics, yarn, plastics, metal, open cell foam, closed cell foam, wood, rubber, fiberglass, and sand.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the medially thickened shin pad is split into two or more segments.

18. The method of claim 12 also comprising attaching the medially thickened shin pad to a sock.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein the medially thickened shin pad is an insert secured against the leg.

20. The method of claim 12 also comprising securing the medially thickened shin pad to the tongue of a ski boot.