US2926661A - Heel pad - Google Patents

Description

HEEL PAD Herbert E. Hipps, Waco, Tex. 7 Application June 7, 1957, Serial ar 664,410 1 Claim. c1. lee-so This invention relates to a 'heel pad, and more particularly to a heel pad for application to a patients heel before a cast is applied.

r mmed Mar. 1 1960 foot, as for example as shown in Figure l. The heel pad 12 of the present invention is adapted to be made of a single, piece of y-ieldable material such as sponge rubber or a suitable plastic, and when the heel pad 12 is being used, it is positioned as shown in Figure 1 so that the thin I portion 13 is arranged beneath the rounded portion 15 of The object of the invention is to provide a heel pad I which isadapted to be used with a cast so that the cast can be worn with greater comfort.

Another object of the invention is to provide a heel pad which is adapted to be'fabricated of a single piece of yieldable-resilient material such as'rubber or plastic, and wherein the pad is adapted to be arranged contiguous to a persons heel so that when a cast is applied to the persons heel or leg, the cast will be prevented from harshly rubbing against the persons heel or leg, the heel pad of the present invention being constructed in such a manner that it has a configuration which insures that all of the necessary portions of the heel or leg will be properly protected from rubbing against the cast which is being worn by the patient.

A further object of the invention is to provide a heel pad which is extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during thecourse of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals are used to designate like parts throughout the same.

Figure l is a sectional view taken through a cast, and showing the heel pad of the present invention being used.

Figure 2 is an end elevational view looking at the heel pad of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates a portion of a persons 'foot which is encased in a cast such as the cast 11. The present invention is directed to a heel pad which is indicated generally by the numeral 12, and the heel pad 12 is adapted to be made of a single piece of yieldable or resilient material such as rubber or plastic.

The heel pad 12 includes a first portion 13 which has a thin tapered shape and which is adapted to be positioned beneath the rounded rear portion 15 of the patients heel as shown in Figure 1, when the cast 11 is being Worn. The first portion 13 terminates in a substantially upstanding portion 14 which is arranged rearwardly of "the rounded heel portion 15, and the second portion 14 terminates in an enlarged thicker portion 16 which is arranged beneath the heel cord 21. The portion 16 terminates in an upper tapered end portion 17, as shown in Figure 1 for example.

Formed integral with the body of the heel pad or secured thereto, is a pair of spaced apart flanges 18, and the flanges lS coact with the remaining portions of the heel pad to define an elongated recess 19. The free edges of the flanges 18 taper to a pointed edge as indicated by the numeral 20.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that there has been provided a heel pad which is especially suitable for use by persons or patients who are wearing a cast on their the persons foot. Then, the potrion 14 of the heel pad is arranged to the rear of the rounded portion 15 of the persons foot, and the enlarged or thicker portion 16 engages the recessed portion'at the back of the leg as shown in Figure 1, and the portion 16 is arranged be,- neath or immediately below the heel cord 21 of the persons leg or foot. With the pad 12 positioned as shown in Figure 1, and with the flanges 18' arranged on opposite sides of the heel, it will be seen that the persons heel or adjacent portions of the feet will be protected against injury from the rough cast 11. Thus, the heel pad will permit patients to wear a cast such as the cast 11 without rubbing a sore on the heel or without otherwise causing injury to the heel.

The heel pad 12 is made of yieldable material so that it will readily conform to the configuration of the persons foot, and the heel pad will provide a means by which a cast can be worn with greater comfort.

The heel pad of the present invention may be made of sponge rubber, or else it may be made of a very light plastic material, and the device is adapted to be applied to the back of a patients heel before a cast is applied. The heel pad 12 is constructed so that when it is worn on the heel under a cast, there is no chance that a patient will get a prwsure sore on his or her heel, and that this is a very common occurrence particularly when an inexperienced doctor, such as a doctor who doesnt often put on a cast, applies a cast to a leg.

As shown in the drawings, it is to be noted that the portion 13 of the heel pad is thin and soft and the portion 14 is arranged rearwardly of the rounded portion 15 of the heel so that the back of the heel gets some shielding from the hard and rough inner plaster Paris surface. The portion 16 of the heel pad underneath the heel cord 21 is thick. Thus, since the heel cord 21 is soft, it will expand, and it will tolerate prolonged pressure for long periods of time, whereas the heel bone itself will not. Furthermore, the heel bone is simply a bone covered with skin, and it will not tolerate even the softest of pressure for a very long period of time. Furthermore, the heel bone cannot move in a cast so that any pressure there by the cast or by the padding will definitely make a pressure sore at that point. However, the heel cord is itself a soft, broad, and long structure and it is covered by skin but underneath the skin, there is between the skin and the heel cord 2. fibre-fat layer. The heel cord, therefore, being soft and being somewhat capable of spreading sideways a little bit with pressure, will tolerate pressure.

Also, the heel cord moves a little bit from time to time in a cast as the patient alternately relaxes and contracts that muscle in the normal movement of his or her leg here and there on the bed and around in crutch walking and in other ways.

Thus, it will be seen that the heel pad of the present invention is constructed so that it will catch the major part of the weight and pressure on the heel cord where it single piece of yield able material and shaped to include a substantially horizontally disposed lower first portion adapted to be arranged beneath the rounded portion of a patients foot, a substantially horizontally disposed second portion extending upwardly from said first portion and adapted to be arranged to the rear of the rounded portion of a persons foot, said second portion terminating in an enlarged third portion of increased thickness which is adapted to engage the recessed portion at the back of the leg, said third portion terminating in a fourth portion of tapered formation which terminates in a thin upper edge, the third portion adapted to be arranged immediately below the heel cord of a persons leg or foot, and spaced apart flanges extending from the sides of the pad co-acting with the first, second, third and fourth portions to define an elongated recess, the flanges adapted to be arranged on opposite sides of the heel, and whereby the heel pad will catch the major part of the weight and pres- References-Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,550,869 Salisbury May 1, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Apr. 23, 1951 OTHER REFERENCES Orthopaedic Appliances Atlas, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, volume 1, pages 112-113. (Copy in Div. 55.)

The Lancet, Plastic Appliances Moulded Directv to Patient Brennan, April 23, 1955 (page 844 relied on).

25 (Copy in Div. 55.)

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