Athletic footwear artificial ligament device and apparatus

Abstract

An athletic footwear artificial ligament device includes a flexible band securable around a lower leg above an ankle of a foot of a wearer, a ring disposable adjacent an outer side of the ankle spaced below the flexible band, and a plurality of artificial ligaments coupled to and arrayed about the ring. An upper artificial ligament is attached to the flexible band and extends downward to the ring. A lower artificial ligament is attachable to an upper of the athletic shoe, adjacent to the sole and above the heel, and extends upward to the ring. A forward artificial ligament is attachable to the athletic shoe upper forwardly of the ring, above the sole and spaced forwardly from the heel, and extends rearward to the ring such that the artificial ligaments perform as a second set of ligaments providing sprain protection of the ankle of the foot of the wearer.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An athletic footwear artificial ligament apparatus, comprising:
 an athletic shoe having a sole and an upper, wherein the upper is attached to and extends upwardly from the sole, and wherein the upper includes a first forward connector and a first lower connector; and   an athletic footwear artificial ligament device having an elongate band, a circular ring, an upper artificial ligament, a lower artificial ligament, and a forward artificial ligament,   wherein the upper artificial ligament includes an upper end and a lower end, wherein the upper end is attachable to the elongate band, and wherein the lower end has a loop,   wherein the lower artificial ligament includes an upper end and a lower end, wherein the upper end has a loop, and wherein the lower end has a second lower connector that is attachable to the first lower connector of the upper of the athletic shoe,   wherein the forward artificial ligament includes an upper end and a lower end, wherein the upper end has a loop, and wherein the lower end has a second forward connector that is attachable to the first forward connector of the upper of the athletic shoe,   wherein the circular ring extends through the loop of the lower end of the upper artificial ligament, through the loop of the upper end of the lower artificial ligament, and through the loop of the upper end of the forward artificial ligament,   wherein the loop of the lower end of the upper artificial ligament is slidably moveable about an upper portion of the circular ring, wherein the loop of the upper end of the lower artificial ligament is slidably moveable about a lower portion of the circular ring, and wherein the loop of the upper end of the forward artificial ligament is slidably moveable about a forward portion of the circular ring.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first lower connector of the upper of the athletic shoe is a first patch of loop material, wherein the second lower connector of the lower end of the lower artificial ligament is a first patch of hook material, and wherein the first patch of hook material detachably attaches with the first patch of loop material. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first forward connector of the upper of the athletic shoe is a first patch of loop material, wherein the second forward connector of the lower end of the forward artificial ligament is a first patch of hook material, and wherein the first patch of hook material detachably attaches with the first patch of loop material. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first lower connector of the upper of the athletic shoe is a first patch of loop material, wherein the second lower connector of the lower end of the lower artificial ligament is a first patch of hook material, wherein the first patch of hook material detachably attaches with the first patch of loop material, wherein the first forward connector of the upper of the athletic shoe is a second patch of loop material, wherein the second forward connector of the lower end of the forward artificial ligament is a second patch of hook material, and wherein the second patch of hook material detachably attaches with the second patch of loop material. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the upper end of the upper artificial ligament has a first patch of hook material, the elongate band has a first patch of loop material, and the hook material detachably attaches with the loop material. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the elongate band has a patch of hook material on one side of the band and a patch of loop material on an opposite side of the band, and wherein the patch of hook material detachably attaches with the patch of loop material. 
     
     
         7 . An athletic footwear artificial ligament apparatus, comprising:
 an athletic shoe; and   an athletic footwear artificial ligament device having an elongate band, a circular ring, an upper artificial ligament, a lower artificial ligament, and a forward artificial ligament,   wherein the upper artificial ligament includes an upper end that is attached to the elongate band and a lower end having a loop,   wherein the lower artificial ligament includes an upper end having a loop and a lower end that is attached to the athletic shoe,   wherein the forward artificial ligament includes an upper end having a loop and a lower end that is attached to the athletic shoe,   wherein the circular ring extends through the loop of the lower end of the upper artificial ligament, through the loop of the upper end of the lower artificial ligament, and through the loop of the upper end of the forward artificial ligament, and   wherein the loop of the lower end of the upper artificial ligament is slidably moveable about an upper portion of the ring, the loop of the upper end of the lower artificial ligament is slidably moveable about a lower portion of the ring, and the loop of the upper end of the forward artificial ligament is slidably moveable about a forward portion of the ring.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the lower end of the lower artificial ligament is attached to an upper of the athletic shoe at a first location that is above a heel of the athletic shoe. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the lower end of the forward artificial ligament is attached to the upper of the athletic shoe at a second location that is forward to the first location. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the athletic shoe further comprises laces, and the second location is disposed between the laces and the first location. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the forward artificial ligament extends at an obtuse angle to the upper artificial ligament and at an acute angle to the lower artificial ligament. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the upper end of the upper artificial ligament is attached to the elongate band with stitching or gluing. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the lower end of the lower artificial ligament is attached to the athletic shoe with stitching or gluing. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the lower end of the forward artificial ligament is attached to the athletic shoe with stitching or gluing.