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Title:
FOOTWEAR SUPPORT PLATFORM
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2017/099746
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
A human foot shod by a footwear item is separable by a footwear support platform (60) from an underlying surface contacted by the footwear item. The footwear support platform (60) comprises a longitudinal axis (62) characterizing a length of the footwear support platform (60), and a transverse axis (64) characterized by a skewed orientation relative to the longitudinal axis (62). The longitudinal axis (62) and transverse axis (64) separate the footwear support platform (60) into four quadrants (66, 68, 70, 72). Each quadrant (66, 68, 70, 72) comprises a material characterized by at least one of a selected density, hardness, thickness, compressibility, or resilience for supporting an arch of a human foot during bipedal locomotion. Concurrent deflection of an arch and compression of a quadrant material are controllable by the at least one of the material characteristics, to thereby control posture, ambulation, gait, or the like.

Inventors:
ROSA ADRIANO (US)
Application Number:
PCT/US2015/064677
Publication Date:
June 15, 2017
Filing Date:
December 09, 2015
Export Citation:
Click for automatic bibliography generation   Help
Assignee:
ROSA ADRIANO (US)
International Classes:
A43B13/38; A43B7/28; A43B17/00
Domestic Patent References:
WO2006035469A22006-04-06
Foreign References:
US20150237959A12015-08-27
JP3067446U2000-04-07
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
KELLY, Michael (US)
Download PDF:
Claims:
CLAIMS

What is claimed is:

1. A footwear support platform (60) for separating a human foot shod by a footwear item from an underlying surface contacted by the footwear item, the footwear support platform (60) comprising: a longitudinal axis (62) characterizing a length of the footwear support platform (60); a transverse axis (64) characterized by a skewed orientation relative to the longitudinal axis (62); the longitudinal axis (62) and transverse axis (64) separating the footwear support platform (60) into four quadrants (66, 68, 70, 72); each quadrant (66, 68, 70, 72) comprising a material characterized by at least one of a selected density, hardness, thickness, compressibility, or resilience, for supporting an arch of a human foot during bipedal locomotion; whereby concurrent deflection of an arch and compression of a quadrant material are controllable by the at least one of the material characteristics, to thereby control at least one of posture, ambulation, or gait.

2. A footwear support platform (60) in accordance with claim 1 wherein weight imposed on an arch of a human foot during bipedal locomotion is supportable as a function of the at least one of a selected density, hardness, thickness, compressibility, or resilience of material characterizing each quadrant (66, 68, 70, 72).

3. A footwear support platform (60) in accordance with claim 1 wherein collapsing of an arch during bipedal locomotion is resisted by the at least one of a selected density, hardness, thickness, compressibility, or resilience of material characterizing each quadrant (66, 68, 70, 72).

4. A footwear support platform (60) in accordance with claim 1 wherein the anterior medial quadrant (66) is associated with the big toe and part of the second toe.

5. A footwear support platform (60) in accordance with claim 1 wherein the anterior lateral quadrant (70) is associated with the third, fourth, and fifth toes, and part of the second toe.

6. A footwear support platform (60) in accordance with claim 1 wherein the posterior medial quadrant (68) is associated with the navicular (36) and part of the calcaneus (20).

7. A footwear support platform (60) in accordance with claim 1 wherein the posterior lateral quadrant (72) is associated with part of the calcaneus (20).

8. A footwear support platform (60) in accordance with claim 1 wherein the hardness of the footwear support platform (60) ranges from 10-50 Durometer.

9. A footwear support platform (60) in accordance with claim 8 wherein the hardness of a quadrant (66, 68, 70, 72) ranges from 10-50 Durometer.

10. A footwear support platform (60) in accordance with claim 1 wherein the thickness of the footwear support platform (60) ranges from 1/16 inch to 1/4 inch.

11. A footwear support platform (60) in accordance with claim 1 wherein the footwear support platform (60) is characterized by an insole.

Description:
FOOTWEAR SUPPORT PLATFORM

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] Changes in the human foot may occur as a consequence of injury or aging, and may include attendant weakness and loss of resilience in tendons and muscles of the foot. Treatment of such conditions may include supporting the arch, and/or controlling movement of the foot during bipedal locomotion. Selected footwear may be configured or modified to treat changes in foot physiology, posture, ambulation, and/or gait. It is known that the foot may be characterized by three arches, yet attempts at treatment may frequently be directed exclusively to the heel-to- ball arch. A failure to also consider the remaining two arches during bipedal locomotion may give rise to ineffective treatment of foot conditions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0002] A human foot shod by a footwear item is separable by a footwear support platform (60) from an underlying surface contacted by the footwear item. The footwear support platform (60) comprises a longitudinal axis (62) characterizing a length of the footwear support platform (60), and a transverse axis (64) characterized by a skewed orientation relative to the longitudinal axis (62). The longitudinal axis (62) and transverse axis (64) separate the footwear support platform (60) into four quadrants (66, 68, 70, 72). Each quadrant (66, 68, 70, 72) comprises a material characterized by at least one of a selected density, hardness, thickness, compressibility, or resilience for supporting an arch of a human foot during bipedal locomotion. Concurrent deflection of an arch and compression of a quadrant material are controllable by the at least one of the material characteristics, to thereby control posture, ambulation, gait, or the like.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0003] In the drawings:

[0004] Figure 1 is a plan view from above of the bones of a human foot showing a medial longitudinal arch, a lateral longitudinal arch, and a transverse arch.

[0005] Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of a footwear support platform comprising part of an item of footwear, showing longitudinal and transverse axes correlating to the arches illustrated in Figure 1. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0006] By way of introduction and referring to Figure 1, it is known that the bones of a human foot 10 comprise the phalanges 12, the metatarsals 14, the tarsals 16, the talus 18, and the calcaneus 20, or "heel bone." The phalanges 12 may comprise a distal phalange 22, a middle phalange 24, and a proximal phalange 26. The exception to this is in the 1 st , or big, toe, which comprises a distal phalange 22 and a proximal phalange 26.

[0007] The metatarsals 14 comprise a 1 st metatarsal 38 associated with the big toe, a 2 nd metatarsal 40 associated with the 2 nd toe, a 3 rd metatarsal 42 associated with the 3 rd toe, a 4 th metatarsal 44 associated with the 4 th toe, and a 5 th metatarsal 46 associated with the 5 th toe, or "pinky." The tarsals 16 lie posterior of the metatarsals 14, and comprise a medial cuneiform 28, an intermediate cuneiform 30, a lateral cuneiform 32, a cuboid 34, and a navicular 36. The calcaneus 20 lies posterior of the cuboid 34 and the navicular 36, with the talus 18 positioned above the calcaneus 20.

[0008] The bones of the foot 10 define three arches: an anterior transverse arch 50, a lateral longitudinal arch 52, and a medial longitudinal arch 54, which may align generally as shown in Figure 1. These arches are supported by ligaments and tendons, and may be alternately stressed and relaxed during bipedal locomotion. This "flexure" of the arches contributes to efficient walking and running.

[0009] The bones of the foot 10 may also be characterized by a longitudinal axis 62 and a transverse axis 64. The longitudinal axis 62 extends through the 2 nd metatarsal head 48 and the posterior portion of the calcaneus 20. The transverse axis 64 passes through the midpoint of the joint separating the medial cuneiform 28 and the navicular 36, and the midpoint of the joint separating the cuboid 34 and the calcaneus 20. Thus, the transverse axis 64 is skewed relative to the longitudinal axis 62.

[0010] Turning now to Figure 2, a footwear support platform 60, as used hereinafter, refers to a part of an item of footwear for separating a foot shod by the footwear item from an underlying surface contacted by the footwear item. Any reference herein to "footwear" may be construed to include men's, women's, and children's shoes and boots, winter footwear, oxfords, cowboy boots, work shoes, flats, loafers, sandals, safety shoes, athletic shoes, tennis shoes, and the like. The footwear support platform 60 may be configured as a single unified layer.

Alternatively, the footwear support platform 60 may be configured as a composite comprising one or more materials having differing density, hardness, thickness, compressibility, resilience, or the like.

[0011] The longitudinal axis 62 and transverse axis 64 may define four "quadrants": an anterior medial quadrant 66, a posterior medial quadrant 68, an anterior lateral quadrant 70, and a posterior lateral quadrant 72. The quadrants may comprise materials having identical properties, or materials having differing properties for controlling support and movement of a foot. For example, the anterior medial quadrant 66 and the posterior medial quadrant 68 may comprise identical relatively stiff materials having properties for controlling pronation. At the same time, the anterior lateral quadrant 70 and posterior lateral quadrant 72 may comprise identical relatively soft materials having properties which, in combination with the relatively stiff materials of quadrants 66, 68, may enable "fine tuning" of the anti -pronation features of the footwear support platform 60. Alternatively, each quadrant may comprise a material having differing properties to facilitate effective control of posture, ambulation, gait, or the like. For example, with respect to the three arches 50, 52, 54, if an arch is underlain by a relatively stiff material, a specific weight carried by the arch would result in a higher arch deflection compared with the same arch carrying the same specific weight underlain by a relatively soft quadrant material. With each quadrant (66, 68, 70, 72) characterized by a material having a stiffness differing from the materials characterizing the other quadrants, the arches 50, 52, 54, and thus the entire foot, may move and flex optimally from "heel strike" to "toe off."

[0012] The upper surface of the footwear support platform 60 may be configured with convex, or "raised," features to provide enhanced support to one or more of the arches 50, 52, 54, thereby enabling further refinement of the support functionality of the footwear support platform 60, or providing a fully customizable support platform for any foot, posture, ambulation, gait, or the like.

[0013] Examples of the hardness of materials used in the footwear support platform 60 may range from 10-50 Durometer. Thickness of the platform materials may range from 1/16 inch to ΒΌ inch or more. Materials having suitable properties associated with each quadrant may be selected for the footwear support platform 60 in order to provide selective support of arches associated with, for example, genetic defects, injury, e.g. torn ligaments, or aging. Compression of the material comprising each quadrant from pressure exerted by a human foot during bipedal locomotion is controllable by the at least one of a selected density, hardness, thickness, compressibility, or resilience of the material

[0014] The footwear support platform 60 may comprise, in part, the portion of a shoe sole referred to generally as the "insole," underlain by the midsole and outsole. Thus, while the insole may comprise quadrants characterized by materials having differing properties, as discussed hereinbefore, the midsole and outsole may each comprise a single layer having uniform properties, such as density, hardness, thickness, compressibility, resilience, or the like.

Utilization of a single layer midsole and outsole may avoid discontinuities between adjacent quadrants, thereby contributing to strength and durability in the sole layers along the exterior of the shoe.

[0015] While the invention has been specifically described in connection with certain specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that this is by way of illustration and not of limitation. Reasonable variation and modification are possible within the scope of the forgoing disclosure and drawings without departing from the spirit of the invention, which is defined in the appended claims.