U.S. patent application number 11/124026 was filed with the patent office on 2005-12-01 for footwear orthosis.
Invention is credited to Salvatelli, Franco, Tulipani, Massimo.
Application Number | 20050262740 11/124026 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34936154 |
Filed Date | 2005-12-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050262740 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Salvatelli, Franco ; et
al. |
December 1, 2005 |
Footwear orthosis
Abstract
A footwear orthosis including a sole member having a tread
surface and an inner surface, and a partly open upper member
designed to be anchored to the sole member and arranged removably
to secure a user's foot thereto, wherein the tread surface is
substantially uninterruptedly flat and at least partly outwardly
convex.
Inventors: |
Salvatelli, Franco;
(Civitanova Marche, IT) ; Tulipani, Massimo;
(Mendrisio, IT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Orum & Roth LLC
53 West Jackson Blvd.
Chicago
IL
60604
US
|
Family ID: |
34936154 |
Appl. No.: |
11/124026 |
Filed: |
May 6, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
36/110 ;
36/43 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B 13/188 20130101;
A43B 7/147 20130101; A43B 7/1465 20130101; A43B 13/146 20130101;
A43B 1/0045 20130101; A43B 13/16 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
036/110 ;
036/043 |
International
Class: |
A43B 023/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 6, 2004 |
IT |
MC2004A000063 |
Claims
1. A footwear orthosis including a sole member comprising a tread
surface and an inner surface, and a partly open upper member
designed to be anchored to said sole member and arranged removably
to secure a user's foot thereto, wherein said tread surface is
substantially uninterruptedly flat and at least partly outwardly
convex:
2. A footwear orthosis as claimed In claim 1, wherein said tread
surface comprises at least one intermediate flat portion and at
least one outwardly convex front and/or rear portion, whereby said
tread surface can roll on the ground between a touch down position
in which said rear portion comes into contact with the ground
through out said intermediate portion, and a take off position at
said front convex portion.
3. A footwear orthosis as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an
intermediate insole reinforcing member locatable on said inner
surface of said sole member.
4. A footwear orthosis as claimed in claim 3, wherein said
intermediate insole comprises a lattice structure at the surface
thereof designed to contact said inner surface of said sole
member.
5. A footwear orthosis as claimed in claim 4, wherein said
intermediate insole is obtained by molding a relatively stiff or
rigid material.
6. A footwear orthosis as claimed in claim 5, wherein said
intermediate insole is obtained by molding antibacterial
acrylonitrile butadiene styrene.
7. A footwear orthosis as claimed in claim 1, wherein said upper
member comprises removable securing means to a user's foot.
8. An insole element for a footwear orthosis comprising at least
two portions mutually engageable in a puzzle-like manner.
9. An insole element as claimed in claim 8, wherein each portion
has a different density value.
10. An insole element as claimed in claim 8, wherein each portion
is made of suitable plastics material.
11. A footwear orthosis as claimed in claim 3, wherein said
intermediate insole comprises a relatively stiff or rigid
material.
12. A footwear orthosis as claimed in claim 4, wherein said
intermediate insole comprises a relatively stiff or rigid
material.
13. A footwear orthosis as claimed in claim 3 wherein the
intermediate insole comprises antibacterial acrylonitrile butadiene
styrene.
14. A footwear orthosis as claimed in claim 4 wherein the
intermediate insole comprises antibacterial acrylonitrile butadiene
styrene.
15. A footwear orthosis as claimed in claim 11 wherein the
intermediate insole comprises antibacterial acrylonitrile butadiene
styrene.
16. A footwear orthosis as claimed in claim 12 wherein the
intermediate insole comprises antibacterial acrylonitrile butadiene
styrene.
Description
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a footwear orthosis for a
user having problems with his foot, e.g. following a surgical
operation or owing to a foot disease.
[0002] A number of people after undergoing a surgical operation in
one or both their feet have to use a footwear orthosis, i. e. a
specifically structured footwear, suitable for making it possible
for the user to walk with a reasonable comfort without damaging or
stressing specific sensitive foot portions. More particularly, when
a patient is affected by insulin-dependant diabetes some foot
tissues degenerate and diabetic ulcers are formed, and when
ulceration occurs the patient cannot tolerate any exerted pressure
on the foot.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0003] Searches have been conducted to devise a footwear orthosis
that makes it possible for a patient with one or both ill feet to
walk without aggravating or otherwise compromising the health state
of his foot or feet.
[0004] The footwear orthoses used up to now usually have an upper
mounted on a sole having a front or rear raised (thicker) flat
portion, a lower flat portion, and an intermediate portion which is
inwardly convex. Such a configuration allows the patient's footwear
to avoid during walking contact with the ground, and thus pressure
transmitted to the foot, at the lower and intermediate portions
thereof where his most sensitive foot parts are located.
[0005] Such a solution, although being satisfactory from some
viewpoints, prevents the patient from walking naturally, as the
patient while walking has to lift the orthosis and touch down at
the raised portion of the footwear, i. e. with a trim substantially
normal to the soil, otherwise the orthosis must be set in an
inclined trim in order to touch the soil at the orthosis tip. In
both cases the resulting movements of the patient's foot are quite
unnatural and uncomfortable, and will slow down the patient's
advancing movement.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The main object of the present invention is to provide a
footwear orthosis which prevents its user from negatively affecting
a specific sensitive portion of his foot or feet, and makes it
possible for him or her to walk naturally at the same time.
[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
footwear orthosis designed to supports the user's foot in a
suitable walking trim and to be used for different rehabilitation
stages of a patient's foot.
[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
footwear orthosis which is can be produced at competitive costs so
as to be advantageous also from an economical point of view.
[0009] These and other objects that will better appear below are
achieved by a footwear orthosis including a sole member having a
tread surface and an inner surface, and a partly open upper member
designed to be anchored to said sole member and arranged removably
to secure a user's foot thereto, wherein said tread surface is
substantially uninterruptedly flat and at least partly outwardly
convex.
[0010] Advantageously, the footwear orthosis comprises at least one
intermediate flat portion and at least one front and/or rear
portion outwardly convex, said front and/or rear convex portion
allowing, in use, said sole member at least partly to roll between
an initial ground touching position and a lifting position in which
its front portion is leaving the ground.
[0011] According to another aspect of the present invention there
is provided an insole element for a footwear orthosis comprising at
least two portions engageable with one another in a puzzle-like
manner.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] Further features and advantages of a footwear orthosis
according to the present invention will better appear from the
following detailed description of some presently preferred
embodiments thereof, given by way of non-limiting examples of
carrying out the invention, with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which:
[0013] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view with parts cut away of a
footwear orthosis according to the present invention;
[0014] FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of the lower portion of the
footwear orthosis of FIG. 1;
[0015] FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the footwear orthosis of FIG.
1;
[0016] FIGS. 4 and 5 are a bottom and side view, respectively, of
an insole reinforcing member according to the present
invention;
[0017] FIG. 6 is a cross-section view taken along the line VI-VI of
the insole reinforcing member in FIG. 5;
[0018] FIG. 7 is a cross-section view taken along the line VII-VII
of the insole reinforcing member in FIG. 5;
[0019] FIG. 8 is a top view of an assembled puzzle-like insole
reinforcing member;
[0020] FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of a reinforcing insole
member of FIG. 8 with three portions thereof reciprocally engaged
in a puzzle-like manner; and
[0021] FIG. 10 is a perspective view in explosion of two portions
of the insole reinforcing member of FIG. 9.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0022] In the accompanying drawings, the same or similar parts or
components have been indicated with the same reference
numerals.
[0023] With reference first to FIGS. 1 to 3, it will be noted that
a footwear orthosis 1 has an ambidextrous sole 2 with a tread
surface 3, and an upper 4 comprising a bootleg portion.
[0024] The tread surface 3 is substantially uninterruptedly flat,
i. e. a continuous flat surface substantially with no bulging or
recessed portions, that can be imagined as obtained from a straight
generatrix moving along a path including straight and/or at least
one curved portion that give rise to a corresponding number of
outwardly convex tread portions.
[0025] Of course, the tread surface 3 can include slightly in
relief tread formations such as those generally indicated as two
concentric groups of circles in FIG. 3, for proper grip with the
ground.
[0026] The tread outwardly convex portion or portions of tread
surface 3, preferably have a variable radius of convexity. More
particularly, the tread surface has a front portion 3a and rear
portion 3b which are outwardly (downwardly, in use) convex, having
a radius of convexity larger than that at the intermediate portion
3c.
[0027] The sole 2 has its upper (inner) surface 5 which is
substantially flat and structured as a lattice as it is well known
to a person skilled in the art. A peripheral edge 6 extends
upwardly from the upper surface 5 and substantially perpendicularly
to the inner surface 5, the edge 6 having a height preferably of
about 45 mm.
[0028] On the upper surface a relatively rigid intermerdiate insole
member 7 is provided which preferably has an, in use, upper flat
surface, while its lower surface in contact with the upper surface
5 of the sole has a lattice-like rib structure 7a so dimensioned as
to be set in position without clearance on the lattice of the upper
surface 5. The intermediate insole member 7 is preferably made of
moulded antibacterical and washable ABS
(acrilonitrile-butadiene-stirene) material.
[0029] A standard insole, usually bearing a trade mark, a design or
the like, could be provided on the insole member 7.
[0030] The footwear orthosis shown in FIG. 1 has a suitably shaped
upper 4 with a bootleg portion and a number (four) of suitable
securing means 9. e. g. each comprising a ribbon provided with an
anchoring means such as a fastening means, e.g. a Velcro strip,
arranged removably to secure a patient's foot to the footwear. Such
a footwear orthosis makes it possible to leave the instep or upper
portion of the user's foot loose and practically free from footwear
portions that might exercise a undue pressure on the user's foot
while walking.
[0031] During walking the user lower the footwear orthosis at its
rear portion 3b having a relatively large radius of curvature which
makes it possible for the sole to effect a soft progressive rolling
in the forward direction with no abrupt (torsional) stress being
transmitted to the user's foot. The user's foot makes then a smooth
swing movement while the footwear sole keeps in contact with the
ground throughout its intermediate portion 3c and part of its front
portion 3a. Once owing to rolling action the front portion 3a comes
into contact with the ground the user foot is raised for a new step
forward and so on.
[0032] It should be emphasized that, as an important difference
with footwear orthoses according to the prior art, with a footwear
orthosis according to the present invention the user touches the
ground with the rear convex portion 3b of the footwear, makes a
rolling movement across the intermediate portion 3c, and raises the
footwear only after or upon the front convex portion 3a being
rolled into contact with the ground.
[0033] The specific structure of the footwear orthosis according to
the present invention thus prevents dangerous pressure picks being
applied to the user's foot while the sole 2 is touching down or
leaving or taking off the ground.
[0034] The touching down step is soft operation even because the
rear portion 3b is then the footwear portion nearer to the ground,
the user's foot being thrown forwards with its tip portion
extending upwards, and thus the curved (convex) surface of the rear
portion prevents the sole 2 from abruptly touching down the
ground.
[0035] The same applies to lifting or take off step that takes
place in an gradual and smooth way owing to the curved (convex)
configuration of the front portion 3a of the sole 2.
[0036] With reference now to FIGS. 4 and 5, an insole 10 is shown
which comprises three portions 10a, 10ab and 10c that can be
removably connected together in a puzzle-like manner.
[0037] The insole 10 is preferably made of a cushioning material
and more specifically an antibacteric, washable cushioning
material.
[0038] An insole 10 can include a number (typically two or three)
portions 10a made of different materials thereby obtaining an
insole element having mechanical characteristics changing from its
rear to its front portion. Such an insole makes it possible to
adapt a footwear orthosis according to the invention to specific
user's needs.
[0039] Preferably, the peripheral edge 6 of the sole 2 can be
dimensioned so as to make it possible to locate three or more
superimposed insoles 10 in the footwear orthosis.
[0040] The footwear orthosis as above described is susceptible to
numerous modifications and variations within the scope as defined
by the claims.
[0041] Thus the insole can comprises portion 10a to 10c formed with
an aperture or through opening to be located at sensitive portion
of the user's foot.
* * * * *