U.S. patent application number 11/438282 was filed with the patent office on 2006-12-21 for footwear with an adjustable stabilizing system, in particular for pronation and/or supination control.
This patent application is currently assigned to DIADORA-INVICTA S.p.A.. Invention is credited to Angelo Mason.
Application Number | 20060283046 11/438282 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36922108 |
Filed Date | 2006-12-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060283046 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Mason; Angelo |
December 21, 2006 |
Footwear with an adjustable stabilizing system, in particular for
pronation and/or supination control
Abstract
A footwear has a sole that comprises an adjustable stabilising
system, in particular to control phenomena of pronation and/or
supination. The stabilisation system comprises at least one
adjustment member capable of selectively taking at least two
alternative positions within a respective seat present in a
component of the sole, the adjustment member having a body with at
least two portions or sectors that present different degrees of
compressibility.
Inventors: |
Mason; Angelo; (Caerano di
San Marco (Treviso), IT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
NIXON & VANDERHYE, PC
901 NORTH GLEBE ROAD, 11TH FLOOR
ARLINGTON
VA
22203
US
|
Assignee: |
DIADORA-INVICTA S.p.A.
Caerano di S. Marco (Treviso)
IT
|
Family ID: |
36922108 |
Appl. No.: |
11/438282 |
Filed: |
May 23, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
36/28 ;
36/35R |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B 13/186 20130101;
A43B 3/0042 20130101; A43B 13/188 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
036/028 ;
036/035.00R |
International
Class: |
A43B 13/18 20060101
A43B013/18; A43B 21/06 20060101 A43B021/06 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 16, 2005 |
IT |
TO2005A000427 |
Claims
1. Footwear having a sole that comprises an adjustable stabilising
system, in particular to control phenomena of pronation and/or
supination, wherein the adjustment system comprises at least one
adjustment member capable of selectively taking at least two
alternative positions within a respective seat present in a
component of the sole the adjustment member having a body with at
least two portions or sectors that present different degrees of
compressibility.
2. Footwear according to claim 1, wherein different positions of
said member within said seat correspond to different positions of
one said sector with respect to a specific zone of the peripheral
profile of the sole.
3. Footwear according to claim 2, wherein said seat extends between
a medial zone and a lateral zone of the peripheral profile of the
sole, and in at least one of said positions, a first of said
sectors lies at least partially in said medial zone and a second of
said sectors (S1) lies at least partially in said lateral zone.
4. Footwear according to claim 1, wherein said member is angularly
rotatable or can be moved in, or with respect to, said seat.
5. Footwear according to claim 1, wherein said seat and said member
have substantially complementary peripheral profiles.
6. Footwear according to claim 4, wherein said component comprises
the body of a midsole of compressible material, said member is
approximately disk-shaped and said seat has an approximately
circular section.
7. Footwear according to claim 4, wherein said seat and said member
have peripheral profiles each defining two or more projections or
lobes.
8. Footwear according to claim 1, wherein said seat communicates
with at least one passage that opens onto a peripheral edge of said
component of the sole, through said passage at least part of one of
said sectors being visible and/or accessible from outside the
footwear.
9. Footwear according to claim 8, wherein said sectors have, at
least in the respective parts visible through said passage,
different colours or appearances or indications one from
another.
10. Footwear according to claim 8, wherein said passage is covered
by an element formed at least in part of transparent material.
11. Footwear according to claim 4, wherein said member is arranged
to be displaced angularly between said alternative positions using
a tool.
12. Footwear according to claim 1, wherein each of said sectors
presents at least one chamber containing a fluid, the chambers of
different sectors being at different pressures.
13. Footwear according to claim 1, wherein said seat is formed in a
heel part of the sole.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to footwear, particularly
sports footwear, having a sole fitted with an adjustable
stabilising system.
[0002] It is known that the gait, that is the placing of the foot
on the ground during walking or running, varies from person to
person depending on the morphological and/or biomechanical
characteristics of the subject. Some people rest their foot on the
ground in a "neutral" manner, that is substantially correctly from
the biomechanical standpoint; on the contrary in others some defect
occurs in resting the foot on the ground, in particular due to
excessive pronation (or inverted foot rest) or excessive supination
(or everted foot rest). Very briefly, in pronation the foot takes
on a position in which most of the body weight is loaded onto the
inner (in technical jargon the medial) edge of the foot. On the
contrary, in supination the foot takes on a position in which the
body weight is loaded onto the outer (in technical jargon the
lateral) edge of the foot. Even some people who are immune to gait
defects when walking normally may suffer from excessive pronation
or supination during running or sports activities in general.
[0003] For the above reasons, "neutral" footwear and "stable"
footwear are currently available on the market, in particular for
practising running.
[0004] The "neutral" footwear is provided with a midsole of uniform
hardness or rigidity and is thus indicated for persons who do not
suffer from any defect in resting the foot. The "stable" footwear
is, on the contrary, provided with a midsole of locally
differentiated hardness or rigidity and is therefore indicated for
persons who have problems of excessive pronation or supination,
particularly noticeable during prolonged running.
[0005] Usually the midsoles of "stable" footwear have, in the
medial zone of the heel, one or more insertions of greater hardness
than the rest of the midsole and/or conformed so as to increase the
resistance to compression of the midsole in that area; in this
manner greater support may be provided to the foot, controlling
and/or supporting pronation when resting the foot on the ground. An
example of this type of solution is described in EP-A-0 315 340,
and reference may also be made to the introduction of this prior
document for a detailed examination of the problem mentioned
above.
[0006] Manufacturers of footwear must therefore produce both
"neutral" footwear and "stable" footwear and, in the case of
"stable" footwear fitted with inserts, it is also necessary that
manufacturers produce numerous versions of a single model of
footwear, differentiated one from another in terms of the hardness
or compressibility of the relative midsole (as has been seen, the
load when resting the foot on the ground varies depending on
biomechanics and the person's weight).
[0007] This diversification of production involves problems both
for the footwear manufacturer, who must set up diversified plant,
and for the retailer, who must acquire a larger number of versions
of a single model of footwear in the attempt to meet consumers'
differing demands.
[0008] In view of resolving these drawbacks, footwear has been
proposed in which the midsole is fitted with inserts defining at
least one air chamber, fitted with valve-operated means of control
and capable of being inflated to different pressures; in solutions
of this type the operative configuration of the midsole may
therefore be modified depending on the extent of pronation that
must be corrected. An example of this technique is described in WO
98/56272. Solutions of the type indicated are complicated and
expensive, as well as difficult to use for the purpose of adjusting
the degree of compressibility of the midsole; apart from this,
should said valve break the adjustment system would become
unusable.
[0009] From the document EP-A-0 258 718 footwear for practising
running is also known in which the means that oppose excessive
pronation comprises a cushioning strip, which embraces the midsole
externally at the heel zone; the strip is fixed in a removable
manner to the midsole, so as to enable it to be replaced if
necessary. This solution has been found to be unreliable over time,
chiefly because use of the footwear involves a risk of damaging the
cushioning strip and the means that enable it to be fixed in a
removable fashion to the midsole.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] In the light of the above, the present invention aims to
produce footwear provided with a new system of adjustable
stabilisation, particularly to control pronation and/or supination,
of simple and economic construction, as well as being versatile and
reliable in use. In this general sphere, a particular purpose of
the invention is to produce footwear having a stabilising system
conceived to facilitate and simplify the phase of adjusting the
degree of compressibility of the respective sole, be this carried
out by the producer, the retailer or the consumer.
[0011] This and further purposes, which will become clearer below,
are achieved according to the present invention by footwear having
the characteristics indicated in the attached claims, which
constitute an integral part of the descriptive content of this
patent application.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] Further purposes, as well as the characteristics and
advantages of the present invention, will be clear in the
description that follows and in the attached drawings, provided as
a simple example for explanatory purposes with no limiting intent,
in which:
[0013] FIG. 1 is a view in elevation and partial section in diagram
form of sports footwear according to the invention;
[0014] FIGS. 2 and 3 are views in lateral elevation in diagram form
of the side defined as "lateral" and of the side defined as
"medial" of a midsole of the footwear in FIG. 1;
[0015] FIGS. 4 and 5 are views in diagram form, respectively in
plan and in lateral elevation, of a main body of the midsole in
FIGS. 2 and 3;
[0016] FIGS. 6 is a diagrammatic section along the line VI-VI of
FIG. 4;
[0017] FIG. 7 is a front elevation in diagram form of an adjustment
member being part of a stabilising system of the footwear according
to the invention;
[0018] FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic section along the line VIII-VIII of
FIG. 7;
[0019] FIGS. 9 and 10 show, in diagram form, respectively in front
and lateral elevation, an insert of the member in FIGS. 7 and
8;
[0020] FIG. 11 is a section in diagram form along the line XI-XI of
FIG. 10;
[0021] FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic plan of the midsole in FIGS. 2 and
3, including the body in FIGS. 4-6, the member in FIGS. 7-8 and the
insert in FIGS. 9-11;
[0022] FIG. 13 is a diagrammatic section along the line XIII-XIII
of FIG. 12;
[0023] FIG. 14 is a front elevation in diagram form of an
adjustment member being part of a stabilising system according to a
possible variant of the invention;
[0024] FIG. 15 is a section in diagram form along the line XV-XV in
FIG. 14.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0025] In FIG. 1, footwear for athletics or for practising running,
fabricated according to the invention, is indicated overall as 1;
the footwear 1 has an upper part or upper 2 and a lower part or
sole that, in the case given as an example, comprises an outsole 3
and a midsole 4.
[0026] The specifics of the upper 2 and of the outsole 3 lie
outside the scope of the present invention and will therefore not
be illustrated or described in detail; it suffices here to mention
that the outsole 3 may be made of synthetic material, for example
rubber of differentiated hardness, formed in a single piece or in a
number of separate pieces.
[0027] The midsole 4 has a body 4a that presents an upper face, a
lower face and a peripheral profile or edge; this peripheral
profile has a lateral segment, shown in FIG. 2, and a medial
segment, shown in FIG. 3; the medial segment is substantially the
part of the peripheral profile of the midsole 4 that faces towards
the other foot of the user when the footwear 1 is being worn,
whereas the lateral segment is substantially the part of the
peripheral profile opposed to the medial segment.
[0028] The midsole 4 is positioned between the upper 2 and the
outsole 3 and on it, inside the footwear 1, rests an arch-support
insole, not shown; for this purpose a hollow 4b is defined in the
upper zone of the midsole 4, within which said insole is at least
partially housed.
[0029] The body 4a of the midsole 4 may be obtained by moulding a
compressible material that is elastic and light, such as for
example EVA, and then joined to the upper 2, for example by gluing
it around the peripheral zone of its upper face; the outsole 3 may
be associated to the lower face of the body 4a by gluing.
[0030] According to the main aspect of the invention, the midsole 4
is fitted with an adjustable stabilising system, to control
pronation and/or supination, indicated (as a whole) with D in FIG.
1.
[0031] FIGS. 4-6 show the body 4a of the midsole 4; in these
figures only the lateral segment of the body 4a is illustrated
(FIG. 5), but it should be considered that fabrication is similar
for the medial segment (see for example FIG. 3).
[0032] As may be seen in FIG. 4, a cavity or seat 10 is present in
the posterior part of the body 4a, and in particular in the heel
zone, having a prevalently circular lobed section; in the case
shown as an example, the peripheral wall of the seat 10 is shaped
to define four lobes 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d; the lobes 10a, 10b face
respectively towards the anterior end and towards the posterior end
of the body 4a, whereas the lobes 10c, 10d face respectively
towards the said medial segment and the said lateral segment, and
communicate through open passages with the outside of the body 4a.
In correspondence with these open passages, covering elements 11
are mounted, shown in particular in FIGS. 5 and 6; in the example
the elements 11 are formed at least in part of transparent
synthetic material, so as to form windows 11a that face onto the
inside of the seat 10, as is visible for example in FIG. 5. As will
be clear below, the windows 11 embody means of inspection, for the
purpose of allowing the type of adjustment set on the stabilising
system, that is the specific object of the invention, to be checked
visually.
[0033] The seat 10 is destined to receive an adjustment member,
indicated with 12 as a whole in FIGS. 7 and 8, whose shape is
substantially complementary to that of the seat 10, but of slightly
smaller size. The member 12 thus substantially has the shape of a
disk defining, along its peripheral wall, four lobes 12a, 12b, 12c,
12d, at approximately 90.degree. one from another.
[0034] The member 12 is formed such as to present adjacent sectors
or portions of differing hardness, that is having different degrees
of compressibility. In the case given as an example, and as is
shown in FIG. 7, the member 12 comprises three sectors, indicated
with S1, S2 and S3, where the sector S1 includes the lobes 12a and
12d, the sector S2 includes the lobe 12b and the sector S3 includes
the lobe 12c; as a simple example, the sector S1 may have a
hardness of 55 Shore C, the sector S2 a hardness of 65 Shore C and
the sector S3 a hardness of 75 Shore C.
[0035] The member 12 may be formed of a single material, but with
the various sectors of differentiated hardness or density, or may
be made of different materials of different hardnesses that form
the respective sectors. The material or materials constituting the
member 12 might be polymers, such as thermoplastic polyurethane
(TPU), expanded two-component polyurethane (hexocyanate polyol) or
Pebax.TM. (polyammide and TPU), or expanded cross-linking materials
such as EVA, that can be injected or heat formed. The synthetic
body of the member 12 might also be configured so as to present a
cavity of a substantially toroidal shape, subdivided into
sub-chambers containing a fluid (such as air) at different
pressures, so as to define a corresponding number of sectors having
different degrees of compressibility.
[0036] As FIG. 8 shows, a circular housing 12e is formed in the
lower face of the member 12, with at its centre a hexagonal seat
12f; the member 12 also presents a central axial hole 12g, having
an end that opens in correspondence with the seat 12f.
[0037] The housing 12e is destined to receive an insert, here
comprising a plate 13 shown in FIGS. 9-11, formed as a single piece
of rigid material, for example a thermoplastic material. The plate
13 presents a circular base wall 13a, from the centre of which a
tubular part of limited height 13b rises, which in the case given
as an example has a hexagonal inner and outer section.
[0038] FIGS. 12 and 13 show the midsole 4 fitted with the
adjustable stabilising system, respectively in plan and in
section.
[0039] As may be seen, the member 12 is inserted within the seat
10, with the lobes 12a-12d of the member occupying the lobes
10a-10d of the seat. The lower face of the member 12, fitted with
the plate 13, rests on the bottom of the seat 10. In the assembled
condition, two opposing lobes of the member 12--in the example
lobes 12c and 12d--are partially visible through the windows 11a of
the covering elements 11.
[0040] Production of the midsole 4 is very simple.
[0041] The body 4a of the midsole 4 may be moulded, for example in
EVA, in ways and employing means that are known, such as to present
the seat 10 with the relative passages for the elements 11; these
elements 11, of transparent material, may be over-moulded or
co-moulded with the body 4, or applied subsequent to the formation
of the body 4a and glued to it.
[0042] The member 12, fitted with the plate 13, is then inserted
into the seat 10, with the tubular part 13b of the plate 13
inserted into the seat 12f. The plate 13 is for preference glued
inside the respective seat 12e of the member 12, exploiting the
wide flat surface of the base wall 13a.
[0043] After assembling the upper 2 onto the sole, an insole of the
arch support type may be assembled inside the footwear 1, in the
hollow 4b, thus covering the upper side of the adjustable
stabilising system. In the condition shown, in correspondence with
the windows 11a of the elements 11 present on the medial and
lateral segments of the peripheral profile of the midsole 4, the
lobes 12c and 12d of the member 12 are partially visible. In the
preferred embodiment of the invention, the various sectors S1, S2
and S3 have visibly differentiated colours or appearances, or bear
different indications in the part visible through the windows
11a.
[0044] The adjustable system of the footwear is very simple to
operate.
[0045] The member 12, not being fixed in the seat 10 of the body
4a, may be rotated through 360.degree. around an axis indicated as
X in the figures, so that selectively it may take up a plurality of
possible positions within the seat 10. In the case shown as an
example, four alternative angular positions are provided for,
defined by the number of lobes of the seat 10 and of the member
12.
[0046] To produce rotation of the member 12 it is sufficient to
insert the tip of an appropriate tool into the hole 12g of the
member 12; in the case given as an example this tool comprises an
Allen key of suitable size to engage in the hexagonal section of
the tubular portion 13b of the plate 13 (it is clear that the
portion 13b might be shaped so as to co-operate with the tip of a
tool of a different type, such as a screwdriver or a spanner with
square section). Access to the hole 12g may be obtained by removing
the arch-support insole from the footwear 1 or, alternatively, a
passage substantially coaxial with the hole 12g may be provided in
the arch support insole.
[0047] Using the tool the member 12 may be made to rotate clockwise
or anticlockwise in the seat 10, so as to position the sector S1-S3
of interest in the desired position of the medial or lateral part
of the heel; as has been said, the member 12 is here predisposed to
be rotated by 90.degree. to change position; in consequence there
are four possible different combinations of positions of the
sectors is S1-S3 in the medial zone or lateral zone of the heel,
and that is:
[0048] 1) medial S3, lateral S1;
[0049] 2) medial S2, lateral S1;
[0050] 3) medial S1, lateral S3;
[0051] 4) medial S1, lateral S2.
[0052] The stabilisation system described, with two or more
differentiated degrees of hardness, thus enables the degree of
resistance to compression of the midsole 4 to be varied for the
purposes of controlling pronation and/or supination of the
foot.
[0053] In the adjustment phase, even when this is performed with
the arch-support insole removed, the member 12 is for preference
maintained within the seat 10 by means of the extreme portions of
its two opposed lobes inserted in the elements 11; as may be
realised, rotation substantially comes about "stepwise" and is
enabled thanks to the deformability of the materials comprising the
body 4a and the member 12; engagement between the lobes of the
member 12 and those of the seat 10 ensures that the adjusted
position that is set will be maintained.
[0054] Thanks to the different colours or indications of the
sectors S1, S2, S3, the adjustment that has been performed may be
perceived directly from outside the footwear 1 for the medial and
lateral segments, through the windows 11a of the elements 11.
[0055] From what is described above it is clear that the degree of
compressibility of the midsole 4 may be modified in an extremely
simple fashion, depending on the morphological and biomechanical
characteristics of the consumer. This is particularly advantageous,
not only for the manufacturers and retailers of the footwear, but
also for the consumer who may, at need, modify the adjustment in
view of different occasions of use of the same footwear. The
adjustable stabilisation system described may be inserted in any
type of midsole of footwear for athletics or sports in general, for
example for practising running or tennis; the invention is capable
of being used with any type of footwear.
[0056] Naturally, the construction details and embodiments may be
varied with regard to what is described and illustrated here,
without thereby departing from the scope of the present invention
as defined by the attached claims.
[0057] In the example described above, without limiting intent, the
system according to the invention is operative in the heel zone of
the footwear 1, but it is clear that it could also be provided in
the zone of the forefoot; one and the same footwear could if
desired to be provided with more than one adjustment systems D, for
example one in the heel zone and the other in the forefoot
zone.
[0058] The number of positions of the member 12 that can be
selected may naturally be more or fewer than four, and may vary
depending on the type of footwear. The profile of the seat 10 and
of the member 12 might also be different from that given as an
example, the possibility remaining that a plurality of selectable
positions may be determined. Also the dimensions of the member 12
might be different depending on the type of footwear (in that
light, for example, it is known that the midsoles of training
footwear are in general wider and thicker than those of competition
footwear).
[0059] In a possible variant, for example for footwear to be used
in the gymnasium, the system might be conceived so as to enable
direct adjustment from outside the footwear. In that variant, the
elements 11 are open, that is configured such as to comprise
openings through which respective portions of the peripheral edge
of the member 12 project directly outside the midsole 4; in this
fashion, the member 12 embodies a sort of wheel, which may be made
to rotate manually without the need for tools, acting on said
peripheral edge.
[0060] In another possible variant, the elements 11 and the
relative passages may be omitted, and adjustment may be made by
extracting and subsequently re-inserting the member 12 into the
seat 10, in a different angular position than previously; in this
case, the footwear 1 is provided with a removable arch-support
insole.
[0061] A possible variant of the invention is represented in FIGS.
14 and 15, which use the same reference numbers as the previous
figures to indicate the elements technically equivalent to those
already described. In this variant the body of the member 12 is
formed from a single material, for example EVA, so as to define a
plurality of chambers or containers of air or other fluid,
indicated with S1a, S2a and S3a, at different pressures; each
chamber extends in a respective sector S1, S2, S3 of the member 12,
in such a fashion that these sectors have differentiated degrees of
compressibility.
* * * * *