Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B7/00—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements
  • A43B7/14—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts
  • A43B7/18—Joint supports, e.g. instep supports
  • A43B7/20—Ankle-joint supports or holders
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B23/00—Uppers; Boot legs; Stiffeners; Other single parts of footwear
  • A43B23/08—Heel stiffeners; Toe stiffeners
  • A43B23/16—Heel stiffeners; Toe stiffeners made of impregnated fabrics, plastics or the like
  • A43B23/17—Heel stiffeners; Toe stiffeners made of impregnated fabrics, plastics or the like made of plastics
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B3/00—Footwear characterised by the shape or the use
  • A43B3/0036—Footwear characterised by the shape or the use characterised by a special shape or design
  • A43B3/0068—V-shaped

Definitions

• SHOE HEEL SHOE AND SHOE PROVIDED WITH SUCH HEEL SHELL
• the present invention relates to footwear, and more particularly, but not exclusively, multi-purpose shoes of a sporting nature, walking shoes, rehabilitation shoes.
• Shoes whatever the application considered, must assume different functions, and in particular a function of mechanical protection of the sensitive parts of the foot against shocks, and a function of maintaining or supporting the joints of the foot and the ankle.
• shoes To fulfill their impact protection function, shoes must in particular protect the heel and the area of attachment of the Achilles tendon.
• the shoes To fulfill their function of maintaining or supporting the joints, the shoes must in particular limit the forces supported by the ankle and foot joints when these are in the vicinity of their maximum range of motion. But a shoe must simultaneously authorize the free functioning of the ankle and foot joints for the different movements of walking, running, jumping, changing direction.
• the envelope of these shoes is flexible, so that the support and the compression carried out are flexible. Such shoes therefore do not effectively protect the ankle joint in the event of torsion during the practice of a sporting activity.
• the ankle joint is, in fact, not sufficiently supported in the event of unexpected twisting, which leads to the distension of the subtalar ligaments, then, possibly, of the tibio-tarsal ligaments.
• the compression of the ankle joints is ensured in a quasi-rigid manner. The protection is effective, but the comfort of use is reduced.
• the plate surrounds the rear part of the foot from the base to above the calcaneum, and its lower edge is fixed to the sole of the shoe.
• Two symmetrical lateral notches are oriented in horizontal directions, and located clearly above the lateral projections of the subtalar cone of the ankle.
• the calcaneum is not surrounded laterally in its entirety. Comfort and protection remain insufficient.
• PRESENTATION OF THE INVENTION The problem proposed by the present invention is to improve both the comfort and the safety of shoes, thus avoiding the disadvantages of traditional shoes, so as to support the natural joints of the foot and ankle without affect the comfort of use.
• Another object of the invention is to provide a particularly simple and inexpensive structure to allow simultaneous improvements in protection and comfort.
• the invention results from a more in-depth study of the natural physiological movements of the foot and ankle joints, and of the movements of the different parts of the foot relative to the shoe, during use movements such as walking, running, jumping and changes of direction. It thus appeared that traditional shoes are not sufficiently well adapted to the physiological movements of the joints of the foot and the ankle, and this is what explains either the lack of comfort, or the lack of protection, or even the risks of rapid degradation of the shoe.
• the invention provides a heel shoe shell, comprising a plate made of an elastically deformable material of high suitable rigidity, and shaped to surround the rear part of the foot, covering at least the entire rear face.
• the plate comprising, in its upper edge, two lateral notches, symmetrical to one another; the lateral notches are oriented so that, when the heel cup is in place in the shoe, the lateral notches are located substantially at the level of the lateral projections of the subtalar cone, and the plate laterally surrounds the calcaneum.
• the heel cup thus formed is a particularly simple and inexpensive element, and its use in a shoe considerably improves the compromise obtained between the needs for protection of the heel and the joints and the comfort needs resulting from a great freedom of movement of the joints. .
• the lateral notches have a V shape, flared towards the front and the top of the shoe. This favors the elastic deformations of the envelope zone between the edges of the lateral notches.
• the opening of the lateral V-shaped notches can advantageously be greater than the angle of the subtalar cone, which allows effective release of the inversion and eversion movements of the ankle.
• notches having more or less great depths are such that, when the heel cup is in place in the shoe, the bottom of the lateral notches is a little behind the subtalar joint.
• the heel cup can advantageously be made from a plate of material limited by a slightly convex lower edge and of length between approximately 12 and 16 cm, limited by a more strongly convex upper edge and having the two lateral notches, the central plate area having a height of between 4 and 7 cm approximately.
• the invention provides a shoe comprising:
• a rod connected to the posterior part of the foot envelope, and adapted to envelop at least the postero-superior zone of the foot
• a heel cup of more rigid material, having a lower edge fixed to the sole, and shaped to surround the rear part of the foot, covering at less the entire posterior surface of the foot from its base to above the calcaneum, and to surround the calcaneum laterally,
• the invention can be implemented in a shoe comprising a relatively flexible foot envelope and an upper, the heel cup being made of an elastically deformable material but more rigid than the foot envelope and the upper.
• the invention can be implemented in a shoe having an essentially rigid foot shell, an essentially rigid upper, and a part of the foot covering and / or more flexible upper in the area of the lateral notches of the heel cup, the heel cup itself being made of a more rigid material than the part of the foot casing and / or the upper located in the area of the side notches.
• the foot casing and / or the rod constitute an elastic deformation zone with reduced stiffness.
• the heel cup insertable into a shoe defines a posterior ascent and lateral fins which surround the posterior face and the lateral faces of the calcaneum, while leaving, by lateral notches, a preferential deformation zone located at the level and in the direction of the subtalar cone of the foot joint.
• FIG. 1 is a front view of a material plate intended to constitute a heel shoe shell according to an embodiment of the present invention, in the deployed position;
• - Figure 2 is a side view of the heel cup made according to the invention from the plate of Figure 1;
• FIG. 3 is a rear view of the heel cup of Figure 2;
• FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the heel cup of Figure 2;
• FIG. 5 is a schematic external side view of the ankle and foot joint in a traditional shoe with rigid or flexible shell; and - Figure 6 is a schematic external lateral view of the ankle and foot joint in a shoe provided with a heel cup according to the present invention.
• FIG. 5 is a schematic external side view of the ankle and foot joint in a traditional shoe with rigid or flexible shell; and - Figure 6 is a schematic external lateral view of the ankle and foot joint in a shoe provided with a heel cup according to the present invention.
• FIG. 5 is a schematic external side view of the ankle and foot joint in a traditional shoe with rigid or flexible shell; and - Figure 6 is a schematic external lateral view of the ankle and foot joint in a shoe provided with a heel cup according to the present invention.
• DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS We first consider Figure 5, in order to recall the main structural elements of a foot joint, and the main movements of this joint.
• the foot 1 is shown inside a shoe consisting of a sole 2 and an
• calcaneum 4 the talus 5, the cuboid 6, the scaphoid 7, and the cuneiforms 8 which are followed by the metatarsals and phalanges not shown.
• the calcane-pedious block consisting of the calcaneum 4, the cuboid 6, the scaphoid 7 and the cuneiforms 8, forms the lower structure of the foot, which rests on the sole 2 of the shoe.
• This calcaneo-pedal block is articulated under the leg, illustrated by the lower end of the tibia 9, by an articulation with two successive stages, namely a tibio-tarsal articulation 10 between the tibia 9 and the talus 5, and a subtalar joint 1 1 between the talus 5 and the calcaneum 4.
• the tibio-tarsal joint 10 uses the movement of the foot in the sagittal plane, that is to say according to a rotation of transverse axis perpendicular to the plane in the figure, for example to raise or lower the anterior end of the foot.
• the subtalar joint 1 1 allows the other movements of the ankle, namely the inversion and eversion movements.
• inversion of the ankle we mean a movement which associates a partial or not combination of all the following movements in the three planes of space, namely:
• a plantar flexion of an amplitude of approximately 10 ° directed along the arrow f1 and defined with respect to a normal plumb position of a human being situated on a horizontal plane.
• the amplitudes indicated above correspond to average values, each amplitude being liable to vary by plus or minus 10 ° depending on the age of the individual and his own anatomical characteristics.
• the mean axis 12a of the cone 12 passes through the apex S and by the median zone of the two ligament bundles 13 and 14 which link the talus 5 to the calcaneum 4. It can be seen that the mean axis 12a of the subtalar cone 12 makes with the horizontal plane P an angle ⁇ of between 20 ° and 50 °, and more generally between 30 ° and 45 °.
• the subtalar cone 12 also has an opening angle ⁇ whose average value varies between 15 ° and 30 ° depending on the age of the individuals and their anatomical particularities.
• the mean axis 12a of the subtalar cone 12 also makes, with respect to the sagittal plane, an angle of 10 ° to 30 ° inwards, that is to say towards the other foot.
• the above considerations thus define a geometric and mechanical model that is substantially representative of the kinematics of the ankle joint on anatomical and physiological bases.
• the shoe according to the invention, and the heel cup of the shoe according to the invention aim to promote the movements thus defined around the axes moving in the subtalar cone 12, while limiting these movements to avoid excessive efforts on the articular elements at the end of range of motion, and ensuring good protection of the fragile constituent parts of the foot.
• FIG. 1 to 4 which illustrate such a heel shell structure 24 according to the invention.
• the heel cup 24 is made from a plate 15 of an elastically deformable material having sufficient rigidity to constitute a shoe reinforcement.
• the plate 15 of material is limited by a slightly convex lower edge 16 and by a more strongly convex upper edge 17 having two lateral notches 18 and 19 arranged symmetrically with respect to a median axis 20 generally perpendicular to the lower edge 16.
• the plate 15 can have a length L of between 12 and 16 approximately cm, and a height H of central zone 21 of between 4 and 7 cm approximately.
• the lateral notches 18 and 19 are oriented along respective axes 18a and 19a inclined at approximately 45 °.
• the lateral notches have an opening angle 18b or 19b of approximately 30 °.
• Their respective bottom 18c or 19c is at a distance d1 of about 2 cm from the middle M of the lower edge 16.
• the lower edge 16 may advantageously comprise at least one conformation notch 16a in V.
• FIG. 2 illustrates the heel cup 24 according to the invention produced from the plate 15 of FIG. 1, by folding the two fins 22 and 23 parallel to each other, and bringing the two lower edge segments closer together. 1 6 from one another to fill the shaping notch 16a, the central zone 21 being curved.
• FIG. 3 the heel shell 24 of the Figure 2, on which there are the two fins 22 and 23, the posterior ascent 21, the side slits 18 and 19, the connecting zone 21b, and the shaping notch 16a whose edges are brought together or applied one against each other.
• Figure 4 also illustrates, in perspective, the heel cup on which there are the same main parts identified by the same reference numerals.
• FIG. 6 illustrates in external side view a foot engaged in a shoe according to an embodiment of the invention, including the heel cup 24 according to the invention.
• the shoe comprises the sole 2, the heel cup 24, a foot cover 25, and a rod 26.
• the sole 2 is structured in the usual way, chosen according to the uses envisaged.
• the foot covering 25 is fixed to the sole 2, and is suitable for enveloping the plantar mass of the foot and of the calcane-pedious block.
• the rod 26, connected to the rear part of the foot envelope 25, is adapted to wrap at least the postero-upper zone of the foot.
• the heel cup 24 is arranged in the shoe to surround the rear part of the foot by covering at least the entire rear face of the foot from its base to above the calcaneum 4. Its lower edge 16 is fixed to the sole 2.
• the heel shell 24 laterally surrounds the calcaneum 4.
• FIG. 6 we can see the posterior ascent 21 and the aileron 22.
• the notch 18 is oriented so as to substantially contain the lateral projection of the subtalar cone 1.
• the posterior ascent 21 rises to a height greater than or equal to the height of the summit zone of the calcaneum 4.
• the posterior ascent 21 rises to at a height about 2 to 4 cm above the top of the calcaneum.
• the posterior ascent 21 widens upwards, which makes it possible to laterally wrap the low inserts of the Achilles heel, and thus to increase their protection against shocks.
• the lateral fins such as the fin 22 develop forward at least as far as the anterior end zone of the calcaneum 4. Their height increases in front, which allows them to laterally wrap the zone front of the calcaneum 4 substantially over its entire height, as can be seen in FIG. 6.
• the heel cup 24 can be made of an elastically flexible material but having a certain rigidity, for example based on carbon or of composite material of the type carbon-kevlar, or even based on certain high density plastics.
• the area of the notches 18 and 19, occupied by the foot shell 25 and / or the rod 26, must have greater flexibility in order to allow deformations during movements of the subtalar joint.
• the lateral notches 18 and 19 produce zones of preferential deformation of the shoe, oriented parallel to the subtalar cone 12.
• connection zone 21b makes it possible to produce, between the posterior ascent 21 and the lateral fins 22 and 23, an elastic return torque which tends to bring the foot back into the sagittal plane of the tibia, thus relieving the sub-articulation astragalian 1 1.
• the heel cup 24 thus formed opposes the rolling movements of the foot with respect to the shoe itself during eversion and inversion movements, by the fact that the calcaneum 4 is tightly enveloped by the heel cup 24.
• the invention applies to low shoes as illustrated in Figure 6, that is to say with a low upper 26.
• shoes with a higher upper 26 covering the tibio-tarsal joint 10. It applies just as well to shoes with a flexible shell 25 as to shoes with a plantar shell and rigid upper, from when a zone with greater flexibility is provided in line with the notches 18 and 19.
• the heel cup 24 is a plate made of semi-rigid plastic, for example polyurethane, ABS, polyethylene, having a thickness of the order of 1 mm.
• the heel cup 24, fixed to the sole 2 for example by gluing, is preferably housed inside the outer shell of the shoe and is covered internally by protective layers of felt or other material suitable for contact with the foot. 1.
• the heel cup 24 can constitute an external element, visible on the shoe.
• the sole 2 may have a conventional polyurethane structure reinforced with carbon fibers, the foot covering 25 and the upper 26 being able to be made from any deformable material, of the polymer type, or synthetic fabric, or leather, for example, whose elasticity can be varied depending on the type of use.
• foot envelopes 25 and uppers 26 which are more flexible when we want to adapt the shoe to a use producing more stresses weak, and which are more rigid when we want to adapt the shoe to a use with higher loads. We can thus expect to very significantly reduce the risk of accident by twisting the joints of the foot and ankle during sports, or even when walking. At the same time, comfort is considerably improved.
• the present invention is not limited to the embodiments which have been explicitly described, but it includes the various variants and generalizations thereof contained in the field of claims below.

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• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Epidemiology (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Footwear And Its Accessory, Manufacturing Method And Apparatuses (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

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• 2004
  • 2004-06-01 FR FR0406086A patent/FR2870685B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2005
  • 2005-05-31 US US11/569,826 patent/US7832122B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2005-05-31 WO PCT/FR2005/001327 patent/WO2005117642A2/fr not_active Ceased
  • 2005-05-31 ES ES05775344T patent/ES2400188T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2005-05-31 EP EP05775344A patent/EP1765232B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime

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