AU2006308133A1

AU2006308133A1 - Item of footwear with integrated midfoot roll

Info

Publication number: AU2006308133A1
Application number: AU2006308133A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Uwe Cholewa
Original assignee: SHOE FASHION GROUP LORENZ AG
Current assignee: SHOE FASHION GROUP LORENZ AG
Priority date: 2005-10-25
Filing date: 2006-10-23
Publication date: 2007-05-03
Also published as: CA2633813A1; DE202005016740U1; EP1845816B1; JP2009512525A; US20090126232A1; RU2008120613A; WO2007048561A1; EP1845816A1; AU2006308133A8

Description

VERIFICATION OF TRANSLATION Australian application for: 1, Thomas Ermer of Wordmaster Translations P/L, 19 High Road, Camberwell, 3124, am the translator of the document(s) attached and I state that the following is a true translation to the best of my knowledge and belief of International patent specification PCT/EP2006/010206 (WO 2007/048561 AI), filed on 23.10.2006. Australian application for: Dated: 1.5.2008 Signature of translator: TROMAS ERMER Item of footwear with integrated midfoot roll This invention concerns a footwear with integrated metatarsal roll according to the generic part of patent claim 1. 5 It is known, that during a lifetime the human foot is subjected to extreme stresses. When factors, such as incorrect footwear, overweight or overstress due to sporting activity are added, this can often lead to problems of the ankle joints, the Achilles tendon or the entire metatarsal area. 10 The ankle joint is the connecting element between the foot and the leg and, just like the knee joint, is under the entire load of the body. The high stresses mentioned, like age, overweight and sport often lead to the wear of the cartilages and the often described arthrosis, that hinder the natural movement and rolling 15 processes. The Achilles tendon too, that represents, so to say, the extension of the calf musculature and is tendinously attached to the calcaneum, is subjected to high stress already under normal load. Although as the strongest tendon of the body it 20 is designed for this, however, unfortunately due to many years of wearing shoes partly with too high heels and the resulting from this jerking extension and contraction of the tendons at each step the resulting inflammations make painless walking almost impossible. 25 However, not only the wearing of high heels, but also the walking and standing for years on hard flat grounds has a continuous detrimental effect on the feet. Because the natural arch support, as it exists when walking barefoot on soft ground, is absent, with the elapse of time the longitudinal and transverse arches 30 fall. A too severe fall of the transverse arch results in a splay-foot. The heads of the metatarsal bones fall and fully stand up. A painless rolling of the feet during walking is no longer possible in this case either.

2 As in the case of all symptoms mentioned one deals with restrictions of the rolling process during walking or running, the orthopaedic shoemaker often adds material to the underside of the shoe sole in the region of the metatarsus. The transitions to the tip of the sole and the heel are smoothed out and the result is a 5 roll of the type wherein the apex, as a rule, is under the three cuneiform bones of the tarsus. The so called metatarsal roll helps the wearer to roll stabilised and softly. It relieves the function of the tarsal joints and the upper ankle joint pains are alleviated and the alternating stresses of the Achilles tendon is dampened. 10 Unfortunately the placing of material on the underside of the outer sole gives the shoe an orthopaedic and clumsy look. Even in the case of conventional shoe manufacturers, whose program includes models with metatarsal roll, the shoe soles still have the typical balloon or seesaw-like looks. 15 From WO 0115560 Al a footwear is known, wherein the roll is designed more pronounced than usual. Thus the foot should be intentionally destabilised. The aim is to strengthen all muscles which are in the immediate vicinity of the movement axis. Thus one deals with a training device with therapeutical effect, wherein the appearance is of secondary importance. 20 Furthermore, many shoe soles or shoes are known that contain an integrated soft bedding or support. In-laid foam parts in soles or removable foot beddings in shoes are supposed to cushion the heel and the forefoot region or support the ankle joint. Although many of these shoes have fashionable designs, they do not 25 take the requirements of the illness formation mentioned, whereby a metatarsal roll would be facilitated, into consideration. The object of the invention is to produce a footwear that takes the requirements of the wearer into consideration when there are complaints about the ankle joint, 30 in the region of the metatarsus or the Achilles tendon, while simultaneously making it possible to dispense with the conventional metatarsal roll built up on the outer sole particularly for the purpose of a visually freer construction of the outer sole.

3 This objective is achieved by a footwear with an integrated metatarsal roll having the features of patent claim 1. This solution is characterised in that into the sole shell of the footwear two 5 moulded parts, preferably from polyurethane (PU foam) or from another dampening material which are to be set to various grades of hardness, are incorporated and arranged superposed. In doing so the sole shell is joined in a conventional manner with the upper construction, comprising the upper part and the soft insole. 10 The special forming, arrangement and hardness setting of the inserts and the hardness setting of the sole shell, in conjunction with the upper construction, provide an effect during walking that is comparable with a metatarsal roll attached to the outside of the sole. 15 Preferred configurations of the invention become obvious from the sub-claims following the main claim. Further features, details and advantages of the invention become obvious from 20 the embodiment illustrated in the drawing. They show in: Fig.1 - a footwear with integrated metatarsal roll in an explosive perspective view according to an embodiment of this invention, 25 Fig.2 - a top view on an outsole shell for a footwear with integrated metatarsal roll, Fig.3 - a cross-section of an outsole shell for a footwear with integrated metatarsal roll in the forefoot region, 30 Fig.4 - a cross-section of an outsole shell for a footwear with integrated metatarsal roll in the region of the calcaneum, Fig.5 - a longitudinal section of an outsole with integrated metatarsal roll, 4 Fig.6 - a cross-section of an outsole shell for a footwear with integrated metatarsal roll in the region of the metatarsus, Fig.7 - a perspective view of a lower moulded part for a footwear with integrated 5 metatarsal roll, Fig.8 - a momentary position during the rolling process with a footwear having an integrated metatarsal roll, 10 Fig.9 - another momentary position during the rolling process with a footwear having an integrated metatarsal roll, and Fig.10 - a third momentary position during the rolling process with a footwear having an integrated metatarsal roll. 15 A footwear according to the invention with an integrated metatarsal roll, to be called footwear in the following, comprises, as Fig.1 illustrates, an upper part 1 that is joined with the insole 2, and two moulded parts 3, 4 which superimposed are incorporated into an outsole shell 5. 20 The upper part 1 and the insole 2 are preferably made from soft leather or a synthetic material and, as shown in Fig.1, are conventionally joined with an upper construction by a zig-zag seam or a back stitch or by bonding. 25 The outsole shell 5 is joined with the upper construction 1, 2 also conventionally by bonding or stitching. The moulded parts 3, 4, as well as the outsole shell 5, are preferably made from PUR foam or another dampening material the hardness of which can be set to 30 various degrees. The moulded part 3, situated on the top in the outsole shell 5 is, as illustrated in Fig.2, incorporated flat up to an edge of approx. 10-12 mm. The cross-sections of Figs.3 and 4 show how the moulded part 3 looks like in a region of the forefoot 5A and in a region of the calcaneum 5C. In the region of the 5 forefoot 5A the height of the moulded part 3 is preferably at least 6 mm and in the region of the calcaneum 5C preferably at least 8 mm. As illustrated in Fig.5, the moulded part 3 is provided in the region of the metatarsus 5B over the moulded part 4. It is approx. 4-6 mm high above its apex. 5 In principle the height of the moulded part 3 is to be set to suit the special requirements of the wearer. In this connection the weight, for example, of the wearer could be taken into consideration. 10 The moulded part 4, incorporated into the outsole shell 5 below the moulded part 3 is, as shown in Figs.5 and 7, wedge-shaped at the front and the rear and tapers in the direction of the calcaneum area 5C and the region of the forefoot 5A. As depicted in Fig.6, in the region of the metatarsus 5B the moulded part 4 is higher along the inner longitudinal arch 5D than in the region of the outer longitudinal 15 arch 5E. The general height can be freely adapted to suit the requirements of the wearer. The moulded parts 3, 4 as well as the outsole shell 5, are set for various degrees of hardness. The moulded part 4, incorporated in the outsole shell 5 below the 20 moulded part 3, is harder than the moulded part 3 and the outsole shell 5, while the moulded part 3 is softer than the outsole shell 5. As it can be seen from Figs.5 and 6, the moulded parts 3 and 4 are so incorporated into the outsole shell 5, that after the introduction of the, for 25 example, PUR foam material, they are firmly enclosed by it. As it is shown in Fig.2, the moulded part 3, incorporated at the top, is visible only in the top view of the outsole shell. Due to the soft insole 2 during walking or running with the footwear the foot 30 presses in the first phase of the rolling process (Fig.8) into the soft moulded part 3 in the region of the calcaneum 5C of the outsole shell. In the second phase (Fig.9) the foot rolls over the harder moulded part 4 in the region of the metatarsus 5B, and in the third phase (Fig.10) enters into the soft forefoot region 5A of the moulded part 3.

6 The mean setting of the hardness of the outsole shell 5 supports the entire process in a dampening manner. The design of the appearance of the outsole can be completely unrestricted.

Claims

1. Footwear with integrated metatarsal roll the upper of which is joined with an insole and an outsole shell, characterised in that two moulded parts (3, 4) are 5 provided superposed in the outsole shell (5), while the moulded part (4) provided in the outsole shell (5) at the bottom is harder than the moulded part (3) provided above it as well as the outsole shell (5), and that the moulded part (3) at the top is softer than the outsole shell (5). 10

2. Footwear according to claim 1, characterised in that the moulded parts (3, 4) are made from a material, for example PUR foam, the degree of hardness of which can be set.

3. Footwear according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the outsole shell with 15 the incorporated moulded parts (3, 4) is permanently joined with an upper construction, comprising the upper and the insole, while the insole is so soft that the foot can be pressed into the moulded parts (3, 4) of the outsole shell.

4. Footwear according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that 20 the top moulded part (3) is joined flat with the outsole shell (5) up to an edge of approx. 10-12 mm.

5. Footwear according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the position of the bottom moulded part (4) is in the region of the metatarsus. 25

6. Footwear with integrated metatarsal roll according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the height of the moulded part (3) in the region of the forefoot is at least 6 mm, in the region of the calcaneum at least 8 mm and approx. 2-4 mm in the region of the metatarsus above the apex of the 30 moulded part (4). 8

7. Footwear with integrated metatarsal roll according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the moulded part (3) is wedge-shaped within the outsole shell (5) in the direction of the calcaneum and the forefoot and is of different height in the regions of the outer and inner arches. 5

8. Footwear with integrated metatarsal roll according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that after injecting the material from which they are made, the moulded parts (3, 4) within the outsole shell (5) are firmly enclosed by it, while in a top view of (5) only the top moulded part (3) is visible. 10