KR101170196B1 - Device for high-heeled shoes and method of constructing a high-heeled shoe - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an insertion device for high heels having a crescent shaped first raised area and a second raised area under the wearer's calcaneus in an area lying below the front edge of the wearer's heel bone. The present invention also relates to a method of constructing shoes using an apparatus and the shoes thus obtained.

High heels, inserts, insoles, ridges, high heels

Description

DEVICE FOR HIGH-HEELED SHOES AND METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING A HIGH-HEELED SHOE}

The present invention relates to a shoe that is easily constructed and provides greater comfort to the wearer without affecting the fit or shape of the shoe. Specifically, the present invention has utility with respect to high heels.

Conventional high heels are famous for being very uncomfortable. According to one sample survey, as many as 20% of these shoe users experienced shoe pain immediately after wearing it, and most users experienced this pain at least four hours after wearing it.

In order to understand the prior art and the present invention, it is necessary to understand the anatomy of the foot and the basic configuration of the shoes. For this purpose, FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of portions of the shoe lying under the foot bones and the sole of the foot. Hereinafter, the basics of the anatomical model of the foot and the shoe structure will be described with reference to FIG. 1.

1 is a medial side view schematically illustrating the bones of a human foot 10. For the purpose of the present application, the rear means the rear direction of the foot or heel 20, the front means the front direction of the foot 30 in which the toe or phalangeal 31 is located, the inner side Means the side where the foot arch 40 is located in the foot, the outside means the outer side of the foot, and the top or top side and the bottom or bottom or bottom means that the foot or shoe is in a vertical position. Assume the orientation when

Heel 20 (also known as tarsus) includes a talus 21 and a calcaneus 22. The posterior lower surface of calcaneus 22 has some ridges 23, also known as calcaneal surfaces. In addition, the femurs include a scapula 41, a tongue bone 42, a metatarsal bone 45 and a toe or limb 31 such as the big toe shown in FIG. The metatarsal head 46 is located at the front end of the metatarsal shaft 47. The calf bones are numbered from 1 to 5, with 1 indicating the big toe.

Also shown in FIG. 1 is a partial exploded view of various portions of a conventional high heel shoe 50 placed under the sole of the foot. The shoe 50 generally has a heel 51 that is attached to the bottom surface of the sole 52 of the shoe 50, wherein the sole 52 again supports the insole 53 and insole board 53 A sock liner 54 is disposed above. In conventional shoes, the insole is typically of relatively rigid construction from the area under the wearer's heel to the head of the metatarsals. The endothelium is commonly very flexible and generally has a very thin thickness, typically less than 0.5 millimeters. The endothelium is generally the surface on which the sole of the foot rests.

According to the conventional shoe construction method, the shoe bone is a form for placing the shoe when constructing the shoe. During manufacture, the lower surface of the shoebone is seated on the upper surface of the insole, followed by the upper being shaped around the shoebone and attached to the insole. As an optimal condition, the lower face of the shoe bone and the upper face of the insole should fit together smoothly in order to properly manufacture the shoe. If any of the convex bodies are present on the lower surface of the gluteal bone or the upper surface of the insole, the corresponding indentations must be present on the insole or the gluteus bone respectively. This difficulty raises yet another difficulty and / or quality control problem for shoe manufacture because such a spherical body and its corresponding concave body must be carefully aligned during shoe manufacture to ensure high quality shoe construction.

As will be described later, conventional high heels as shown in FIG. 1 place the foot of the wearer primarily on an inclined surface. As a result, the foot is pushed forward into the foot space by gravity when standing or walking. This, in turn, exerts stress on the cheeks or forefoot area, causing fatigue and discomfort on the feet and other areas of the body, as well as causing toe-fitting, which primarily increases the burning sensation of these areas.

Numerous suggestions have been made to improve the comfort of high heels, including those disclosed in Applicants' prior patents and publications. For example, in Current Podiatirc Medicine February 1990, pages 29-32, Applicants found that the portion of the shoe under the heel does not form a continuous slope that extends from the foot to the cheeks of the foot under the heel. The laid section described a high heel design that was relatively parallel to the ground. The design used an insole molded from a stiff rigid plastic that was shaped like a teacup to accommodate the heel and placed in a plane more parallel to the floor. Also, the metatarsal pads were incorporated into the molded insole.

In U.S. Patent No. 5,373,650, the applicant proposed a correction that lies beneath the heel. The corrector is a rigid or semi-rigid shell that lies beneath the heel and extends forward with the foot support to the point behind the metatarsal head of the foot. In this device, the heel is supported parallel to the ground or slightly inclined backwards.

In U.S. Patent No. 5,782,015, the Applicant has described a high heel with an arch support where the heel is at a more parallel or slightly inclined angle with respect to the tibial plane and the shoe supports the head of the scapula approximately coplanar with the wearer's heel. The design was explained. Applicant's PCT International Publication No. WO 98/14083, published April 9, 1998, describes a rigid shaping device comprising a heel cup and an anatomically formed arch device.

There are various examples of others in the prior art aimed at improving the comfort of high heels. U.S. Patent Nos. 1,864,999, 1,907,997, 4,317,293, 4,631,841, 4,932,141, 4,686,993 and 6,412,198 describe shoe inserts or corrections to improve comfort of high heels, respectively. Some of these include arch supports. Some are rigid and others offer cushions as a means to improve comfort. Conventional inserts and corrections are typically relatively bulky and can affect the fit of the shoe when attached by the wearer after manufacture. Other conventional techniques proposed to improve wearer comfort require that each shoebone used to make the shoe be modified to change the shape of the shoe itself.

These conventional configurations improve comfort by supporting or cushioning portions of the foot and / or changing the angle of the foot to reduce anterior slip and change the proportion of the wearer's weight supported by the different portions of the foot. do. These prior arts, in particular, suggest placing the heel on a more even plane to support the weight back to the heel, supporting the foot arch, tilting the toes upward and / or cushioning the surface carrying the most weight.

The present invention provides a thin and flexible shoe insert that can be easily adapted to any shape of shoe and can be incorporated into the shoe without requiring the modification of the shoe bone and the subsequent difficulty of manufacture. The insert has two slightly raised areas below the heel and metatarsal bones. Although the insert has only two slightly raised areas, it greatly increases wearer comfort even with very pointed heels. The insert does not require the heel to be repositioned in a plane parallel to the floor, unlike some prior art. In addition to the two slightly raised areas, the insert can be made very thin, thus minimizing any influence on the fit of the shoe and removing any negative effects on the shape or appearance of the shoe. As a variant, the thin, flexible insert can be placed on the shoe by the wearer.

According to the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for insertion into a high heel and a corresponding method of constructing shoes using the apparatus. The device is (a) a posterior region having a portion arranged so as to lie beneath the calcaneus at least in the anterior region of the calcaneus surface, the upper surface of which gradually rises from the rear of the apparatus to a crescent-shaped vertex lying below the anterior region of the calcaneus surface, and (b ) An anterior region having a portion that is arranged to lie below at least a portion of the metatarsal shafts and has a portion that rises gradually to a vertex that is disposed so that the top surface is below the shafts of the second and third metatarsal bones. In a preferred embodiment, the device has a bridged or intermediate area connecting the front and rear areas, the device is flexible and the top surface of the device has a smooth contour between all areas. A feature and advantage of the device of the present invention is that the device can be universally applied to conventional high heels without the need for other modifications of shoes or shoe bones. The shoe can be constructed using the device according to the invention by incorporating the device into the shoe during the manufacturing process or the device can be applied after manufacture by the wearer.

1 is an exploded perspective view showing a schematic cross-sectional view of the femurs and portions of a conventional high heel placed under the sole of the foot;

2 is a top plan view showing an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention.

3 is a side cross-sectional view taken along III-III of the apparatus of the present invention shown in FIG.

4 is a side cross-sectional view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2 taken along IV-IV.

FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the femurs and an exploded perspective view showing portions of a conventional high heel placed under the sole of a foot into which the device of the present invention shown in FIG. 2 is inserted.

6 is a plan view of a modification of the present invention.

In the present invention, there is provided a device that can be easily installed on high heels to improve comfort. For the purposes of the present invention, it should be understood that high heels include all shoes having a heel of at least about 2.54 cm (1 inch). An advantage of the present invention is achieved when the raised area is placed in the shoe so that it lies beneath the heel and the metatarsal shaft. Typically, the device of the present invention is placed on the insole or endothelial of a high heel. Preferably, the device is flexible enough to easily conform to the top surface of the insole or endothelial to which the device is placed. The device may be formed of any material known and known to those skilled in the art and may be shaped or shaped and have sufficient dimensional stability to produce the flexible device under normal shoe use conditions while retaining the advantages of the present invention.

In a preferred embodiment, the device is formed so as to lie beneath the area of the heel extending at least from (i) the edge of the longitudinal surface to the heel portion just in front of the longitudinal surface and (ii) the area under the second and third metatarsal shafts. . The device may extend beyond these areas and is configured to conform to the shape of the insole or endothelial. Optionally, the device is narrower than the endothelium when placed under the endothelium. This narrow size allows the edge of the endothelial to be attached to the insole along the edge of the device of the present invention. Depending on the shape of the shoe, this narrow configuration would be particularly desirable.

The device comprises two distinct ridges, namely a first sharp ridge, which protrudes from the anterior edge of the calcaneal surface of the wearer to the crescent-shaped vertex lying beneath the calcaneus, and the vertices of the second and third metatarsal bones. It has a second sharp ridge area located within the shoe to lie under the metatarsal shafts of the wearer's foot with or below the shafts. The first and second raised regions are connected by crosslinking or intermediate regions. For the sake of clarity, it should be understood that narrow and wide means the lateral dimensions of the shoe or device and elevation, descent, thickness, depth or height means the vertical dimension of the device.

3 to 5 show an exemplary embodiment of the apparatus 100 according to the invention. The device 100 is formed of a flexible material, such as molded flexible plastic or rubber, such as polyurethane, thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), thermoplastic rubber (TPR), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), for example. . The raised region of the device has a Shore A hardness between 20 and 90, preferably between about 30 and 50, most preferably about 40. It is desirable, but not necessary, for the entire apparatus to have the same hardness. The device 100 has a metatarsal end 110 and a heel end 120. The device has two raised regions 130, 140. The first raised region 130, located in the posterior region, is generally located in the shoe so that it is crescent-shaped and lies below the region immediately preceding the calcaneal surface 23 of the wearer's heel bone or calcaneus 22. The crescent shaped first raised area 130 is raised from the rear of the device such that the crescent is oriented as shown in FIGS. As used herein, the ridge area that rises from the rear of the device means the ridge direction and the crescent orientation. Thus, when the device extends backwards beyond the longitudinal surface, the ridge area need not start from the end of the device and preferably should not start from the end of the device.

The second raised region 140 is positioned in the anterior region and is positioned below the wearer's metatarsal shaft 47. Optionally, the vertices of the second raised region are located below or between the second and third metatarsal shafts. The second raised region comprises a generally curved or elliptical shape that rises to the vertex in the direction of the metatarsal head. The anterior ridge region preferably has a thin appearance located toward the heel end 120 and a wide appearance located toward the front end 110.

The apexes of the ridge regions are preferably 2 to 8 mm higher than the top surface of the device just in front of the anterior ridge region below the metatarsal shafts and just behind the ridge region below the calcaneus. In a preferred embodiment, the vertices have a similar or the same height. Preferably, each vertex is higher as the height of the heels is higher and lower as the height of the heels is lower. Also preferably, each vertex is lower the smaller the shoe and the higher the larger the shoe. In the most preferred embodiment, each vertex is approximately 3 mm for US size 1 women's shoes with a heel height of 2.54 to 12.7 cm (1 to 5 inches) and US size 16 (or for example UK, Europe and Japan). Equivalent size in shoe size scale) approximately 6 mm for women's shoes. The area covered by the ridged area also changes with the shoe size, which increases in size with increasing length and / or width. Typically, the size of the ridge in both height and area is determined according to the ratio of shoe size by applying the general proportional law because the length and width of the shoe increases as the size increases. However, it has been found that small range sizes can use the same device without significantly impairing the comfort improvement associated with the device. The limiting factors for comfort achieved with the device of the present invention are the apex position of the two ridge regions, i.e., the region below the calcaneus but below the mid tibia surface and below the middle metatarsal but behind the metatarsal head Seems to be.

The proximal and distal ends of the device, ie below the back of the heel and forward of the ridge area 140, are thinner than the ridge area. Preferably, these proximal and distal ends have a depth that is flush with the upper surface of the upper surrounding the upper surface of the insole. Preferably, these proximal and distal ends are also shaped to conform somewhat to the region extending between the edges of the upper lying on the surface of the insole. The thickness of the proximal and distal ends of the device may typically be between 0.2 and 1 mm thick.

Also, preferably, the crosslinked or intermediate zone or region of the device between the first raised region 130 and the second raised region 140 is thinner than the raised region. The thickness of this area is partly affected by the problem of structural uniformity during the shoe manufacturing process. This area using a stronger material may be less than 1 mm, ideally less than 1 mm. In general, the crosslinking or intermediate zones or areas should be thinner than the raised areas 130, 140, preferably about 4 mm or less, more preferably about 2 mm for women's shoes of US size 6 and US For women's shoes of size 10 (or equivalent in other size ratios), it is about 3 mm. The thinner the crosslinked or intermediate region, the more easily the device can be adapted to the shape of the endothelium. The minimum width of this crosslinking or intermediate region is also influenced by manufacturing considerations such that the optimal minimum width is such that the width of the front and rear regions maintains the structure of each other. The maximum width is the width that does not affect the appearance of the shoe. Preferably, this crosslinking or intermediate region is thinner than the insole, and like the end of the device, the crosslinking or intermediate region wraps around the insole and generally coincides with the shape of the region formed by the corners of the upper on the insole. It is placed at the same height as the upper surface of the 6 shows a variant 200 of an apparatus in which the front region 210 and the intermediate or bridged region are thinner than the rear region 220. The front vertex is element 240 and the back vertex is element 230.

Contrary to the teachings of the prior art, at least a portion of the cross-linked or intermediate region lying under the foot arch in the device of the present invention, rather than providing a raised region for supporting the wearer's foot arch, has a thickness of the first and second raised region 130, It should be noted that it is thinner than the vertex of 140). That is, in a place where the conventional foot arch support is generally located inside the shoe, at least a portion of the area under the foot arch becomes lower or recessed than the adjacent region so that a part of the foot arch is not supported.

Preferably, the top surface of the device is formed with a smooth contour without sharp transitions or edges that may cause discomfort. Specifically, the transition between the vertex of the raised area and the peripheral area of the device is smooth.

As mentioned above, the present invention provides one flexible device incorporating both raised regions. In addition, the present invention provides two separate flexible devices in which each device implements one of the aforementioned raised areas and together achieves the advantages of the present invention. In addition, the present invention provides one flexible device that is used in conjunction with a shoe or shoe portion that implements one or the other of the above-described raised areas and incorporates the other raised areas. Finally, the present invention provides shoes incorporating any of the embodiments of the device described above.

Device 100 is preferably placed inside shoe 50 during the manufacturing process. Accordingly, the present invention is directed to (a) assembling the upper, insole and sole, and (b) (iii) to be placed below the calcaneus in the anterior region of the anterior edge of the calcaneal surface, the upper surface of the calcanoid surface from behind the device. The posterior region having a portion that gradually rises to the crescent-shaped vertex that lies below the anterior region and (ii) the shafts of the second and third metatarsal bones, the upper surface of which lies below at least a portion of the metatarsal shafts And an upper surface of the device which transitions smoothly between the front region and (i) a bridge or intermediate region connecting the front and rear regions and (i) all regions, with a portion that rises gradually to a vertex arranged to lie below. And a method of constructing a high heel comprising: mounting a flexible device on top of the insole; and (c) securing the endothelial to the insole and the device. The. The order in which these steps are performed is at the choice of the manufacturer. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the device 100 is disposed above the insole 53 of the shoe 50, and an endothelial 54 is attached to the top surface of the insole and the device 100. In certain embodiments, the device 100 may be installed, for example, after manufacture or after sale, for example, by being placed on a post-insole insole 53 or endothelial 54. The device 100 is in contact with the insole 53 by means of glue, a pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA), such as a hook and loop such as Velcro ^® or a mechanical fastener such as a nail or tack. May be attached to endothelial 54. In general, any possible means of keeping the raised area of the device in place can be used to position the device in the shoe. The device 100 need not be provided separately from the endothelium and may be integral with the endothelium.

For easy proper placement of the device, the device may be provided with a marker or structure to orient the device. These markers can be arrows, and points can be constructed that serve to orient the device to the device itself.

The two ridge areas can be made into separate pieces and placed separately inside the shoe. In this case, the area between the two raised areas of the device need not be integrated and flexible with the insole or the endothelium. Another manufacturing variant is incorporating one of the raised areas into the insole and the combined raised areas need not be flexible. Another variant is the incorporation of one or both of the raised regions into the endothelium. However, for ease of manufacture, one device in which separate raised regions are connected by crosslinking or intermediate zones is preferred. In all cases, the parts of the device mounted over the insole of the shoe should be flexible enough to easily conform to the top surface of the insole where these parts are mounted.

The device of the present invention offers unexpected advantages over the prior art. For example, the posterior ridge area is only a few millimeters high, but the device causes the weight the foot carries to move significantly toward the heel and out of the ball of the sole. As a result, the device relieves toe pain and general lower back pain associated with wearing high heels. Thus, the foot pain inherent in the wearing of high heels can be alleviated or eliminated using an instant device. The device also relocates the ankle to increase stability.

In addition, the device does not require any modification of the shoe bones used in the manufacture of conventional shoes, and the device can be simply placed on a shoe constructed in a conventional manner by the manufacturer or wearer. The device does not substantially affect the fit of the shoe because it is practically not fitted inside the shoe, and thus does not reduce the space available for the foot.

Claims (99)

Insertion device for high heels, a. Having a first upper surface and disposed at least below the calcaneal area of the wearer in front of the edge of the calcaneal surface, the first upper surface gradually rising from the rear of the device to a crescent-shaped vertex lying below the calcaneal area in front of the longitudinal surface; A rear region having a ridge, b. Having a second upper surface and disposed below at least a portion of the wearer's metatarsal shafts, the second upper surface having a ridge that gradually rises to a vertex that is disposed below the shafts of the wearer's second and third metatarsal bones. , The front area, c. An intermediate region connecting the front and rear regions and at least partially thinner than the vertices of the front and rear regions, The first and second top surfaces are smoothly contoured, The device moves the weight the wearer's foot carries toward the heel and out of the cheeks of the sole, Insertion device for high heels. The method of claim 1, The apex of the ridge in the anterior region is 2 to 8 mm higher than the surface just in front of the ridge. Insertion device for high heels. 3. The method of claim 2, The height of the apex of the ridge in the front area is enlarged and reduced in proportion to the size and height of the shoe. Insertion device for high heels. The method of claim 1, The apex of the ridge in the posterior region is 2 to 8 mm higher than the surface immediately behind the ridge. Insertion device for high heels. The method of claim 1, The apex of the ridge in the posterior zone ranges from 3 mm for US size 1 women's shoes to 6 mm for US size 16 women's shoes. Insertion device for high heels. The method of claim 1, The bulge in the anterior region has a shape that widens toward the metatarsal head of the wearer and taper toward the rear of the metatarsal shafts. Insertion device for high heels. The method of claim 6, The ridges in the anterior region are ellipsoidal Insertion device for high heels. The method of claim 1, The device is flexible at least in the middle region Insertion device for high heels. The method of claim 1, The thin portion of the intermediate region extends from the center of the device to the outside of the device. Insertion device for high heels. delete The method of claim 1, All parts of the device other than the ridges and the transitions from the ridges to the rest of the device are 0.5 to 1 mm thick. Insertion device for high heels. The method of claim 1, The ridges in the rear and front regions have the same height Insertion device for high heels. The method of claim 1, At least the ridges have a Shore A hardness of 20 to 90 Insertion device for high heels. The method of claim 1, At least the ridges have a Shore A hardness of 35 to 50 Insertion device for high heels. The method of claim 1, At least the ridges have a Shore A hardness of 40 Insertion device for high heels. 14. The method of claim 13, The entire device has the same Shore A hardness throughout Insertion device for high heels. delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete

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