WO2004017778A1

WO2004017778A1 - Shaped support for shoes

Info

Publication number: WO2004017778A1
Application number: PCT/IT2003/000069
Authority: WO
Inventors: Giovanni Mastromatteo
Original assignee: Intertech Di Giovanni Mastromatteo
Priority date: 2002-08-23
Filing date: 2003-02-10
Publication date: 2004-03-04
Also published as: AU2003215894A1; US20040035023A1; BR0313682A; ITPI20020047A1

Abstract

This invention consists of a support (1) for the foot to be placed inside a footwear during its manufacturing, by sticking it between the lower and upper insole, or inside a finished shoe as a removable insole. Said support (1) is characterized in that it’s equipped with a ticker portion (3) of a few millimetres in the central part of the foot, corresponding to the zone where the natural concave area of the foot sole between the heel and the tip rests. In this way it’s possible to increase the resting surface of the foot and both the rest and the walk result more comfortable.

Description

"SHAPED SUPPORT FOR SHOES"

Description Technical Field

The present invention concerns the technical sector of the footwear manufacture technology, in particular the relative sector directed towards the health aspect, which is more and more present in footwear design.

The object of the present invention is to offer users a product that, even if maintaining the most various aesthetic features of the footwear, make its use particularly comfortable, preserving the foot, and consequently the leg, from the natural stress due to a long walk, or however making this everyday activity more comfortable. Background Art At present, several types of insoles are produced, also aiming at making the use of the footwear more comfortable and, in particular, caring about the hold of the foot inside the shoe, compensating and consequently tempering the repeated pressure on the foot that alternatively supports the body weight. Such a force however implies a fatigue of the foot, especially when the user needs to spend most hours of the day stood up or even in movement. The insoles nowadays in use, either placed into the shoe during manufacturing or afterwards, have however a single therapeutic action, i.e. a cushion effect of the body weight on the foot sole or, generally, create this effect having such a shape as to give the foot a correct rest. Even if current methods offer clear advantages compared with those without such preventive structures, they can only reduce the stress of the pressure on the foot, by means of a shape that roughly traces the sole outline with slight differences; therefore, the only result is a containing action in the dynamic of the natural walk. Disclosure of invention

The object of the present invention is to overcome said containing concept, offering a support with active outline capable of interacting with the stress on the sole, not only for reducing it, but inserting its volume where the body pressure doesn't find resistant surface, because of the natural sole shape. Everybody knows the basic concept of pressure: it is in fact the result of a force (or weight) over a surface. Therefore it's obvious that an equal weight, acting on a greater surface, exerts in contact a proportionally minor pressure. The natural shape of the human's foot doesn't offer a total hold lying on the ground with the entire surface. Consequently, the weight, compared with the actual resting surface, exerts a greater pressure than the one available using the entire sole surface. This involves a greater stress in the resting zones (heel/tip) , primarily implying a direct pain of said parts and consequently a wrong walking position, which is the first cause of a long series of physical problems . This invention, focused on this problem related to the above mentioned physical concept, aims at increasing the resting surface of the body weight and, as mathematical consequence, reducing the pressure it exerts on the feet sole, so getting unquestionable advantages as regards the tendon and muscle stress our lower limbs suffer everyday.

This is possible thanks to a constant care of the sole surface that naturally rests and therefore offloads the human weight onto the ground. Considering the natural shape of the foot, it's evident that the resting surface of the leg is completely devoid of the central part of the foot sole. As a matter of fact, apart from rare cases of inconvenient diseases, the rest is generally guaranteed by the heel and the front part of the sole. Which means that the human weight acts solely on this surface with the evident stress conditions that such a long rest involves.

This invention, based on these considerations, aims at extending the resting surface using the entire sole surface, so distributing the weight and, essentially, reducing the pressure exerted on it.

The evident physical effect/cause and the simple practical realization make the invention interested to be developed at industrial level. It is simply constituted by a support made of latex or other soft and elastic material, however resistant enough to compression and chemically inert. Its characteristic is given by the particular diagonal shape of its section. Its sole is obviously realized like the common shape of the existing insoles, as it must be inserted into the shoe. But contrary to the current models where the insole only traces the shape of the foot sole with possible slight corrections, its diagonal section takes instead, in the central arch of the foot, a curved shape to the top, so as to compensate the natural level drop. In practice, the insole is shaped as a negative of the lower sole volume, making the contact of the foot with the ground constant along its entire surface. In this way, it's possible to get an increase in the resting surface of the foot, so involving, for equal weight, a pressure reduction (weight/square cm) , with the physical advantages this reduction implies. Reduced to its essential structure and with reference to the figures of the enclosed drawings, a support for the foot to be placed inside the footwear, in order to increase the resting surface of the same foot, comprises a flat element (1) equipped with a convex portion (3) developing in longitudinal direction in the central part of the foot, so compensating the natural concave area of the foot sole between the heel and the tip.

Conveniently, in order to reduce the pressure exerted by the body weight on the sole surfaces, the support is made of latex or other soft and elastic material, however resistant enough to compression for containing and cushioning the body weight. Conveniently, the support can be placed into the shoe directly during its manufacturing, so becoming integral part of the footwear, being placed between its lower and upper insole. Conveniently, the support can be realized with the shape of a removable insole to be put or removed from the shoe.

Conveniently, the support has an analogous shape as the one of the foot sole, being more or less defined at the tip depending on the insertion during manufacturing or as a removable insole. Conveniently, the support placed into the shoe during manufacturing has a smooth outline, so as to be better attached to the lower insole.

Conveniently, the support placed into the shoe during manufacturing is inserted at a prefixed distance from the heel, so that the convex portion results under the point of the footwear where the concave part of the foot presses. Conveniently, the support is made by stamping.

Conveniently, the support offers a further resting surface in the zone otherwise inactive of the foot sole, so giving the body force/weight a greater resting surface, consequently reducing the specific pressure (Kg/cm²) .

Conveniently, the support however offers, further than its specific characteristic, a sufficient weight cushion action thanks to the material it is made of. Conveniently, said positive characteristics can be mostly noticed when using particularly high-heel shoes, thanks to its capability of distributing the weight, otherwise mainly concentrated at the tips.

Conveniently, the simple practical realization of this invention makes it suitable for a mass industrial production, being realized by stamping and therefore having a very convenient utility/cost relation.

In practice, the manufacturing details may, however, equally vary as regards shape, size, position of elements, and type of materials used, but still remain within the range of the idea proposed as a solution and, consequently, within the limits of the protection granted by this patent for invention.

Brief description of drawings

These and further advantages and characteristics of the present invention can be better understood by every expert in this field, referring to the enclosed drawings, given as practical examples of the invention, but not to be considered restrictive :

- Fig. 1 shows the sole of the support (1), having a shape similar to the one of the existing insole, equipped with a thicker portion (3) .

- Fig. 2 shows, in the two front and side views, the particular curved shape (3) of the support that, tracing the outline of the foot sole, makes the foot rest constant along its entire surface. - Fig. 3 shows the possible insertion of the support (1) inside the shoe (4) during its manufacturing. It is in fact placed between the lower insole (5), at direct contact with the sole (6), and the upper insole (7) for the direct rest of the foot inside the shoe. Fig. 4 shows, on the contrary, that the. support (1) may even be inserted inside any type of traditional footwear not equipped with particular features, being in this case designed as an insole that, for shape and materials, compatible with said accessory insertion, comes into direct contact with the foot.

Claims

1) Support for the foot to be placed inside a footwear in order to increase the resting surface of the same foot, characterized in that it comprises a convex portion (3) developing in longitudinal direction in the central part of the foot, so as to compensate the natural concave area of the foot sole between the heel and the tip.

2) Support according to claim 1, characterized in that it is placed inside the shoe at a prefixed distance from the heel, so that the convex portion results under the point of the footwear where the concave part of the foot presses.

3) Support according to claim 1, characterized in that, in order to reduce the pressure exerted by the body weight on the sole surfaces, it is made of latex or other soft and elastic material, however resistant enough to compression.

4) Support according to claim 1, characterized in that, it can be placed into the shoe directly during its manufacturing, so becoming integral part of the footwear, being placed between its lower and upper insole. 5) Support according to claim 1, characterized in that, it is stuck between the lower and upper insole. 6) Support according to claim 1, characterized in that, it has a smooth outline, so as to be better attached to the lower insole. 7) Support according to claim 1, characterized in that, it may take the shape of a removable insole to be put or removed from the shoe, without being permanently fixed to it, said insole being equipped with the convex portion (3) that, once inserted over the upper insole, results under the point of the footwear where the concave part of the foot presses.

8) Support according to claim 1, characterized in that, it has an analogous shape as the one of the foot sole, being more or less defined at the tip depending on the insertion during manufacturing or as a removable insole. 9) Support according to claim 1, characterized in that it is made by stamping.