WO2007099261A2

WO2007099261A2 - Foot-protection article

Info

Publication number: WO2007099261A2
Application number: PCT/FR2007/050858
Authority: WO
Inventors: Emmanuel Lavigne
Original assignee: Sarl Adour Pied Confort Francis Lavigne
Priority date: 2006-02-28
Filing date: 2007-02-28
Publication date: 2007-09-07
Also published as: FR2897756A1; FR2897756B1; WO2007099261A3

Abstract

The invention relates to a foot-protection article comprising a sock (1) provided with a pad (2) and at least one pocket (20) for containing the pad, the latter being formed from a layer of viscoelastic material in its part (Z) that is designed to cover the Achilles tendon and the rear part of the Achilles heel. Application to the protection of the Achilles tendon and of the rear part of the Achilles heel.

Description

FOOT PROTECTION ARTICLE.

The invention relates to an article for protecting the human feet, in particular the posterior and inferior part of the foot, which corresponds more precisely to the rear region of the ankle, namely the heel and the Achilles tendon.

The Achilles tendon is a particularly vulnerable area especially among athletes. Indeed the tendon has a bulge that sometimes comes in painful contact with the shoe. This phenomenon is common with sports shoes, but can also occur with any iterative friction (shoes that are unsuitable for the shape of the foot or too small).

When the Achilles tendon is overloaded, chronic inflammation can develop as tendinitis or inflammatory bursitis. There may also be a bone protuberance next to the Achilles tendon insertion.

As a precaution, athletes protect their ankles with a bandage or gel covered with an adhesive tape (elastic band: "strap"). These protections must be implemented systematically before each training or sports event.

The solution is relatively efficient but expensive in time and equipment. Indeed, the preparation and placement of the protections around the dowels are long and the adhesive strips are removed and discarded after each use.

Other solutions such as pegs exist but prove to be impractical to place and present discomfort due to the extra thickness they bring under the sock and the contours that can wrap around themselves around the heel.

The present invention aims to remedy this problem. To this end the present invention provides a reusable foot protection article and easy to implement with no inconvenience to the user.

The present invention more particularly relates to a foot protection article mainly characterized in that it consists of a sock comprising at least one buffer piece and at least one pocket for accommodating the buffer piece, the pocket being located in the part of the sock intended to cover the heel and the Achilles tendon. According to another feature, the buffer piece is made of a viscoelastic material conferring properties of flexibility and damping.

The material is a silicone or equivalent.

In one embodiment for adapting the tampon to the ergonomics of a person's feet, the bag is made of a canvas or equivalent material capable of containing a silicone gel, this bag is fixed to the sock by sewing or gluing.

The pocket can be attached to the sock, outside of the latter, or housed and fixed between two layers of extensible textile in natural or synthetic fibers forming the sock.

According to a second embodiment, which is more economical in terms of manufacturing cost and is suitable for all types of public, the bag is formed of two layers of extensible materials made of natural or synthetic fibers, the two layers being united according to a predetermined outline delimiting the zone of protection. The buffer piece is housed between the two layers before they are joined by their outline. In an alternative embodiment, one of the textile layers is a wall of the sock and the other a lining of this wall, the buffer part being housed in the space delimiting the protection zone, the contour delimiting this zone being obtained by sewing or gluing the two walls.

In another embodiment, one of the textile layers is a wall of the sock and the other, a yoke intended to extend above the buffer and beyond so as to be attached to the sock by sewing or gluing.

To adapt to certain pathologies, typically the presence of a bone protuberance, the bag comprises a lower region corresponding to the heel protection zone which comprises a cutout whose contour is closed and forms an orifice.

Alternatively, this lower region of the pocket has a thinning of its thickness over a predetermined area in correspondence with the protuberance of the heel of the user.

Conveniently, the pocket has two side portions corresponding to the Achilles tendon protection areas, these portions communicating at their base with the lower portion of the pocket. To allow the filling of the bag by the material constituting the buffer piece and which is in the form of gel, the latter has a valve located on the outside of the sock.

In an alternative embodiment, the sock has on the upper part a border forming a lapel intended to be turned over so as to be in contact with the sock or an anchor placed around the sock, the sock comprising a self-adhesive strip. - Gripper to block the reverse in its returned position. Advantageously, the sock is made of natural or synthetic knitted fibers.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become clear from reading the description which is given below and which is given by way of illustrative and nonlimiting example and with reference to the figures in which:

FIG. 1 represents a foot protection article according to a side view,

FIG. 2 represents an article of protection of the foot in a rear view (back of the ankle),

FIG. 3 represents a cross-sectional view of a pocket containing the buffer part, according to a first embodiment,

FIG. 4 represents a view in longitudinal section of the sock with a pocket according to FIG. 3 fixed in a first variant,

FIG. 5 represents a view in longitudinal section of the sock with a pocket according to FIG. 3 fixed in a second variant,

FIG. 6 represents a cross-sectional view of a pocket containing the buffer part, according to a second embodiment, FIG. 7 represents a cross-sectional view of a pocket containing the buffer piece, according to a variant of the second embodiment. embodiment;

FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 correspond to an exemplary embodiment of a buffer piece; FIGS. 11, 12 and 13 correspond to another exemplary embodiment of a buffer piece;

- Figure 14, corresponds to an alternative embodiment of the sock. The invention applies to the protection of the feet, in particular to the protection of the Achilles tendon against any inflammation caused by the friction of the shoes. The invention applies particularly but not exclusively to the protection of the feet of athletes.

The proposed solution is easy and multiple use.

Two practical embodiments are provided, one is illustrated in Figures 3, 4 and 5; the other by Figures 6 and 7.

As illustrated by the diagrams of Figures 1 and 2, the protection is in the form of socks

1 provided with a zone Z ensuring a buffer or damper function between the heel region, Achilles tendon and the shoe of the person who puts on the socks.

Sock means here any article wrapping feet that can go up above the ankle or higher as is the case for mid-low. These are articles of textile materials most often corresponding to natural or synthetic knitted and stretched fibers.

Zone Z has a buffer 2 which can be integrated into the sock at the time of manufacture is placed after the first use. The two embodiments proposed and described in detail later correspond to these two alternatives.

The thickness of the part 2 can be constant or, as illustrated from FIGS. 8 to 13, on the contrary, have a variation. The shape of the outline of the part may correspond to that of a quadrilateral or to any other suitable form as illustrated in Figures 8 and 11.

The buffer part 2 is in the form of a layer of a viscoelastic material of silicone type or equivalent, or a gel that solidifies and forms a layer. The thickness of the buffer piece is of the order of 1 to 3 or 4 mm. The surface of the buffer piece is chosen so as to protect at least the region corresponding to the heel and Achilles tendons when the sock is put by the user.

According to the first embodiment, FIGS. 3 to 5, the pocket 20 is manufactured independently of the sock 1 and fixed thereto according to two envisaged variants corresponding respectively to FIGS. 4 and 5.

The pocket 20 is made of a web or equivalent material for receiving the viscoelastic material 2 in the form of gel. Indeed, in this embodiment, the pocket 20 comprises a valve 21 which allows to fill with a silicone gel, the first use. Thus, after solidification of the gel, the buffer piece obtained is conformed to the anatomy of the user's foot. Room 2 conforms to the shape of the area to be protected and is therefore particularly adapted to the person.

In this embodiment, the pocket 20 may be fixed by gluing or sewing on the sock, outside as shown in FIG. 4.

The pocket 20 can also be accommodated and fixed between two walls 10, 11 of the sock 1 as illustrated in FIG. 5. In this case, the pocket 20 is placed between two layers of textile materials, of natural or synthetic knitted and stretched fibers. forming the sock.

According to a second embodiment, FIGS. 6 and 7, the bag is formed by two layers of natural or synthetic fibers, knitted and stretched.

According to an alternative embodiment, illustrated by the diagram of Figure 6, the sock 1 consists of a double wall or lining 10, 11. This double wall makes it possible to form the pocket 20, the two layers being for that purpose joined by gluing or sewing according to a predetermined contour delimiting the protection zone. The buffer part 2 is put in place during the manufacture of the sock. It can be fixed between the two walls 10, 11 by stitching, gluing or heat sealing.

According to a second variant embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7, the buffer piece 2 is fixed between a textile layer constituting the wall of the sock 1 and a yoke 14 forming the second layer. This second layer 14 extends above the buffer piece and beyond, so as to cover and overflow, which allows attachment to the sock. The attachment can be made by sewing, gluing or heat sealing. The establishment of the piece and the covering by the yoke 14 can be performed at the end of the sock manufacturing process.

In all cases, the establishment of the buffer does not prevent the extension width of the sock. FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary shape that the buffer piece may present in order to protect the sensitive zones of the foot, namely the heel and Achilles tendon.

The AA cut shows that this piece can have a thin thickness e (1 to 2 mm for example) at the rear of the ankle and E wider (3 to 4 mm for example) on the heel. The section BB, FIG. 10, shows the thickness of the piece in the lateral zones intended to protect the Achilles tendons.

FIG. 11 illustrates a second example of shape that the buffer piece can present. This example is particularly advantageous because it is less expensive because it requires less viscoelastic material while having a shape allowing very good protection of sensitive areas.

The pocket 20 and, consequently, the buffer piece 2, comprises two lateral wings 201, 202 forming zones protection of Achilles tendons. Both wings have an enlargement at their base. The two enlargements join to form a lower protection zone 203 for the heel. The two wings communicate by their base with the lower part of the pocket.

In both embodiments it can be expected that the pocket 20 and therefore the buffer part 2, has an orifice R or has thinning of the thickness in the region of the heel. This provision is provided in the case of presence of bone protuberance.

The orifice R or the thinning are visible in the sectional views of FIGS. 10, 12 and 13.

According to another aspect of the invention, as can be seen in particular in the diagram of Figure 14, the sock has a border forming a lapel 12 in its upper part. This border is intended to be returned so as to be in contact with the sock or an anchor placed around the sock. On the reverse of this border, the sock comprises a self-gripping band 13 for locking the reverse in its returned position.

Claims

1. Article protection foot characterized in that it consists of a sock (1) having at least one buffer piece (2) and at least one pocket (20) for accommodating the buffer, the pocket being located in a portion (Z) of the sock for covering the heel and the Achilles tendon.

2. Foot protection article according to claim 1, characterized in that the buffer part (2) consists of a viscoelastic material.

3. article of foot protection according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the pocket (20) consists of a canvas or equivalent material capable of containing a silicone gel, this pocket being attached to the sock by sewing or bonding.

4. article of protection of the foot according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the pocket (20) is fixed on the sock, outside the latter.

5. Article protection of the foot according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that the pocket (20) is housed and fixed between two layers (10, 11) of extensible textile natural or synthetic fibers forming the sock.

6. Foot protection article according to claim

1 or 2, characterized in that the pocket (20) is formed of two layers (10, 11, 1.14) of extensible fiber material natural or synthetic, and in that these two layers which are united according to a predetermined contour delimiting the protection zone.

7. article of foot protection according to claim 6, characterized in that one of the textile layers is a wall (11) of the sock and the other a lining (10) of this wall, the buffer part being housed in the space delimiting the protection zone, the contour delimiting this zone being obtained by sewing or gluing the two walls.

8. article of protection of the foot according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that one of the textile layers is a wall (1) of the sock and the other (14), a yoke intended for s extend over the buffer and beyond so that it can be attached to the sock by sewing or gluing.

9. Foot protection article according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pocket (20) comprises a lower region (203) corresponding to the heel protection zone, comprising a cutout whose contour is closed and forms an orifice.

Foot protection article according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lower region (203) of the pocket has a thinning of its thickness over a predetermined area corresponding to a protuberance of the heel of the user. .

Foot protection article according to one of Claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the pocket (20) has two lateral parts (201, 202) corresponding to the Achilles tendon protection zones, these parts communicating at their base with the lower part of the pocket.

12. Article protection of the foot according to claim 3, characterized in that the pocket (20) has a valve (21) located on the outer side of the sock to allow filling by the material constituting the buffer piece, the material being in the form of a gel.

13. Foot protection article according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the material constituting the buffer part (2) is silicone or equivalent.

14. Foot protection article according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sock (1) has on the upper part a border (12) forming a reverse intended to be turned so as to be in contact with the sock or an anchor placed around the sock, the sock comprising a self - gripping band (14) to block the reverse in its returned position.

15. Foot protection article according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sock (1) is made of natural or synthetic knitted fibers.