Patent Application
20250228334
The present disclosure relates to a device for attaching a weight on the instep of a shoe. The present disclosure also relates to a assembly including said device and a weight.
The device of the present disclosure is suitable for the practice of fitness, sport, rehabilitation, or physiotherapy exercises.
Currently, weights and weighted garments are frequently used for sports training and even for orthopedic or rehabilitation treatments. In particular, the use of weighting devices during training sessions of sportspeople e.g. runners, football players, etc. is known. Some of the used devices are designed to be placed on the instep.
Such instep weighting devices are configured to support the weight over the central area of the instep of a user. This type of device may include a support plate provided with coupling elements for fastening a weight, the support plate being configured to be attached on the instep of the shoe under the shoelaces of the shoe.
This type of instep weighting device is suitable for certain sports training sessions, for running, and for walking. Even so, improved devices for attaching a weight on the instep of a shoe may yet be provided, which are capable of providing more specific and effective training and/or rehabilitation effects according to the biomechanical needs of each user.
In a first aspect, a device for attaching a weight on the instep of a shoe is provided. The device has a body having:
The device for attaching a weight on the instep of a shoe hereof allows placement of a weight to one side of the instep, to the interior or the exterior area of the instep, that is, in a position suitable to execute training and/or rehabilitation exercises, e.g. focused on strengthening particular musculature of the ankle. Therefore, the device hereof is appropriate for sport training and/or physiotherapy, in particular for the treatment of foot deviation problems, such as pronation or supination of the ankle, ankle dislocations, and the like.
In the present disclosure, the “central area of the instep” is understood as the area extending from both sides of the longitudinal axis of the shoe.
In the present disclosure, by “in use” it is meant that the body of the device is fastened to a central area of the instep of a shoe through the first coupling.
In the present disclosure, the feature “the second coupling is offset from the first coupling such that, when the device is in use, the second coupling is offset from the longitudinal axis of the shoe”, it is meant that the second coupling is offset from the first coupling in a direction that, when the device is in use, is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shoe.
In the present disclosure, the standing or upright position of the shoe may be understood as a position where the sole of the shoe is laying on a substantially horizontal ground. For clarity, herein, considering a reference system with three coordinate axes, with a substantially horizontal plane containing the substantially horizontal ground where the shoe is positioned in a substantially upright position, and a central vertical plane which contains the longitudinal axis of the shoe, it is understood that a “direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shoe when the device is in use” is a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the central vertical plane containing the longitudinal axis of the shoe.
According to one example of the present disclosure, the device further may include a mounting base with a third coupling matching the first coupling of the body.
In some examples, the mounting base may be configured to be attached on the instep of the shoe under the shoelaces and fastened with the shoelaces.
According to another aspect, the present disclosure also provides an assembly or kit including a device as disclosed herein, and a weight with a fourth coupling matching the second coupling of the body.
Non-limiting examples of the present disclosure will be described in the following, with reference to the appended drawings, in which:
The standing or upright position of the shoe 101 may be understood herein as a position where the sole of the shoe 101 is laying on a substantially horizontal ground. For clarity, in
In the example disclosed herein, the mounting base 3 is configured to be attached on the instep 100 of the shoe 101 under the shoelaces (not shown) and fastened with the shoelaces, such that it remains firmly attached to the shoe 101 when the shoelaces are fastened. Furthermore, the mounting base 3 is configured with a plate having a curved bottom surface (see e.g.
In this example, the body 2 includes two parts 21 and 22, configured as a first longitudinal plate and a second longitudinal plate, respectively, both parts 21, 22 being fixedly attached to each other in a substantially parallel position.
Regarding
In this example, the first coupling 23, 24 includes clamping elements arranged at opposite ends of a bottom side of the first longitudinal plate 21, and the second coupling 25, 26 includes clamping elements arranged at opposite ends of an upper side of the second longitudinal plate 22.
In this some example, the mounting base 3 is provided with a third coupling 31, 32 matching the first coupling 23, 24 to releasably fasten the body 2 to the mounting base 3. Furthermore, the weight 4 is provided with a fourth coupling 41, 42 matching the second coupling 25, 26 to releasably fasten the weight 4 to the body 2.
In the examples disclosed herein, the first coupling 23, 24 and second coupling 25, 26 of the body 2 are clamping elements, such as for example snap-fit binding elements.
In other alternative examples, the first coupling and second coupling of the body 2 may be magnets, threaded connectors, a hook-and-loop system, e.g. Velcro™, among others fastening systems.
For clarity, in
As can be appreciated in
According to an example, the second coupling 25, 26 is offset from the first coupling 23, 24 an offset distance “d” of between 10 mm and 35 mm in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L of the shoe 101 when the device 1 is in use. In preferred examples, the offset distance “d” is between 15 mm and 30 mm, for example 23 mm. Herein, it is understood that a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L of the shoe 101, when the device 1 is in use, is a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the central vertical plane ZY containing the longitudinal axis L of the shoe 101 (see
In the present example, the offset distance “d” is calculated between a first central point P1 of the first coupling 23, 24 and a second central point P2 of the second coupling 25, 26 (see
Furthermore, in the example disclosed herein, the body 2 is curved in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L of the shoe 101 when the device 1 is in use, the second longitudinal plate 22 being arranged in a tilted position (see e.g.
The body 2 may be made of a plastic material or other suitable material sufficiently rigid to not deform during a normal use of the device 1 when a weight 4 is attached to the body 2.
In other alternative examples, the device for attaching a weight on the instep of a shoe may include a single mounting part (not shown) suitable to be attached to the instep of the shoe, e.g. under the shoelaces and held by the shoelaces, and having a releasable coupling suitable to attach a weight with a matching coupling.
Such a single, integral mounting part may include a plate such as that of mounting base 3 and a coupling such as the second coupling 25, 26 of body 2. According to an example, said single, integral mounting part may include a plate extending from the underside of the body 2 and suitable to be slid under the shoelaces, to be fastened. Therefore, in this alternative example, the mounting base 3 as disclosed above is omitted.
In other alternative examples, the second coupling may be permanent, i.e. an unreleasable coupling, such that the weight is an integral part of the body.
Alternatively, a device having features as disclosed in the examples of the present specification may include the weight molded as part of the body 2.
An assembly 10 may in some implementations may include one or more devices 1 as disclosed above. For example, such an assembly 10 may include a pair of devices 1 to be applied to a pair of shoes 101.
In some examples, a pair of devices 1 may include two types of bodies 2, that is, each type of body 2 having the second coupling 25, 26 arranged at one different lateral side (right side or left side) with respect to the first coupling 23, 24. Therefore, a weight 4 may be placed to one lateral side or the other lateral side of the instep of the shoe (e.g. overlapping the external or internal side of the ankle), depending on the required treatment of each user.
Furthermore, the assembly 10 may include a number of weights 4, for example two identical weights 4 for the feet, and/or weights 4 having different weight values, for allowing the user to vary the effort during the exercises.
Although only a number of examples have been disclosed herein, other alternatives, modifications, uses and/or equivalents thereof are possible. Furthermore, all possible combinations of the described examples are also covered. Thus, the scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by particular examples, but should be determined only by a fair reading of the claims that follow. If reference signs related to drawings are placed in parentheses in a claim, they are solely for attempting to increase the intelligibility of the claim, and shall not be construed as limiting the scope of the claim.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| EP24382036.2 | Jan 2024 | EP | regional |
