Patent Application
20100319217
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an ankle support that is an integral part of a shoe. More specifically, the present invention relates to an ankle support that is an internal and integral component of the shoe, is flexible enough to mold to the shape of the wearer's foot, and yet rigid enough to provide enhanced support to the ankle portion of the wearer's foot.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various forms of ankle and interior shoe bracing devices are known. Examples of these previously known devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,237,319, 3,834,377, 4,385,456, 4,821,743, and 5,175,947.
An insertable athletic shoe insert is described in the present inventor's U.S. Pat. No. 5,449,005. The insert is attached to the ankle and heel portion of the interior of the shoe by thistle-type fastening strips. A possible drawback associated with such removable inserts is that the device may separate from the thistle-type fastening strips during wear and shift within the shoe, thus requiring frequent readjustment. The shifting of the removable insert may also create friction that might lead to callouses on the foot and ankle.
Therefore, a need exists for an ankle support that provides the requisite amount of support and is comfortable, but that remains securely fixed in place during wear.
The present invention overcomes the above-described limitations of the prior art by providing an ankle support that is a built-in component of the shoe. The invention provides the requisite amount of foot support and is comfortable, but remains securely fixed in place during wear.
In general, the ankle support, which is located out of sight within the walls of the shoe, includes a support element and a cushioning element. The support element is structurally strong yet partially flexible, and is configured to prevent lateral and medial rolling of the ankle. The support element is constructed of lightweight plastic that while in general is rigid enough to provide the requisite degree of ankle support, but is still flexible enough at body temperature to be moldable to the shape of the wearer's foot. The cushioning element provides both comfort to the ankle portion of the wearer's foot, and additional ankle support. The ankle support is an integral and permanent part of the shoe structure, with both the shoe and the ankle support assembled together.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the support element is generally U-shaped and includes a pair of generally parallel wings interconnected at one pair of corresponding ends by a curved bight panel portion. The bight panel portion and the wings are generally panel-like in configuration.
The support element is located within the shoe with the curved bight portion disposed at the heel of the shoe and the wings of the support element extending forwardly from the heel along opposite side interior portions of the shoe. The forward ends of the wings of the support element are relatively low in height as opposed to the rear ends of the wings and the curved bight portion of the support element. The lower margin of the curved bight portion of the support element is elevated relative to the lower margins of the wings of the support element. The upper margins of the rear ends of the wings of the support element and the curved bight portion of the support element are disposed at an elevation above that elevation which corresponds to the malleolus bone (i.e., ankle) area of the foot. To conform generally to the shape of the wearer's foot, the wings of the support element are concavo-convex with their concave sides opposing each other.
One feature of the present invention is that the support element is semi-rigid, i.e., structurally strong so as to provide the requisite amount of ankle support, yet partially flexible so as to conform in general to the wearer's foot.
Another feature of the invention is that the support element is an internal part of the shoe in that it is located between the shoe upper and the interior lining of the shoe so as to remain in place. According to one embodiment of the invention the support element has a bottom tab that is oriented substantially perpendicular to the support element wings and extends inwardly under the insole, i.e., below the insole and between a portion of the lining and a portion of the upper that are substantially parallel to the insole, so as to ensure that the ankle support remains securely fixed in place.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the support element terminates at a bottom edge of the support element wings and is secured to the upper with stitching and/or an adhesive so as to ensure that the ankle support remains securely fixed in place.
Still another feature of the invention is that the ankle support includes a cushioning element on the side of the opposed wings of the support element that face the wearer's foot. That is, the support element is layered with cushioning on the inside of the support element that surrounds the ankle area. The cushioning element can include, for example, neoprene padding or gel padding, or other such materials that provide the desired cushioning effect. The cushioning element is moldable so as to conform to the foot shape and thus provide enhanced comfort for the wearer.
Yet another feature of the present invention is that the support element has a pair of notches in the rear portion thereof, i.e., in proximity to the Achilles tendon of the wearer. One notch in an upper part of the rear portion extends to the opposite side of the ankle, and another notch at the bottom near the heel area of the foot also extends to the opposite side of the ankle. The notch in the support element provides for the requisite degree of both planter and dorsal flexion of the wearer's foot.
Still another feature of the present invention is that by virtue of providing increased support for the wearer's ankle, the ankle support may provide for enhanced wearer performance. For example, by maintaining the wearer's foot in a more stabilized position, the ankle support can provide for improved leaping ability. That is, by virtue of the added ankle support, the foot and the ankle are properly aligned, which relieves the stress associated with improper balancing of the foot and ankle. Because the alignment of the foot and ankle is improved, more muscles are enabled to fully engage with one another. This condition means that the vertical leaping ability of the wearer may therefore increase.
Yet another feature of the present invention is that by virtue of providing increased support for the wearer's ankle, the potential for certain types of foot injuries is reduced. For example, since the ankle support helps to prevent over-extension of the wearer's foot, the potential for ligament injury is reduced. In fact, over time, use of the ankle support should serve to increase the tensile strength of the ligaments in the wearer's ankle.
An object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide an ankle support that is a built-in component of a shoe, that provides the requisite amount of lateral foot support yet is still comfortable, and that remains securely fixed in place during wear.
Another object of this invention is to provide an ankle support that has both a support element and a cushioning element.
Still another object of this invention is to provide an ankle support having a support element that in general is rigid enough to provide the requisite degree of ankle support, yet is still flexible enough at body temperature to be moldable to the shape of the wearer's foot.
Another object of this invention is to provide a support element that is an internal part of the shoe in that it is located between the shoe upper and the interior lining of the shoe so as to remain in place.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide an ankle support having a support element with a bottom tab that is oriented substantially perpendicular to the wings and that extends inwardly under the insole, i.e., below the insole and between a portion of the lining and a portion of the upper that are substantially parallel to the insole, so as to ensure that the ankle support remains securely fixed in place.
Another object of this invention is to provide an ankle support having a support element that terminates at a bottom edge of the support element wings and is secured to the upper with stitching and/or an adhesive so as to ensure that the ankle support remains securely fixed in place.
Another object of this invention is to provide an ankle support having a moldable cushioning element on the side of the opposed wings of the support element that face the wearer's foot so as to conform to the foot shape and thus provide enhanced comfort for the wearer.
Another object of this invention is to provide an ankle support having a support element with a pair of notches in the rear portion thereof so as to provide for the requisite degree of both planter and dorsal flexion of the wearer's foot.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an ankle support that can increase the performance capability of a wearer by providing for greater stability of the foot.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an ankle support that can, in effect, increase the tensile strength of the ligaments in the wearer's ankle.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an item of footwear that incorporates the aforementioned ankle support.
Another object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide an ankle support in accordance with the preceding objects that will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of relatively simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a support that will be economically feasible, long lasting, durable in service, relatively trouble free in operation, and a general improvement in the art.
These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like reference numbers refer to like parts throughout. The accompanying drawings are intended to illustrate the invention, but are not necessarily to scale.
Although preferred embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that other embodiments are possible. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention is to be limited in its scope to the details of constructions, and arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, in describing the preferred embodiments, specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. It is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents that operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose. Where possible, components of the drawings that are alike are identified by the same reference numbers.
Referring now specifically to
For purposes of illustration, the ankle support 10 is described in conjunction with a shoe 12 that is an athletic shoe, shown in
The ankle support 10 is generally U-shaped in configuration when viewed from a plan view perspective. The support element 70 is horizontally disposed and includes an edge upstanding curved bight panel or heel portion 26 interconnecting the rear ends of a pair of opposite side, generally parallel and panel-shaped edge upstanding wings 28 and 30. The wings 28, 30 include corresponding upper and lower margins 32 and 34 as well as corresponding inner and outer surfaces 36 and 38. The wings 28, 30 are concavo-convex with their concave sides opposing each other and the rear ends of the wings 28, 30 merge smoothly into the opposite ends of the curved bight or heel portion 26, the heel portion 26 including upper and lower margins 40 and 42.
As is evident from
As shown in
The upper portions of the rear ends of the wings 28, 30 of the support element 70 offer lateral support against excessive inturning of the wearer's foot about the foot's longitudinal axis, such as may sometimes cause serious sprained ankle injury.
The wings 28, 30 are relatively stiff and thereby resist, in conjunction with the associated athletic shoe 12, excessive lateral spreading of the bones of the foot forward of the ankle to thereby increase the stability of the foot and to allow the muscles of the foot to exert greater leaping forces. Still further, the overall reinforcement of the athletic shoe 12 increases the resistance of the associated foot against hyperflexure of the type that may cause ligament damage to the foot and/or ankle.
The amount of elevation of the rear ends 44 of the upper margins 32 relative to the central and forward portions of the upper margins 32 will be determined by whether the support 10 is to be utilized in, for example, a quarter-top or a high-top athletic shoe. However, in any instance, the rear ends 44 will be appreciably elevated above the central and forward ends of the upper margins 32.
The elevation and padding of the lower margin 42 of the bight or heel portion 26 is important in that it prevents pinching of the heel of the wearer of the athletic shoe 12, and also cushions the Achilles tendon area of the wearer's foot.
The support element 70 is constructed of shape retentive but partially flexible plastic or similar material. A suitable material of construction for the support element 70 is one that is flexible enough to conform to the shape of the foot but is sufficiently rigid to support the ankle. Examples of suitable materials include various thermoplastic polymers.
The rear ends of the wing inner surfaces 36 include the cushioning element 80 secured thereto. The cushioning element 80 may be constructed of for example, gel filled flexible cushion envelopes. Further, as shown in
The opposed cushioning elements 80 are positioned on the inner surfaces of the rear ends of the wings 28, 30 for directly opposing the malleolus bone areas of a foot received within the athletic shoe 12 so as to offer protection to the malleolus bone areas from impact exteriorly of the athletic shoe 12 and also for comfort measures.
Referring now specifically to
The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. The shoe with which the ankle support is incorporated has been described for purposes of illustration as an athletic shoe. However, the ankle support is contemplated as being an integral part of other types of footwear in which having the ankle support and cushioning provided by the instant invention would be desirable. Such other types of footwear may include, for example, hiking shoes and boots, construction shoes and boots, and military shoes and boots.
Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and, accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.
