Variable support shoe

• US 5,353,525 A
• Filed: 02/04/1991
• Issued: 10/11/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ossur hf
• Original Assignee: Vistek Incorporated (Ossur hf)
• Inventors: Grim, Tracy E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Meyers, Steven N.
• Application Number:
  US07/650,765
• Time in Patent Office: 1,345 Days
• Field of Search: 36/3 R, 36/3 A, 36/3 B, 36/29, 36/71, 36/88, 36/89, 36/93, 36/119, 36/114, 36/86, 128/594
• US Class Current: 36/88
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/203 provided with a pump or valve
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/206 provided with tubes or pipes or tubular shaped cushioning members
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/081 the air being forced from outside

Abstract

An athletic shoe includes a substantially flat pump chamber in the sole of the shoe under the heel of the user, with a one-way valve permitting the drawing in of air when pressure is taken of the heel, and second one-way valve at the outlet from the flat pump which comes into play as air is being exhausted from the chamber. One or more pressure bladders for receiving air from the pump mentioned above, are mounted in the sidewalls of the shoe, toward the rear thereof adjacent the ankle. When the user is active, and is walking or running, the pump is automatically actuated to inflate the air bladders and to provide additional support for the foot and the ankle. The air bladders may be provided with a relief valve to prevent overpressure, and/or with arrangements for slowly leaking air out of the bladder so that when the user is resting, pressure on the foot and ankle is minimized. This last function may be accomplished, either by a bleed valve, or by a series of fine perforations in the walls of the bladder.

Claims

1. In a variable air support shoe for providing .support to an ankle and an upper foot and ankle area of a user, said Support shoe including a sole having a lower surface, sidewalls secured to said sole, and laces for securing the sidewalls of said shoe together, said shoe including a tongue and upper portions of said side walls constituting means for enclosing the upper portion of said shoe and said ankle;

the improvement comprising;

inflatable bladders;

means for mounting said inflatable bladders on said means for enclosing the upper portion of said shoe and said ankle, for applying supporting pressure to the upper foot and ankle area;

pump means mounted in the sole of the shoe;

said sole being substantially continuous on its lower surface in the area where said pump means is located and is free of any recess exposing said pump from below said shoe;

said shoe including means for automatically actuating said pump means by the foot during normal walking or running for supplying air to said bladders; and

relief means for selectively releasing air from said bladders;

whereby walking or running activity increases the air pressure in said shoe and provides additional support against possible injury to the foot or ankle.

2. A variable air support shoe for providing support to an ankle and an upper foot and ankle area of a user, said shoe including a tongue and upper portions of said side walls constituting means for enclosing the upper portion of said shoe and said ankle, comprising:

a sole;

sidewalls secured to said sole;

inflatable bladders;

means for mounting said inflatable bladders on said means for enclosing the upper portion of said shoe and said ankle, for applying supporting pressure to the foot on the sides and the rear of the foot;

pump means mounted in the sole of the shoe;

said sole being substantially continuous on its lower surface in the area where said pump means is located and is free of any recess exposing said pump from below said shoe;

said shoe including means for automatically actuating said pump means during normal walking or running for supplying air to said bladders; and

one-way valving means for preventing flow of air back from said bladders to said pump means;

whereby walking or running activity increases the air pressure in said shoe and provides additional support against possible injury to the foot or ankle.

3. A shoe as defined in claim 2 wherein said shoe includes one-way inlet valve means for supplying air to said pump means.

4. A shoe as defined in claim 3 wherein means are provided for supplying air to said inlet valve means from within the shoe.

5. A shoe as defined in claim 2 wherein said pump means includes a variable volume air chamber and resilient means for biasing said chamber to its expanded configuration.

6. A shoe as defined in claim 2 wherein said pump means is relatively flat and is mounted in the heel area of the shoe.

7. A shoe as defined in claim 2 wherein said shoe extends up over the ankle of the user, and wherein said bladder means extend around the ankle area of the shoe.

19. A shoe as defined in claim 2 wherein said means for bleeding air includes a plurality of tiny holes in said bladder means.

8. A variable air support shoe for providing support to an ankle and an upper foot and ankle area of a user, said support shoe comprising:

a sole;

sidewalls secured to said sole;

said shoe including a tongue and upper portions of said side walls constituting means for enclosing the upper portion of said shoe and said ankle;

inflatable bladder means;

means for mounting said inflatable bladder means on said means for enclosing the upper portion of said shoe and said ankle, for applying supporting pressure to the foot and ankle area on the sides thereof;

pump means mounted in the sole of the shoe automatically actuated by the foot when walking or running for supplying air to said bladder means;

said pump means (a) being encapsulated wholly within the shoe during active pumping action and during use of the shoe, (b) forming a resilient support for the foot, and (c) being mounted above the bottom of the sole; and

said shoe including means for automatically actuating said pump means by pressure between the foot and the sole of the shoe during normal walking and running;

whereby walking or running activity increases the air pressure in said shoe and provides additional support against possible injury.

9. A shoe as defined in claim 8 further comprising means for preventing over-inflation of said bladders.

10. A shoe as defined in claim 8 wherein said shoe is formed of flexible material suitable for walking or running and has a sole with a continuous unitary lower surface.

11. A shoe as defined in claim 8 wherein said shoe includes one-way valve means interconnecting said pump and said bladders.

12. A shoe as defined in claim 8 wherein said shoe is a high-top shoe extending up over the ankle of the user, and wherein said bladder means supports the ankle area of the shoe and the user.

13. In a variable air support shoe having a sole, sidewalls secured to said sole, and laces for securing the sidewalls of said shoe together, said shoe including a tongue and upper portions of said side walls constituting means for enclosing the upper portion of said shoe and an ankle, said shoe having an inner area above said sole for receiving the foot of a user;

the improvement comprising;

inflatable bladders;

means for mounting said inflatable bladders on said means for enclosing the upper portion of said shoe and said ankle, for applying supporting pressure to the foot and ankle area toward the sides and the rear thereof;

means including a pump mounted in the sole of the shoe automatically actuated by the foot when walking or running for supplying air to said bladders, and maintaining them at an elevated pressure during such walking or running activity;

relief means for automatically releasing air from said bladders over a predetermined period of time which is relatively long compared to the periodicity of normal walking or running steps;

said shoe being formed of flexible material so as to be suitable for walking or running and having a sole with a continuous lower surface; and

said shoe further having flexible material between said pump means and the inner area of the shoe for direct actuation of the pump means by the foot;

whereby walking or running activity increases the air pressure in said shoe and provides additional support against possible injury to the foot or ankle, and the increased pressure is released within a few minutes after the activity stops to minimize pressure on the foot while resting.

14. A variable air support shoe as defined in claim 13 wherein the bottom of the sole of said shoe is continuous in the area where said pump is located and is free of any recess exposing said pump from below said shoe.

15. A variable air support shoe for providing support to an ankle and an upper foot and ankle area of a user, said support shoe comprising:

a sole;

sidewalls secured to said sole;

said shoe having an inner area above said sole for receiving the foot of a user;

inflatable bladder means mounted on said sidewalls for applying supporting pressure to the foot and ankle area on the sides and the rear thereof;

pump means mounted in the sole of the shoe automatically actuated by the foot when walking or running for supplying air to said bladder means;

said pump means (a) being encapsulated wholly within the shoe during active pumping action and during use of the shoe, (b) forming a resilient support for the foot, and (c) being mounted above the bottom of the sole;

said shoe including means for actuating said pump means during normal walking or running by pressure between the foot and the sole of the shoe;

one-way valving means for preventing flow of air back from said bladder means to said pump means;

said shoe being formed of flexible material so as to be suitable for walking or running and having a sole with a continuous unitary lower surface; and

said shoe further having flexible material between said pump means and the inner area of the shoe for direct actuation of the pump means by the foot during normal walking or running by the user;

whereby walking or running activity increases the air pressure in said shoe and provides additional support against possible injury.

16. A variable air support shoe as defined in claim 15 wherein the bottom of the sole of said shoe is continuous in the area where said pump is located and is free of any recess exposing said pump from below said shoe.

17. In footwear having a toe end and a heel end and having an outer sole extending from said toe end toward said heel end, said outer sole having an exterior surface for contact with the ground, and said footwear having an upper portion connected to said sole forming an enclosure for enclosing at least a part of the foot of a wearer between the outer sole and the upper portion, and within said enclosure an inner supporting surface for supporting the bottom of a foot, said inner supporting surface extending from the heel end toward said toe end, the improvement therein comprising:

bladder means for holding air, said bladder means being positioned at least partially within said enclosure;

pumping means including a compressible chamber for delivering outside ambient air to said bladder means by flexing between said inner supporting surface and said exterior surface of said footwear, a segment of said hollow space and a portion of said exterior surface and having two ends, one said end being closer to said toe end of said footwear and connected to said main sole portion, said pumping means being subject to deflection by a force applied between said inner supporting surface and said segment exterior surface, whereby said hollow space may be alternatively reduced and returned to its unreduced size, in flexing in response to said force, to deliver said air;

said footwear including means for automatically actuating said pumping means during normal walking and running; and

said sole being substantially continuous on its lower surface in the area where said pump means is located and is free of any recess exposing said pump from below said shoe.

18. A variable air support shoe, said shoe including a tongue and upper portions of said side walls constituting means for enclosing the upper portion of said shoe and an ankle, comprising:

a sole;

sidewalls secured to said sole;

inflatable bladders;

means for mounting said inflatable bladders on said means for enclosing the upper portion of said shoe and said ankle, for applying supporting pressure to the foot on the sides and the rear of the foot;

pump means mounted in the sole of the shoe;

said sole being substantially continuous on its lower surface in the area where said pump means is located and is free of any recess exposing said pump from below said shoe;

said shoe including means for automatically actuating said pump means during normal walking or running for supplying air to said bladders;

one-way valving means for preventing flow of air back from said bladders to said pump means; and

means for automatically bleeding air from said bladder means to maintain pressure within said bladder means during active pumping, but to permit a reduction in pressure during inactive periods;

whereby walking or running activity increases the air pressure in said shoe and provides additional support against possible injury to the foot or ankle.