Boots – shoes – and leggings – Protectors
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-18
2003-10-14
Stashick, Anthony D. (Department: 3728)
Boots, shoes, and leggings
Protectors
C036S096000, C036S136000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06631569
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to safety footwear, and more particularly, to safety boots and shoes that integrally incorporate a cushioned metatarsal guard protecting the metatarsal region (the instep region) of the wearer's foot from injury caused by objects falling onto this region of the wearer's foot.
The metatarsal region or in-step of the human foot extends forwardly from the ankle to the base of the toes and contains a number of elongated bones extending side by side. The in-step of the foot is particularly vulnerable to impact and crushing forces, especially those caused by falling or dropped objects. This region of the foot may also be injured by laceration or ,puncture by pointed objects or sharp edges encountered in industrial operations. Yearly, over 120,000 people are injured in such accidents. The American National Standards Institute (“ANSI”) has developed a standard for footwear manufacturers to follow to ensure proper foot protection. The current standard is the ANSI Z41-1999 standard, which is approved by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). A certification under this standard for personal protective equipment including safety footwear is necessary to obtain consumer acceptance.
Footwear manufacturers have manufactured boots and shoes with a variety of metatarsal guards and cushions in an attempt to prevent the injuries described above. The most common method of protecting the metatarsal region is by placing a tough, rigid, synthetic plastic or metal shield over the exterior of the shoe to cover the metatarsal region of the foot. One example of such a shield is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,995,382, to Smith. This method of protecting the metatarsal region creates an unsightly and clumsy appearance of the shoe. Furthermore, the rigid shield limits the range of motion of the foot during walking or running. The external metatarsal shield also pinches the ankle when bending or squatting. More importantly, this type of metatarsal shield creates a snagging and tripping hazard which could cause extreme injury. The disadvantages described above create an uncomfortable safety shoe that most people do not like to wear.
Others have incorporated the rigid synthetic plastic or metal metatarsal shield into a fabric or leather cover usually matching the material the footwear is made from. This covered shield is then attached to the toe of the boot. In effect, the metatarsal shield becomes a second tongue placed over the exterior of the safety boot. This external shield does not solve the problems mentioned above which are associated with the uncovered, external metatarsal protectors. The shoes remain bulky and clumsy in appearance. Furthermore, the metatarsal protectors continue to be rigid, which prevents a full range of foot motion and results in fewer individuals wearing such protective equipment. Lastly, these types of metatarsal guards continue to present a tripping and snagging hazard.
In an attempt to create a more aesthetically pleasing and comfortable safety boot that minimizes the tripping and snagging hazard presented by external metatarsal shields, manufacturers have experimented with integrating metatarsal protectors into a boot. U.S. Pat. No. 4,102,062, to Adams, discloses a metatarsal protector made from rigid synthetic plastic material that is incorporated integrally into the boot. This method of protecting the metatarsal region continues to prevent the wearer of the boot from walking freely, and limits the range of motion of the foot because the rigid synthetic plastic material cannot bend or flex with the contours of the foot during walking or running. Because such safety boots cannot bend or flex properly, and are therefore uncomfortable, individuals are deterred from wearing such footwear. Furthermore, the integrated metatarsal protectors are not cushioned properly to prevent at least some pinching and other stresses from being inflicted on the metatarsal region of the foot.
The evolution of metatarsal guards has been advanced by others who have integrated hinged metal or plastic metatarsal guards into the safety footwear. Small pieces of metal or plastic are interlocked and riveted together to provide a flexible structure similar to linked armor of the middle ages. Because the separate pieces are overlapped and hinged together, the wearer's foot is often pinched between the movable parts. Additionally, these types of guards have been found not to adequately distribute the impact forces of falling objects, which may thus result in point of contact injuries. Furthermore, upon impact forces or over time, the metal or plastic sections and the rivets can break loose. This can cause the safety footwear to become unwearable, or even worse, can seriously injure the wearer's foot. As with other metatarsal protectors, this type of metatarsal guard creates an uncomfortable shoe that people do not want to wear.
To overcome the problems and disadvantages associated with the prior art, it is a primary objective of the present invention that it protect the metatarsal region of the foot from impacts or blows resulting from falling objects, as well as punctures and cuts from sharp objects encountered in the everyday workplace. This objective must be accomplished by meeting or exceeding the ANSI Z41-1999 standard. It is a further objective of the present invention that the guard be of a flexible nature to allow a full range of motion of the foot, which will provide the wearer with a boot or shoe that allows and conforms with natural walking or running movements. Furthermore, the guard of the present invention must be integrally positioned within the footwear to create an aesthetically pleasing appearance.
It is another objective of the guard of the present invention that it be light-weight and comfortable. It must be light enough so as to not fatigue the wearer. The guard of the present invention must also be flexible, with non-moving parts so as to prevent any pinching, cutting, or other irritation of the wearer's foot.
It is yet a further objective of the present invention that it fully and completely protect the wearer's foot from impact, puncture, cutting or blows to the metatarsal region and extending to the toes. The guard of the present invention, when used in conjunction with a protective toe cover such as a steel toe, must extend up to or beyond the protective toe cover to protect the entire metatarsal region of the foot. The guard of the present invention must also be able to withstand puncture or cutting caused by sharp objects or sharp points from objects. Additionally, the guard of the present invention must act to transfer and disperse impact forces from the region of impact to a broader region, thereby distributing the force. This will prevent a direct, single concentrated source of energy from the impact or blow, and prevent point-of-impact injuries to the wearer's foot.
The guard of the present invention must also be of construction which is both durable and long-lasting, and it should require little or no maintenance to be provided by the user throughout its operating lifetime. In order to enhance the market appeal of a boot or shoe incorporating the guard of the present invention, it should also be of inexpensive construction to thereby afford at the broadest possible market. Finally, it is also an objective that all of the aforesaid advantages and objectives be achieved without incurring any substantial relative disadvantage.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The disadvantages and limitations of the background art discussed above are overcome by the present invention.
The present invention provides a safety boot or shoe with a cushioned metatarsal guard designed to protect the metatarsal region of a wearer's foot from falling objects. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a sole with a top surface and a bottom surface can be joined to an upper by stitching, adhesive, or a combination of both to form a cavity to accommodate the
Herber Linda M.
Krebs Robert J.
Kucirek David A.
Nienow Lance R.
Phillips Charles E.
Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c.
Stashick Anthony D.
Weinbrenner Shoe Company, Inc.
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