Boots – shoes – and leggings – Soles – Cushion
Patent
1998-11-27
2000-07-04
Sewell, Paul T.
Boots, shoes, and leggings
Soles
Cushion
36 35R, 36 32R, 36 59C, A43B 1318
Patent
active
060820241
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a sole for therapeutic footwear with elements for the selective stimulation of nerve centres in the sole of the foot by pressure.
BACKGROUND ART
Specialized sports footwear intended specifically for fulfilling particular requirements characteristic of various sports activities (skiing, football, tennis, various specialized kinds of running, rock-climbing, etc.) is known.
Orthopaedic footwear shaped for correcting defective walking and defects of the foot and of the lower limbs in general is also known.
Furthermore, it is known that, as well as protecting the foot and ensuring a suitable distribution of the load on the sole of the foot irrespective of roughness and unevenness of the supporting ground, combined with comfort and support in use, suitably formed footwear can also perform a useful massage function with a therapeutic effect, stimulating circulation, improving muscle tone and mobilizing stiffened joints.
Moreover, it is known that massage also has an indirect effect which may be manifested by means of nervous reflexes at a distance from the region treated in the form of more or less long-lasting vaso-motorial reactions, according to the location of the stimulation surface, its extent, and the type of stimulation.
In general, it is known that massage, whether performed manually or by suitable equipment, produces stresses of various kinds such as rubbing, repeated impacts, kneading, vibration, and even local puncture, this latter technique being known as acupuncture or Chinese massage.
For a brief but effective and exhaustive description of the various forms of massage and of its therapeutic use, reference may be made to the term "MASSAGGIO" (MASSAGE) on pp. 170, 173, Vol. III of the Enciclopedia medica per tutti (Medical Encyclopaedia for all)--Istituto Geografico De Agostini, 1969.
Implementation of the various massage techniques which, in order to be effective, have to be repeated over time in accordance with suitable programmes, requires a specific competence and the support of specialized practitioners.
Treatment is therefore expensive and demanding and, both for reasons of cost and because of the personal commitment required, is not easily accessible to a large public.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention remedies these limitations and offers a therapeutic tool which is safe to use, is of reasonable cost, does not require particular commitment, and is compatible with the user's normal activities, and which consists of footwear having a sole which can bring about selective, repeatedly-exerted pressure stimulation, comparable to the impact massage technique, of predetermined nerve centres in the sole of the foot with therapeutic effects on other parts of the organism these effects being determined by the extent, the shape and the position of stimulation elements on the bearing surface of the sole of the foot, the stimulation elements being housed in the sole of the footwear and movable perpendicularly relative to the plane thereof, in order to exert pressure on selected areas of the sole of the foot through an inner sole.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become clearer from the following description of a preferred embodiment and of variants thereof, given with reference to the appended drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 shows qualitatively the sole of the left foot and the arrangement therein of stimulation zones which activate the functions of predetermined organs of the human body,
FIG. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line I--I of FIG. 1 showing a first embodiment of a sole for therapeutic footwear according to the present invention,
FIG. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line I--I of FIG. 1 showing a second embodiment of a sole for therapeutic footwear according to the present invention,
FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line I--I of FIG. 1 showing a third embodiment of a sole for therapeutic footwear according to the present invention.
BEST MODE
REFERENCES:
patent: 3722113 (1973-03-01), Birkenstock
patent: 3757774 (1973-09-01), Hatuno
patent: 4033054 (1977-07-01), Fukuoka
patent: 4109661 (1978-08-01), Fukuoka
patent: 4841647 (1989-06-01), Turucz
patent: 4982737 (1991-01-01), Guttmann
patent: 5067256 (1991-11-01), Darby
patent: 5551173 (1996-09-01), Chambers
patent: 5682690 (1997-11-01), Chang
patent: 5768802 (1998-06-01), Bramani
patent: 5860229 (1999-01-01), Morgenstern
D.B.A. S.r.l.
Mohandesi J.
Sewell Paul T.
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