Boots – shoes – and leggings – Boots and shoes – Having particular outsole
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-07
2001-07-17
Kavanaugh, Ted (Department: 3728)
Boots, shoes, and leggings
Boots and shoes
Having particular outsole
C036S02500A, C036S028000, C036S031000, C036S143000, C036S144000, C036S011500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06260289
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sole, and a shoe and a sandal including the same, and more particularly, it relates to a sole having a plurality of bottom surfaces, and a shoe and a sandal including the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, normal articular movements and muscular activity enable natural action of a human body. It is well known that hypofunction results when normal articular movements are limited or muscles are not used.
An average man of today, generally protecting his feet with shoes and walking on a flat and hard paved road, is restrained from natural pedal motion. Consequently, the pedal function deteriorates and the muscles of lower extremities get weak with no requirement for adaptability to uneven ground. While exercise such as jogging or walking is necessary in order to prevent the lower half of the body from weakening and develop physical strength, most people cannot take time for exercise.
An infant naturally stands or walks on tiptoe or with the heels in the process of development. A general infant naturally takes such action in the process of growth/development in an untaught manner. The infant acquires new functions one after another by repeating such natural action. The motion observed in such action of.the infant is classified into two elements, i.e., acquired “natural motion” and “specific motion” for training the same.
In practice, a patient suffering from paralysis of the lower half of the body as an after effect of cerebral apoplexy or the like and having difficulty in walking starts moving his ankles similarly to the process of development of an infant as functional training. Then he trains for standing and thereafter for walking so that he can walk on an uneven road in a well-balanced manner. In the functional training, the patient generally makes a series of movements he has naturally made in the process of development as described above.
Thus, it is conceivable that a sole with which everybody can naturally prevent his foot from weakening or recover the pedal function in daily life with reference to the movements in the process of human growthdevelopment is preferable.
A shoe must be so developed as not to hinder the foot of a person wearing the same from natural motion, to compensate for weak points of the foot resulting from anatomical characteristics and to add new advantages. Such features are obtained not by mere trial and error or experience but by detailed scientific study on feet and shoes. Combination of materials, combination of structures or to what portion of the shoe (what portion of the foot) the combination is applied is an important factor, which can never be obtained by trial and error with no theory.
Theory in development of a shoe is now described with reference to three points, i.e., “natural motion of a foot”, “movements of joints” and “weak points of a foot and limitation of articular excursions”.
First, “natural motion of a foot” is described. Important natural motion of a foot includes motion of gripping a projecting portion of the ground with the foot in a standing position as shown in FIG.
15
and “aori” motion in barefooted walking as shown in FIG.
16
. Further, it is important to absorb a shock and enlarge the surface touching the ground by deformation of a fatty layer of the heel when the touching the ground with the heel as shown in
FIG. 17
, although this cannot be regarded as motion. Particularly when obliquely touching the ground with the heel for turning around or walking on a curve as shown in
FIG. 18
, the deforming fatty layer most effectively absorbs a shock and enlarges the surface touching the ground.
As disclosed in “Talk on Feet” by Shiro Kondo, Iwanami Shinsho, 1982 (referred to as literature 1), “aori” motion in barefooted walking is a way of walking by rotating the foot inward for reducing energy consumption in walking thereby enabling long-sustained walking. In such aori motion, the heel touches the ground, the fibular margin of the foot touches the ground, the overall bottom of the foot touches the ground, the heel separates from the ground, the tiptoe supports the body weight and the foot kicks the ground while making motion from supination to pronation when touching the ground with the heel and then touching the ground with the overall bottom of the foot and making motion from pronation to supination when touching the ground with the overall bottom of the foot and then kicking the ground.
“Movements of joints” are now described. Principal joints concerned when a human stands, walks or runs are the hip joint, the knee joint, the ankle and the joints of the foot. According to “Kapandji Physiology of Joints” by Kapandji, Japanese translation supervised by Hideo Ogishima, Ishiyaku Shuppan, 1986 (referred to as literature 2), pp. 204 to 205, among these joints, the ankle and the joints of the foot coupling the leg and the foot so work that the human can stand, walk or run in conformity to inclination or unevenness of the ground.
The ankle (talocrural articulation), which is most important among the joints present in the metapodium, adjusts motion between the foot and the leg by the sagittal plane, and this motion is important for walking on level or uneven ground. On a basic position shown in
FIG. 19A
, the bottom of the foot is perpendicular to the long axis of the leg. Motion of the ankle includes dorsiflexion shown in
FIG. 19B
, plantar flexion shown in
FIG. 19C
, adduction shown in
FIG. 20A
, abduction shown in
FIG. 20B
, supination shown in
FIG. 21A
, pronation shown in
FIG. 21B
, and incycloduction and excycloduction shown in
FIGS. 22A and 22B
combining the same. The normal excursion of the ankle varies with scholars. While the inventor has heretofore regarded the normal excursion of the ankle as 20 degrees in supination and 40 degrees in pronation, it is conceivably proper in shoemaking to take the idea that the normal excursion is 20 degrees in supination and 30 degrees in pronation with individual variation of 20 degrees and 10 degrees respectively as described in literature 2, pp. 134 to 135.
While the foot includes a large number of complicated joints, important joints are the talocalcaneal joint (joint between the ankle bone and the calcaneus), the transverse tarsal joint (at the tarsal center), the tarsometatarsal joint, the cuboidal navicular joint and the cuneonavicular joint, and literature 2 describes in p. 148 that these joints have two functions.
The first function is to move the foot in relation to two axes other than the sagittal plane to correctly direct the bottom of the foot to the ground regardless of the position of the leg or inclination of the ground. In other words, the ankle adjusts motion on the sagittal plane, i.e., supination and pronation of the ankle.
The second function is to change the shape and the curve of the arch of the foot so that the foot properly fits unevenness of the ground. Thus, a buffer is inserted between the ground and the loaded foot, thereby making the stance phase flexible in walking.
“Weak points of a foot and limitation of articular excursions” is described. First, fatigue and trouble of the foot following pronation are described. These are disclosed in “The Shoe and Foot New Medical Study” by Tadao Ishizuka, Kanahara Shuppan, 1996 (referred to as literature 3), pp. 42 to 44.
FIG. 23
illustrates a line of a movement of the body weight as viewed from behind. Referring to
FIG. 23
, a calcaneus
101
is not linked on the same position as a tibia
102
but located outside the tibia
102
, i.e., on a position closer to a fibula
104
. Therefore, the body weight passes through the center of the tibia
102
, moves outward on the ankle bone and reaches the calcaneus
101
. However, the gravitational line straightly reaches the ankle bone downward from the tibia
102
, and hence force of pronation acts on the calcaneus
101
. Further, the arch slightly lowers upon application of a load, and hence the foot slightly pronates in walking as a matter of course. When wal
Armstrong Westerman Hattori McLeland & Naughton LLP
Kavanaugh Ted
Yamazaki Ayako
LandOfFree
Sole, and shoe and sandal including the same does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Sole, and shoe and sandal including the same, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Sole, and shoe and sandal including the same will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2560956