Abstract:
A shoe construction is described in which generally concealed means can be manually adjusted to change the degree of transverse orthopedic foot support provided by the shoe.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    In the past, there had long been a need for a shoe construction offering practical means of adjustment of the degree of orthopedic support provided by the shoe by the wearer thereof. This inventor&#39;s previous patents and in particular U.S. Pat. No. 6,226,901 met this need, but with some inherent limitations in foot comfort leading to the significant improvements in the overall approach which are the subject of the present invention.  
           [0002]    Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a shoe construction comprising improved concealed canting adjustment means whereby the wearer of the shoe can manually adjust the degree of canting to produce more comfortable orthopedic support. It is a further object to make the concealed canting adjustment means preferably non-removable from the shoe. It is a still further object of the invention to provide the canting adjustment means in a manner such that the entry of foreign matter such as sand, pebbles and the like within the adjustment means is precluded.  
           [0003]    For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the present invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.  
         DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    The present invention is directed to a shoe construction comprising concealed and integral wearer-adjustable orthopedic support means to provide an adjustable degree of variable transverse angular canting support to a weight-bearing foot thereon. The adjustment means comprises at least one transversely adjustable side element in the form of appropriately contoured wedge assemblies manually movable by a screw-operated cam. Attached to an insole base element and variably supporting a contoured plastic foot support immediately thereabove, with the assembly thereof protected against the unwanted infiltration of foreign matter such as dirt and pebbles by a fabric covering element. The canting adjustment means provides a variably adjustable degree of canting support to a weight-bearing foot thereupon. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0005]    [0005]FIG. 1 is a side view of a shoe construction embodying principles of the present invention.  
         [0006]    [0006]FIG. 2 is a plan view of the insole assembly of the shoe of FIG. 1 taken along line  2 - 2  thereof and showing the canting means when set for zero degrees of cant, i.e. horizontal in attitude.  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 3 is a plan view of the insole assembly of the shoe of FIG. 1 taken along line  3 - 3  thereof and showing the canting means when adjusted to an effective angle of four degrees (‘positive’) cant relative to the horizontal.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 4 shows a transverse cross-sectional view of the insole assembly of FIG. 3 taken along line  4 - 4  thereof.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 5 shows a transverse cross-sectional view of the insole assembly of FIG. 3 taken along line  5 - 5  thereof. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]    Improved means for the manual adjustment of the effective angular predominantly transverse tilting or ‘cant’ of a shoe footbed assembly will be described with reference to a so-adjusted support system preferably integral to the shoe and non-removable therefrom. It should be understood that similar means could be designed to be removably insertable relative to the shoe, and such means is to be considered equivalent to the means of the invention but not a preferred embodiment as such removable assemblies would tend to be used in footwear not designed therefor, usually resulting in adverse fit and function therewith.  
         [0011]    Referring to the drawings, FIGS. 1 through 5 show embodiments of the adjustable foot support system of the present invention as it would appear used in the popular saddle loafer casual shoe style. It will be understood that this system and approach will be readily applicable to most other shoe designs and categories as well. It will obviously also be applicable to sandals, boots, skates and other athletic and non-athletic applications as well.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 1 shows a shoe containing the shoe construction of this invention. More specifically, it shows a shoe  20  having an upper  22 , an adjustable footbed canting assembly  24  and a sole  26 . The footbed canting assembly  24  comprises a preferably molded insole element  28  and at least one transversely adjustable side wedge  30 . As shown side wedge  30   a  is along the inner side of a wearer&#39;s foot and side wedge  30   b  is on the outer side of the wearer&#39;s foot. Preferably, the two side wedges  30   a  and  30   b  are interconnected by integral hinge portions  32  at the toe and heel so that the side wedges will move together to change the cant of the top surface of the footbed canting assembly  24 . The transverse positioning of the side wedges  30  adjusts the effective degree of the transverse canting attitude of the top surface of footbed canting assembly  24 .  
         [0013]    Although less preferable, a single side wedge  30  may be used. For example side wedge  30   a  along the inner side of a wearer&#39;s foot and having a hinge  32  in its central portion facing outward may be used alone to control pronation and side wedge  30   b  on the outer side of the shoe and having a hinge  32  facing inward can be used alone to control supination  
         [0014]    The positioning of the side wedges  30   a  and/or  30   b  is controlled by a manual adjustment means  36  located under insole foot supporting element  28  in a mid-portion of the shoe  20 . Locating the adjustment means  36  forward of the breast of the heel serves to minimize abrasion on the adjustment means during use. The side wedges  30   a  and  30   b  in turn support variably with such adjustment controlled by the coin-slotted adjusting screw  34  attached as by spot-welding to a stainless steel circular stamped cam  36  which is attached to wedges  30  by eyelets  38  extending through the variably radiused arcuate cam slots  40  in cam  36  and through optional transverse slots in the insole base  42  thereunder. Preferably the footbed canting assembly  24  is enclosed by a spandex fabric or other sheet covering element  44 , permanently attached as by cement lasting to the bottom peripheral edges of insole base  42 , with the edge surface areas of the footbed canting assembly  24  similarly are permanently attached to the marginal so-called lasting allowances as well as the assembly forepart of upper  22  by such permanent attaching means as adhesive cement.  
         [0015]    Optionally, the footbed canting assembly  24  may be designed without the insole element  28  by using one of wedge assemblies  30   a  and  30   b  alone to support the foot under covering  44 . This embodiment is not preferred as it is unlikely that such wedges could be designed to give optimum foot comfort and edge support while providing an adequate range of canting adjustment therewith.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 shows a simplified plan view of the above elements of the canting adjustment means of assembly  24  as it would appear when horizontal, i.e. at zero degrees of effective transverse cant.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 3 shows a similar plan view of said means as it would appear adjusted to a maximum effective canting angle of four degrees ‘positive,’ as this angular attitude is referred to when adjusted to correct for a maximum degree of pronation, the excessive inward rolling of the foot and ankle relative to the longitudinal axis of the foot (and shoe).  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 4 shows a transverse cross-sectional view of the footbed assembly  24  of FIG. 1 showing the insole element  28  in an effectively horizontal attitude of zero degrees canting adjustment as in the adjustment of FIG. 2.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 5 shows the transverse cross-sectional view of the footbed assembly  24  of FIG. 1 showing a four degree positive effective canting attitude corresponding to the adjustment of the means, shown in FIG. 3.  
         [0020]    It will be noted that the preferred canting adjustment movement of the side wedge elements  30   a  and  30   b  is predominantly transverse to the longitudinal axes of the canting assembly  24  and shoe  20 . As shown, the canting adjustment is infinitely variable over the range of from zero to about four degrees positive, with the latter being the currently preferred maximum correction at heel and/or ball for a foot experiencing excessive pronation, these areas being so corrected as they tend to share most of the weight-bearing function of the foot through the stride cycle.  
         [0021]    Optionally, the correction adjustment can be altered as to degree, range, negative and/or positive correction and correction location, by the appropriate design of the assembly to the preference of a manufacturer and marketer of this system. As noted, similar canting correction is available for correction of excessive supination, the excessive outward rolling of the foot and ankle that is the opposite condition to that of pronation, but far less frequent in occurrence. While correction for this condition could be offered in a system that also corrected for pronation, it is considered preferable at this point to offer such correction separately, to prevent trauma that could result from errors in adjustment by wearers, the majority of whom need correction solely for pronation.  
         [0022]    As to materials for the shoe construction of this invention, the upper and sole may be of any of the wide range of materials conventionally used in footwear, including natural and synthetic leather, fabrics, plastics and combinations thereof. The elements of the footbed canting assembly  24  can be from a wide range of materials, those preferred include: a non-woven socklining fabric for covering  44 , such as Cambrelle® from Faytex Corp. of Braintree, Mass. Insole  28  and side wedges  30  can be of a polyolefin such as polyethylene, molded by suppliers as Applied Plastic Tech. of Worcester, Mass. Insole base  42  can be of DuPont&#39;s Hytrel®, extruded together with a fabric base layer by Bixby Int&#39;l. of Newburyport, Mass. Circular cam  36  will be supplied, welded to stainless steel screw  34  by Peter Forg, Inc., of Somerville, Mass. Shoulder eyelet/washer assemblies  38  will be from Stimpson, Inc., of Bayport, N.Y.  
         [0023]    While the construction disclosed cites preferred embodiments of the invention, it should be understood that alternative options would include other ramp arrangements and motions as well as screw and/or lever means similarly supporting the foot while preventing entry of foreign matter into the adjustment means, all less preferred due to complexity and/or necessary rigidity of such means. Other equivalents would include means for manual adjustment from within the shoe as by a cam-adjusting screw located at the top of the footbed canting assembly  24 , directly under a conventional removable socklining in a similar location to that of the drawing, for example.  
         [0024]    While the canting footbed assembly  24  shown in the drawings is full shoe length, shorter assemblies are included herein. For example a three-quarter length backpart footbed assembly may be preferred for either casual styles such as a loafer or for those dress shoe styles where a minimum of forepart vertical height of the finished shoe is desired. Since the three-quarter or similar length backpart footbed assembly precludes forepart canting, it is not currently preferred.  
         [0025]    It should be understood that the above disclosure represents only a few applications of the concepts of this invention and that other arrangements of wedges, inserts, levers and/or screw means that function in the same or similar fashion are considered possible and equivalents to the invention under its teachings.