Patent Publication Number: US-2011047831-A1

Title: Proprioceptive element with adjustable height

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to footwear for training, developing and enhancing proprioceptive and kinesthetic skills and neuromuscular control, and particularly to bulbous, proprioceptive (biomechanical) elements with adjustable height that are disposed on the bottom of the footwear. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Proprioception refers to the ability to know where a body part is located in space and to recognize movements of body parts (such as fingers and toes, feet and hands, legs and arms). Kinesthesia is a related term, and refers to the sensation by which position, weight, muscle tension and movement are perceived. In some of the medical literature, proprioception refers to the conscious and unconscious appreciation of joint position, while kinesthesia refers to the sensation of joint velocity and acceleration. Proprioception is often used interchangeably with kinesthesia, and herein as well, the terms will be used interchangeably. 
     U.S. patent to Elbaz and Mor describes novel proprioceptive and kinesthetic exercise apparatus, which provides significant advantages over other prior art apparatus, such as tilt boards or shoes with a single protrusion. The apparatus includes two bulbous protrusions protruding from the underside of footwear, instead of the single ball of the prior art boards and shoes. One of the protuberances is positioned more posteriorly than the other protuberance. The extra protrusion may significantly increase the possibilities and enable walking, and accelerate and improve the results of proprioceptive and kinesthetic treatment plans. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention seeks to provide further features to U.S. patent. As is described more in detail hereinbelow, in the present invention the proprioceptive (biomechanical) elements have adjustable height. 
     There is thus provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention an article including a proprioceptive element including a base for attachment to a bottom surface of a sole of a shoe, the base including a flange nut with a first set of threads formed thereon, a height adjustment ring including a threaded portion which mates with the first set of threads of the flange nut of the base, and a bulbous cap element having a curved outer contour and which is attached to the height adjustment ring, wherein turning of the height adjustment ring on the flange nut of the base adjusts the height of the bulbous cap element with respect to the base. 
     The flange nut of the base may be formed with a second set of threads, and the proprioceptive element further may include a locking ring including threads which mate with the second set of threads of the flange nut of the base, wherein the locking ring may be arranged for tightening against the height adjustment ring. 
     The height adjustment ring may include an outer rim that has markings at different places on its perimeter. The markings may indicate a direction for turning the height adjustment ring to lower and raise the bulbous cap element with respect to the base. The bulbous cap element may be attached to a cap support element which may be attached to the height adjustment ring. 
     The inner perimeter of the threaded portion of the height adjustment ring may be formed with a plurality of axial grooves, spaced from one another around the inner perimeter. A peg may be disposed in a channel formed in the base, the peg being arranged to click against the axial grooves when the height adjustment ring may be turned. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be understood and appreciated more fully from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the appended drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a simplified pictorial illustration of a proprioceptive element with adjustable height for use with footwear, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIGS. 2 and 3  are simplified, exploded perspective and side-view illustrations, respectively, of the proprioceptive element of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     Reference is now made to  FIGS. 1-3 , which illustrate a proprioceptive element  10  constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. All the parts of proprioceptive element  10  may be made of any suitable plastic or elastomer. 
     The proprioceptive element  10  may include a base  12  adapted for attachment to a bottom surface of a sole of a shoe (not shown). Base  12  may comprise a flange nut  14  with inner and outer threads  16  and  18 , respectively, formed thereon. Flange nut  14  is preferably cylindrical and relatively short in height. A flange  20  of flange nut  14  may include mounting provisions  22  (e.g., mounting holes) for attachment to the sole (such as by means of rivets, screws, etc.). Alternatively, flange  20  may be attached to the sole by adhesive or other means. 
     A height adjustment ring  24  may be provided, which has a threaded portion  26 , such as with outer threads formed thereon, which mate with the inner threads  16  of flange nut  14 . Ring  24  may include an outer rim  28 , which may be tapered inwards and have markings  30  at different places on its perimeter. (For example, the markings  30  may include “low” with an arrow pointing in the clockwise direction (as viewed from above) and “high” with an arrow pointing in the counterclockwise direction (as viewed from above).) Ring  24  may include an inner shoulder  32  surrounded by resilient tabs  34 , which may taper inwards. The inner (non-threaded) perimeter of threaded portion  26  may be formed with a plurality of axial grooves  35 , spaced from one another around the inner perimeter. 
     A bulbous cap element  36  may be provided, which may be attached to a cap support element  38 . Bulbous cap element  36  may have a curved outer contour, whose cross-section may have any curvilinear shape, such as without limitation, the shape of a conic section, that is, the shape of a circle, ellipse, parabola or hyperbola. Bulbous cap element  36  may include one or more mounting lugs  40  (two are shown in the non-limiting illustrated embodiment) depending from a flat surface  42  thereof, which may be press-fit into mounting holes  44  formed in cap support element  38 . The cap support element  38  may have a support leg  46  depending from a flat surface  48  thereof. The bulbous cap element  36  may be press fit (e.g., snapped) into the cap support element  38  and the two parts may be press fit into height adjustment ring  24  by clamping or snapping over resilient tabs  34 . 
     A locking ring  50  may be provided, which has inner threads  52  formed therein, which mate with the outer threads  18  of flange nut  14 . Locking ring  50  may be formed with a plurality of knobs  54 , spaced from one another around the perimeter of locking ring  50 . 
     In operation, in order to adjust the height of proprioceptive element  10 , height adjustment ring  24  is turned on flange nut  14 . For example, clockwise turning brings height adjustment ring  24  closer to base  12  and thus lowers the height of bulbous cap element  36 . Similarly, counterclockwise turning moves height adjustment ring  24  further from base  12  and thus raises the height of bulbous cap element  36 . A peg  56  may be disposed in a channel  58  formed in base  12 . The peg  56  may be arranged to “click” against grooves  35  of threaded portion  26  when the height adjustment ring  24  is turned. Locking ring  50  may be tightened against ring  24  to “lock” ring  24  in place. 
     A set of bulbous cap elements  36  may be provided having different weights and/or different elasticity. This may increase the possibilities for exercise and rehabilitation programs. 
     Proprioceptive elements  10  may be attached to footwear. A user may attach the footwear to his/her foot and perform a variety of maneuvers in a proprioceptive and/or kinesthetic exercise plan for the lower foot, upper leg and even upper torso and other body parts and organs. For example, the footwear may be used to reestablish neuromuscular control during rehabilitation of joints, to restore the mechanical and functional stability of the neuromuscular system, to improve or rehabilitate anticipatory (feed-forward) and reflexive (feed-back) neuromuscular control mechanism, and to regain and improve balance and postural equilibrium. 
     It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited by what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather the scope of the present invention includes both combinations and subcombinations of the features described hereinabove as well as modifications and variations thereof which would occur to a person of skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description and which are not in the prior art.