US 9,282,783 B2Granted

Human locomotion assisting shoe

OwnerMark Costin Roserinventor

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

Embodiments of footwear, in particular, a shoe, sandal or boot, may reduce the effort and improve the performance of walking, running, hiking, marching, and various other gaits as well as jumping, hopping, and other motion involving the ankle and lower leg and Achilles tendon, through integration of force-carrying mechanisms within footwear that manage the forces and energy associated with such motion by productively harvesting and storing energy during dorsiflexion motion and releasing and returning energy during plantar flexion. One structural element of such footwear may comprise a top collar yoke having anterior and posterior gussets forming a channel and a shoe comprising a rotation zone supporting the channel and an elastomeric zone forming a tension spring via an elastomeric overlay or otherwise providing a spring-like member approximately parallel to and to assist the Achilles tendon during locomotion.

Claims22

Dependent claims

Footwear comprising:

(a) a footwear body comprising an upper and a sole, the upper further comprising of plurality of layers stitched together;
(b) a rotatable collar yoke capable of rotation relative to the footwear body, the collar yoke comprising plurality of layers stitched together;
(c) a lateral and medial hinge comprising articulate joints connecting the upper and the collar yoke;
(d) at least one tension spring capable of harvesting and storing energy while a user is dorsiflexing their foot prior to heal lift and returning stored energy after heal lift while the user is plantar flexing;
(e) at least one means capable of transmitting forces into the tension spring and the hinges through the rotatable collar yoke, the means comprising an internal stiffening layer in the collar yoke to resist deformation under load;
and
(f) at least one means capable of transmitting force from the hinges to the sole through the multilayered upper, the means comprising an internal stiffening layer in the upper or a plurality of eyestays or a combination thereof;
wherein said rotatable collar yoke follows motion of lower leg above the ankle joint of a user and the footwear body follows motion of foot of the user;
and
wherein at least one of the layers of the multilayered upper comprises the stiffener capable of transmitting force from the hinges to the sole.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/839,202Filed 15 Mar 2013 · continuation
Priority: 9 Mar 2010
Published: US 2013/0219753 A129 Aug 2013
Granted: 15 Mar 2016
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

A43B 7/20
Joint supports, e.g. instep supports: ankle-joint supports or holders
A43B 3/12
Footwear characterised by the shape or the use: sandals; Strap guides thereon
A43B 5/06
Footwear for sporting purposes: running shoes; Track shoes
A43B 7/18
With foot-supporting parts: joint supports, e.g. instep supports

Family

Application12/720,408Parent of this continuation · filed 9 Mar 2010
US 2013/0219753 A1Pre-grant publication · published 29 Aug 2013
US 8,438,757 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2010/0319215 A1Published application
US 9,282,783 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.