DE20116526U1 - Shoe to correct the misalignment of a toe - Google Patents

Description

Bonsmann & Bonsmann KaidenWWhener street 35a

D-41063 Mönchengladbach PATENT ATTORNEYS Tel 02161/12114 Fax 16296

File: 01 235 N

Ursula Wolf

Breyellerstr. 7, 41334 Nettetal

Shoe to correct the misalignment of a toe

The present invention relates to a shoe for correcting the misalignment of a toe, in particular for the prevention and treatment of hallux valgus, wherein the shoe has a footbed with a toe area.

Hallux valgus is a common misalignment of the big toe, in which the position of the big toe is increasingly deformed in the direction of the next smaller toe, causing various problems. This deformity is almost always acquired, for example as a stress deformity caused by a splayfoot, a crooked foot or a flat foot, or by muscular dysfunction or accidents. A hallux valgus misalignment usually develops gradually, with a change in muscle mechanics resulting in a progressive misalignment that can ultimately only be corrected surgically.

For non-surgical treatment of this misalignment, it is known to counteract it by attaching a leather strap around the big toe in the toe area of a shoe in such a way that the misalignment is counteracted by mechanical pressure on the affected big toe. However, in order to attach such leather straps, bulky and expensive orthopedic shoes are usually required.

which are very expensive and do not look good. Furthermore, the leather straps on sandals are quite conspicuous and are often not comfortable to wear. Finally, constantly adjusting the shoe to the degree of misalignment is time-consuming with the known approach.

The invention is based on the object of improving a shoe of the type described at the outset in such a way that a gentle correction is possible in an unobtrusive manner, whereby commercially available shoes should be usable.

To achieve the above-mentioned object, within the scope of the present invention, a shoe of the type mentioned at the outset is proposed in which a pin-like device extending from the footbed is provided in the toe area, which in the position of use engages in the toe gap between the toe to be corrected and the adjacent toe, and which is arranged such that the pin-like device exerts a corrective force on the misaligned toe.

Such a pin-like device, which extends out from the footbed, is much less conspicuous than a corresponding leather strap and, since no additional volume is required, can be integrated into standard shoes - preferably open shoes.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pin-like device is designed to be adjustable at least in a direction extending along the width of the foot. For this purpose, an insert can be provided in the footbed, which has a recessed rail, within which the pin-like device is arranged so as to be displaceable by means of a type of rider, whereby suitable

The pin-like device can be fixed in place by taking appropriate measures - e.g. a locking screw or a catch. This allows the user to continuously move the pin-like device in millimeters to compensate for the misalignment of the toe.

The pin-like device is preferably made of rubber or another elastic plastic. The resulting flexibility allows the pin-like device to bend to a certain extent and in this way, on the one hand, exerts a certain preload on the misaligned toe, and on the other hand, allows the movement of the foot during walking to be taken into account.

The shape of the pin-like device is adapted to the anatomical requirements of the toe to be corrected. In particular, the device can be angled at its upper end towards the toe to be corrected in order to partially enclose the toe upwards. A hook-shaped continuation of the pin-like device is also possible. The pin-like arrangement can contain a wire or similar as a core for stabilization, by means of which the pin can be individually plastically deformed.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing.

The single figure shows a schematic plan view of the footbed 10 of a shoe according to the invention. The shoe can be, for example, a sandal, a slipper, a casual shoe, etc.

In the toe area of the footbed, a recess is provided into which an insert 12 is embedded, which, for example,

made of metal or a harder plastic (e.g. silicone). A rail device 22 is incorporated into the insert 12 and forms an open slot 14 that extends along the broad side of the footbed 10. A pin 16 is guided in the rail device 22. This extends essentially perpendicularly out of the plane of the footbed. The pin has a guide head with projections on its underside (not shown) that engage behind corresponding areas on both long sides of the rail device 22, whereby the pin 16 is held in the upright position. As indicated in the drawing, the rail device has a rack-shaped locking profile on its base, the pin 16 having a corresponding profile on its underside (not shown), so that a locking of the pin 16 within the slot 14 is ensured. In the area of the left end position of the rail device (which is never used for therapeutic purposes) a larger recess 18 is provided, by means of which the pin 16 can be removed or inserted. Furthermore, it can be provided that the pin can be tilted by 90 ° within the rail device and in this way can be sunk within the rail device 22.

The pin can also be locked in a different way than described above. For example, a slide-movably guided slider (not shown) can be provided in the rail device, the slider having a threaded hole into which the pin can be screwed with a thread provided at its lower end, the pin-like device screwed into the slider blocking the slider's sliding movement by the part of the thread protruding from the slider against the lower end.

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side of the rail device. This type of locking mechanism has the advantage that it can be adjusted continuously and that the pin can be removed in any position by unscrewing it.

However, the pin can also be attached or guided in a different way within the scope of the invention. In the simplest case, various threaded holes can be provided in the footbed, into which a corresponding pin is screwed depending on the desired position.

The pin 16 preferably consists of an elastic material such as hard rubber, a rubber-coated or leather-covered metal or wire core or the like. In the position of use, the pin is arranged in the splint device in such a way that it engages in the space between the big toe and the next smaller toe, with the right-hand side 20 of the pin in the drawing exerting a corrective force on the big toe. As the misalignment decreases, the pin can be gradually adjusted further to the right and thus constantly adapted to the success of the therapy.

Claims (7)

1. Shoe for correcting the misalignment of a toe, in particular for the prevention and treatment of hallux valgus, the shoe having a footbed ( 10 ) with a toe area, characterized in that a pin-like device ( 16 ) extending from the footbed is provided in the toe area, which in the position of use engages in the toe gap between the toe to be corrected and the adjacent toe and which is arranged such that the pin-like device ( 16 ) exerts a corrective force on the misaligned toe. 2. Shoe according to claim 1, characterized in that the pin-like device ( 16 ) is adjustable at least in a direction extending along the width of the foot. 3. Shoe according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the pin-like device ( 16 ) is designed to be removable and/or retractable into the footbed ( 10 ). 4. Shoe according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the pin-like device ( 16 ) is made entirely or partially of rubber and/or covered with leather. 5. Shoe according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the footbed ( 10 ) has an insert ( 12 ) in the toe area, which has a rail-shaped guide device ( 22 ), and that the pin-like device ( 16 ) has a clamping or locking device at its lower end, which is displaceable in the rail-shaped guide device ( 22 ) and can be fixed therein. 6. Shoe according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the rail-shaped guide device ( 22 ) has a plurality of locking points by means of which the pin-like device ( 16 ) can be fixed at various points in the toe area of the footbed ( 10 ). 7. Shoe according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the pin-like device is guided on a runner which is guided in a displaceable manner in the rail-shaped guide device, the runner having a threaded bore into which the pin-like device can be screwed with a thread provided at its lower end, and that the guide device is designed such that the pin-like device screwed into the runner arrests a displacement movement of the runner.