WO2001087102A1 - A protective article of footwear - Google Patents

Abstract

An article of footwear adapted to protect the werer against impact and strain injury while preserving manoeuverability and improving the flexural properties of the article, comprising a panel consisting of a row of interconnected overlapping plates (20) of an impact-resistant material, stitched or otherwise attached to the article and providing impact absorption yet enabling the front of the article to flex readily when worn. The article may be a sports boot or any other form of footwear requiring a degree of protection against impact and strain injury. The plates (20) may be mounted on one or more elasticated ligaments (21) themselves permanently or removably attached to a front panel (22) of breathable and waterproof material.

Description

A PROTECTIVE ARTICLE OF FOOTWEAR

THIS INVENTION concerns an article of footwear for protection against impact

and strain injury while preserving manoeuverability and is particularly intended to prevent

such injuries to sports people.

In certain sports, such as football for example, players are particularly vulnerable to injury of the lower leg and foot including bruised lower shins, swelling of the softer

muscle tissue on the inner shin, bruised ankles, and feet, abrasions to the calves and rear of

the leg and swelling or bruising to the Achilles tendon. Many of these injuries occur as a

result of impact but also muscle and tendon strain.

Conventional injury prevention means in general include such as elasticated sleeves

adapted to be applied over joints or sensitive areas of the body, and devices consisting of

one-piece rigid shields. Existing designs, whilst effective to a degree, offer a limited level

of protection against many of the aforesaid types of injury.

The present invention is concerned with providing an article of protective footwear

which affords adequate impact resistance whilst maintaining flexibility and manoeuverability

in use. A further object of the present device is to ensure that the force of an impact is

distributed throughout the appliance thus minimising localised bruising. Commensurate with affording adequate protection, the wearer must retain

complete freedom of movement so as not to impair physical performance and also to ensure

that muscle injury due to unnatural movement or restraint, does not occur.

Patent specification GB 2328859 describes a protective appliance including a

flexible web or sleeve adapted to be worn about a part of the body and to conform closely

to the shape thereof, and a plurality of interconnected plates of an impact-resistant material

attached to or adapted to be attached to the web or sleeve such as to permit limited relative

movement between the plates. The plates are described as being attached directly to the web or sleeve or threaded onto a central elasticated strip where the strip is attached to the web or sleeve. The plates are individually and independently movable relative to each other and to the elasticated strip. In another embodiment as described in GB 2328859 the plates are interconnected by being individually and directly stitched onto the web or sleeve without

being connected together upon a common strip.

An object of the present invention is to adopt a similar principle for footwear,

which permits greater flexibility of use than, for example, a conventional sports boot.

According to the present invention, an article of footwear for protection against

impact and strain injury, includes aplurality of interconnected plates of an impact-resistant

material individually attached to the article such as to permit limited relative movement

between the plates. The interconnected plates may be attached to at least one common ligament in

mutually overlapping relationship.

At least two of the interconnected plates may be mounted in fixed relative

disposition along the or each common ligament.

The or each common ligament may be elasticated.

The interconnected plates may be stitched to the article.

The or each common ligament may form, or include a fastener thus to be

removably attachable to the article.

The or each common ligament may form, or include, one part of a strip of hook

and loop fastener thus to be removably attachable to the article.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with

reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: -

Fig. 1 illustrates a known appliance for protection against impact and strain injury,

such as is described in GB 2328859;

Fig. 2 illustrates how such a known appliance may be removably attached to an

article of clothing. Fig. 3 shows an article of footwear embodying the invention;

Fig.4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 illustrating one form of construction of the article;

Figs. 5 and 6 are diagrammatic views showing respectively a conventional sports

boot, and one incorporating the invention; and

Fig. 7 is a detailed view of a part of the article according to a modification.

The known appliance shown in Fig. 1 , for wearing upon the lower leg comprises

an inner elasticated sock 10 made from stretch neoprene rather like an elasticated joint

protector but which covers the entire lower leg from just below the knee down to around

the ankle. The sock 10 is shaped to the natural contour of the leg, hugging the structure of the muscles and the tendons and providing a non-slip base around which the rest of the

appliance is created. The material of the sock 10 affords an excellent grip which helps it stay in position whilst at the same time enabling completely free movement of the lower leg,

and a stirrup 11 may be provided to pass under the foot.

An outer protective layer is provided in the form of "stretch armour" and consists

of a number of panels 12 each comprising a vertical column of overlapping of an impact-

resistant material such as a high density polyethylene or leather, connected together on, and

movable with respect to, an inner central strip of elastic. Each such panel 12 of stretch armour and elastic strip is stitched at its opposed

ends, as shown at 14, to the inner sock 10.

The plates 13 of each panel, although overlapping and to some extent nesting

together, are of progressively varying shape and dimensions throughout the length of the

panel thus to conform to the shape of the limb. Thus, for example, the front panel 12 has

plates which are wider at the top and gradually reduce in width down towards the ankle.

The panels 12 may overlap where appropriate to provide a complete shield around the lower

leg leaving a space only where necessary to ensure complete freedom of movement.

Owing to the overlapping configuration of the plates 13, the force of any impact

is distributed throughout the associated panel 12 and thus dispersed over a large surface

area with the effect of minimising localised bruising.

The entire appliance, because of its close conformity with the shape of the leg may

be worn conveniently beneath, for example, a football sock and thus can be concealed thereby.

A similar appliance may be adapted for use on any part of the body but particularly

those parts most prone to impact injury.

Referring now to Fig. 2, the panels 12 are constructed such as to be removably

attachable to the sock 10 or to any article to be worn about a part of the body to be

protected. Thus, the plates 15 are arranged in overlapping relationship and each attached, for example by stitching as at 17, to an elastic strip or ligament 16. Relative movement of

the plates 15 is afforded by the resilient nature of the ligament 16.

Accordingly, the appliance may be constructed independently of the article to

which it is to be attached and may thus be applied to the article at any selected location.

Tapes 18 of hook and loop fastener such as that sold under the registered trade mark

VELCRO are permanently attached to the ligament 16 in the two end regions thereof

whereby the appliance can be readily attached to, and detached from, the garment.

The elasticated nature of the ligament 16 maintains the plates 15 in the correct relative orientation but allows for relative movement between them as the appliance bends,

due to the flexible and resilient nature of the ligaments.

Referring now to Figs. 3 to 6, and in accordance with the present invention, such

protection is shown as being incorporated in the design of an article of footwear, in this case

a sports boot. It will be seen that the upper front region of the boot is formed as a

longitudinally extending row of transversely extending overlapping plates 20 attached, for

example by stitching, to a pair of elasticated ligaments 21 which are themselves attached to

a panel 22 of breathable and preferably waterproof fabric which is stitched to the upper part

of the boot, and replaces the upper central part thereof. Each plate 20 is stitched (or

bonded) to the body of the boot as shown by the dotted lines 50. At least some of the plates

20 may include loops and thus be threadedly engaged upon the ligaments 21 , or on a single

such ligament. Further plates 23 may be stitched or bonded to the rear of the boot to match the

plates 20 for aesthetic purposes.

Fig.5 illustrates a conventional sports boot having limited flexibility in the forward

region 24 of the boot. The natural rigidity of that part of the boot tends to inhibit the

wearer's ability to bend the foot (arrow 25) and thus achieve spring.

As illustrated in Fig. 6, provision of the plates 20 substantially increases the flexibility of the forward part of the boot thus increasing the wearer's uplift (arrow 26) and

natural spring. The individual plates have sufficient interactive flexibility to accommodate

the natural shape and movements of the foot thus considerably increasing the wearer's agility.

In the examples of Figs. 3, 4 and 6 the individual plates 20, while being independently flexural with a degree of relative movement, are stitched or bonded directly

onto the boot thus in some cases, avoiding the need for the ligaments 21. However, the

provision of the or each ligament 21 ensures that the correct alignment and integrity of the

assembly of plates is maintained without the need for stitching the central regions of the

plages directly to the article. It is conceivable that in some footwear applications the

assembly of plates 20 and ligament 21 may be removably and securely attached by some

fastening means such as strips of hook and loop fastener. Removal would assist cleaning

and would allow for replacement of the plate assembly for one having, for example, greater

(or less) impact resistance or flexibility. The plates 20 may be made available in a number of different thicknesses or grades

of rigidity and strength. For example, if the plates were replaceable a user having a recent

injury may apply a thicker or heavier grade of plate initially and then reduce its thickness and

weight during the recovery period.

As shown in Fig. 7, each plate 20 may consist of an outer shell 31 and a core 32 of a more highly impact-resistant material thus to improve impact absorption and

distribution through the structure of the article.

The ability of the plates to distribute or dissipate impact energy throughout the

plate assembly, affords the wearer a degree of control over the effect of the impact. For example, in a sports environment, the speed and direction of rebound of a ball impacting upon the boot may be better controlled by a player as a result of the force dissipation.

While the article is ideal for use by people engaged in sports activities it may be used also by law enforcement personnel or for medical and surgical applications.

While the invention has been particularly described as a sports boot, any other form

of footwear can incorporate the inventive features as described and claimed herein.

Claims

1. An article of footwear for protection against impact and strain injury, including a

plurality of interconnected plates of an impact-resistant material individually

attached to the article such as to permit limited relative movement between the

plates.

2. An article according to Claim 1 , wherein the interconnected plates are attached to the article in mutually overlapping relationship.

3. An article according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the interconnected plates are

attached to at least one common ligament.

4. An article according to Claim 3, wherein at least two of the interconnected plates are mounted in fixed relative disposition along the or each common ligament.

5. An article according to Claim 3 or Claim 4, wherein the or each common ligament

is elasticated.

6. An article according to any one of Claims 3 to 5, wherein the or each common

ligament forms, or includes, a fastener thus to be removably attached to the article.

7. An article according to any one of Claims 3 to 6, wherein the or each common

ligament forms, or includes, one part of a strip of hook and loop fastener thus to

be removably attached to the article.

8. An article according to Claim 3 , wherein at least some of the interconnected plates

have loops and are threadedly engaged upon said at least one ligament.

9. An article according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the interconnected plates are

non-removably attached to the article.

10. An article according to Claim 9, wherein the interconnected plates are non- removably attached to the article by stitching.

11. An article according to Claim 9, wherein the interconnected plates are non-

removably attached to the article by bonding.

12. An article according to any preceding claim , wherein the interconnected plates are

of a high-density polyethylene.

13. An article according to any preceding claim, wherein at least some of the

interconnected plates consist individually of an outer shell having a core of a

material which is more highly impact-resistant than that of the outer shell.

14. An article according to any preceding claim , wherein the interconnected plates

occupy the upper front region of the article and are mounted upon a panel of

waterproof fabric in said region.

15. An article according to any preceding claim wherein each of the interconnected

plates is individually stitched (or bonded) to the body of the article at positions

inset from the ends of the plate.

16. An article according to any one of Claims 1 to 8, wherein all, or some, of the

interconnected plates are removably attached to the article.