| 摘要 |
A shoe sole is coupled with an upper to define a foot compartment characterized by a fore-foot portion associable with metatarsals and phalanges, a mid-foot portion associable with the arch, and a hind-foot portion associable with the heel. A flexure plate, underlying the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th metatarsal-phalangeal joints of a foot when enclosed within the foot compartment, is disposed within the fore-foot portion between the foot compartment and the outer surface of the sole. During bipedal locomotion, the flexure plate deforms in response to the transfer of a wearer's weight from the mid-foot portion through the fore-foot portion, and rebounds in response to the transfer of the wearer's weight off the fore-foot portion. The deforming and rebounding of the flexure plate enables controlled transfer of the wearer's weight from the mid-foot portion sequentially to the little toe, the big toe, and the three middle toes. |
| 主权项 |
1. A shoe (10) comprising:
a sole (14), including an outer surface (22) communicable with a supporting surface upon which the shoe (10) and a wearer of the shoe (10) are supportable; an upper (12) coupled with the sole (14) to cooperatively define afoot compartment (26) characterized by a fore-foot portion (16), a mid-foot portion (18), and a hind-foot portion (20), the fore-foot portion (16) associable with the metatarsals and phalanges of a foot (50); and a flexure plate (24, 54) disposed within the fore-foot portion (16) between the foot compartment (26) and the outer surface (22) of the sole (14) to underlie the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th metatarsal-phalangeal joints of a foot (50) when enclosed within the foot compartment (26); whereby during bipedal locomotion, the flexure plate (24, 54) is deformable in response to the transfer of a weight of a wearer of the shoe (10) from the mid-foot portion (18) through the fore-foot portion (16), and is reboundable in response to the transfer of a weight of a wearer of the shoe (10) off the fore-foot portion (16); and whereby during bipedal locomotion, a weight of a wearer of the shoe (10) is transferable from the mid-foot portion (18) sequentially to the little toe (44), the big toe (36), and the three middle toes (38, 40, 42) by the deforming and rebounding of the flexure plate (24, 54). |
