Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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Weighted Footwear
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of weighted footwear, and in
particular,
relates to a weight system for use on a skate.
Backjzround of the Invention
Exercising weights for various types of footwear, and in particular, various
types
of skates, have been previously described. For example, various weighted skate
devices
have been described in Canadian patent publication Nos. 2088617 and 2217759.
Further,
additional weighted footwear has also been described in US Patent Nos.
3582067,
3901524, and more recently, US Patent Publication No. 2004/0259666. These
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documents all provide systems and devices for attaching weights to the legs or
footwear
worn by an athlete. This use of athletic training devices which are capable of
having or
including additional weights, attached to either a participant or their
athletic equipment
during a training session, is well known. These devices are commonly used
during
practice sessions as the athletes simulate the movements and activities they
will employ
during competition. By practicing with additional weight, an athlete develops
strength,
speed and endurance as their body works to overcome the additional weight. In
addition,
practicing with these devices creates an added sense of quickness and
confidence in an
athlete when the weight is removed during a game situation. As such, these
devices assist
in developing the athlete's strength, stamina, speed, or overall conditioning.
With particular reference to footwear, and skates in particular, the purpose
of
mounting additional weights on ice skates is to improve the performance of
skaters,
either professional or ordinary skaters, who wish to improve their
performances while
skating. Prior art devices include ankle weights to be wrapped around the
ankles of the
athlete, weights adapted to be strapped on to, or attached to, a skate, or
flexible weighted
tapes or bindings that can be wrapped around various portions of the skate.
However, traditional ankle weights are not particularly well suited for use on
a
skate since they tend to be held too far up the leg since the boot of the
skate interferes
with a lower location of the ankle weight.
Further, the various weights used and described in the prior art devices, for
attachment to the skate, all typically locate the weight at a location away
from the ankle
and/or away from the point of rotation of the foot in the normal movement of
the foot.
This leads to excessive weight being located in a position where it does not
assist in
developing leg strength, but requires overuse of the ankle and foot muscles
and tendons
in order to move and/or compensate for the poorly distributed weight. This
excessive
weighting can lead to strained muscles, tendinitis, or other injuries related
to the foot or
ankle. Further, the poorly positioned weighting of the skate can affect the
skater's
balance, skating motion, or affect the skater's normal agility or flexibility.
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As such, to overcome these difficulties, it would be advantageous to provide a
weight system for a foot or footwear, and in particular, a skate, that could
be better
positioned, with respect to the user's ankle position.
Summary of the Invention
Accordingly, it is a principal advantage of the present invention to provide a
weight to a skate in order to require a greater performance from the legs of
the skaters
within a shorter period of time.
It is a further advantage of the present invention to provide a system wherein
the
weights are securely attached to the skates in order to ensure that they will
not move
during any regular exercise of the skater.
A still further advantage of the present invention is to provide a securing
means
which will make the device easily installed or removed from the ice skates so
that a
skater may install or remove it quickly before a hockey game, an artistic
performance or
a mere exercise practice.
It is a still further advantage of the present invention to provide a weight
system
wherein the weights are located in a position that will not unduly interfere
with the
skater's nature balance, flexibility or skating motion.
A yet still further advantage of the present invention is to provide a weight
system wherein the weights are located in a position wherein excessive strain
on the
muscles and tendons of the ankle joint is eliminated or otherwise ameliorated.
An even further advantage of the present invention is to provide a weight
system
wherein weights can be easily added or removed from the system, and wherein
the
weight on each side of the ankle can be adjusted or balanced.
The advantages set out hereinabove, as well as other objects and goals
inherent
thereto, are at least partially or fully provided by the foot weight system of
the present
invention, as set out herein below.
Accordingly, in one aspect, the present invention provides a foot weight
device
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for adding weight to the foot of a user, comprising a retaining system for
attaching the
foot weight device to the foot or footwear of a user, one or a plurality of
preferably
removable weights for use in the foot weight device, and one or a plurality of
weight
receiving pockets, attached to said retaining system, for receiving and
holding said
weights, wherein said weight receiving pockets are positioned on said
retaining system
so as to be located, in use, immediately adjacent to, or centered on, the
ankle of a user.
In particular, the weight receiving pockets are preferably positioned so as to
be
immediately adjacent to either the lateral or medial malleolus portions of the
ankle. Still
more preferably, weights are positioned adjacent to both the lateral and
medial malleolus
portions so that a balanced amount of weight is applied to sides of the ankle.
It is to be noted that the ankle is primarily a"hinged" joint capable of
moving the
foot in two primary directions; away from the body (plantar flexion), and
toward the
body (dorsiflexion). It is formed by the meeting of three bones. The end of
the shin bone
of the leg (tibia) and a small bone in the leg (fibula) meet a large bone in
the foot, called
the talus, to form the ankle. The end of the shin bone (tibia) forms the inner
portion of
the ankle, while the end of the fibula forms the outer portion of the ankle.
The hard bony
knobs on each side of the ankle are called the malleoli, with the outside of
the ankle
being the lateral malleolus, and the inner portion of the ankle being the
medial malleolus.
In essence, the foot rotates around the ankle through a line between the
lateral
and medial malleolus. As such, ensuring that the weights of the weight system
of the
present invention are held immediately adjacent to, or centered on, the
lateral and/or
medical malleolus, ensures that there is little or no interference with the
normal rotation
and movement of the foot. As such, the weights of the present invention,
provide a solid
workout of the user's legs, without excessive force being applied to the
user's ankles.
In an alternative embodiment, the weight receiving pockets can be integrally
formed in the footwear, and thus eliminate the need for straps or a form to
hold the
weight receiving pockets in place. As such, in a further aspect, the present
invention also
provides weighted footwear comprising footwear, one or a plurality of integral
weight
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receiving pockets attached to said footwear for receiving and holding one or a
plurality
of weights, and one or a plurality of weights for insertion into said weight
receiving
pockets, and, wherein said weight receiving pockets are positioned on said
footwear so
as to be located immediately adjacent to, or centered on, the ankle of a user.
Detailed Description of the Invention
In the present application, the term "foot weight" or "weight system" is used
to
refer to a weight that is preferably positioned on footwear. This can include
a variety of
different types of skates, including, for example, ice skates, hockey skates,
figure skates,
speed skates, in-line roller skates, roller skates, or other similar devices
such as roller
blades, or the like. However, the skilled artisan will be aware that the
footwear weight
system of the present invention can be used in a wide variety of other
footwear
applications, including for example, running shoes, training shoes, track
shoes, skiis,
cross-country skiis, or the like.
Further, while the present application is described hereinbelow with
particular
reference to the skate industry, and in particular, the hockey skate industry,
the skilled
artisan would be well aware that the present invention is equally applicable
for use in
other types of footwear.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Embodiments of this invention will now be described by way of example only in
association with the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective outside view of a weight device of the present
invention
fitted to a hockey skate;
FIG. 2 is a perspective inside view of the weight device and skate of Figure
1;
FIG. 3 is a first side view of the weight device shown as seen in Figure 1,
without
the skate;
FIG. 4 is a second side view of the weight device shown in Figure 2, without
the
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skate;
FIG. 5 is a top view of the strap system and weight receiving portions of the
weight device of Figure 1, shown in a flattened, extended shape;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a weight to be inserted into the weight
receiving
portions; and
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a weight system of the present invention
integrally
incorporated into a shoe.
Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments
The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the present
invention, as to its structure, organization, use and method of operation,
together with
further objectives and advantages thereof, will be better understood from the
following
drawings in which a presently preferred embodiment of the invention will now
be
illustrated by way of example only. In the drawings, like reference numerals
depict like
elements.
It is expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of
illustration and description only and are not intended as a definition of the
limits of the
invention.
Referring to Figures 1 to 4, a foot weight device 10 is shown attached to a
skate
12, in Figures 1 and 2, and shown separately without the skate in Figures 3
and 4.
Skate 12 comprises a boot section 14 on which is mounted a skate blade 16.
Device 10 has an outer shell, generally shown as 11, which is adapted to be
fitted around
the ankle section of boot 14, and extend across the front of the user's foot.
Weight device 10 has a strap 20 which extends from a first end 22 of device
10,
through a D-ring 24 located on a second end 26 of device 10, and then
attached, by a
Velcro (TM) fastener 21 to the first end 22. As such, device 10 is held in
position on the
skate boot 14.
On each side of device 10, as shown in Figure 1, there is a weight receiving
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pocket 30, which is adapted to receive one or more weights 60. Each of pockets
30 have
an optional cover 32, which are held in place by additional Velcro fasteners
31. As best
seen in Figure 4, each weight receiving pocket 30 is separated into three
compartments
34 so as to receive up to three weights. A suitable weight 60, is shown in
Figure 6, which
is adapted so as to fit within any one of compartments 34.
An optional additional strap 40 is attached to device 10, and is adapted to
pass
under boot 14, above skate blade 16, through D-rink 41, and back, in order to
hold
device 10 in place, using Velcro fasteners 33.
Details of the construction of device 10 are shown in Figure 5 in which device
10
from Figures 1 to 4 is laid flat. The various components from Figures 1 to 4
can be seen,
including D-ring 41 through which strap 40 passes and then returns to attach
to a further
Velcro fastener 33. One of pockets 30 is shown in an open position so that the
three
weights 60, in the three compartments 34, can be seen.
Weights 60 can be manufactured from any suitable material. However, a solid
weight (as opposed to loosely packed or granular materials such as sand, iron
shot or the
like) is preferred. Most preferably, the weight is a steel bar which has been
coated with a
plastic material, such as a vinyl coating which has been applied by dipping
the weight in
a plastisol coating material, in order to prevent rusting or corrosion of the
steel
component.
Typically, each weight 60 will weight approximately 0.5 pounds (229 gram) to 1
pound (458 g) each. With a total of six compartments per foot, the total
weight will be
approximately 3 to 6 pounds (1.374 to 2.748 kg). The number of weight
compartments
34 and the weight of weight 60 can vary so as to preferably provide a total
weight on
each foot of between 100 g and 3 kg, and more preferably, between 300 and 2.5
kg.
The number of compartments 34 per foot is preferably between 1 and 5, and most
preferably, between 2 and 4. Each weight can be essentially identical in size,
shape and
weight, and has a weight between 25 and 600 g, and more preferably, between
200 and
500 g. However, different weight sizes and shapes might also be used, and
compartments
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34 can vary in size and shape to hold different weight sizes.
Preferred suitable weights are vinyl coated steel bars having a length of 10
cm, a
width of 2.5 cm, and a depth of 1.25 cm, and having a weight of 0.5 pounds
(229 gram).
A larger weight would have a length of 10 cm, a width of 2.5 cm, and a depth
of 2.5 cm,
and having a weight of 1 pounds (458 gram). Compartments 34 are preferably
sized so as
to receive either the 0.5 (229 g) or 1 pound (458 g) weights.
Weight device 10 is preferably constructed primarily of a strong outer shell
suitable for use in the present application. Preferred materials include
ballistic nylon,
cordura nylon, neoprene, cotton, cotton mix, polyester, polyester mix,
leather, or rubber
coated latex materials. Most preferably, the outer shell is made of ballistic
nylon.
The straps can be made from any suitable material, but preferably are nylon
straps. The straps are preferably held in place by looping the strap through a
D-ring, and
using Velcro fasteners to hold the end of the strap in place. Using, this
system, device 10
can be custom fitted to the user. However, other fasteners such as buckles,
hooks,
buttons, clasps or the like, might also be used.
The D-rings can be made of plastic or metal, or the like, and are sized so as
to
receive the straps utilized. The straps are preferably between 2.5 and 5 cm in
width, and
the D-rings are sized so as to receive these straps.
The weight device 10 is particularly suited for use on a skate, and in
particular a
hockey skate. However, device 10 can be fitted to other types of skates or
footwear, as
described hereinabove.
In Figure 7, a shoe 100 is shown which integrally incorporates the weight
receiving pockets 102, and thus eliminates the need for straps to hold the
weight
receiving pockets in place. Otherwise, however, the weight system when used
for shoe
100 is essentially identical to the weight system described in respect of
Figures 1 to 6.
Thus, it is apparent that there has been provided, in accordance with the
present
invention, a foot weight device for use on footwear, which fully satisfies the
goals,
objects, and advantages set forth hereinbefore. Therefore, having described
specific
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embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that alternatives,
modifications and variations thereof may be suggested to those skilled in the
art, and that
it is intended that the present specification embrace all such alternatives,
modifications
and variations as fall within the scope of the appended claims.
Additionally, for clarity and unless otherwise stated, the word "comprise" and
variations of the word such as "comprising" and "comprises", when used in the
description and claims of the present specification, is not intended to
exclude other
additives, components, integers or steps.
Moreover, the words "substantially" or "essentially", when used with an
adjective
or adverb is intended to enhance the scope of the particular characteristic;
e.g.,
substantially planar is intended to mean planar, nearly planar and/or
exhibiting
characteristics associated with a planar element.
Further, use of the terms "he", "him", or "his", is not intended to be
specifically
directed to persons of the masculine gender, and could easily be read as
"she", "her", or
"hers", respectively.
Also, while this discussion has addressed prior art known to the inventor, it
is not
an admission that all art discussed is citable against the present
application.
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