SHOE FOR USE ON ANIMALS

Abstract

A shoe for the foot (5) of an animal. The shoe includes a sole (10) and an upper part (20) that are connected to each other, and where the upper part (20) has an opening with a tightening mechanism (70) to tighten the shoe against the foot (5). The tightening mechanism (70) includes at least one attachment part (50) which is secured to a toe portion (15) or a heel portion (35) of the sole (10), and the at least one attachment part (50) is located lower than the tightening mechanism (70) in the upper part (20) so that the upper part (20) is drawn down against the sole (10) upon tightening to give a snug fit around the foot (5).

Claims

1. A shoe for a foot of an animal, the shoe comprising: a sole; an upper part connected to the sole and extending upwardly therefrom; and a tightening mechanism for tightening the shoe against the foot, the tightening mechanism including a fastener and at least one attachment part that is secured to a toe portion of the sole, the upper part comprising an opening; wherein the fastener is connected to the at least one attachment part and to opposing portions of the upper part at the opening, wherein, upon tightening of the tightening mechanism, the fastener draws the opposing portions of the upper part towards each other and the upper part down towards the attachment part to provide a snug fit around the foot independent of the diameter of the foot and the foot print in the sole, and wherein the at least one attachment part is located below the fastener.

2. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein upper part is separated from the toe portion of the sole.

3. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein the sole is soft such that the upper part and the sole, on tightening, will be drawn towards each other.

4. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein the sole is hard such that, on tightening, only the upper part will be drawn down towards the sole.

5. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein the fastener of the tightening mechanism includes a fastening lace that is threaded through guiding elements on the opposing sides of the opening and then through at the at least one attachment part in the toe portion of the sole.

6. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein the fastener of the tightening mechanism includes hook closure levers that are connected to the at least one attachment part in the toe portion of the sole.

7. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein there is a friction material on an inside of the upper part.

8. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein the upper part is made of a flexible material so that the upper part fits snugly around the foot independent of the geometry of the foot in order to prevent rotation of the sole part of the shoe.

9. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein at least one attachment part is mounted on a slide or hinge so as to allow the attachment part to move in the longitudinal direction in order to reach a tightening point on the sole which rests against the foot independent of the size of the sole.

10. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein the fastener of the tightening mechanism comprises one or more hook-and-loop fasteners and the attachment part comprises a tightening hand for fastening to at least one of the hook-and-loop fasteners.

11. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein the shoe further comprises a front cover comprising a fastener for fastening the front cover to the upper part.

12. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein the upper part comprises an elastic heel part.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the figures, wherein:

[0032] FIG. 1 is a side view illustrating the principle of the tightening mechanism with the attachment part for a shoe;

[0033] FIG. 2 is a front view illustrating the principle of the tightening mechanism with the attachment part for a shoe;

[0034] FIG. 3 is a side view of a high type of shoe with the tightening mechanism at the front;

[0035] FIG. 4 is a front view of a high type of shoe with the tightening mechanism at the front;

[0036] FIG. 5 is a side view of a low type of shoe with the tightening mechanism at the back;

[0037] FIG. 6 is a front view of a low type of shoe with the tightening mechanism at the back;

[0038] FIG. 7 is a front view of details of the tightening mechanism with hook closure levers;

[0039] FIG. 8 is a top view of details of a tightening mechanism with hook closure levers;

[0040] FIG. 9 is a side view illustrating the tightening mechanism prior to the tightening thereof;

[0041] FIG. 10 is a side view illustrating the shoe after the tightening mechanism has been tightened;

[0042] FIG. 11 is a front view illustrating the effect of the tightening mechanism;

[0043] FIG. 12 is a top view illustrating the tightening mechanism prior to the tightening thereof;

[0044] FIG. 13 is a top view illustrating the shoe after the tightening mechanism has been tightened;

[0045] FIG. 14 is a top view illustrating another embodiment of the shoe after the tightening mechanism has been tightened;

[0046] FIG. 15 is a side view showing a further embodiment of the shoe in an open position;

[0047] FIG. 16 is a front view showing a further embodiment of the shoe in an open position;

[0048] FIG. 17 is a front view showing a further embodiment of the shoe in a tightened position;

[0049] FIG. 18 is a side view showing a further embodiment of the shoe in a tightened position; and

[0050] FIG. 19 is a top view showing a further embodiment of the shoe in a closed position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0051] Recently a new type of shoe has been developed for animals, which is highly suitable for horses. The shoe is described by a sole which, together with an upper part, constitutes a shoe that can be made extremely light and such that in use it will not hamper the natural movements of the animal. It has additional properties which mean that it can be utilized for all kinds of use and surfaces and is quick and easy to mount and tighten.

[0052] However, there has been a need to find an improved solution for tightening the shoe to a hoof such that a shoe of a given size of sole and upper part can fit several different shapes of hoof and at the same time sit quite firmly without the shoe changing its position relative to the foot during use.

[0053] The present invention solves this problem, and is described by a shoe for the foot of an animal, the shoe comprising a sole and an upper part that are connected to each other, and where the upper part comprises an opening with a tightening mechanism for tightening the shoe against the foot.

[0054] FIGS. 1 and 2 show the principle of the tightening mechanism with the attachment part for a shoe. FIG. 1 is a side view of a shoe, whilst FIG. 2 is a front view of a shoe.

[0055] The shoe comprises a sole 10 and an upper part 20 which are connected to each other, and where the upper part 20 comprises an opening and a tightening mechanism 70 to tighten the shoe against the foot 5. The shoe is characterised in that the tightening mechanism 70 comprises at least one attachment part 50 that is fastened to toe portion 15 or heel portion 35 of the sole 10, and where the at least one attachment part 50 is located lower than the tightening mechanism 70 in the upper part 20, such that the upper part 20 is drawn down towards the sole 10 upon tightening in order to give a snug fit around the foot 5.

[0056] By tightening mechanism 70 is meant the parts of the shoe which, together, will ensure that the shoe can be tightened snugly around the foot 5 after the shoe has been put on. The upper part 20 of the shoe is that part of the shoe that is above the sole 10 and which comprises a part that can be drawn in so that the shoe is tightened against the foot 5. Different tightening mechanisms 70 can be used, such as a shoelace, hook closure lever and hook-and-loop fastener. Laces or cords may be combined with a toggle cord lock 60. It is equally possible to use other types of mechanical tightening mechanisms as well as chemical tightening mechanisms. The lightening mechanism provides for a tightening of the shoe around the foot and locks the tightened parts in this tightened position for a period of use of the shoe.

[0057] The fact that there is an attachment part 50 that is located lower than the tightening mechanism 70 means that the sole 10 can be adjusted and tightened around a hoof even though the sole 10 at the outset is too big for the hoofprint. It will thus be possible to use a shoe with a fixed given size on hooves of different sizes.

[0058] In one embodiment of the invention, the upper part 20 comprises an opening with a tightening mechanism 70 that is separate from a toecap part 25 of the upper part 20 such that, on tightening, the upper part 20 fits snugly around the foot 5 independent of the diameter of the foot 5 and the foot's 5 print in the sole 10.

[0059] In other embodiments the upper part 20 which comprises an opening with the tightening mechanism 70 is separate from the toe portion 15 or the heel portion 35 of the sole. When there is a separation between the upper part and the heel or toe portion to which the attachment part is secured the movement of the upper part in the direction of the attachment part during tightening is less restricted by the material of the upper part.

[0060] The tightening mechanism 70 is preferably arranged in the upper part 20 above the same toe portion 15 or heel portion 35 that the at least one attachment part 50 is secured to. Accordingly, if the opening and the tightening mechanism are arranged in the front part over the toe part, the attachment part is secured to the toe part. If the tightening mechanism is arranged in the heel section of the upper part then the attachment part is secured to the heel part.

[0061] This characteristic feature of a separate toecap 25 from the upper part 20 will, together with the said characteristic feature of attachment part 50 in toe portion 15 of the sole 10, ensure that both sole 10 and upper part 20 of a shoe of a given size and shape will be adjustable to hooves of different shapes.

[0062] In addition to being adjustable to different hooves, the shoe will also be tightened snugly against different parts of the hoof when the tightening mechanism is tightened.

[0063] A shoe according to the invention can be made having different hardness of the sole 10. When a soft sole 10 is used, the upper part 20 and the sole 10, on tightening, will be drawn towards each other, whilst when a hard sole 10 is used, only the upper part 20 will be drawn down towards the sole 10 on tightening.

[0064] In an embodiment of the shoe, the tightening mechanism of the shoe 70 consists of laces that are threaded through guiding elements 40 on either side of the opening in the upper part 20, and further through said at least one attachment part 50 in the toe portion 15 and/or heel portion 35 of the sole 10. When a lace is threaded through one or more attachment parts 50 in toe portion 15, the toe portion 15 and the upper part 20 where the tightening mechanism 70 is located will, on tightening, be drawn towards each other. Similarly, the heel portion 35 and the heelcap part 30 of the upper part 20 will be drawn towards each other on tightening when a tightening mechanism 70 is connected to an attachment part 50 in the heel portion 35. This is described in more detail with reference to FIG. 4.

[0065] In another embodiment of the shoe, the tightening mechanism 70 comprises hook closure levers 110 (FIG. 7). These can be of the type that can be tightened with different tightening strengths in that the hook closure lever 110 has different notches which give different tightening strengths. In order that the upper part 20 can be drawn down towards the toe portion 15 or the heel portion 35 on tightening, there is a connecting mechanism from one or more hook closure levers 110 to the attachment part 50 in the toe portion 15 or the heel portion 35. This will be explained in more detail below with reference to FIG. 7.

[0066] In an embodiment of the shoe, there is a friction material on the inside of the upper part 20 so that this part is prevented from sliding against the upper side of the hoof. This will be of particular importance for a low type of shoe. The friction material may, for example, consist of chemical materials that are soft and will mold themselves around the hoof, such as glue. It may also consist of hard materials that are described in that they are harder than the hoof, and will therefore provide friction in that they are pressed a little into the hoof.

[0067] The shoe according to the invention can be made in a high or low embodiment which will be described in more detail below with reference to figures.

[0068] In an embodiment, the upper part 20 is made of a flexible material and/or hard material, such that the upper part 20 fits snugly around the foot 5 independent of the geometry of the foot 5 and will generally in addition prevent rotation of the shoe around the foot 5. Soft material will change shape and adapt itself to the hoof, and it will also be able to move according to the contours of the foot or hoof. Hard material is characterised in that it has an original Shape that cannot be changed independent of the shape of the foot or hoof.

[0069] In yet another embodiment of the shoe, at least one attachment part 50 is mounted on a slide or hinge so as to allow the attachment part 50 to move in a longitudinal direction to reach a tightening point on the sole 10 that rests against the hoof independent of the size of the sole 10. This feature will contribute to further flexibility as regards the adjustment of a specific shoe of a given size to different hoof sizes and shapes.

[0070] In what follows several implementations of the invention will be described with reference to figures.

[0071] FIGS. 3 and 4 show a high type of shoe for a foot 5 with tightening mechanism 70 at the front. FIG. 3 is a side view of the shoe, whilst FIG. 4 is a front view thereof.

[0072] A high type of shoe is a shoe where the upper part 20 comprises a high upper part 20a which goes over bulbs at the back of a hoof. High shoes will preferably have a tightening mechanism 70 at the front of the shoe as shown in the figures.

[0073] All the lower parts of the shoe as they form the invention will be recognized from FIGS. 3 and 4. In addition, the embodiment of the example of implementation of a high type of shoe comprises an upper tightening mechanism 70a which comprises laces, an upper toggle cord lock 60a and an upper guiding element 40a. The figures show in addition a top upper part 20a and an upper heelcap part 30a which is preferably made of an elastic material.

[0074] The upper tightening mechanism 70a, which in the figures consists of laces, is threaded through upper guiding elements 40a which typically are holes for laces. The laces pass on through at least one upper attachment part 50a in the upper part 20, and further through guiding element 40 in upper part 20. In this example, which includes the use of laces, the guiding elements 40 are holes. Lastly, the lace is fastened to at least one attachment part 50 that is connected to the sole part.

[0075] On tightening the upper tightening mechanism 70a, the top upper part 20a will be drawn down against the upper part 20, which in turn will be drawn down towards the sole 10. This will ensure a shoe with a snug fit around the foot 5 on which it is placed.

[0076] FIG. 4 also shows a top upper part cover 80 which is preferably made of a flexible material to prevent the penetration of water and mud.

[0077] A high shoe aims art allowing the hoof to move ergonomically correct in all movements with maximum protection without resulting in blisters or other unintended inconveniences for the horse.

[0078] FIGS. 5 and 6 show a low type shoe for a foot with tightening mechanism 70 at the back. FIG. 5 is a side view of the shoe, whilst FIG. 6 is a front view thereof.

[0079] A low shoe is characterised in that it is adapted to the nail part of the hoof, without protection of the soft part of the hoof. This is so that the shoe does not get in the way of movement of, for example, hoof bones, pastern etc. This is useful in, for example, trotting, galloping and on the track where functionality is important and where the requirements for protection otherwise are small.

[0080] A low type of shoe is a shoe where the upper part 20 passes under the bulbs at the back of the hoof. Low shoes will preferably have a tightening mechanism 70 at the back of the shoe as shown in the figures, but they can also have the tightening mechanism at the front.

[0081] From FIG. 5 it is seen that the toecap part 25 is closed unlike the shoe of the high type shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The tightening mechanism 70 is seen at the back of the shoe and details thereof are shown in FIG. 6. In one embodiment there is a rigid attachment slide 130 on either side of the opening of a heelcap part 30 of the upper part 20 of the shoe. This will ensure that the forces that occur during tightening are distributed evenly along the opening. Furthermore, a tightening mechanism 70 is shown which comprises laces or cords with a toggle cord lock 60.

[0082] FIG. 7 shows details of a tightening mechanism 70 according to the invention. The description of the tightening mechanism 70 above has focussed on the use of laces or cords. However, there are other types of tightening mechanisms 70 that are suitable for use on the present invention. The figure is a front view of a tightening mechanism 70 with hook closure levers 110. On one side of the opening in the upper part 20, hook closure anchors 100 are secured which hold hook closure levers 110, whilst secured on the other side are hook closure fasteners 90 which are passed through guiding elements 40, and where the hook closure fasteners 90 are connected to straps that are passed through the attachment part 50 in the sole 10 and where the end of the strap has an attachment 120 on one side of the opening. The figure shows an embodiment with two hook closure levers 110. The uppermost hook closure lever 110 will tighten the two parts of the upper part 20 together. The lowermost lever will ensure that the upper part 20 is drawn down towards the sole 10 when the hook closure lever 110 is closed and thus tightens the hook closure fastener 90 that is included in the tightening mechanism 70.

[0083] FIG. 8 is a top view of details from FIG. 7.

[0084] As can be seen from the examples above which include different tightening mechanisms 70, the essence of the present invention is that the tightening mechanism 70 comprises at least one attachment part 50 that is fastened to a toe portion 15 or a heel portion 35 of the sole 10. The effect of this feature is that a shoe can be tightened and made to fit snugly around a foot 5 even if the shoe at the outset is not especially made to fit a specific foot 5 or hoof.

[0085] A further improved fit of the shoe will be obtained when the opening with tightening device 70 in addition is separate from the toecap part 25, the toe portion 15 or the heel portion 35. Such an embodiment of the invention will contribute to both the sole 10 and upper part of the shoe fitting very snugly around a foot 5 or hoof. These features can be further combined with a friction material on the inside of the upper part 20. The shoe according to the invention will maintain a very stable position even during hard use.

[0086] FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate the effect of the tightening via the attachment part 50. Illustrated is a simple form of a high shoe, with a sole 10, an upper part 20 and with a heel part 30 covering the convex heel bulb. The broken line illustrates the part of the top circumference of the upper part 20B which is normally not visible in aside view. The attachment part 50 is secured to the toe portion 15. The tightening mechanism 70 comprising a cord lock 60 is arranged in the upper part above the toe portion that is to say on the same side as the attachment part 50. FIG. 9 illustrates the shoe before the tightening via the attachment part 50, whereas FIG. 10 illustrates the shoe after tightening via the attachment part 50. When the shoe is tightened, the upper part 20 including the upper rim 20B is drawn down and towards the attachment part 50. This provides a snug fit of the shoe to the foot. In the illustrated embodiment the heel part 30 and the upper part 20 can all be made of strings, such as shoelaces, and they all form part of the tightening mechanism when the shoe is tightened around a foot.

[0087] FIG. 11 illustrates the tightening mechanism in a front view. When the string 70 is tightened and locked by cord lock 60 both the width W and the height H are adjusted thereby the shoe is fitted to the foot. Here the tightening of the cord/lace results in tightening in both directions W and H at the same time.

[0088] FIGS. 12 and 13 show the shoe as a top view, FIG. 12 in a non-tightened state and FIG. 13 in a tightened state. The circumference 20B is being reduced when the tightening mechanism 70 is tightened.

[0089] FIG. 14 illustrates an embodiment wherein the upper part of the heel 30 is made of an elastic material 30H thereby making the circumference or rim 20B more flexible. This protects the soft parts of the foot during ware. The elastic heel 30H will flex together with the hoof bone and pastern bones so that pressure against the joints and skin are avoided.

[0090] FIGS. 15-19 illustrate an embodiment of the present invention where the tightening mechanism is hook-and-loop fasteners. On a first side of the opening in the upper part 20 a hook-and-loop fastener 75A is arranged on the inside and on the other side of the opening a hook-and-loop fastener 75B is arranged on the outside of upper part 20. The fasteners 75A and 75B are arranged such that they can be fastened to one another over the front of the foot. On the front side of the first side of the opening, a hook-and-loop fastener 75C is arranged. One end of a fastening strip 73 is secured to one of the sides of the upper part 73 and past through the attachment part 50. In the open position illustrated on FIGS. 15 and 16, the other end of the strip 73 is free. This free end comprises a fastener 73A of the hook-and-loop type.

[0091] Also shown in the figures is the elastic heel portion 30H.

[0092] In the FIGS. 17 and 18, the shoe is tightened but not in the closed position. Fasteners 75A and 75B are fastened to each other thereby tightening the upper parts of the shoe and stretching the elastic heel portion 30H against the foot and the joints. After the strip 73 has been tightened, it is secured by fastening the fastener 73A to the fastener 75C, thereby drawing forward and down the upper part 20 towards the sole 10 to give a snug fit around the foot. Here the tightening in two directions is done in two separate steps after one another, first the width and thereafter the height.

[0093] This embodiment of the shoe further comprises a front cover 125 arranged to further protect the tightening mechanism and the foot from dirt and debris. Additionally, the front cover encloses fastenings means that engage with the other fasteners and assist in keeping all parts in a tightened position as a secondary lock.

The front cover 125 comprises one or inure fasteners 75E of a hook-and-loop type on the inside thereof. When closing the front cover, the fasteners 75E are brought in contact with the fasteners 75C and/or 75B.

[0094] FIG. 19 is a top view of the shoe after the tightening and closing of the front cover.