Gait-altering shoes
In one embodiment, a gait-altering shoe includes a frame adapted to support a user's foot and at least one wheel that supports the frame above a walking surface, the wheel having a radius that varies as a function of angular position of the wheel.
1. A gait-altering shoe comprising:
a frame adapted to support a user's foot; and
at least one wheel that supports the frame above a walking surface, the wheel having a radius that varies as a function of angular position of the wheel such that the wheel automatically rotates when weight is applied to the shoe.
2. The shoe of claim 1 , wherein the frame comprises a front portion adapted to support a front part of the foot and a rear portion adapted to support a rear part of the foot.
3. The shoe of claim 2 , wherein the front portion is pivotally mounted to the rear portion.
4. The shoe of claim 1 , wherein the wheel comprises an outer surface that generally follows an Archimedean spiral.
5. The shoe of claim 1 , wherein the wheel is configured to automatically rotate backward as the user's weight is applied to the shoe.
6. The shoe of claim 1 , wherein the wheel is configured to automatically rotate forward as the user's weight is applied to the shoe.
7. The shoe of claim 1 , wherein the shoe comprises front wheels and rear wheels.
8. The shoe of claim 7 , wherein the front wheels are fixedly mounted to a front axle supported by the frame and the rear wheels are fixedly mounted to a rear axle supported by the frame.
9. The shoe of claim 1 , further comprising a spring associated with the wheel that returns the wheel to an initial position after the user's weight is removed from the shoe.
10. The shoe of claim 1 , further comprising a damper associated with the wheel that slows rotation of the wheel when the user applies weight to the shoe.
11. A gait-altering shoe comprising:
a frame adapted to support a user's foot, the frame including a rear portion and a front portion that is pivotally mounted to the rear portion; and
wheels mounted to the rear portion of the frame that support the frame above a walking surface, each wheel having a radius that varies as a function of angular position of the wheel such that the wheel automatically rotates when weight is applied to the shoe.
12. The shoe of claim 11 , wherein the wheels comprise an outer surface that generally follows an Archimedean spiral.
13. The shoe of claim 11 , wherein the wheels are configured to automatically rotate backward as the user's weight is applied to the shoe.
14. The shoe of claim 11 , wherein the wheels are configured to automatically rotate forward as the user's weight is applied to the shoe.
15. The shoe of claim 11 , wherein the wheels include front wheels that are fixedly mounted to a front axle supported by the frame and rear wheels that are fixedly mounted to a rear axle supported by the frame.
16. The shoe of claim 15 , further comprising a first spring that acts upon the front axle to return it and the front wheels to an initial position after the user's weight is removed from the front wheels and a second spring that acts upon the rear axle to return it and the rear wheels to an initial position after the user's weight is removed from the rear wheels.
17. The shoe of claim 16 , further comprising a first pulley mounted to the front axle to which the first spring is coupled and a second pulley mounted to the rear axle to which the second spring is coupled.
18. The shoe of claim 15 , further comprising a first damper that acts upon the front axle to slow rotation of the front wheels when the user's weight is applied to the front wheels and a second damper that acts upon the rear axle to slow rotation of the rear wheels when the user's weight is applied to the rear wheels.
19. The shoe of claim 18 , further comprising a first chain or belt that couples the first damper to the front axle and a second chain or belt that couples the second damper to the rear axle.
20. The shoe of claim 11 , further comprising straps attached to the frame that are adapted to secure the shoe to the user's foot.
21. A method for altering a gait cycle of a user, the method comprising:
attaching a gait-altering shoe to a foot of the user, the shoe including at least one wheel having a radius that varies as a function of angular position of the wheel and that automatically rotates when weight is applied to the wheel; and
displacing the user's foot with the wheel of the shoe during a stance phase of the gait cycle.
22. The method of claim 21 , wherein displacing the user's foot comprises displacing the user's foot backward in a direction opposite a direction in which the user is walking.
23. The method of claim 21 , wherein displacing the user's foot comprises displacing the user's foot forward in a same direction in which the user is walking.
24. The method of claim 21 , further comprising slowing rotation of the wheel using a damper of the shoe.
25. The method of claim 21 , further comprising returning the wheel to an initial position using a spring of the shoe.