EP0338351B1 - Method of producing custom-made orthopaedic shoes - Google Patents

Abstract

To produce custom-made orthopaedic shoes, a plaster cast (2) is first taken in the correction or bedding mould of the rear foot of the foot sole of the patient. Then the bedding mould (1.1) required is shaped to a rough last (1). Subsequently, a plastic film (4) is drawn over the sole and side surfaces of the last (1) and a foot bed (13) and cut in the manner of a sole with a rear cap (4'). A trial shaft (5) is pulled over the last (1) and lasted and glued to the plastic film (4), so that a trial shoe is produced. Under this, a heel (6) is fastened. After trial by the patient, the last (1) is if necessary corrected. Finally, on the corrected last (1), with the aid of a prefabricated leather shaft, the size and shape of which are determined using the trial shaft (5), the custom-made shoe is finished. The time-consuming transfer of the last shape to the leather with the aid of paper templates etc. is eliminated completely. Use can be made of shoe parts, in particular insoles (3), front and rear caps, leather shafts, outsoles, heels (6), eyelets, shoelaces etc., which are prefabricated in series production and matched to one another. As a result, high rationalisation, excellent fit and modern fashionable appearance are ensured. <IMAGE>

Description

The care of the feet, who are suffering from stress and stress, with custom-made orthopedic shoes, e.g. B. rheumatism, hallux valgus, open ulcer, calluses, scarring, spreading, claws, hollow feet, etc., requires a lot of time and money. All shoe parts, including the lasts, are custom-made and custom-made. Their production takes a lot of time and a lot of experience.

It is important first of all that the lasts are adapted as exactly as possible to the patient's foot shape. The production of such orthopedic measuring strips is complex and very expensive. Level and fashion demands, also of the group of people with feet suffering from civilization and appearance, are increasing. These foot patients do not always want just the same, traditional shoes, but like healthy citizens constantly changing models with changing last shapes, for example sports shoes, casual shoes, open summer shoes, winter boots etc. For this purpose, a separate pair of lasts must be created according to the state of the art. Because of the high costs, the majority of patients cannot fulfill such fashion desires.

CH-A-179 427 describes a method for producing orthopedic shoes. In this case, a support is attached to a last intended for series production, the dimensions of which at least approximately correspond to a support insert for a sick foot. The shoe made over such a raised last is higher than usual and therefore immediately recognizable as an orthopedic shoe. Feet with a deformed outline cannot be treated with such shoes either.

Attempts have also been made to solve the problem of adaptation between the patient's foot and the insole of the shoe by inserting a tub-shaped plastic film into the shoe, which is filled with a hardening mass, for example a mixture of latex and cork or wood flour . As soon as the patient puts on the shoe, the mass is distributed according to the shape of the foot and hardens. Although such an insert has a surface that is precisely adapted to the shape of the foot, it cannot be used as an orthopedic insert, since the sick foot is neither relieved of pain in the areas nor more stressed on the healthy areas.

A method is known from US-A-17 89 518, with the aid of which the conformity of a shoe manufacturing last with the human foot used as a model is to be checked. For this purpose, parts made of elastic, transparent film material such as celluloid are molded over the last to be tested and used to manufacture a trial shoe with a sole and heel.

US-A-1 789 518 comprises claim 1 through features 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 and 8 of claim 1.

The next problem arises when transferring the last shape to the patterns for the production of the leather shaft, whereby not only a correct, but also an elegant or at least pleasing model shape is to be created. This work is done in the shoe industry by trained, specialized modelers. Employment of modellers in the custom manufacture of orthopedic However, made-to-measure shoes are out of the question for reasons of cost.

GB-A-906 436 describes a method for the production of shoes, in which several layers of fabrics, reinforcements and compensating layers impregnated with hardening plastics are applied in succession on a last corresponding to the shape of the foot in such a way that the finished structure is like a shoe looks. Since the wall of this shoe consists of up to three layers of plastic on top of each other, which are neither permeable to air nor moisture, this shoe cannot possibly be worn for a long time. In the absence of relief from sick and painful areas of the foot, such a shoe should not be regarded as an orthopedic shoe.

A problem point, namely that made-to-measure shoes look bulky and inelegant due to the insoles, padding and bedding necessary to relieve the sick spots on the patient's foot, has already been largely mitigated by the process for producing insole-free shoes described in DE-C-32 01 488. This process technology can also be used in the invention described below.

The present invention has for its object to provide a method of the type mentioned, which relieves the orthopedic shoemaker as much as possible from the side work and fashionable design work and enables him to concentrate entirely on the work on the patient, which in particular the precise manufacture of the Lasts and bespoke shoes made easier and faster and which allows the use of standard and assembled parts.

This problem is solved by a method with the Features of claim 1.

The method according to the invention also begins with the production of a plaster cast, in particular with the aid of plaster bandages. With the aid of this plaster cast, however, only the patient's rear foot shape is transferred exactly to the last, either by removing material there or, according to a further development of the invention, by adding hardening plastic materials. The plaster cast is coated with a release agent. This transfer is limited to the rearfoot area, i. H. on the area from the heel to the ball of the foot; the entire foot shape was always transferred in the prior art.

When using the method according to the invention, it becomes possible for the first time to manufacture individually tailored orthopedic bespoke shoes using standard prefabricated parts which are assembled in the manner of a modular system. The patient can choose his or her desired model from a picture catalog.

The orthopedic shoemaker can make this model true to the image and get all of the shoe parts required for it partially or completely pre-made from stock. He knows from the outset the prices of the necessary shoe parts, which, thanks to their standard prefabrication, are considerably cheaper than for a one-off production. The orthopedic shoemaker can therefore calculate precisely and supply the patients at a competitive price.

Thanks to this, in the future patients will be more willing and able to have a new pair of custom-made orthopedic shoes tailored to their intended use and fashion.

Standard strips, for example hinged or sliding strips, are preferably used as strips, corresponding to the industrial strips. This is based on the knowledge that 80% of foot deformities only occur in the forefoot area and that, despite different foot shapes in the rear foot area, all production parts can be standardized, e.g. B. the insoles, the heels, the soles, the toe and heel caps and the shafts.

As soon as the individually adapted patient last is completed in this way, a plastic film can preferably be drawn over the sole and side surfaces of the last using the deep-drawing technique and then cut so that a type of insole with an integrally molded rear cap remains.

As the most important intermediate step, a trial shaft is drawn over the last and pinched and glued onto the cut plastic film. After a heel has been attached, this trial shoe can be put on by the patient for a test run and to check the fit. Any corrections can be marked directly on the trial shoe; the trial shoe can also be cut open in order to check the exact position of the tread and any necessary upholstery, rolling aids and the like.

After re-listing the trial shoe, the displayed corrections can be transferred directly to the last, so that errors are practically impossible.

If the trial stock already meets the desired specifications, the patient can use the catalog to select and select his desired model from a large number of complete shoe models. All about it Required shoe parts such as insoles, toe caps, toe caps, bedding parts, etc. can be completely or partially prefabricated by the master orthopedic shoemaker and then assembled according to the catalog using the dimension strips he has created. By producing the trial shoe using plastic instead of leather, there are only minimal additional costs, which are, however, already outweighed by the possibility of being able to check both the fit and the appearance of the final custom shoe before it is manufactured.

However, the rationalization effect of the invention due to the possibility described above of being able to use standardized, prefabricated parts goes far beyond this. All shoe parts including the eyelets and shoelaces can be mass-produced and assembled in series. The costs for modeling, cutting, sharpening, bending, stepping, etc. are spread over larger quantities. It is therefore possible for the first time to create a modular system according to the shoe pattern catalog, which contains all the shoe parts required for the production of complete orthopedic bespoke shoes.

Even in particularly problematic cases, trial shoes are already made from cheap leather lining. However, the fit size of the final leather shaft could not be determined. Also, these trial shoes could in no way allow the appearance of the finished custom-made shoe to be guessed with sufficient accuracy, since they had no similarity in model to the final shoe.

Even in the final production of the actual one Made-to-measure shoes on the controlled and, if necessary, revised last lasts, the use of trial stocks, which, as already mentioned, consist of inexpensive plastic material, in particular based on fabric, provides good help. If a try-on is not necessary, for example for subsequent deliveries, the master orthopedic shoemaker only needs to keep these trial shafts on the lasts as a fit check until he has determined the right size. Only then does he order the necessary materials and use it to assemble the custom-made orthopedic shoe. The time-consuming and often inaccurate transfer of the last shape to the leather with the help of paper stencils etc. is completely eliminated, as is the stitching together of the various leather parts etc. Thanks to the standardization of the insoles in the rearfoot area, the result is a clean shoe shape, an exact shoe structure and, above all, effortless an exact match of the heels and sole construction.

The deep-drawn plastic films mentioned above can be used not only on the sole surface, but also on the top of the last. If, in addition to low shoes, boots, trainers or the like were to be produced for a patient, previously separate lasts had to be made. This is eliminated thanks to the plastic film molded onto the top of the last, which can be cut as a forefoot and / or rearfoot cap depending on the application. The appropriate reinforcement is applied to these cones with the help of cork and / or hardening plastic masses. In this way, the orthopedic shoemaker can transform the patient lasts with one handle, in order to manufacture light, open summer shoes, sturdy loafers, sneakers or boots, depending on the patient's wishes, and in doing so, according to the current fashion, the shoe with a drawn, narrow Form a point, with a round point, etc. In all of these cases, the form of the last is always the same as an essential advantage; the patient will find the optimal fit for each foot in these shoes.

Finally, thanks to the separating film, it is also possible to remove only the lasts and only then the reinforcements from the shoe. This is advantageous if very strong reinforcements are required for a patient, for example for hammer toes, over-legs, ball extensions and the like. In such problem cases, the orthopedic shoemaker previously had to cut the shaft seams as a precaution in order to prevent the leather from tearing when it was worn out.

Fig. 1

das Übertragen der Gipsabgußform auf die Sohlenfläche des Leistens,

Fig. 2

das Übertragen der Gipsabgußform auf die Sohlenfläche des Leistens, unter Verwendung eines aushärtenden Kunststoffes,

Fig. 3

das Übertragen des Rückfußbereiches einer standardisierten Brandsohle auf den Fersenbereich der Fußbettung,

Fig. 4

eine tiefgezogene und zugeschnittene Kunststoffolie für die Herstellung eines Probierschuhs,

Fig. 5

das Ermitteln der richtigen Schaftgröße mit Hilfe eines Probeschaftes,

Fig. 6

eine tiefgezogene Kunststoffolie auf der Oberseite des Leistens,

Fig. 7

das Aufsetzen einer tiefgezogenen Kunststoffolie mit Verstärkungen auf den Leisten.

The invention will be explained in more detail in the form of exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawing. Each shows in a schematic representation:

Fig. 1

the transfer of the plaster cast to the sole surface of the last,

Fig. 2

transferring the plaster cast to the sole surface of the last, using a hardening plastic,

Fig. 3

the transfer of the rearfoot area of a standardized insole to the heel area of the footbed,

Fig. 4

a deep-drawn and cut plastic film for the production of a trial shoe,

Fig. 5

determining the correct shaft size with the help a trial stock,

Fig. 6

a thermoformed plastic film on the top of the last,

Fig. 7

placing a thermoformed plastic film with reinforcements on the strips.

1 shows in the left hand of the orthopedic shoemaker a plaster cast 2 cut from the patient's foot in the manner of an insert. The forefoot area 2.1 of the plaster cast is removed.

In the right hand of the orthopedic shoemaker you can see a standard last 1, for example from the shoe industry. The rearfoot area 1.1 of the last 1 was adjusted exactly to the shape of the patient's foot with the aid of the plaster cast 2 by removing unnecessary last material.

Since the last 1 is a standardized raw last, provision is made in the event that the patient's foot is wider than the raw last. This is shown in Fig. 2. For this purpose, a hardening plastic mass 12 is applied to the strips 1. The plaster cast 2, which was previously coated with a suitable release agent, is placed on this. In this way, the sole surface of the last 1 receives an exact image of the rear foot shape of the patient without any effort.

It is understood that the separating surface 10 of the last 1 must be covered against the penetration of the plastic 12.

As soon as the sole surface of the last 1 has been shaped, a footbed or insert is applied. This can be designed as a half-long foot bed 13, as can be seen clearly in FIG. 7; but it can also extend over the entire length of the sole. The rear foot area 3.1 of a standardized insole 3 is then marked on the free upper side of the footbed. This process is shown in Fig. 3.

Any lateral protrusions of the foot bed are appropriately maneuvered, i.e. H. progressively aligned.

As already mentioned, the rear foot area 3.1 of the insole 3 is standardized. The border to the forefoot area 3.2 is roughly marked by the dividing line 3.4.

In the forefoot area 3.2, the insole 3 is kept wider than the last 1 in order to have sufficient insole material for over-legs, ball extensions, etc. The protrusions 3.3 of the insole 3 in the forefoot area 3.2 are trimmed according to the shape bar shape.

After removing the prepared insole 3, last 1 and footbed are covered with a plastic film 4 in the deep-drawing process. This film 4 is then cut in such a way that a type of insole with an integrally molded rear cap 4.1 is created. This is shown in FIG. 4.

On the last 1 with foot bed 13 and plastic film 4 with rear cap 4.1, a trial shaft 5 is pulled, pinched and glued. This process is shown in Fig. 5. As soon as a paragraph 6 is attached, the last 1 is carried out. The patient can try on the trial shoe thus finished and run it with it.

The trial shaft 5 consists of an inexpensive plastic material on a textile basis. The stamped shaft size is used to order the final leather shaft and other matching shoe parts from the manufacturer. The individual production of shoe parts as in conventional orthopedic shoe technology can largely be dispensed with, without the individual adjustment of the made-to-measure shoe, which is important for the patient, suffering as a result.

In any case, the orthopedic shoemaker can check the exact fit on the patient's foot in advance and correct it if necessary. Markings can be made directly on the trial shaft 5. With the help of these markings, the last 1 is then corrected if this should be necessary.

As FIG. 6 shows, the strip 1 can also be covered on its upper side with a plastic film 14 in the deep-drawing process. This film acts, for example, as a separating film, as will be described with reference to FIG. 7. Depending on the application, the release film 14 is cut, either as a forefoot cap 14.1 or as a rearfoot cap 14.2.

FIG. 7 shows a number of applications of the separating film 14 cut as forefoot cap 14.1. A reinforcement 11.1 increases the shaft width, as is necessary for the production of boots. A reinforcement 11.2 serves to adapt to a strong expansion of the patient's balls. A reinforcement 11.3 is used to adapt to the patient's hammer toes.

Since the separating film 14 separates the reinforcements 11 from the last 1, the last 1 can be separated from the shoe Forefoot hats 14.1 are made with reinforcements 11. These are then removed from the shoe. As a result, there is no danger in the conventional technique of executing a last with strong ball or hammer toe extensions 11.2, 11.3 that the leather is overstretched and damaged.

In addition, the separating film 14 with the reinforcements 11 applied on the outside offers the possibility of using a single pair of lasts to manufacture both loafers and - after the application of a separating film 14 with the reinforcements 11.1 - boots for the patient. In this way, the creation of a second pair of lasts with the necessary work to adapt to the patient's foot shape is avoided.

Overall, the method according to the invention enables an improvement of the fit and a multiplication of the fashionable design options of the last and thus of the shoes and, as a result, a relief for the patient, an increase in the range of models and colors from which the patient can choose, in advance knows the final appearance of the shoe, a rationalization both in the production of the last and in particular the made-to-measure shoes as well as in the stock keeping and finally a cheapening of the shoe production through the possibility of prefabricating certain parts of the made-to-measure shoe in series.

Claims (10)

1. A method of production of custom orthopaedic shoes, comprising the following steps of the method:

   (1) first of all a negative plaster cast (2) is taken of the sole of the patient's foot;

   (2) for the production of a custom last only the heel region of the plaster negative (2) is transferred to the heel region of a blank last (1);

   (3) an orthopaedic sock or insertion is applied to the sole area of the last (1);

   (4) onto that is transferred the standardized heel region (3.1) of an insole (3);

   (5) lateral projections from the orhopaedic sock or insertion are adjusted as work proceeds;

   (6) a plastics foil (4) is drawn over the areas of the sole and sides of the custom last (1) and the orthopaedic sock or insertion and cut to size in one piece in the shape of the insole (3) with a heel stiffener (4') moulded on,

   (7) a trial upper (5) is drawn over the last (1) and lasted to the plastics foil (4);

   (8) for trying on by the patient a heel (6) is fastened on detachably under the trial shoe so produced;

   (9) if necessary the last (1) is corrected with the aid of the trial shoe to correspond with the result of the trying-on, whereupon the heel (6) and the plastics foil (4) are removed again;

   (10) finally with the add of the custom last (1) the custom shoe is finished off.
2. A method as in Claim 1, characterized in that
   the size and shape of the leather upper for the custom shoe are determined with the aid of the trial upper.
3. A method as in Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that
   for the working of the shape and width of the patient's heel into the last (1) hardening plastics (12) is applied to the sole area of the last (1) and moulded to the shape (1.1) of the sole by means of the plaster cast (2) wiped with separating agent.
4. A method as in Claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that
   a plastics foil (14) is also drawn over the upper side of the last (1) as a separating foil.
5. A method as in Claim 4, characterized in that
   stiffeners (11) are glued to the separating foil (14).
6. A method as in Claim 4, characterized in that
   interchangeable moulded parts of lasts are finished to the foundation last (1) by layers of material.
7. A method as in one of the Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that
   the plastics foils (4, 14) are deep drawn.
8. A method as in one of the Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that
   for the trial uppers (5) plastics foils on a textile base are employed, which are stitched as a pattern.
9. A method as in Claim 1, characterized in that
   as lasts (1) standard batch-produced lasts are employed.
10. A method as in Claim 1, characterized in that
    for the custom shoes parts prefabricated in batches are employed - custom uppers, toecaps, heel stiffeners, insoles, outsoles, heels, heel lifts, welts, etc.

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