US20160353840A1 - Insole and shoe comprising a removable insole - Google Patents
Insole and shoe comprising a removable insole Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20160353840A1 US20160353840A1 US15/157,494 US201615157494A US2016353840A1 US 20160353840 A1 US20160353840 A1 US 20160353840A1 US 201615157494 A US201615157494 A US 201615157494A US 2016353840 A1 US2016353840 A1 US 2016353840A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- insole
- studs
- foot
- base layer
- shoe
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A43—FOOTWEAR
- A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
- A43B17/00—Insoles for insertion, e.g. footbeds or inlays, for attachment to the shoe after the upper has been joined
- A43B17/02—Insoles for insertion, e.g. footbeds or inlays, for attachment to the shoe after the upper has been joined wedge-like or resilient
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A43—FOOTWEAR
- A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
- A43B7/00—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements
- A43B7/14—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts
- A43B7/1405—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts with pads or holes on one or more locations, or having an anatomical or curved form
- A43B7/1455—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts with pads or holes on one or more locations, or having an anatomical or curved form with special properties
- A43B7/146—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts with pads or holes on one or more locations, or having an anatomical or curved form with special properties provided with acupressure points or means for foot massage
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A43—FOOTWEAR
- A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
- A43B17/00—Insoles for insertion, e.g. footbeds or inlays, for attachment to the shoe after the upper has been joined
- A43B17/02—Insoles for insertion, e.g. footbeds or inlays, for attachment to the shoe after the upper has been joined wedge-like or resilient
- A43B17/026—Insoles for insertion, e.g. footbeds or inlays, for attachment to the shoe after the upper has been joined wedge-like or resilient filled with a non-compressible fluid, e.g. gel, water
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A43—FOOTWEAR
- A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
- A43B13/00—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units
- A43B13/14—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units characterised by the constructive form
- A43B13/22—Soles made slip-preventing or wear-resisting, e.g. by impregnation or spreading a wear-resisting layer
- A43B13/223—Profiled soles
- A43B13/226—Profiled soles the profile being made in the foot facing surface
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A43—FOOTWEAR
- A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
- A43B17/00—Insoles for insertion, e.g. footbeds or inlays, for attachment to the shoe after the upper has been joined
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A43—FOOTWEAR
- A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
- A43B17/00—Insoles for insertion, e.g. footbeds or inlays, for attachment to the shoe after the upper has been joined
- A43B17/08—Insoles for insertion, e.g. footbeds or inlays, for attachment to the shoe after the upper has been joined ventilated
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A43—FOOTWEAR
- A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
- A43B17/00—Insoles for insertion, e.g. footbeds or inlays, for attachment to the shoe after the upper has been joined
- A43B17/14—Insoles for insertion, e.g. footbeds or inlays, for attachment to the shoe after the upper has been joined made of sponge, rubber, or plastic materials
Definitions
- the present invention relates to an insole designed for supporting a foot after the insole is inserted into a shoe so as to abut a sole section of said shoe, where the insole comprises an integral plastic material forming a flexible planar base layer out of which numerous resilient studs arise.
- the present invention furthermore relates to a shoe comprising a removable insole of the described type.
- Removable insoles for shoes are well-known. They consist of different material and are in many cases pre-shaped by thermoforming (e.g. EVA (ethyl vinyl acetate) foam) or forming in a closed mold (e.g. PU (polyurethane) foam). They form a footbed within the shoe the sole section of which may or may not sufficiently be shaped so as to form a footbed.
- Insoles of this type have a defined three-dimensional shaping so that many types have to be fabricated in order to fit customer's needs. Insoles of this type may extend over the whole length of the foot or may be designed to support only a part of the foot, e. g. the heel portion or a forefoot portion.
- insoles provided with a great number of resilient studs arising out of a flexible planar base layer so that the essential parts of the insole consist of an integral plastic material manufactured by injection molding.
- An example of an insole of this kind is described by US 2010/0175275 A1, the complete contents of which is herein incorporated by reference.
- the numerous resilient studs serve for providing a massaging and reflexology system by contacting the sole of the foot of a person by means of the top portions of the studs. Simultaneously, a shock absorption is achieved by means of the resilient studs.
- the top surface of the insole formed by the top portions of the studs may be contoured to generally match the contour of a human foot such that the massaging and reflexology system is maintained in substantially continuous contact with at least a portion of the bottom of user's foot. In this manner the interactive effects of massaging, shock absorption, muscle stimulation and blood circulation may be better administered to the wearer or user's foot.
- These types of insoles are usable only for users desiring a massaging or reflexology effect and who are prepared to tolerate the intensive punctual contacts between the insole and the sole of the foot which punctiform contact provides intensive stimuli to the foot which may be sensed as less comfortable, especially when the studs have a high hardness.
- U.S. 2010/0175275 Al discloses top portions of the studs which are cup-shaped thereby enlarging the contact area between the insole and the user's foot.
- GB 2 418 129 A discloses an impact absorbing insole having an upper layer of a woven fabric surface which provides the surface of contact for the user's foot.
- the lower layer comprises a cell membrane structure where the cells all have the same size and contain a chemically inert gel or fluid of sufficient viscosity to provide a cushioned effect when compressed. Which such a construction a shaping of the insole for forming a footbed must be made at the top layer in the above-mentioned conventional way.
- the insole is designed (configured) for supporting a foot after the insole is inserted in a shoe so as to abut a sole section of the shoe.
- the insole includes an integral plastic material forming a flexible planar base layer out of which numerous resilient studs arise.
- the planar base layer is designed to contact the surface of the foot.
- the studs are designed to extend from the base layer to the sole section of the shoe.
- the studs are shaped of different heights so that upon weight-loading by the foot the flexible planar base layer is deformed so as to conform with the shape of the underside of the foot as a three-dimensionally shaped footbed.
- the studs are not used for massaging and reflexology, but instead for easily forming a footbed for the user's foot upon weight-loading.
- the studs are made of different heights so that without weight-loading the insole contacts the sole section of the shoe only with some of the studs which have a relatively large height.
- the planar base layer remains planar.
- the studs of smaller height are pressed against the sole section of the shoe so that the base layer is deformed to allow the smaller studs to contact the sole section of the shoe.
- the distribution of height of the studs is chosen such that by the deformation of the base layer a suitable footbed is formed by the base layer which serves as a contact surface for the foot.
- the base layer need not have a direct contact to the foot but may be covered with a flexible cover layer such as a textile, leather or other material which preferably has skin-friendly properties.
- the cover layer does not substantially influence the deformation of the planar base layer which deformation is determined by the distribution and heights of the studs at the underside of the insole. Therefore, the base layer can be manufactured as a planar layer and nevertheless, form a footbed when the weight of the user is loaded onto the insole. Due to the studs at the underside, the insole may be manufactured with less material compared with an insole made of the same material and shaped to form a footbed of a conventional type.
- the insole of the present invention may be produced with about 60% of the material, and thus of the weight, needed for an insole forming a footbed from the same fully shaped material. Due to the studs the insole according to the present invention has the capacity of adapting the deformation to the individual foot upon weight loading.
- the studs may be distributed over the whole length of the insole. For some purposes it may be preferred to provide studs at the underside of the insole only over a part of the length of the insole, e. g. to provide only a heel portion, a heel and plantar arch portion and/or a toe portion with studs allowing the deformation of the base layer so as to form a footbed. For some purposes it may be preferred that the insole according the present invention extends only over a part of the length of the foot so as to support only a part of the foot length, such as the heel portion, the heel and plantar arch portion and/or the toe portion.
- the hardness of the material from which the base layer and the studs are formed may lie between 30 and 50 Shore 00, more preferred between 33 and 45 Shore 00 and even more preferred between 35 and 40 Shore 00.
- the material therefore, may be a comparably soft material differing in hardness from the material used for studs for massaging and reflexology where the hardness lies between 80 and 100 Shore 00 and even for a soft massaging sandal above 50 Shore 00.
- the insole extends over the whole length of the foot and there are studs of small height in the middle of a heel portion and of a toe portion of the insole and studs of greater heights are provided at the edge of the heel portion as well as in an intermediate portion between the heel portion and the toe portion.
- the intermediate portion will preferably be an instep portion of the insole.
- the studs are preferably massive studs, i.e. without a hollow portion.
- the studs are preferably designed for widening their diameter when being compressed under weight-load.
- the reduction of height due to the elastic weight-loading may, therefore, result in a corresponding widening of the diameter so that the studs extend into intermediate spaces between the studs.
- a number of ventilation holes are positioned within the base layer in interspaces between the studs. The widening of the studs under weight-load reduces the interspace between the studs so that air may be pressed through the ventilation holes from the underside of the sole onto the lower surface of the foot exerting the weight-loading onto the insole.
- a preferred material for the insole is a gel, especially a polyurethane gel.
- the polyurethane gel may have a specific weight between 0.6 and 1.1 g/cm 3 .
- a suitable gel may be sticky so that in a preferred embodiment the gel is covered by a film of a non-adhesive material which again may be a polyurethane being, however, selected so as to be non-adhesive and non-sticky.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the underside of a first embodiment of an insole
- FIG. 2 is a side view of the insole of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 3 is a view from below the insole of FIG. 1 showing an exemplary distribution of the studs
- FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the underside of a second embodiment of an insole
- FIG. 5 is a view from below the insole of FIG. 4 ;
- FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the deformation of the studs when loaded with body weight
- FIG. 7 is a similar diagram to FIG. 6 highlighting a ventilation effect through ventilation holes
- FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the underside of an embodiment of an insole having studs only in a heel section;
- FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the underside of an embodiment of an insole having studs only in the heel and plantar arch section;
- FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the underside of an insole extending only over the heel section of a foot length.
- FIGS. 1 to 3 is an integral insole from a plastic material having or consisting of a thin planar base layer 1 and a plurality of studs 2 on the underside of the base layer 1 .
- the upper side of the base layer is manufactured as a flat surface 3 serving as a contact surface to a user's foot.
- the integral insole made from plastic material according to FIGS. 1 to 3 may be provided with a cover layer on the upper side of the flat surface 3 .
- the material of the insole forming the base layer 1 and the studs 2 may be encased by a film of a similar material as the base layer 1 and the studs 2 but modified so as to be non-sticky or non-adhesive. It is understood that a cover layer for the flat surface 3 may be applied on the encasing film of base layer 1 and studs 2 when such an encasing film is used.
- the insole can be produced by casting the material in liquid form into a casting mold having deeper cavities in the form of the studs 2 and in between a small flat cavity for the base layer.
- the cavities may be lined with the non-sticky film in a well-known manner, e.g., by applying vacuum to a film, by coating, or by applying a release agent. Then, the liquid material is cast and allowed to pour in the mold. After pouring, the mold may be covered with the cover layer which may be for example a textile, leather or microfiber material which thereby is fixedly adhered to the material of the insole during the curing of the material in the mold and serves as a contact surface.
- the cover layer which may be for example a textile, leather or microfiber material which thereby is fixedly adhered to the material of the insole during the curing of the material in the mold and serves as a contact surface.
- the studs 2 at the underside of the base layer 1 have different heights. They may have a cylindrical shape with a rounded tip. The cross-section of the cylindrical shape is circular. The diameter of the studs within the cylindrical portion corresponds essentially to the height of the respective studs. It can be seen that there are higher studs 2 a at the edge of a heel portion 4 of the insole. The studs 2 a at the edge are higher and have a greater diameter than studs 2 b in the middle of the heel portion 4 .
- studs 2 c can be even smaller than the studs 2 b in the middle of the heel portion.
- intermediate portion 6 shows higher studs 2 d which in an arch plantar portion of the insole can be even higher than the studs 2 a at the edge of the heel portion.
- the studs 2 d at the lateral edge of the intermediate portion 6 may be about the same size as the studs 2 a at the edge of the heel portion 4 .
- the intermediate portion 6 establishes an instep portion of the insole being designed to (configured to) contact the instep portion of the user's foot.
- the insole only contacts the support surface, namely the sole section of a shoe, through the studs 2 so that there is no direct contact of portions of the base layer to the sole section of the shoe.
- FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary distribution of studs 2 over the whole surface of the underside of the base layer 1 . Since the heights of the studs 2 are essentially equal their diameter in the embodiment, it can be seen even from FIG. 3 where the studs of higher height are positioned.
- the embodiment according to which the height equals the diameter of the studs 2 may be varied, for example, in the toe portion 5 , where the diameter can be different and may equal twice the height of the studs since the studs can be made very low in the toe portion 5 .
- FIGS. 4 and 5 shows an insole produced according to the same principle, however fitted with a somewhat thicker base layer 1 which still does not exceed 3 mm and from which the studs 2 arise. Again the heights of the studs 2 are distributed so as to form a footbed when the insole is loaded with the user's body weight.
- the effect can be enhanced by providing a seal edge at the outer contour of the insole whereby the interspaces 8 between the studs 2 as a hole are sealed against the ambience so that a lateral squeezing out of air from the weight-loaded insole is prevented and the air is forced through the ventilation holes 9 .
- the sealing edge can have the form of a small lip so that it has no considerable influence on the resilient deformation of the studs 2 upon weight-loading.
- FIG. 8 shows a modification of the insole which is similar to the insole of FIG. 1 in the heel portion 4 so that studs 2 at the underside provide a shaping of a footbed upon weight loading as described above.
- the other parts or sections of the insole which is designed to extend over the whole foot length are without studs 2 so there is a support with studs 2 only at the heel region whereas the insole consists only of the base layer 1 in the other portions.
- FIG. 9 A further modification of the insole which is similar to the embodiment of FIG. 1 is shown in FIG. 9 .
- the insole has studs 2 at the underside in the heel portion 4 and the intermediate portion 6 including the arch plantar portion.
- the distribution of the studs with different heights may be the same as described for the previous embodiments.
- the insole is designed to extend over the whole length of the foot but has studs 2 only in the heel portion 4 and the intermediate portion 6 and, e.g., not in the forefoot portion including the toe portion 5 .
- FIGS. 1 to 9 show insoles with base layers 1 extending over the whole length of the foot 7 (or of the shoe) and have grooves or simples lines allowing to shorten the length of the insole so as to match to the length of foot 7 or shoe for the individual application.
- FIG. 10 shows an example for an insole according the present invention which does not extend over the whole length of the foot 7 but instead only over a certain portion, namely the heel portion 4 in the embodiment of FIG. 10 .
- the insole according to this embodiment has a similar distribution of studs 2 at the underside as the embodiment of FIG. 1 so that a footbed is formed upon weight loading by the heel of a foot 7 .
- insoles may be provided for which extend over other portions of the foot length, e.g. the arch plantar portion and/or a forefoot portion.
- the support of a forefoot portion may especially be suited for higher heel shoes which result in a principal weight load in the forefoot or toe portion of the foot 7 .
- An insole extending only over a part of the length of the foot 7 may be protected against shifting or slipping within the shoe by being manufactured from a sticky material or by applying pads of sticky material to the underside of the insole, e.g., to the tips of the studs 2 , or to the contact surface 3 of the base layer 1 for fixing the insole to the foot 7 .
- fixations e. g. mechanical fixations by lateral extensions, may be used to form fit with corresponding lateral recesses of the shoe.
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Abstract
An insole designed for supporting a foot after the insole is inserted in a shoe and which abuts a sole section of the shoe includes an integral plastic material forming a flexible planar base layer out of which numerous resilient studs arise. The insole is easily manufactured and provides a comfortable feeling. The planar base layer is designed as a contact surface for the foot. The studs are designed to extend from the base layer to the sole section of the shoe, and are shaped of different heights so that upon weight-loading by the foot the flexible planar base layer is deformed so as to conform with the shape of the underside of the foot as a three-dimensionally shaped footbed.
Description
- The present invention relates to an insole designed for supporting a foot after the insole is inserted into a shoe so as to abut a sole section of said shoe, where the insole comprises an integral plastic material forming a flexible planar base layer out of which numerous resilient studs arise. In addition, the present invention furthermore relates to a shoe comprising a removable insole of the described type.
- Removable insoles for shoes are well-known. They consist of different material and are in many cases pre-shaped by thermoforming (e.g. EVA (ethyl vinyl acetate) foam) or forming in a closed mold (e.g. PU (polyurethane) foam). They form a footbed within the shoe the sole section of which may or may not sufficiently be shaped so as to form a footbed. Insoles of this type have a defined three-dimensional shaping so that many types have to be fabricated in order to fit customer's needs. Insoles of this type may extend over the whole length of the foot or may be designed to support only a part of the foot, e. g. the heel portion or a forefoot portion.
- There are known insoles provided with a great number of resilient studs arising out of a flexible planar base layer so that the essential parts of the insole consist of an integral plastic material manufactured by injection molding. An example of an insole of this kind is described by US 2010/0175275 A1, the complete contents of which is herein incorporated by reference. The numerous resilient studs serve for providing a massaging and reflexology system by contacting the sole of the foot of a person by means of the top portions of the studs. Simultaneously, a shock absorption is achieved by means of the resilient studs. The top surface of the insole formed by the top portions of the studs may be contoured to generally match the contour of a human foot such that the massaging and reflexology system is maintained in substantially continuous contact with at least a portion of the bottom of user's foot. In this manner the interactive effects of massaging, shock absorption, muscle stimulation and blood circulation may be better administered to the wearer or user's foot. These types of insoles are usable only for users desiring a massaging or reflexology effect and who are prepared to tolerate the intensive punctual contacts between the insole and the sole of the foot which punctiform contact provides intensive stimuli to the foot which may be sensed as less comfortable, especially when the studs have a high hardness. U.S. 2010/0175275 Al discloses top portions of the studs which are cup-shaped thereby enlarging the contact area between the insole and the user's foot.
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GB 2 418 129 A, the complete contents of which are herein incorporated by reference, discloses an impact absorbing insole having an upper layer of a woven fabric surface which provides the surface of contact for the user's foot. The lower layer comprises a cell membrane structure where the cells all have the same size and contain a chemically inert gel or fluid of sufficient viscosity to provide a cushioned effect when compressed. Which such a construction a shaping of the insole for forming a footbed must be made at the top layer in the above-mentioned conventional way. - It is an object of the present invention to provide an insole of the above-mentioned kind which may be produced in an easy manner and provides a kind of footbed and a comfortable feeling.
- According to the present invention, the insole is designed (configured) for supporting a foot after the insole is inserted in a shoe so as to abut a sole section of the shoe. The insole includes an integral plastic material forming a flexible planar base layer out of which numerous resilient studs arise. The planar base layer is designed to contact the surface of the foot. The studs are designed to extend from the base layer to the sole section of the shoe. The studs are shaped of different heights so that upon weight-loading by the foot the flexible planar base layer is deformed so as to conform with the shape of the underside of the foot as a three-dimensionally shaped footbed.
- According to the present invention the studs are not used for massaging and reflexology, but instead for easily forming a footbed for the user's foot upon weight-loading. For this purpose the studs are made of different heights so that without weight-loading the insole contacts the sole section of the shoe only with some of the studs which have a relatively large height. In this state, the planar base layer remains planar. Upon weight-loading, the studs of smaller height are pressed against the sole section of the shoe so that the base layer is deformed to allow the smaller studs to contact the sole section of the shoe. The distribution of height of the studs is chosen such that by the deformation of the base layer a suitable footbed is formed by the base layer which serves as a contact surface for the foot. It should be noted that the base layer need not have a direct contact to the foot but may be covered with a flexible cover layer such as a textile, leather or other material which preferably has skin-friendly properties. The cover layer, however, does not substantially influence the deformation of the planar base layer which deformation is determined by the distribution and heights of the studs at the underside of the insole. Therefore, the base layer can be manufactured as a planar layer and nevertheless, form a footbed when the weight of the user is loaded onto the insole. Due to the studs at the underside, the insole may be manufactured with less material compared with an insole made of the same material and shaped to form a footbed of a conventional type. Due to the studs there is a plurality of interspaces between the studs for which no material is needed. In addition, the studs have elastic properties and produce a progressive spring characteristic since upon increasing weight loading more and more studs contact the sole section of the shoe thereby contributing to the overall spring strength of the insole. Due to the studs, the insole of the present invention may be produced with about 60% of the material, and thus of the weight, needed for an insole forming a footbed from the same fully shaped material. Due to the studs the insole according to the present invention has the capacity of adapting the deformation to the individual foot upon weight loading.
- The studs may be distributed over the whole length of the insole. For some purposes it may be preferred to provide studs at the underside of the insole only over a part of the length of the insole, e. g. to provide only a heel portion, a heel and plantar arch portion and/or a toe portion with studs allowing the deformation of the base layer so as to form a footbed. For some purposes it may be preferred that the insole according the present invention extends only over a part of the length of the foot so as to support only a part of the foot length, such as the heel portion, the heel and plantar arch portion and/or the toe portion.
- In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the hardness of the material from which the base layer and the studs are formed may lie between 30 and 50 Shore 00, more preferred between 33 and 45 Shore 00 and even more preferred between 35 and 40 Shore 00. The material, therefore, may be a comparably soft material differing in hardness from the material used for studs for massaging and reflexology where the hardness lies between 80 and 100 Shore 00 and even for a soft massaging sandal above 50 Shore 00.
- In a preferred embodiment the insole extends over the whole length of the foot and there are studs of small height in the middle of a heel portion and of a toe portion of the insole and studs of greater heights are provided at the edge of the heel portion as well as in an intermediate portion between the heel portion and the toe portion. The intermediate portion will preferably be an instep portion of the insole.
- For the sake of easy manufacturing the studs are preferably massive studs, i.e. without a hollow portion.
- The studs are preferably designed for widening their diameter when being compressed under weight-load. The reduction of height due to the elastic weight-loading may, therefore, result in a corresponding widening of the diameter so that the studs extend into intermediate spaces between the studs.
- In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a number of ventilation holes are positioned within the base layer in interspaces between the studs. The widening of the studs under weight-load reduces the interspace between the studs so that air may be pressed through the ventilation holes from the underside of the sole onto the lower surface of the foot exerting the weight-loading onto the insole.
- A preferred material for the insole is a gel, especially a polyurethane gel. In a preferred embodiment the polyurethane gel may have a specific weight between 0.6 and 1.1 g/cm3. A suitable gel may be sticky so that in a preferred embodiment the gel is covered by a film of a non-adhesive material which again may be a polyurethane being, however, selected so as to be non-adhesive and non-sticky.
- The invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawing in which
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the underside of a first embodiment of an insole; -
FIG. 2 is a side view of the insole ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 3 is a view from below the insole ofFIG. 1 showing an exemplary distribution of the studs; -
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the underside of a second embodiment of an insole; -
FIG. 5 is a view from below the insole ofFIG. 4 ; -
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the deformation of the studs when loaded with body weight; -
FIG. 7 is a similar diagram toFIG. 6 highlighting a ventilation effect through ventilation holes; -
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the underside of an embodiment of an insole having studs only in a heel section; -
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the underside of an embodiment of an insole having studs only in the heel and plantar arch section; -
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the underside of an insole extending only over the heel section of a foot length. - The embodiment of
FIGS. 1 to 3 is an integral insole from a plastic material having or consisting of a thinplanar base layer 1 and a plurality ofstuds 2 on the underside of thebase layer 1. The upper side of the base layer is manufactured as aflat surface 3 serving as a contact surface to a user's foot. For this purpose the integral insole made from plastic material according toFIGS. 1 to 3 may be provided with a cover layer on the upper side of theflat surface 3. - Furthermore, the material of the insole forming the
base layer 1 and thestuds 2 may be encased by a film of a similar material as thebase layer 1 and thestuds 2 but modified so as to be non-sticky or non-adhesive. It is understood that a cover layer for theflat surface 3 may be applied on the encasing film ofbase layer 1 andstuds 2 when such an encasing film is used. - The insole can be produced by casting the material in liquid form into a casting mold having deeper cavities in the form of the
studs 2 and in between a small flat cavity for the base layer. The cavities may be lined with the non-sticky film in a well-known manner, e.g., by applying vacuum to a film, by coating, or by applying a release agent. Then, the liquid material is cast and allowed to pour in the mold. After pouring, the mold may be covered with the cover layer which may be for example a textile, leather or microfiber material which thereby is fixedly adhered to the material of the insole during the curing of the material in the mold and serves as a contact surface. - As illustrated in the drawings the
studs 2 at the underside of thebase layer 1 have different heights. They may have a cylindrical shape with a rounded tip. The cross-section of the cylindrical shape is circular. The diameter of the studs within the cylindrical portion corresponds essentially to the height of the respective studs. It can be seen that there arehigher studs 2 a at the edge of aheel portion 4 of the insole. Thestuds 2 a at the edge are higher and have a greater diameter than studs 2 b in the middle of theheel portion 4. - At the other end of the insole, namely in a
toe portion 5,studs 2 c can be even smaller than the studs 2 b in the middle of the heel portion. Between thetoe portion 5 and theheel portion 4 there is anintermediate portion 6 showinghigher studs 2 d which in an arch plantar portion of the insole can be even higher than thestuds 2 a at the edge of the heel portion. Thestuds 2 d at the lateral edge of theintermediate portion 6 may be about the same size as thestuds 2 a at the edge of theheel portion 4. Theintermediate portion 6 establishes an instep portion of the insole being designed to (configured to) contact the instep portion of the user's foot. - As
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate, the insole as manufactured will contact a support layer, like the sole section of a shoe into which the insole may have been inserted, only with the tips of the relativelyhighest studs 2. In this state thebase layer 1 remains flat and planar. The studs are directed to the support surface like the sole section of a shoe. If the user exerts weight-load on the insole, the insole will contact the sole section of the shoe with more of or generally all of the studs of different heights. Thereby, thebase layer 1 will be deformed in accordance with the distribution of thestuds 2 of different heights. The distribution of thestuds 2 is selected so that the base layer is deformed to a footbed shape bedding the user's foot in a comfortable way. - In the embodiment, the insole only contacts the support surface, namely the sole section of a shoe, through the
studs 2 so that there is no direct contact of portions of the base layer to the sole section of the shoe. -
FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary distribution ofstuds 2 over the whole surface of the underside of thebase layer 1. Since the heights of thestuds 2 are essentially equal their diameter in the embodiment, it can be seen even fromFIG. 3 where the studs of higher height are positioned. - It should be noted that the embodiment according to which the height equals the diameter of the
studs 2 may be varied, for example, in thetoe portion 5, where the diameter can be different and may equal twice the height of the studs since the studs can be made very low in thetoe portion 5. - The second embodiment of
FIGS. 4 and 5 shows an insole produced according to the same principle, however fitted with a somewhatthicker base layer 1 which still does not exceed 3 mm and from which thestuds 2 arise. Again the heights of thestuds 2 are distributed so as to form a footbed when the insole is loaded with the user's body weight. -
FIG. 6 depicts the influence of the body weight transmitted by the user'sfoot 7. There are shown thebase layer 1 with the contour ofstuds 2 in the state as manufactured, i. e. without weight-load. There is alarge interspace 8 between thestuds 2. When the weight pressure is exerted as indicated by arrows inFIG. 6 the studs will be compressed against the sole portion of a shoe and thereby be deformed as indicated at 2′. Thereby, theinterspaces 8′ are heavily reduced in size. Simultaneously thecontact surface 3′ of thebase layer 1 being in pressure contact with the sole portion offoot 7 will adapt a contour corresponding to the contour of the sole portion of thefoot 7 by different compression rates of thestuds 2′. - In the embodiment of
FIG. 7 thebase layer 1 is provided withventilation holes 9 which are through-holes connecting theinterspace 8 between thestuds 2 with theflat surface 3 of the base layer, i. e. with the underside offoot 7 when the insole is loaded by the weight pressure through thefoot 7. Upon the weight-loading the same deformation of thestuds 2 intostuds 2′ as illustrated inFIG. 6 occur. Thediminished interspace 8′ between thestuds 2′ squeezes out air from theinterspace 8′ through the ventilation holes 9′ so that the sole portion of thefoot 7 is ventilated upon each weight-loading of the insole during walking, running or standing. - Due to the large number of
studs 2 there is a considerable squeezing out of air through the ventilation holes 9. The effect can be enhanced by providing a seal edge at the outer contour of the insole whereby theinterspaces 8 between thestuds 2 as a hole are sealed against the ambiance so that a lateral squeezing out of air from the weight-loaded insole is prevented and the air is forced through the ventilation holes 9. The sealing edge can have the form of a small lip so that it has no considerable influence on the resilient deformation of thestuds 2 upon weight-loading. - The insole of the present invention can be manufactured with a planar
flat base layer 1 which is deformed upon applying weight pressure so as to adapt to the shape of thefoot 7 exerting the weight pressure and thus forming a kind of footbed. -
FIG. 8 shows a modification of the insole which is similar to the insole ofFIG. 1 in theheel portion 4 so thatstuds 2 at the underside provide a shaping of a footbed upon weight loading as described above. However, the other parts or sections of the insole which is designed to extend over the whole foot length are withoutstuds 2 so there is a support withstuds 2 only at the heel region whereas the insole consists only of thebase layer 1 in the other portions. - A further modification of the insole which is similar to the embodiment of
FIG. 1 is shown inFIG. 9 . The insole hasstuds 2 at the underside in theheel portion 4 and theintermediate portion 6 including the arch plantar portion. The distribution of the studs with different heights may be the same as described for the previous embodiments. Again the insole is designed to extend over the whole length of the foot but hasstuds 2 only in theheel portion 4 and theintermediate portion 6 and, e.g., not in the forefoot portion including thetoe portion 5. - It should be noted that all embodiments of
FIGS. 1 to 9 show insoles withbase layers 1 extending over the whole length of the foot 7 (or of the shoe) and have grooves or simples lines allowing to shorten the length of the insole so as to match to the length offoot 7 or shoe for the individual application. -
FIG. 10 shows an example for an insole according the present invention which does not extend over the whole length of thefoot 7 but instead only over a certain portion, namely theheel portion 4 in the embodiment ofFIG. 10 . The insole according to this embodiment has a similar distribution ofstuds 2 at the underside as the embodiment ofFIG. 1 so that a footbed is formed upon weight loading by the heel of afoot 7. It is clear for people skilled in the art that in the same way insoles may be provided for which extend over other portions of the foot length, e.g. the arch plantar portion and/or a forefoot portion. The support of a forefoot portion may especially be suited for higher heel shoes which result in a principal weight load in the forefoot or toe portion of thefoot 7. - An insole extending only over a part of the length of the
foot 7 may be protected against shifting or slipping within the shoe by being manufactured from a sticky material or by applying pads of sticky material to the underside of the insole, e.g., to the tips of thestuds 2, or to thecontact surface 3 of thebase layer 1 for fixing the insole to thefoot 7. Of course, other fixations, e. g. mechanical fixations by lateral extensions, may be used to form fit with corresponding lateral recesses of the shoe.
Claims (11)
1. An insole for supporting a foot after the insole is inserted in a shoe so as to abut a sole section of said shoe, comprising:
a flexible planar base layer;
numerous resilient studs arising out of said base layer, wherein said based layer and said numerous resilient studs are integrally formed from a plastic material,
wherein
the base layer includes a foot contacting surface for contacting a surface of a foot, and a studded surface opposite the contacting surface,
the resilient studs extend from the base layer from the studded surface toward the sole section of the shoe when the insole is inserted in the shoe, and
the resilient studs are shaped of different heights so that upon weight-loading by the foot on the insole when it is inserted in the shoe, the base layer is deformed so as to conform with the shape of the underside of the foot as a three-dimensionally shaped footbed.
2. An insole according to claim 1 , wherein the numerous resilient studs include relatively smaller height studs in a middle of a heel portion and in a toe portion of the insole, and relatively larger height studs at an edge of the heel portion as well as in an intermediate section of the insole between the heel portion and the toe portion.
3. An insole according to claim 2 , wherein the intermediate section is an instep portion of the insole.
4. An insole according to claim 1 wherein at least some of the resilient studs are massive studs.
5. An insole according to claim 1 wherein at least some of the resilient studs are configured to widen their diameter when being compressed under weight-load.
6. An insole according to claim 1 , further comprising a number of ventilation holes positioned within the base layer in interspaces between the resilient studs.
7. An insole according to claim 1 wherein the plastic material of the insole is a gel.
8. An insole according to claim 7 , wherein the gel is a polyurethane gel.
9. An insole according to claim 7 , further comprising a film of a non-adhesive material covering the gel.
10. An insole according to claim 9 , wherein the film is a polyurethane film.
11. A shoe, comprising:
a sole section;
an upper section; and
a removable insole according to claim 1 wherein the insole abuts the sole section by means of top portions of resilient studs of the insole.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP15170871.6A EP3100627B1 (en) | 2015-06-05 | 2015-06-05 | Insole and shoe comprising a removable insole |
EP15170871.6 | 2015-06-05 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20160353840A1 true US20160353840A1 (en) | 2016-12-08 |
Family
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Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US15/157,494 Abandoned US20160353840A1 (en) | 2015-06-05 | 2016-05-18 | Insole and shoe comprising a removable insole |
Country Status (5)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20160353840A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP3100627B1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP2017000740A (en) |
CN (1) | CN106235522A (en) |
ES (1) | ES2694520T3 (en) |
Cited By (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US10149512B1 (en) * | 2017-10-24 | 2018-12-11 | Health Shoes Plus, Inc. | Massage shoes with combination arch support |
US10188172B1 (en) * | 2017-10-24 | 2019-01-29 | Health Shoes Plus, Inc. | Massage insole with multiple support regions |
US20190142107A1 (en) * | 2017-11-13 | 2019-05-16 | Crocs, Inc. | Molded footbed with integrally formed massaging domes |
WO2019135810A1 (en) * | 2018-01-04 | 2019-07-11 | Darco International, Inc. | Contoured peg insole |
USD882926S1 (en) | 2017-12-20 | 2020-05-05 | Crocs, Inc. | Footbed |
USD909027S1 (en) | 2018-07-12 | 2021-02-02 | Crocs, Inc. | Footwear |
US20210401116A1 (en) * | 2018-11-12 | 2021-12-30 | Geox S.P.A. | Improved footwear sole |
Families Citing this family (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2019241693A1 (en) * | 2018-06-14 | 2019-12-19 | Bayer Healthcare Llc | Cushioning member |
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US2146888A (en) * | 1938-03-11 | 1939-02-14 | Fisch Arthur | Elastic sock for footwear |
US3757774A (en) * | 1971-10-20 | 1973-09-11 | K Hatuno | Massage sandal |
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-
2015
- 2015-06-05 EP EP15170871.6A patent/EP3100627B1/en not_active Not-in-force
- 2015-06-05 ES ES15170871.6T patent/ES2694520T3/en active Active
-
2016
- 2016-05-18 US US15/157,494 patent/US20160353840A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2016-05-26 JP JP2016105172A patent/JP2017000740A/en active Pending
- 2016-06-03 CN CN201610533719.0A patent/CN106235522A/en active Pending
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US2146888A (en) * | 1938-03-11 | 1939-02-14 | Fisch Arthur | Elastic sock for footwear |
US3757774A (en) * | 1971-10-20 | 1973-09-11 | K Hatuno | Massage sandal |
US4733483A (en) * | 1987-02-20 | 1988-03-29 | Autry Industries, Inc. | Custom midsole |
US4905382A (en) * | 1987-02-20 | 1990-03-06 | Autry Industries, Inc. | Custom midsole |
US5035068A (en) * | 1989-11-09 | 1991-07-30 | The Wind Pro Corporation | Shoe and removable shoe insole system |
US5067256A (en) * | 1990-11-29 | 1991-11-26 | Darco International Inc. | Acupressure heel cup |
US20080271340A1 (en) * | 2006-08-03 | 2008-11-06 | Schering-Plough Healthcare Products, Inc. | Gel Insole |
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US20160183627A1 (en) * | 2014-12-29 | 2016-06-30 | Hoi Ming Michael HO | Footbed having functions of acupuncture point massage and reducing pressure |
Cited By (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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US10149512B1 (en) * | 2017-10-24 | 2018-12-11 | Health Shoes Plus, Inc. | Massage shoes with combination arch support |
US10188172B1 (en) * | 2017-10-24 | 2019-01-29 | Health Shoes Plus, Inc. | Massage insole with multiple support regions |
US20190142107A1 (en) * | 2017-11-13 | 2019-05-16 | Crocs, Inc. | Molded footbed with integrally formed massaging domes |
USD882926S1 (en) | 2017-12-20 | 2020-05-05 | Crocs, Inc. | Footbed |
WO2019135810A1 (en) * | 2018-01-04 | 2019-07-11 | Darco International, Inc. | Contoured peg insole |
EP3735144B1 (en) * | 2018-01-04 | 2023-08-30 | Darco International Inc. | Contoured peg insole |
USD909027S1 (en) | 2018-07-12 | 2021-02-02 | Crocs, Inc. | Footwear |
US20210401116A1 (en) * | 2018-11-12 | 2021-12-30 | Geox S.P.A. | Improved footwear sole |
US11896079B2 (en) * | 2018-11-12 | 2024-02-13 | Geox S.P.A. | Footwear sole |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
JP2017000740A (en) | 2017-01-05 |
ES2694520T3 (en) | 2018-12-21 |
EP3100627A1 (en) | 2016-12-07 |
CN106235522A (en) | 2016-12-21 |
EP3100627B1 (en) | 2018-09-19 |
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