US2619961A

US2619961A - Bunion pad

Info

Publication number: US2619961A
Application number: US168569A
Authority: US
Inventors: Earl M Stewart
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1950-06-16
Filing date: 1950-06-16
Publication date: 1952-12-02
Anticipated expiration: 1969-12-02

Description

Dec. 2, 1952 STEWART 2,619,961

BUNION PAD Filed June 16, 1950 ATTOF VEK Patented Dec. 2, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BUNION PAD Earl M. Stewart, Youngstown, Ohio Application June 16, 1950, Serial No. 168,569

Claims.

This invention relates to a pad for application to the human foot to alleviate pressure and hence pain in connection with bunions, calluses, corns and the like.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a bunion pad incorporating a novel shape and composition for effectively relieving pressure on an indicated portion of a human foot and in no way crowding or misshaping the portion of the footbeing treated.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a bunion pad or the like incorporating a uniformly tapered body portion of foam rubber material enclosed in two thin layers of adhesive coated material, the adhesive on one of the layers being usable in securing the bunion pad to a human foot.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a bunion pad or the like enclosing a gently rounded shape of foam rubber material including horns projecting therefrom for partially encircling a bunion, callus, corn or the like and so shaped as to eliminate crowding or other movement of the corn, callus or bunion when the device is applied.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an inexpensive pad for a bunion or the like incorporating a filler pad and mounting sections of adhesive material that may be economically and rapidly produced.

The bunion pad disclosed herein has been devised to provide a device for more effectively relieving pressure as from a shoe on an indicated portion of a human foot; for example, the enlargement on the sides of the great and little toes commonly known as bunions and for application to the sole of the foot to areas in which calluses and/or corns have been formed. The bunion pads and the like heretofore known in the art have attempted to provide a cushioning or spacing material as a body member to be positioned immediately adjacent the bunion, corn or callus to be treated and to thereby space the shoe with respect thereto to alleviate pressure thereon.

All such devices heretofore known in the art have in common a rather abrupt shoulder or edge area of the padding or spacing material which is positioned immediately adjacent the bunion, callus or corn to be treated. Such devices have, therefore, uniformly relieved inward pressure upon the indicated portion but have commonly converted much. of this inward pressure to sideward pressure thereby crowding or pushing the corn, bunion, or callus to one side and defeating their essential purpose in their failure to alleviate pain and discomfort associated with such ailments.

The present invention relates to a bunion, corn or callus pad so shaped as to eliminate both inward pressure and sideward pressure and therefore alleviates the discomfort otherwise occur ring. Additionally the device of the invention utilizes foam rubber as a cushioning or spacing material in a novel shape, the outer surface of which is convex in any cross section. The device of the invention also forms the bunion pad by positioning the cushion or spacing foam rubber material between two appropriately formed sections of adhesive fabric material thus forming a unitary pad and providing an adhesive surface rendering the application of the pad to the foot simple and secure.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made Within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a bottom view of a portion of a human foot showing a corn pad applied thereto.

Figure 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the corn. pad.

Figure 3 Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged top plan view of a bunion pad.

Figure 5 is a cross section taken on line -5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the bunion pad shown in Figures 4 and 5 with parts thereof turned upwardly to illustrate the interior formation thereof. a

By referring to the drawings and Figures 1, 2 and 3 in. particular it will be seen that a corn or callus pad has been disclosed for application to the bottom of the human foot, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, and with respect to a corn or callus indicated in dotted lines and by the numeral ii}.

As may best be seen by referring to Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings the pad comprises an ovalshaped upper layer of adhesive fabric or film H, an arcuate body of foam rubber I2 which is arcuately indented inwardly on one side and which is convex in cross section and an oval-shaped botis a cross section taken on line v3-4 of tom layer of adhesive fabric or film l3. The top layer of adhesive fabric H has an adhesive coating on the lower side thereof as best shown in Figure 3 and is thus self-positioning with respect to the foam rubber body 12 and with respect to the upper surface of the adhesive fabric 13 which is provided with an adhesive surface coating on its lower surface so that the device may thereby be applied to a human foot and be selfpositioning thereon.

The device is applied to the foot as indicated in Figure l of the drawings so that the corn or callus ll] lies partially within the body member 12 which is elongated and curved, the one end of which is enlarged as indicated by the numerals HA and the other end of which is relatively small as indicated by the numeral I213. The body of foam rubber l2 increases slightly in thickness and height between the portions 12B and the Portions IZA. The portion 52A is relatively greater in height than the portion IZB. The body of foam rubber I2 is tapered gently toward the area partially encirc1ed thereby with the result that when the device is positioned on a corn or callus, as illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings, the thicker portions of the body of foam rubber l2 are spaced substantially with respect to the corn or callus Ill. The flesh about the corn or callus I is not, therefore, forced upwardly against the corn or callus as would otherwise be the case. Rather, the body of foam rubber l2 forms a cushion or spacing body with respect to the protected area.

By referring now to Figures i, and 6 of the drawings the bunion pad formation of the invention may be seen and it will be observed that the device is formed in a manner similar to the corn or callus pad disclosed in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings with the exception that a body member Id of foam rubber disclosed as forming a substantially broad cushioning shape with a pair of spaced sidewardly curving horns l5 and i6 formed thereon and adapted to only partially encircle a bunion on a human foot. The upper portion of the body member l4 of foam rubber is convex in cross section, as best shown in Figure 5 of the drawings, so that it tapers to a relatively thin peripheral edge. The same convex shape and tapering form occurs in the horns l5 and if? so that the thickest portion of the body member It is well spaced with respect to the area between the horns l5 and I6 and which area defines the location of the bunion to be treated.

The body member I4 of foam rubber is covered with a top layer of adhesive fabric H and is thereby self-positioning with respect thereto and the bottom of the body member Id of foam rubber is positioned on a second layer of adhesive fabric [8. The edges of the adhesive fabric layer ll extend beyond the body member M as well as the horns I5 and i6 thereof and are secured by adhesion to the upper surface of the lower fabric layer IS.

The bottom of the fabric layer l8 has an adhesive coating which enables the bunion pad to be aflixed to a human foot in a desired position adjacent to a bunion to be treated. In such position the bunion occupies the area indicated in dotted lines in. Figure 4 of the drawings and is indicated by the numeral !9. It will be observed that ample space is provided between the cushioning thickness of the pad as formed by the body member 14 and the bunion area itself to prevent the moving or pushing of the flesh of the foot toward the bunion area or to prevent any 4 tendency toward elevating or lifting the bunion area with respect to the foot itself.

The device thus enables the satisfactory alleviation of discomfort otherwise occurring from a bunion and at the same time makes possible a thinner, neater appearing protective appliance with respect to the stocking and shoe of the wearer while at the same time correctly and efficiently relieves the pressure on the bunion area.

In Figures 6. of the drawings the bunion pad disclosed in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings is shown in partially opened position, the upper layer ll of adhesive fabric being turned back as indicated by the numeral Ila to directly show the upper convex surface of the foam rubber body member I l and a portion of the edge of the bottom layer It is also turned up to indicate the adhesive surface thereon which is given the refence numeral ISA.

It will thus be seen that the bunion pad disclosed herein and in its alternate form as a corn or callus pad also disclosed herein meets the several objects of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A bunion pad comprising a device formed of a body of foam rubber material positioned between two oval-shaped layers of fabric, each adhesive coated on its under side, the said body of foam rubber having its upper surface convex in cross section and arouately indented inwardly on one side thereof, the fabric layers extending beyond the peripheral edges of the said body member.

2. A bunion pad comprising a device formed of a body of foam rubber material positioned between two oval-shaped layers of fabric, each adhesive coated on its under side, the said body of foam rubber having its upper surface convex in cross section and having two spaced horn-like sidewardly curving extensions thereon, the upper surface of each of which is also convex in cross section, the fabric layers extending beyond the peripheral edges of the said body member and across the area between said extensions.

3. A bunion pad comprising a device formed of a body of foam rubber material positioned between two oval-shaped layers of fabric, each adhesive coated on its under side, the said body of foam rubber having its upper surface convex in cross section, the body member having a single arcuate horn-like projection extending outwardly therefrom and curved with respect thereto, the upper surface of the projection of the body member being convex in cross section, the fabric layers extending beyond the peripheral edges of the said body member and across the body member and said projection.

4. A bunion pad comprising a device formed of a body of foam rubber material positioned between two oval-shaped layers of fabric, each adhesive coated on its under side, the said body of foam rubber having its upper surface convex in cross section and having an arcuate indentation in one side thereof and near one end thereof, the edges of the body member defining the arcuate indentation being relatively thin and tapering upwardly toward the center area of the said body member, the fabric layers extending beyond the peripheral edges of the said body member and across the area between the ends of the body of foam rubber as defined by the arcuate indenta ion.

5. As a new article of manufacture an ovalshaped bottom layer of film-like material having 5 an adhesive coating on the bottom thereof, an elongated curved body member of foam rubber material disposed on said bottom layer of filmlike material inwardly from the edges thereof, the said body member having a relatively thin peripheral edge and tapering inwardly and upwardly to a relatively thick center section adjacent one end thereof, one edge of the said body member defining an arcuate indentation, the edge of the said body member defining the arcuate indentation being relatively thin and tapering inwardly and upwardly toward said center end area of the body member, an upper oval-shaped layer of film-like material having an adhesive coating on the bottom thereof, the said layers of film-like material being larger in circumference than the said body member of foam rubber material and the said article being held in assembled relation by adhesion of one part to another.

EARL M. STEWART.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D. 33,764 Georges Oct, 19, 1943 852,328 Hasselman Apr.. 30, 1907 1,984,158 Scholl Dec. 11, 1934 2,332,473 Salander Oct. 19, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 584,150 Great Britain June 8, 1947