Sets oforthotic inserts or other footwear inserts with progressive corrections and an internal sipe

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9693603-B2
Application number	US-201414449979-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2014
Priority date	Jun 29, 2007
Publication date	Jul 4, 2017
Grant date	Jul 4, 2017

Abstract

Orthotics or other footwear inserts including a set of separate and incrementally different inserts sized and adapted for a right and/or left foot. One such insert in said set has a first corrective structure and at least another such insert has a second corrective structure. The second corrective structure including at least an incremental change in one or more of curvature, thickness and firmness of at least one sidemost portion of said insert in said set as compared to the first corrective structure and a corrective structure of each other said insert in said set. The inserts in the set have a progressive sequence based on the increase or decrease in one of the curvature, thickness and firmness, are adapted to be worn one at a time for a period of time sequentially based on the progressive sequence and also include at least one internal sipe.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Orthotics or other footwear inserts for an intended wearer, comprising:
a set of separate and incrementally different inserts each sized and adapted for a same standard size of a right and/or left foot of the intended wearer;
one said insert in said set having a first corrective structure and at least another said insert in said set having a second corrective structure that is incrementally different from the first corrective structure; as viewed in a frontal plane cross section taken at a same location of each of said inserts in said set, when said inserts in said set are upright and in an unloaded condition;
the second corrective structure including an incremental change in curvature of at least one sidemost portion of said insert in said set as compared to the first corrective structure and a corrective structure of each other said insert in said set, when viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when said orthotics or other footwear inserts are upright and in an unloaded condition, wherein said incremental change is one of an increase or decrease in curvature;
said inserts in said set having a progressive sequence based on the increase or decrease in the curvature of said at least one sidemost portion of each said insert in said set;
each said insert in said set including at least one internal sipe formed by internal surface portions of each said insert in said set, wherein the surface portions forming the at least one internal sipe oppose each other and move relative to each other in a sliding motion; and
wherein said orthotics or other footwear inserts comprising each said insert in said set are adapted to be worn one at a time for a period of time using said inserts in said set sequentially based on the progressive sequence.

2. The orthotics or other footwear inserts of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sidemost portion is configured to be located proximate to one or more of a first distal phalange, a head of a first metatarsal, a head of a fifth metatarsal, a base of a fifth metatarsal and a lateral tuberosity of a calcaneus of the intended wearer's foot when located in footwear including said orthotics or other footwear inserts.

3. The orthotics or other footwear inserts of claim 2 , wherein inner and outer surfaces of said sidemost portion are curved concavely to define a concavely curved sidemost portion, as determined relative to a central portion of an intended wearer's foot location in the footwear including said orthotics or other footwear inserts, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the footwear including said orthotics or other footwear inserts is upright and in an unloaded condition.

4. The orthotics or other footwear inserts of claim 1 , further comprising a sole section including at least one inner compartment, chamber, or bladder, each inner compartment, chamber or bladder containing at least one fluid, and wherein at least a part of each of said at least one inner compartment, chamber or bladder is located in a single frontal plane cross-section of the shoe sole when the shoe sole is upright and in an unloaded condition;
at least one outer compartment, chamber, or bladder outside said inner compartment, chamber, or bladder; and
said outer compartment, chamber, or bladder and said inner compartment, chamber, or bladder being separated at least in part by an internal sipe; and
wherein said internal sipe is formed by at least a portion of an inner surface of said outer compartment, chamber, or bladder and at least a portion of an outer surface of each of said inner compartment, chamber, or bladder; and the inner and outer surface portions forming the sipe oppose each other and therefore can move relative to each other in a sliding motion.

5. The orthotics or other footwear inserts of claim 1 , wherein said set of inserts includes at least five said separate inserts arranged in the progressive sequence.

6. The orthotics or other footwear inserts of claim 1 , wherein said set of inserts comprises one subset of said inserts of said set for a right foot and one subset of said inserts of said set for a left foot and each of said inserts of said set is insertable into an outer sole by the intended wearer.

7. The orthotics or other footwear inserts of claim 2 , including at least one said insert of said set that comprises one said corrective structure that is incrementally closer in one of curvature, thickness and firmness to the second corrective structure than the first corrective structure.

8. A set of separate and incrementally different footwear soles each sized and adapted for a same standard size of a right or left foot of the intended wearer;
one said footwear sole of said set comprising a first corrective structure and at least one other said footwear sole of said set comprising a second corrective structure that is incrementally different from the first corrective structure, as viewed in a frontal plane cross section taken at a same location of each of said footwear soles in said set when said footwear sole of said set is upright and in an unloaded condition;
each of said footwear soles of said set being sized and adapted for the standard size of a right or left foot of the intended wearer;
each of said footwear soles of said set including at least one internal sipe formed by internal surface portions of each said footwear sole of said set, wherein the surface portions forming the at least one internal sipe oppose each other and move relative to each other in a sliding motion;
the second corrective structure including an incremental change in curvature of at least one sidemost portion of each said footwear sole of said set as compared to the first corrective structure and a corrective structure of each other said footwear sole of said set, when viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when said footwear inserts are upright and in an unloaded condition, wherein said incremental change is one of an increase or decrease in curvature;
said footwear soles in said set having a progressive sequence based on the increase or decrease in the curvature of said at least one sidemost portion of each said footwear sole in said set; and
wherein said footwear soles of said set are adapted to be worn one at a time for a period of time using said footwear soles in said set sequentially based on the progressive sequence.

9. The set of footwear soles of claim 8 , wherein the at least one sidemost portion is configured to be located proximate to one or more of a first distal phalange, a head of a first metatarsal, a head of a fifth metatarsal, a base of a fifth metatarsal and a lateral tuberosity of a calcaneus of the intended wearer's foot when located in footwear being worn by the intended wearer.

10. The set of footwear soles of claim 9 , wherein inner and outer surfaces of said sidemost portion are curved concavely to define a concavely curved sidemost portion, as determined relative to a central portion of an intended wearer's foot location in the footwear including said orthotics or other footwear inserts, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the footwear is upright and in an unloaded condition.

11. The set of footwear soles of claim 8 , further comprising a sole section including at least one inner compartment, chamber, or bladder, each inner compartment, chamber or bladder containing at least one fluid, and wherein at least a part of each of said at least one inner compartment, chamber or bladder is located in a single frontal plane cross-section of the shoe sole when the shoe sole is upright and in an unloaded condition;
at least one outer compartment, chamber, or bladder outside said inner compartment, chamber, or bladder; and
said o

Assignees

• Ellis Frampton E

Inventors

• Ellis Frampton E

Classifications

• A43B7/1465

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A43B13/386 Primary

  multilayered · CPC title

• A43B17/00

  Insoles for insertion, e.g. footbeds or inlays, for attachment to the shoe after the upper has been joined · CPC title

• A43B13/14

  characterised by the constructive form · CPC title

• A43B13/188

  Differential cushioning regions · CPC title