Basketball insole

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9788602-B2
Application number	US-201314422066-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2013
Priority date	Aug 31, 2012
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

An insole which provides cushioning and support to a user's foot subjected to a high magnitude of ground reaction forces (GRF) encountered in playing court sports, such as basketball, is herein disclosed. The insole comprises a base having a bottom side which defines recesses adapted to receive pads having particular properties. The location and materials of the various pads and pods work together to provide ground reaction force modulation to the user's foot which is highly desirable for users engaged in basketball and similar activities.

First claim

Having described the invention, we claim:

1. An insole having a top side configured to contact a user's foot and a bottom side configured to contact the inside of a user's shoe, comprising:
a. a base, said base having a base top surface and a base bottom surface, said base having a heel end, a toe end, a medial border and a lateral border, said borders extending from said heel end to said toe end, said base bottom surface defining a forefoot area configured to extend from the toe end to a location behind a metatarsal head area of said user's foot, a midfoot area configured to extend from said metatarsal head area to an edge that is configured to lie forward of the calcaneal area of said user's foot, and a heel area that is configured to extend from said midfoot area to said heel end, said base further defining a forefoot pad recession area in said base bottom surface and a first metatarsal head pad recession area configured to extend in said forefoot area in said base bottom surface, and an arch recession area on a medial side of said base bottom surface, an integrally formed longitudinal arch support and one or more pod recession areas located in said midfoot and heel areas of said base bottom surface, said longitudinal arch support integrally formed in said base extending upwardly along the medial border and configured to extend under the medial arch area of said user's foot;
b. a graduated arch support made of semi-rigid material, said graduated arch support secured to said arch recession area of said base bottom surface, said arch recession area located along the longitudinal arch support having a proximal edge end nearest the heel end of the base and extending toward said toe end of the base to a distal edge end adjacent said first metatarsal head pad recession area, said proximal edge end and distal edge end connected by a medial edge near said medial border and a lateral edge near a middle of the base, said lateral edge having a parabolic-like shape;
c. a forefoot pad secured to said forefoot pad recession area, said forefoot pad recession area configured to extend under a hallux area of said user's foot from near the distal end of the base proximally configured to extend to an area under the first metatarsal head, said forefoot pad recession area further configured to extend laterally and proximally under the lesser metatarsal heads area of said user's foot to the back of the metatarsal heads;
d. a first metatarsal head pad secured to said first metatarsal head pad recession area, said first metatarsal head pad recession area configured to extend under the first metatarsal head area of said user's foot, a distal edge and a lateral edge of said first metatarsal head pad recession adjacent a proximal edge and a medial edge of said forefoot pad, said forefoot pad having a firmer density than said first metatarsal head pad; and
e. interacting cooperative pod components integrated into said one or more pod recession areas on said base bottom surface, said pod components having a lateral heel pod inserted into a pod recession area located on the lateral side of said heel area.

2. The insole of claim 1 , wherein said pod components further have a lateral midfoot pod inserted into one of said one or more pod recession areas located on the lateral side of said midfoot area.

3. The insole of claim 1 , wherein said pod components further have a medial heel pod inserted into one of said one or more pod recession areas located on the medial side of said heel area.

4. The insole of claim 1 , wherein said pod components further have a lateral midfoot pod inserted into one of said one or more pod recession areas located on the lateral side of said midfoot area and a medial heel pod inserted into one of said one or more pod recession areas located on the medial side of said heel area.

5. The insole of claim 4 , wherein said lateral midfoot pod and said medial heel pod components are made of a firmer material than said lateral heel pod.

6. The insole of claim 4 , wherein said lateral midfoot pod and said medial heel pod components are made of a softer material than said lateral heel pod.

7. The insole of claim 4 , wherein said lateral midfoot pod and said medial heel pod components are made of a material of the same firmness of said lateral heel pod.

8. The insole of claim 1 , wherein said graduated arch support defines one or more ribs extending outwardly therefrom.

9. The insole of claim 8 , wherein said one or more ribs extending outwardly from said graduated arch support are approximately 0.5 mm thick.

10. The insole of claim 1 , wherein said graduated arch support defines one or more essentially level ribs having a rib outline indented in said arch support.

11. The insole of claim 10 , wherein said one or more essentially level ribs are approximately 0.5 mm deep.

12. The insole of claim 1 , wherein said graduated arch support defines one or more rib-shaped openings.

13. The insole of claim 12 , wherein said one or more rib-shaped openings allow said base to extend therethrough to mechanically lock said graduated arch support to said base and provide additional cushioning and support to the arch when under compression.

14. The insole of claim 12 , wherein said one or more rib-shaped openings have a width of approximately 0.5 mm.

15. An insole having a top side configured to contact a user's foot and a bottom side configured to contact the inside of a user's shoe, comprising:
a. a base, said base having a base top surface and a base bottom surface, said base having a heel end, a toe end, a medial border and a lateral border, said borders extending from said heel end to said toe end, said base bottom surface defining a forefoot area extending from the toe end and configured to extend to a location behind a metatarsal head area of said user's foot, a midfoot area that is configured to extend from said metatarsal head area to an edge that is configured to lie forward of the calcaneal area of said user's foot, and a heel area that extends from said midfoot area to said heel end, said base further defining a forefoot pad recession area in said base bottom surface and a first metatarsal head pad recession area located in said forefoot area in said base bottom surface, and an arch recession area on a medial side of said base bottom surface, a longitudinal arch support integrally formed in said base extending upwardly along the medial border and configured to extend under the medial arch area of said user's foot and one or more pod recession areas located in said midfoot and heel areas of said base bottom surface;
b. a graduated arch support made of semi-rigid material having a plurality of ribs oriented transversely from the medial side to the lateral side of said graduated arch support, said graduated arch support secured to said arch recession area of said base bottom surface, said arch recession area located along the longitudinal arch support having a proximal edge end nearest the heel end of the base and extending toward said toe end of the base to a distal edge end adjacent said first metatarsal head pad recession area, said proximal edge end and distal edge end connected by a medial edge near said medial border and a lateral edge near a middle of the base, said lateral edge having a parabolic-like shape;
c. a forefoot pad secured to said forefoot pad recession area, said forefoot pad recession area configured to extend under a hallux area of said user's foot from near the distal end of the base configured to proximally extend to an area under the first metatarsal head, said forefoot pad recession area further configured to extend laterall

Assignees

• Spenco Medical Corp
• Implus Footcare Llc

Inventors

• Wynn William Sterling
• Martinez Jacob
• Anthony Raymond J
• Granger David B
• Lewis Paul

Classifications

• B29D35/142

  Soles · CPC title

• A43B17/14

  made of sponge, rubber, or plastic materials · CPC title

• A43B13/40

  with cushions · CPC title

• A43B13/188

  Differential cushioning regions · CPC title

• A43B13/16

  Pieced soles (with several layers of different material A43B13/12) · CPC title