EP1608244A1

EP1608244A1 - Arch support insoles

Info

Publication number: EP1608244A1
Application number: EP04724951A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Priscilla Berry; Mark Simon Bayly
Original assignee: SSL International PLC
Current assignee: SSL International PLC
Priority date: 2003-04-01
Filing date: 2004-04-01
Publication date: 2005-12-28
Also published as: EP1608244A4; WO2004086894A1; AU2004226874A1; NZ542792A; AU2003901576A0; JP2006521839A

Abstract

This invention relates to a shoe insole for location within a shoe. The insole includes a pad (1) having a recess (7) formed between an upper surface (2) and a lower surface (8) of the pad adjacent an inner side (10). The recess is designed to receive an insert (14) for supporting an arch portion of a user's foot. The pad also includes a gap (11) extending longitudinally of the pad between the inner side (10) and outer side (12) to facilitate variation of a width dimension of the pad (1).

Description

ARCH SUPPORT INSOLES This invention relates to an insole for a shoe providing support to an arch portion of a foot. The insole is particularly suitable for use as an after sales addition to the existing insole provided with the shoe, and it will be convenient to hereinafter describe the invention in relation to this particular application. It should be appreciated however that the invention has wider application such that the insole may replace the existing insole provided with the shoe particularly where the existing insole adversely affects the function of the insole.

Collapsed arches are a common problem which affect the orientation of the foot relative to the leg. This can have an adverse affect on movement and posture of the sufferer causing mild to severe medical problems. Arch collapse is measured by the "Q angle" being the angle a line between the heel and the back of the arch makes with a horizontal line. A low "Q angle" represents a severe arch collapse. The addition of an insole having an arch support to a shoe worn by a sufferer can maintain a higher "Q angle and address these adverse effects.

One kind of insole, generally referred to as an arch support cushion, includes a pad made from relatively flexible shock absorbent material. The pad is formed with a thicker portion which in use is positioned adjacent the arch, to provide arch support. Arch support cushions are normally bought off the shelf and are designed to fit and provide support to the average person. More specifically whilst the cushion may be provided in a range of lengths, each length is likely to have a standard width. Accordingly the cushion will not be suitable for the full range of shoes of varying width that the person may have.

Furthermore insoles are sold in pairs and it is not always likely that the arch on both feet requires the same "Q angle" adjustment. Furthermore the hardness of the cushion remains constant for the range of lengths provided. This fails to appreciate that the weight of different users and therefore their ability to compress the cushion will vary. More specifically the cushion hardness may be suitable for the average person but not suitable for a range of people who may be heavier or lighter than the average person. As a generalisation a female foot is narrower than a male foot. Accordingly, it has been necessary for manufacturers to produce a male and female arch support cushion for each length. More importantly retailers of such cushions are required to stock both male and female product. It is desirable from a retail perspective to be able to meet demand while reducing stock on hand.

An alternate solution to using a cushion is to have an orthopaedic expert or paediatrist design and construct orthotic inserts which will provide the appropriate arch support specific to each foot of the user. These types of orthotic inserts are generally relatively rigid and tend to be shoe specific. More specifically if the orthotic was designed for location in a court shoe, the same orthotic would not be suitable for location in a pair of runners. Whilst the orthotics are custom made and therefore they suit the user's weight and foot dimensions, they tend to be relatively more expensive.

It would be advantageous to provide a relatively inexpensive insole which is more adaptable than those currently available.

According to one aspect of this invention there is provided a shoe insole eatable in a shoe for providing arch support to the user wearing the shoe, the insole including: a pad having upper and lower surfaces extending between inner and outer sides, the lower surface being substantially planar, a gap extending from the upper surface to the lower surface located between the inner and outer sides of the pad to permit adjustment of a width dimension of the pad, an arch portion which in use is positionable adjacent the arch of the wearer, a recess in the arch portion between the upper and lower surfaces; and an insert which in use is located in the recess in the arch portion; wherein in use the insert provides support to the arch portion of the pad and thereby arch support to the foot of the wearer.

It is preferred that each insole be provided with a plurality of interchangeable inserts. It is preferred that the recess be designed to accommodate any one or more of the inserts. It is further preferred that said insert vary in hardness. Whilst any number of inserts may be provided, it is preferred that each insole be provided with a soft, medium and hard insert. This allows the user to personalise each insole to suit their needs. Whilst any range of hardnesses may be provided it is preferred that the inserts cover a range of hardnesses from Shore A5 to Shore A30. Providing a range of inserts of varying hardness will allow a pad of specific length to accommodate or be suitable for use by users having a range of weights.

It is preferred that the upper surface of the arch portion of the pad be formed substantially convex relative to the planar lower surface. It is preferred that the insert is formed with a relatively planar lower surface and a relatively convex upper surface. It is further preferred that a substantial portion of the upper surface of the insert extend parallel to the upper surface of the arch portion when the insert is located in the recess.

It is preferred that the recess in the arch portion is of the form of a cavity having an access opening through which the insert accesses the cavity. The access opening may be located in the side of the pad, or in the upper or lower surface of the pad.

The pad and insert may be formed from any suitable material. It is preferred that the pad be formed from a different material to that of the insert however this is not essential. The insert may be formed from a closed cell foam, a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) or a foamed TPE, however other materials may be suitable. The pad may be formed from a TPE or liquid silicone rubber (LSR) covering a range of hardness from Shore A10 to Shore A20, however other materials may also be suitable.

The lower layer of the pad may be formed with a re-entrant pattern to facilitate the redistribution of the pad when under load in a controlled manner and also facilitate retention of the pad in a selected position in the shoe. Preferably the pad and possibly the insert are made from a clear material which will make it less visible in "open sided/toed" shoes

Preferably the pad has an upper surface which is smooth to facilitate easy insertion of the foot into the shoe in which the pad has previously been located.

This may be achieved by applying an etched surface to the tool or by applying talcum powder to the pad after moulding or by flock coating the pad to produce a "velour finish" to the upper surface of the pad.

The pad preferably has a denser foam layer adjacent the lower surface.

This may be produced by multiple density moulding of the pad or by treating the lower surface to change its hardness/density

According to another aspect of this invention there is provided a shoe insole for use in a range of shoes of varying widths, the insole including a pad having upper and lower surfaces extending between inner and outer sides, the pad being formed with a gap between the inner and outer sides to permit adjustment of a width dimension of the pad.

It is preferred that the pad be formed with a heel portion, an arch portion, a ball portion and a toe portion with the gap extending between at least the heel portion and the ball portion. The gap more preferably extends from within the heel portion through the arch portion to within the ball portion to provide a greater adjustability of the width dimension of the pad.

The pad may be formed from any suitable material. In this regard TPE or LSR have been found suitable.

The invention will be hereinafter described in greater detail by reference to the attached drawings which show example embodiments of shoe insoles according to the aspects of the invention. It is to be understood that the particularity of the drawings are not to supersede the generality of the preceding broad description of the invention. Figure 1 is a perspective view from above the pad according to one aspect of the invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view from below of the pad from Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view from the underside of the pad from Figure 1 with an insert spaced from the recess.

Figure 4 is a cross section of the pad from Figure 1 with the insert located in the recess.

Figure 5 and 6 are perspective views from above and below of the pad according to another aspect of this invention.

Figure 1 illustrates an insole pad 1 and more specifically a perspective view of an upper surface 2 of a pad 1 according to an aspect of this invention. The pad 1 illustrated includes a toe portion 3, a ball portion 4, an arch portion 5 and a heel portion 6. The upper surface of the pad 1 is contoured to accommodate the underside of a wearer's foot. A recess 7 in the form of a cavity 7 is formed in the arch portion 5 of the pad 1 adjacent an inner side 10 and between the upper 2 and a lower surface 8 thereof. Access to the cavity 7 is via an access opening 9 located on the inner side 10 of the pad 1. The location of the access opening, as shown in the illustrations, is merely preferred. For example the upper or lower surface 2, 8 may be formed with the access opening. As an example, the inner side 10 could have a member of reduced thickness which would allow the insert to displace sideways within the recess during compression of the insert in which case the opening would be preferably located in the bottom of the pad. The cavity 7 is designed to receive and accommodate an insert which will be discussed later in the specification.

The pad 1 illustrated in Figure 1 is formed with a gap 11 between the inner side 10 and an outer side 12. The pad 1 is formed from a flexible material to allow the width dimension of the pad 1 in the area of the gap 11 to be adjusted. The gap 11 illustrated extends from within the heel portion 6 through the arch portion 5 to within the ball portion 4. It should be appreciated that the dimensions of the gap 11 illustrated are merely preferred and that gaps of other dimensions are within the scope of the invention.

Figure 2 illustrates a perspective view of the underside of the pad 1 from

Figure 1. The underside of the insole pad 1 illustrated is substantially planar and formed with a re-entrant pattern 13 to facilitate redistribution of the compressed pad material and to facilitate retention of the pad 1 in the position selected in the shoe. Whilst a zig zag pattern is illustrated, other forms of patterns may also be suitable.

Figure 3 illustrates an underside plan view of the pad 1 with the insert 14 positioned adjacent the recess 7. The insert 14 is to be located within the recess 7 prior to the insole 1 being positioned in the shoe. It is intended that the insert 14 be located within the cavity 7 which is best shown in Figure 4.

Referring now to Figure 4 the cavity 7 and the insert 14 are preferably configured such that the insert 14 is releasably retained within the cavity 7. Whilst this may be achieved in a suitable manner, in the example illustrated in Figure 4 it can be seen that the access opening 9 provides a restriction through which the insert 14 must pass. The pad 1 being formed from a resilient flexible material can stretch in the area of the opening 9 to allow the insert 14 to be inserted into the cavity 7.

The pad 1 may be formed from any suitable material and in this regard liquid silicone rubber (LSR) and thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) have been found suitable in a range of flexibilities/hardness. The insert 14 may be formed from any suitable material and again in this regard the TPE, foamed TPE or a closed cell foam has been found suitable.

Soft TPE's and LSR's will deflect when under load from the foot. Accordingly, as the materials act as an incompressible fluid, allowance in the design of the insole must be made for the redistribution of the "fluid" during deflection. The allowances include the re-entrant pattern on the lower surface of the pad, or the member on the inner side of the pad permitting sideways displacement of the insert.

The insole is preferably provided with a plurality of interchangeable inserts 14. It is preferred that each insert be of varying hardnesses. This allows the insole to be suitable for users over a range of different weights and different "Q angles". The intention is that a user of a relatively high weight will require an insert 14 which is relatively hard. Conversely a user having a weight which is relatively low will require an insert 14 which is relatively soft. Whilst any range of hardnesses would be suitable a range from Shore A5 to Shore A30 has been found most suitable.

The pad 1 may include a layer (not shown) adjacent the lower surface 8 which provides the pad 1 with stiffness for facilitating locating the pad in the shoe. The stiffness may be achieved by any suitable means such as treating the lower surface to create a layer of higher density.

The insole may be formed with the gap 11 only, as shown in figures 5 and 6. In which case the insole will include all features as herein before described with the exception of the insert 14.

It will be appreciated that the insole described herein will be suitable for a range of users, thereby making it more adaptable than existing insoles on the market. Furthermore the insole will provide a cheaper alternative to a rigid custom made orthotic. The ability to adjust the width of the insole, and to provide a range of arch inserts are particular advantages.

Finally, it is to be understood that various alterations, modifications and/or additions may be introduced into the insole previously described without departing from the spirit or ambit of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A shoe insole locatable in a shoe for providing arch support to the user wearing the shoe, the insole including: a pad having upper and lower surfaces extending between inner and outer sides, the lower surface being substantially planar, a gap extending from the upper surface to the lower surface located between the inner and outer sides of the pad to permit adjustment of a width dimension of the pad, an arch portion which in use is positionable adjacent the arch of the wearer, a recess in the arch portion between the upper and lower surfaces; and an insert which in use is located in the recess in the arch portion; wherein in use the insert provides support to the arch portion of the pad and thereby arch support to the foot of the wearer.

2. A shoe insole according to claim 1 , including a plurality of interchangeable inserts wherein each insert is of differing hardness over a range of Shore A 5 to Shore A 30.

3. A shoe insole according to any one the preceding claims, wherein the recess in the arch portion is in the form of a cavity having an access opening formed in the inner side of the pad through which the insert accesses the cavity.

4. A shoe insole according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pad also includes a heel portion, a ball portion and a toe portion, the gap extending longitudinally of the pad between at least the heel portion and the ball portion.

5. A shoe insole according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pad is formed with an upper layer adjacent the upper surface and a lower layer adjacent the lower surface, the lower layer having a hardness greater than the upper layer.

6. A shoe insole according to claim 5, wherein the lower layer of the pad is formed with a re-entrant pattern to permit redistribution of the pad when under load.

7. A shoe insole according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the upper surface is formed with a smooth finish to facilitate easy insertion of a user's foot into the show in which the pad is located.

8. A shoe insole for use in a range of shoes of varying widths, the insole including a pad having upper and lower surfaces extending between inner and outer sides, the pad being formed with a gap between the inner and outer sides to permit adjustment of a width dimension of the pad.

9. A shoe insole according to claim 8, wherein the pad is formed with a heel portion, an arch portion, a ball portion and a toe portion, with the gap extending between at least the heel portion and the ball portion.

10. A shoe insole according to claim 9, wherein the gap extends from within the heel portion through the arch portion to within the ball portion.

11. A shoe insole according to any one of claims 9 or 10, wherein the pad is formed with an upper layer adjacent the upper surface and a lower layer adjacent the lower surface, the lower layer having a hardness greater than the upper layer.

12. A shoe insole according to any one of claims 9 to 11 , wherein the lower layer of the pad is formed with a re-entrant pattern to permit redistribution of the pad when under load.

13. A shoe insole according to any one claims 9 to 12, wherein the upper surface is formed with a smooth finish to facilitate easy insertion of a user's foot into the show in which the pad is located.