Abstract:
A shoe insert system with adjustable and interchangeable supports comprising: a base sole, a longitudinal arch, a heel insert, and a transverse arch; the base sole being generally planar and having a perimeter which covers the underside of a foot from the heel region up to the bottom of a person&#39;s toes, a longitudinal arch, the longitudinal arch having a d-shape with perforated holes and a row of pins sized to mate with perforations of the base sole, a heel insert, the heel insert having alternating perforated holes and pins near the edge defining a general circumference of the heel insert, the pins are sized to mate with corresponding perforated holes on the base sole, the transverse arch having a hole side and a pin side, the transverse arch having a series of perforated holes on the hole side and at least one pin sized to mate with a corresponding perforated hole on the base sole on the hole side.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to the health industry as it pertains to feet. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     There abound a panoply of products in the marketplace designed to comfort a person&#39;s foot. Many of these products are inserted into a shoe which acts as a support. These products are designed to alleviate the stress and impact which ensues when one places the full force of their body onto their feet. An average man may weigh approximately 200 pounds which must be placed upon feet with a surface area of approximately 70-80 square inches. Over the course of a day as this person walks a couple miles with hard wooden heels a great deal of stress is directed towards the feet. 
     Moreover, if a person&#39;s feet do not absorb the pressure from the weight of his body properly, the force will be re-allocated elsewhere. For some people, this force and stress may be re-allocated to their knees. For others, this force and stress may be re-allocated to their back. This residual stress to other areas of a person&#39;s body may lead to severe back problems, knee problems, and foot-related maladies. 
     To alleviate these problems most of the shoe inserts offered in the marketplace are essentially a one piece cushion shaped to conform to the outside of a person&#39;s foot. The problem with most shoe inserts is the fact that they are soft and do not offer true support to re-direct force and correct balance. A soft shoe insert offers no more support to a person&#39;s foot as a tire made out of glass to be mounted on a car. Although a person may receive short-term comfort when using a soft shoe insert, such respite is soon replaced by the same pain and stress. And even if a person does feel measurably better, this is most likely a placebo effect which cannot be sustained. 
     Another problem with the prior art is the fact that most shoe inserts and similar products are essentially one-piece articles of manufacture. The only way they can conform to a person&#39;s foot is through the lateral outline of a person&#39;s foot. Unfortunately, each person&#39;s foot is idiosyncratic and singular with respect to the under-side of the feet. Each person possesses a foot with an underside which is as unique as a fingerprint. Some people possess wide arches. Some people possess narrow arches. Some people are flat-footed. Some people possess short toes. Some people possess long toes. And some people possess asymmetrical feet, i.e. feet which are different in size and shape in comparison with each other. And others may be missing some toes altogether. The prior art ignores these singularities and does not provide for precision custom-fitting with regards to the undersides of a person&#39;s feet. 
     Another problem which inheres with the prior art is the fact that they do not address the problem of poor balance. For those people who are missing toes, possess one leg which is slightly longer than the other, asymmetrical feet, etc., the prior art&#39;s “one size fits all” approach proves inadequate. The prior art does not provide for a way of re-directing or shifting a person&#39;s weight properly so that it will impart good balance. 
     Therefore, what is needed in the art is a custom-fitting system for the support of feet. Such a system should be hard enough to provide a strong foundation for a person&#39;s balance. In addition, such system should possess several different pieces which can properly dovetail with the underside of a person&#39;s foot. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is designed to provide proper support to a person and to correct a person&#39;s balance through use of a shoe insert system. The present invention provides a user with an interchangeable and adjustable system by which a proper custom fitting may be achieved. Through use of the present invention a user may gain more comfort, balance, and may alleviate any attendant pain and aches often associated with wearing various types of shoes. 
     The present invention is a shoe insert system with adjustable and interchangeable supports comprising: a base sole, a longitudinal arch, a heel insert, and a transverse arch; the base sole being generally planar and having a perimeter which covers the underside of a foot from the heel region up to the bottom of a person&#39;s toes, a longitudinal arch, the longitudinal arch having a d-shape with perforated holes and a row of pins sized to mate with perforations of the base sole, a heel insert, the heel insert having alternating perforated holes and pins near the edge defining a general circumference of the heel insert, the pins are sized to mate with corresponding perforated holes on the base sole, the transverse arch having a generally planar side and a convex side, the transverse arch having a series of perforated holes and at least one pin sized to mate with a corresponding perforated hole on the base sole. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a unique system comprised of several different articles of manufacture are used to provide support and balance to a person&#39;s feet and body. The system along with the attendant articles of manufacture are described in enabling detail below. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Foot support system  100  is comprised of several different pieces. The types of pieces which are used will be dictated primarily by the morphology of a person&#39;s foot. Other factors which will dictate which pieces which will be used include: personal comfort, balance, alleviation of pain in the back, knees, etc. In addition, a person may choose to assemble the foot support system  100  in such a way as to conform to general precepts of Chinese medicine which will be detailed below. It must be pointed out here that it is not specifically required that all of the pieces of the foot support system  100  be used together to work effectively. The morphology of some feet may dictate the dispensation of some pieces herein described. 
     Foot support system  100  in a preferred embodiment includes a base sole  101 , a longitudinal arch  102 , buttons  103 , a heel insert  104 , and a transverse arch  105 . It must be pointed out here that in a foot support system, there may be several different sizes of said components which will vary in length, depth, width, etc. Therefore, it is not specifically required that any of said components possess certain measurements or sizes. Therefore, the specific dimensions of the foot support system  100  and any of its attendant components are not to be construed as limiting to the scope of the present invention. 
     In one preferred embodiment the components of the present invention are made of polypropylene. The components are fabricated by using injection molding. The reason why polypropylene is used is because it is hard and firm. Another reason is because it is a sanitary material. However, the use of polypropylene is mentioned merely as one preferred material to compose the present invention. There abound a panoply of other materials which may also be amenable to injection molding and which may prove equally expedient to serve the essential objectives of the present invention. As such, the use of polypropylene is not specifically required in the present invention. Therefore, the use of polypropylene should not be construed to be limiting the scope of the present invention because other equally fungible materials may be interchangeably used. 
     The base sole  101  is perforated with several holes  106  as illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . These holes  106  achieve two primary objectives. The first objective is to provide a means of attachment with the other pieces of the foot support system  100 . Holes  106  will mate with the pins  107  which protrude from the other components of the foot support system  100 . Another function the holes  106  accomplish is to allow for ventilation of air throughout the shoe. Without ventilation moisture combined with heat will make a suitable environment for mold, fungus, and other bacteria to propagate. This will lead to malodorous smells as well as athlete&#39;s foot. In some preferred embodiments the base sole  101  may further incorporate a series of concentric circles which are cut at a depth of approximately half of the thickness of the base sole. 
     Holes  106  are spaced substantially equidistantly from each other in several rows extending length-wise from top  108  to bottom  109 . And in some preferred embodiments, there is a group of holes  106  which are spaced in a circular fashion towards the bottom  109  which may be described as the heel region of the foot. 
     Located at the bottom  109  (the heel region) of the base sole  101  in a preferred embodiment are a series of concentric circles  110  spaced substantially equidistantly from each other. In a preferred embodiment there are between three to five concentric circles  110 . The concentric circles function to stimulate circulation throughout a person&#39;s feet. As energy is applied to the heel of a person&#39;s foot, said energy and force is radiated outwards by the concentric circles  110 . As energy radiates from the center of the heel, blood circulation is thereby stimulated. Another function of the concentric circles  110  is to spread out the force and energy which is applied to the heel. By dispersing the energy from the heel, the feet and the rest of a person&#39;s body is in a better position to absorb the shock and energy and re-allocate the force and energy. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a longitudinal arch  102  which is used to conform to the arch of a person&#39;s foot. The longitudinal arch  102  is a “D” shaped member. For this reason, the longitudinal arch  102  will be placed above the concentric circles  110 . However, the exact placement will be dictated by the particular morphology of a person&#39;s foot. For this reason, there are several holes  106  on the left and right sides of the base sole  101  which allow the user to place the longitudinal arch  102  at several different points up and down the base sole  101 . On the underside of the longitudinal arch  102  there is a row of pins  107  spaced substantially equidistantly from each other for the purpose of mating with the holes  106  of the base sole  101 . And as with the base sole  101  there are a series of holes  106  which are used for the purpose of ventilation. 
     Due to the idiosyncratic morphologies of the arches of people&#39;s feet, several longitudinal arches  102  of varying depths, lengths and widths may be included in a system for the present invention. And in some preferred embodiments, the longitudinal arches  102  may even have complimentary pins  107  and holes  106  to mate with each other for the purpose of combining depths to conforms to the morphology of a person&#39;s foot. 
     Heel insert  104  is typically placed towards the bottom of the base sole  101 . Heel insert  104  possesses a series of holes  106  along the border. And alternated by the series of holes  106  are a series of pins  107  which are sized to mate with the holes  106  spaced around the concentric circles  110  of the base sole  101 . In a preferred embodiment, there are two types of heel inserts  104 . In one preferred embodiment, the heel insert  104  possesses a series of concentric circles  110  similar to that of the base sole. The series of concentric circles may be cut at a depth of approximately half the thickness of the heel insert. In other preferred embodiments, the heel insert possesses a round orifice through the center which makes the heel insert  104  donut shaped. However, even with the donut shaped heel inserts  104  there may be concentric circles  110  spaced around the round orifice. Although the heel inserts  104  in a preferred embodiment may include concentric circles  110 , holes  106 , and pins  107 , it is not specifically required that the heel inserts possess such components. Heel inserts may be fabricated in other ways which do not incorporate such components, but may still be able to mate or dovetail with the base sole. Therefore, the present invention does not specifically require that the heel insert  104  incorporate holes  106 , concentric circles  110 , or pins  107 . Therefore, the use of holes  106 , concentric circles  110  or pins is not meant to limit the scope of the present invention. These components were mentioned merely for exemplary and illustrative purposes only. 
     Transverse arch  105  is a substantially circular piece which is typically placed above the concentric circles  110  of the base sole  101 . Transverse arch possesses a series of holes  106  which are spaced substantially equidistantly from each other. Said holes  106  are typically spaced in a radial fashion. Holes  106  primarily serve the purpose of ventilation. 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrates a transverse arch  105 . Transverse arch  105  possesses two sides. In some preferred embodiments, one side of the transverse arch  105  is substantially flat and planar. Whereas, the opposite side of the transverse arch  105  is substantially convex. On the convex side of the transverse arch  105  is a pin  107  which is sized to mate with a corresponding hole on the base sole  101 . In some preferred embodiments the transverse arch  101  only possesses one pin  107 . In other preferred embodiments, the transverse arch  101  may possess a plurality of pins  107  which is spaced in such a fashion to fit with a plurality of corresponding holes  106  located upon the base sole  101 . And in yet other preferred embodiments the transverse arch  105  may be fabricated with the pin  107  on the flat/planar side instead of the convex side. 
     As with other components of the present invention, the transverse arch  105  may come in varying widths and depths to conform with the particular morphology of a person&#39;s foot. And in some preferred embodiments the transverse arch may not necessarily possess pins  107  or holes  106 . There may be other means of affixing transverse arch  105  with the base sole  101  which may prove equally expedient. As such, the present invention does not specifically require the use of holes  106  or pins  107 . The use of holes  106  and pins  107  are mentioned for exemplary and illustrative purposes only. 
     Buttons  103  are adaptable for use with just about any other component of the present invention which has a hole  106  which it may be conjoined with. On one side of the button  103  there is a pin  107  which is sized to mate with a hole of the other components of the present invention, especially the base sole  101 . The side opposite the pin  107  is substantially convex. 
     The main purpose of the buttons  103  are to actuate various pressure points in the human body. According to various Chinese modalities of medicine various points along a person&#39;s foot correspond with another body part such as the back, the face, hands, torso, etc. There exist Chinese maps which enumerate and locate these various points of the foot and illustrate the effect of pressing this particular pressure point along with the concomitant body part to which this pressure point is associated with. For instance, if one were to experience pain in his knees, one would reference said Chinese foot map. This person would then find the location of the foot which corresponds with knee pain and place a button  103  at the point on the base sole which will actuate the pressure point associated with knee pain. 
     It must be pointed out here that the present invention does not specifically require the use of buttons  103  for use with the present invention. Nor does the present invention require use of maps of Chinese modalities of medicine. Moreover, the present invention makes no claims to the actual efficacy of such Chinese modalities of medicine. The mentioning of the buttons  103  is solely for illustrative and exemplary purposes only. The present invention along with its attendant objectives may be achieved without the use of the buttons  103 . As such, the present invention should not be construed to mean that the use of buttons  103  is necessarily included with the present invention. 
     It will be apparent to the skilled artisan that there are numerous changes that may be made in embodiments described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. As such, the invention taught herein by specific examples is limited only by the scope of the claims that follow.