Patent Publication Number: US-2005115108-A1

Title: Insole for foot sole reflexology and shoe that includes that insole

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates to the field of shoes, and in particular it relates to an insole for shoes equipped with projections that stimulate and massage the foot sole when walking. Furthermore, the invention relates to a shoe that includes such an insole.  
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART  
      Special shoes exist that stimulate the foot sole of an individual. In particular, the insoles of such shoes act on predetermined points of the foot sole by means of suitable projections, according to the principles of an old Chinese technique known as foot sole reflexology.  
      In accordance with the essential principles of foot sole reflexology, important parts and muscles of the human body are directly linked, through a complex system of nerves, to specific points of the foot sole. Therefore, the stimulation and the massage of such strategic points are beneficial to the corresponding parts connected to them and, normally the effect arises of helping blood circulation and improving the psycho-physical health conditions.  
      In shoe making industry the need is felt of a shoe capable of massaging directly the foot sole and specifically the areas of higher interest, according to foot sole reflexology, using insoles having projections arranged according to particular charts. The solutions known up to now cannot solve suitably the problem of an effective stimulating action without affecting the essential comfort of a shoe. It is scientifically proven, in fact, that wearing a correct shoe has direct positive effects on the fitness of individuals; vice versa, wearing a wrong shoe can lead to more or less serious pathologies. A shoe must then necessarily combine comfort and therapeutical action.  
      On the other hand, shoes or insoles having such projections can be used only for a short time without causing discomfort, and are not suitable for shoes that are used for a longer time or for a whole day.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      It is an object of the present invention to provide an insole for shoes suitable to provide a rewarding massage to the foot sole, according to the principles of foot sole reflexology.  
      It is another object of the present invention to provide such an insole for shoes not affecting negatively the comfort of the shoe for all the time an individual has it on.  
      It is a particular object of the present invention to provide such an insole to be inserted directly in the shoe.  
      These and other objects are achieved by the insole, according to the present invention, of the type having projections suitable for massaging the foot sole, and in particular certain sensitive points thereof, during motion such as walking and jogging. The projections made on the insole correspond to points of the foot connected to important parts of the human body: heart, liver, intestine, kidney, solar plexus etc, in accordance with the general principles of foot sole reflexology. The feature of the insole according to the invention is of having at least one layer of cushioned elastically yielding material and of having a overall thickness set between 5 and 13 mm.  
      In particular, the overall thickness of the insole can be set between 7 and 12 mm. Preferably the overall thickness of the insole is set between 9 and 11 mm.  
      According to another aspect of the invention, the insole has an upper layer formed by a first face printed with convex projections and the second face printed with recesses corresponding to said projections, said second face being associated to a second layer located underneath, preformed with projections according to a same chart of the first face of the upper layer and made preferentially of latex.  
      In particular, the protrusions of the second layer engage with the recesses of the first layer. The protrusions of the first layer are preferably with sharp edge. This allows a better engagement of the second layer and a higher smoothness of contact with the foot.  
      To avoid tiredness to the foot and an active antishock protection the shoe according to the invention can provide, furthermore, the use of a third elastic layer, located under the insole formed by the first and second layer, and made preferably of Poron® or of PPT. This insole has the elasticity necessary for making a correct stimulating action on the foot sole. The projections emerging from the insole, in fact, for massaging the foot sole of whom wears the shoe, have to be at the same time stiff and elastic.  
      The first layer is preferably made of natural leather, for example a kip obtained by mixed tanning (vegetable tanning+tallow). The three layers then allow transpiration singularly and in combination.  
      When the shoes are used for walking or jogging, the projections made on the insole, according to the present invention, exploit the regular change of the distribution of the weight of the body between foot tip and heel for massaging rewardingly the foot sole, at the points of contact. The projections, in fact, are alternatively compressed, absorbing the energy charged by the weight of the body, and then released, returning this energy and thus stimulating the foot sole.  
      To prevent the stimulating action of the projections on the foot sole from negatively affecting the comfort of the shoe, the overall thickness of the insole according to the invention is set between 5 and 13 mm. Therefore, the shoe should be made with its uppers raised of several mm with respect to common shoes, to avoid that the foot works not naturally affecting the correct operation of the insole. In this case, the part of latex or other cushioning material can also be injected directly in the shoe sole, so that only the upper layer has to be added.  
      A possible alternative embodiment, provided by the present invention, relates to arranging the insole directly in the shoe sole.  
      This can be done either raising the shoe uppers, or the shoe sole, in the latter case arranging the insole within the shoe sole.  
      Preferably the projections of the insole extend for the following height: 
          Solar plexus, toe and kidney: 2-3 mm.     Other projections: 1,5-2 mm.       

    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      Further features and the advantages of the insole according to the present invention, will be made clearer with the following description of an embodiment thereof with reference to attached drawings wherein:  
       FIG. 1  shows a top plan view of the anatomical shape of the insole and a possible chart of the projections of the insole;  
       FIG. 2  shows an exploded view of the position of the different parts of the insole at assembling;  
       FIG. 3  shows in detail the insole after assembling the shoes;  
       FIG. 4  shows a cross section of the insole according to arrows IV-IV of  FIG. 3 .  
       FIG. 5  shows a cross section of the insole according to arrows V-V of  FIG. 3 .  
       FIG. 6  shows the position of the insole in a shoe; 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      With reference to  FIG. 1  an insole  10 , according to the present invention, is of the type equipped with a shaped upper surface  20 , i.e. with projections  11 - 25 , suitable for massaging the foot sole, and in particular certain sensitive points thereof, during motion such as walking and jogging. The projections  11 - 25  made on the insole  10  correspond to points of the foot connected to important parts of the human body: heart  14 , lungs  12 , parts of the thorax  13 , shoulders  15 , liver, stomach and pancreas  17 , kidney  18 , adrenaline stimulation  16 , solar plexus  22 , diaphragm  25 , intestine  19 , neck  21 , sciatic nerve  23 , genitals  24  etc., in accordance with the general principles of foot sole reflexology.  
      Insole  10 , according to the invention, has at least one layer  30  of cushioned elastically yielding material with a overall thickness S ( FIG. 3 ) set between 5 and 13 mm. In particular thickness S ( FIG. 3 ) of the insole can be chosen between 7 and 12 mm. Preferably, as in the present example, thickness S ( FIG. 3 ) of the insole is between 9 and 11 mm.  
      With reference to  FIGS. 2-4 , according to another aspect of the invention, the upper layer of the insole  10  is formed by a first face  20  printed with projections  11 - 25  towards the above and a second face  20 ″ printed with recesses corresponding to said projections associated to second layer  30  located underneath, preformed with projections  11 ′- 25 ′ according to the same chart of the projections of the first face of upper layer  20  ( FIG. 2 ) and made preferentially of latex.  
      In particular, projections  11 ′- 25 ′ of second layer  30  engage with the recesses of the first layer  20  ( FIGS. 2-5 ), and have a sharp edge.  
      In order to avoid tiredness to the foot and provide an active antishock protection, the shoe according to the invention comprises, furthermore, a third resilient layer  40  that allows transpiration, located under the insole layers formed by the first layer  20  and second layer  30 , and made preferably of Poron® or of PPT. Third layer  40  has a cushioning function for insole  10  for a correct stimulating action on the foot sole. The projections  11 - 25  made on the first layer  20 , in fact, in order to massage the foot sole of whom wears the shoe  60  ( FIG. 6 ), have to be at the same time stiff and elastic.  
      When the shoes  60  are used for walking or jogging, the projections  11 - 25  made on the insole, according to the present invention, exploit the regular change of the distribution of the weight of the body between foot tip and heel by massaging rewardingly the foot sole, at the respective points of contact. The projections  11 - 25 , in fact, are alternatively compressed, absorbing the energy charged by the weight of the body, and then released, returning this energy and thus stimulating the foot sole.  
      To prevent the stimulating action of the projections  11 - 25  on the foot sole from negatively affecting the comfort of the shoe  60 , the overall thickness S ( FIG. 3 ) of the insole according to the invention, according to a preferred example, is about 10 mm. Therefore, a shoe is made preferably with raised uppers T ( FIG. 6 ) of several mm with respect to common shoes, to avoid that the foot works not naturally affecting the correct operation of the insole  10 . In this case, the part of latex or other cushioning material can also be injected directly in the shoe sole, so that only the upper layer has to be added, which is preferably a mixed tanning natural kip (vegetable tanning+tallow).  
      A possible alternative embodiment (not shown), provided by the present invention, relates to arranging the insole  10  directly in a recess in the sole of shoe  60  so that the uppers have not to be raised.  
      Preferably the projections of the insole  10  extend up to the following height: 
          Solar plexus, toe and kidney: 2-3 mm.     Other projections: 1,5-2 mm.        

      The foregoing description of a specific embodiment will so fully reveal the invention according to the conceptual point of view, so that others, by applying current knowledge, will be able to modify and/or adapt for various applications such an embodiment without further research and without parting from the invention, and it is therefore to be understood that such adaptations and modifications will have to be considered as equivalent to the specific embodiment. The means and the materials to realise the different functions described herein could have a different nature without, for this reason, departing from the field of the invention. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.