Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US6560902?dq=4,923,986
Timestamp: 2016-07-30 09:50:29
Document Index: 286798102

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 6', 'art 6', 'art 6', 'art 6', 'art 6', 'art 6']

Patent US6560902 - Orthopaedic insole - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inPatentsOrthopaedic insole with a top cover and a bottom cover, which covers enclose a support core, the top cover and the bottom cover projecting beyond the support core via an edge area and being connected to each other in the edge area. Both the top cover and bottom cover and also the support core are made...http://www.google.com/patents/US6560902?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US6560902 - Orthopaedic insoleAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS6560902 B1Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 09/680,223Publication dateMay 13, 2003Filing dateOct 6, 2000Priority dateOct 8, 1999Fee statusPaidAlso published asCA2321172A1, CA2321172C, DE19948545A1, EP1090563A2, EP1090563A3, EP1090563B1Publication number09680223, 680223, US 6560902 B1, US 6560902B1, US-B1-6560902, US6560902 B1, US6560902B1InventorsDietmar EschweilerOriginal AssigneeGlobus Berkemann Gmbh & Co. KgExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (26), Referenced by (23), Classifications (17), Legal Events (4) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetOrthopaedic insole
US 6560902 B1Abstract
Orthopaedic insole with a top cover and a bottom cover, which covers enclose a support core, the top cover and the bottom cover projecting beyond the support core via an edge area and being connected to each other in the edge area. Both the top cover and bottom cover and also the support core are made of a thermoplastic material, the melting points of the three component parts of the insole, namely support core, top cover, and bottom cover, having approximately the same value, and these component parts being permanently connected to one another by pressing and shaping, with melting-on of the contiguous surfaces.
What is claimed is: 1. Orthopaedic insole with a top cover and a bottom cover, which covers enclose a support core, the top cover and the bottom cover projecting beyond the support core via an edge area and being connected to each other in the edge area, characterized in that the top cover is made of a first predetermined thermoplastic material and bottom cover is made of a second predetermined thermoplastic material and the support core is made of a third predetermined thermoplastic material, the melting points of the three component parts of the insole, namely support core, top cover and bottom cover, having approximately the same value relative to each other, and these component parts being permanently connected at the same time to one another by pressing and shaping, with melting-on of the contiguous surfaces, wherein the core is constructed of a different thermoplastic material relative to the top cover and the bottom cover.
2. Insole according to claim 1, characterized in that the top cover is provided with a skin-compatible covering, e.g. leather, imitation leather, plastic.
3. Insole according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the support core is formed by two sheets which lie one upon the other and which have each been obtained from a loose running material and are joined together by shaping and pressing, the lower sheet having a longitudinal extent shorter than that of the upper sheet and essentially forming the support part of the insole.
4. Insole according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the two covers consists of a two-layer material in which the inner layer consists of a woven netting formed by a thermoplastic fibre, and the outer layer consists of a thermoplastic film, the melting point of the woven netting and of the plastic film corresponding to that of the three component parts.
5. An insole, comprising:
a top cover made of a first predetermined thermoplastic material; a bottom cover made of a second predetermined thermoplastic material; and a support core made of a third predetermined thermoplastic material and enclosed by said top cover and said bottom cover, said top cover and said bottom cover projecting beyond said support core via an edge area and being connected to each other in said edge area, wherein melting points of said top cover, said bottom cover and said support core having approximately the same value relative to each other, and wherein said top cover, said bottom cover and said support core are permanently connected at the same time to one another by pressing and shaping, with melting-on of contiguous surfaces of said top cover, said bottom cover and said support core and the support core is constructed of a different thermoplastic material relative to the top cover and the bottom cover. 6. The insole according to claim 5, wherein said top cover is provided with a skin-compatible covering.
7. The insole according to claim 6, wherein said skin-compatible covering is leather, imitation leather or plastic.
8. The insole according to claim 5, wherein said support core is formed by two sheets which lie one upon the other and which have each been obtained from a loose running material and are joined together by shaping and pressing, a lower one of said two sheets having a longitudinal extent shorter than that of an upper one of said two sheets and essentially forming said support core of the insole.
9. The insole according to claim 5, wherein at least one of said top cover and said bottom cover comprises a two-layer material in which an inner layer comprises a woven netting formed by a thermoplastic fiber, and an outer layer comprises a thermoplastic film.
10. The insole according to claim 9, wherein the melting point of said woven netting and the melting point of said plastic film correspond to that of said top cover, said bottom cover and said support core.
11. A method of making an insole, comprising the following steps:
providing a top cover made of a first predetermined thermoplastic material, a bottom cover made of a second predetermined thermoplastic material, and a support core made of a third predetermined thermoplastic material, melting points of said top cover, said bottom cover and said support core having approximately the same value relative to each other; placing said support core between said top cover and said bottom cover, said top cover and said bottom cover projecting beyond said support core via an edge area; and permanently connecting said top cover, said bottom cover and said support core at the same time to one another by pressing and shaping, with melting-on of contiguous surfaces of said top cover, said bottom cover and said support core, thereby enclosing said support core between said top cover and said bottom cover and connecting said top cover and said bottom cover to each other in said edge area, wherein the support core is constructed of a different thermoplastic material relative to the top cover and the bottom cover.
The invention relates to an orthopaedic insole with a top cover and a bottom cover, which covers enclose a support core, the top cover and the bottom cover projecting beyond the support core via an edge area and being connected to each other in the edge area.
Such an insole is known from German Patent Specification 4,437,282. According to that document, the known insole is produced by means of covers, designated as cutouts, being pre-heated together with a shaped part which forms the support core, and this is done preferably without adhesive, after which these parts are joined together. The bottom cover is therefore preferably provided with adhesive. No other method of connecting the two covers is mentioned in the document.
The object of the invention is to design the insole in such a way that it can be produced by a relatively simplified method and obtains a special internal stability. According to the invention, this is achieved by the fact that both the top cover and bottom cover and also the support core are made of a thermoplastic material, the melting points of the three component parts of the insole, namely support core, top cover, and bottom cover, having approximately the same value, and these component parts being permanently connected to one another by pressing and shaping, with melting-on of the contiguous surfaces. In the insole according to the invention, there is a fixed connection between the top cover and the support core and between the bottom cover and the support core and also between the edge areas of the top cover and bottom cover projecting beyond the support core, which connection is achieved by a sort of welding-together of the contiguous surfaces, and, in addition, the support core obtains its final therapeutically requisite shape by means of the pressing and shaping, so that the insole is thus formed in a single method step by permanent connection of its three component parts and this shaping. The insole is therefore the result of a single step in which the unworked component parts of the insole, superposed loosely in a press mould, are pressed together, the melting of the contiguous surfaces at the same time bringing about the permanent inner connection of the component parts, and the associated shaping bringing about the final configuration of the insole. A crucial factor in this is that all the component parts of the insole are made of a thermoplastic material and the melting points of the three component parts have approximately the same value, so that the procedure outlined above can bring about the connection of all the component parts in a single step, these component parts then jointly forming the insole, with adaptation to the therapeutic conditions. The top cover is advantageously provided with a skin-compatible covering, for which leather, imitation leather, plastic or the like can be used.
To form the support core, it is possible to use a homogeneous material, e.g. a plastic sheet flattened at its edges. However, it is also possible and particularly advantageous to form the support core using two superposed sheets which each entail a loose running material. Fine plastic granules can be used here which flow upon being heated and form a sheet when cooled. The plastic granules are poured into a mould in which they are made to flow by heating and are limited in terms of their contour by the mould. Thus, sheets of the desired thickness and contour are produced in a known manner, and they are then placed one upon the other, the lower sheet having a shorter longitudinal extent than the upper sheet in order to form the support core. The lower sheet thus essentially forms the support part of the insole which is then given the desired shape for the required therapy by means of shaping and pressing.
To give the insole a high degree of stability, while preserving its bending strength, one of the two covers or both the top cover and bottom cover are made from a two-layer material, in which the inner layer (facing the support core) consists of a woven netting formed by a thermoplastic fibre. The outer layer consists of a thermoplastic film, the melting point of the woven netting and of the plastic film corresponding to that of the three component parts, that is to say the top cover, support core and bottom cover. By using the woven netting, the insole acquires quite considerable strength in its longitudinal extent without thereby losing bending strength, with the result that the insole can, as before, readily adapt to the bending of the shoe as the user is walking. The woven netting ensures that even the support core, which normally forms a cavity directed away from the foot, is given a high degree of elasticity, since the loading of the insole by the foot is in this case taken up not only by the support core alone, but also by the woven netting.
Illustrative embodiments of the invention are shown in the figures, in which:
FIG. 1 shows the insole in a perspective view,
FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal section through the insole,
FIG. 3 shows an enlarged detail from the representation in FIG. 2,
FIG. 4 shows a plan view of the insole, with a woven netting indicated diagrammatically.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the insole 1, showing the cover 2 which, in a known manner, is arched upwards slightly in the longitudinal edge areas 3 and 4. The insole 1 contains the support core 5 which is indicated by the broken line and which, in accordance with the above-described design with two sheets, contains the bottom part 6 which has a shorter longitudinal and transverse extent than the whole support core 5, with the result that the supporting force of the bottom part 6 is exerted in particular on the longitudinal arch of the foot.
The insole shown in FIG. 1 normally ends at the edge 7 in the metatarsal region. However, it is also possible to design the insole 1 such that it extends over the whole foot, as is indicated by the front flap 8 with the dot-and-dash line. In this area 8, the insole consists only of the combination of the two abovementioned covers (see FIG. 2), without any supporting force being exerted in this area, and the support core is therefore concentrated only on the rear area of the insole.
FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal section through the insole 1 represented in FIG. 1. The insole 1 has the top cover 9 and the bottom cover 10, between which the support core 5 is enclosed, with the bottom part 6 lying under it. These three component parts of the insole, namely top cover 9, bottom cover 10, and support core 5, 6, are connected firmly to one another by melting-on and pressing of the surfaces since they are made of thermoplastic whose melting point has approximately the same value in all component parts of this insole. The blanks from which the top cover 9, bottom cover 10 and support core 5, 6 are formed are for this purpose placed in a heating oven, laid one over the other in a manner which corresponds to their final position, and they are heated in the oven to such an extent that the mutually facing surfaces melt. These blanks are then transferred into a press which has the contours of the finished orthopaedic insole. In the press, the component parts which have thus been laid one over the other are pressed so that the melted surfaces of the component parts are connected intimately with one another and thus together form a continuously firmly connected insole. This pressing can also entail thermoforming, depending on how far the longitudinal edges of the finished insole are raised. The insole thus assumes its configuration represented in FIGS. 1 and 2, in which position, after cooling, it remains stable and loadable.
The detail shown by the circle 11 in FIG. 2 is represented on a larger scale in FIG. 3. According to this representation, the illustrative embodiment shown is stiffened in a particular way, namely by the fact that the top cover 9 and the bottom cover 10 consist in each case of a two-layer material in which the respective inner layer 12 or 13 consists of a woven netting, which is in this case formed by the weft threads shown as dots and by the warp threads arranged around these. The woven nettings 12, 13 are made of a thermoplastic fibre which has approximately the same melting point as the other component parts of the insole. Towards the outside, the two-layer material is in each case covered by a thermoplastic film 14 or 15 whose melting point likewise corresponds to that of the other component parts of the insole. By means of the woven netting 12, 13, the plastic insole, while retaining its bending strength, is given greater resistance to extension, thereby affording a high degree of elasticity, particularly in the longitudinal edge strips of the insole which are raised to a greater or lesser extent.
FIG. 4 shows a plan view of the insole in which the bottom part 6 has a slightly different edge shape than the bottom part 6 according to FIG. 1. This is a deliberate adaptation to a specific indication for treatment of a foot.
It is evident from FIG. 4 that the edges of the top cover and bottom cover protrude beyond the support core 5, in particular the longitudinal edges 3 and 4 and the transverse edges 16 and 17 which can be seen clearly in FIG. 4.
In the area of these edges 4, 6, 16 and 17, the top cover and the bottom cover are welded firmly to each other. As has been explained above, this weld naturally also extends over the entire surface of the support core 5 with its bottom part 6.
The woven netting 12 indicated in FIG. 3 is also represented in FIG. 4, concentrating, for reasons of simplification, on the middle area of the insole and on the area of the heel and the metatarsal region. The woven netting is indicated by intersecting broken lines. The woven netting extends over the entire surface of the top cover and of the bottom cover (see FIG. 3).
It should also be noted that it may be possible to dispense with a woven netting, so that the latter is then only present either in the top cover or in the bottom cover. However, if the woven netting is used in both covers, a correspondingly increased elasticity of the insole is obtained.
Patent CitationsCited PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS3778251 *Mar 17, 1971Dec 11, 1973Bixby Box Toe Co IncShoe stiffener materialsUS4594283 *Mar 20, 1985Jun 10, 1986Kuraray Co., Ltd.Shoemaking material and production thereofUS4715131 *Feb 18, 1986Dec 29, 1987Globus Fussstutzenfabrik Karl KremendahlOrthopedic supporting member, particularly orthopedic shoe inserts, and method of its manufactureUS4729179 *Jun 30, 1986Mar 8, 1988Kinney Shoe CorporationShoe insoleUS4756096 *Nov 14, 1986Jul 12, 1988Meyer Grant CFootwear insoleUS4823420 *Dec 4, 1986Apr 25, 1989Hans BartneckContour molded insoleUS5003708 *Dec 1, 1989Apr 2, 1991Dynamic Foam Products, Inc.Custom insole for athletic shoesUS5123180 *Apr 12, 1991Jun 23, 1992Urban R. NannigComposite insoleUS5150490Jan 7, 1989Sep 29, 1992Storopack Hans Reichenecker Gmbh & Co.Process for producing a resilient or padded insert for footwearUS5216825 *Jan 21, 1992Jun 8, 1993Brum Kenneth AOdor adsorbing contoured support inner soleUS5365678 *Apr 22, 1993Nov 22, 1994Kabushiki Kaisha HimikoMid-sole or sole of shoesUS5569344 *Jul 6, 1993Oct 29, 1996Brunswick Technologies, Inc.Methods of producing structurally reinforced thermoplastic-fabric composite contruction material that are moldableUS5727336 *May 28, 1996Mar 17, 1998Ogden, Inc.Footwear insole with a moisture absorbent inner layerUS5778562Oct 12, 1995Jul 14, 1998Lory Orthopadie Schuhtechnik Gesundheitsforum Service Und HandelsInsert for a shoeUS6195917 *Jul 7, 1999Mar 6, 2001Walk Easy Manufacturing, Inc.Footwear insole insertCH206957A Title not availableDE1145962BMay 29, 1959Mar 21, 1963Dr William M SchollMehrschichtige Einlegesohle und Verfahren zu ihrer HerstellungDE1890305A Title not availableDE2015489A1Apr 1, 1970Oct 7, 1971 Orthopaedic foot embedding supportDE3701950A1Jan 23, 1987Aug 4, 1988Karl Heinz LoryInsert in shoes, shaped in the manner of a footbedDE3802035A1Jan 25, 1988Aug 10, 1989Reichenecker Hans StoropackDaempfungs- oder polsterkoerper zum einsatz in schuhenDE3804321A1Feb 12, 1988Aug 24, 1989Ova Gmbh OrthopaediebedarfProcess for producing prosthetic parts from fibre-reinforced plasticDE4437282A1Oct 18, 1994Apr 25, 1996Lory Orthopaedie SchuhtechnikVerfahren zur Herstellung einer Einlage in SchuheDE8209746U1Vatter, Peter, 7890 Waldshut-Tiengen 1, DeTitle not availableDE8701109U1Jan 23, 1987Mar 5, 1987Lory, Karl Heinz, 8900 Augsburg, DeTitle not availableEP0443121A2Dec 4, 1990Aug 28, 1991Josef Birkeyrthopaedic insole for shoes* Cited by examinerReferenced byCiting PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS7266910 *Aug 27, 2004Sep 11, 2007Ossur HfOrthotic footplateUS7270644 *Aug 27, 2004Sep 18, 2007Ossur HfAnkle-foot orthosis having an orthotic footplateUS7513880Jan 10, 2007Apr 7, 2009Ossur HfAnkle-foot orthosis having an orthotic footplateUS8069587 *Nov 20, 2008Dec 6, 20113M Innovative Properties CompanyMolded insulated shoe footbed and method of making an insulated footbedUS9131746 *Aug 28, 2012Sep 15, 2015Roar Licensing, LlcFoot orthoticUS9138028 *Sep 3, 2010Sep 22, 2015Christian BierShoe, sole assembly for a shoe, method of manufacturing a sole assembly and method of manufacturing a shoeUS20050054959 *Aug 27, 2004Mar 10, 2005Ingimundarson Arni ThorOrthotic footplateUS20050054963 *Aug 27, 2004Mar 10, 2005Ingimundarson Arni ThorAnkle-foot orthosis having an orthotic footplateUS20060060185 *May 23, 2005Mar 23, 2006Dehn Michael CDevice and method for converting movement energy into heatUS20060121268 *Mar 22, 2005Jun 8, 2006Carl Freudenberg KgComposite panel for orthopedic technology; method for the manufacture and use thereofUS20070197948 *Jan 10, 2007Aug 23, 2007Ingimundarson Arni TAnkle-foot orthosis having an orthotic footplateUS20070234592 *Apr 4, 2007Oct 11, 2007Crates John MOrthotic for cleatUS20100122475 *Nov 20, 2008May 20, 20103M Innovative Properties CompanyMolded insulated shoe footbed and method of making an insulated footbedUS20100180467 *Mar 29, 2010Jul 22, 2010Angela SingletonInsole Support System For FootwearUS20110119810 *Nov 19, 2010May 26, 2011Diaz Michele DotyDisposable Flat SockUS20130152430 *Sep 3, 2010Jun 20, 2013Christian BierShoe, Sole Assembly For A Shoe, Method of Manufacturing A Sole Assembly and Method of Manufacturing A ShoeUS20140059895 *Aug 28, 2012Mar 6, 2014Matthew J. ArciuoloFoot OrthoticUS20140245631 *Mar 4, 2013Sep 4, 2014Lfrj, LlcShoe insert and method for using sameUS20150196090 *Jan 7, 2015Jul 16, 2015Jesse James Sluder, SR.Cast Sole InsertDE102004014609A1 *Mar 23, 2004Oct 13, 2005Carl Freudenberg KgVerbundplatte f�r die Orthop�dietechnik, Verfahren zu deren Herstellung und deren VerwendungWO2005025446A2Aug 27, 2004Mar 24, 2005Ossur HfOrthotic footplateWO2005025446A3 *Aug 27, 2004Nov 17, 2005Ossur HfOrthotic footplateWO2008012809A2 *Jul 23, 2007Jan 31, 2008Naalei Sof Haderech Ltd.Adaptable orthopedic insoles* Cited by examinerClassifications U.S. Classification36/44, 36/71, 36/154International ClassificationA43B13/38, A43B17/02, A43B19/00, A43B17/00, A43B17/14, A61F5/14Cooperative ClassificationA43B17/02, A43B7/143, A43B7/142, A43B7/141European ClassificationA43B7/14A10, A43B7/14A20C, A43B7/14A20A, A43B17/02Legal EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionJan 19, 2001ASAssignmentOwner name: GLOBUS BERKEMANN GMBH & CO. KG, GERMANYFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:ESCHWEILER, DIETMAR;REEL/FRAME:011456/0977Effective date: 20001121Oct 20, 2006FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 4Nov 4, 2010FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 8Nov 5, 2014FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 12RotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services