Patent ID: 7657054

Claim:
A foot impression generating apparatus for enabling formation of foot impressions, comprising: impression platforms including buns of blown open-cell sponge material bonded to and supporting non-porous skins formed of non-blown sponge material wherein the sponge material comprises elastomeric and thermoplastic materials, and wherein the buns and skins are mounted upon a pair of bases having forefoot supporting and angularly elevatable trailing portions; and heating and cooling means for heating the impression platforms to a temperature slightly above the melting temperature of the thermoplastic material and then cooling the impression platforms to a temperature below that of the low temperature end of the plastic range of the thermoplastic material; wherein said heating and cooling means have: a blower equipped with a heating coil similarly to a hair dryer for providing heated and then ambient air to the impression platforms; inlet and exhaust vents for circulating the heated and then ambient air through the open-cell sponge material; a temperature transducer for providing a signal indicative of the temperature of the heated air; and a temperature controller for maintaining the heated air at a selected temperature slightly above the melting temperature of the thermoplastic material in response to the signal from the temperature controller, wherein a flow of the heated air is provided via turning the blower on and controlling a electrical current flowing through the heating coil, and then a flow of cooling ambient air is provided by turning the electrical current off.