Boots – shoes – and leggings – Orthopedic boot or shoe with corrective element – Arch support
Reexamination Certificate
1997-04-07
2001-02-27
Patterson, M. D. (Department: 3728)
Boots, shoes, and leggings
Orthopedic boot or shoe with corrective element
Arch support
C036S166000, C036S168000, C036S173000, C036S179000, C036S162000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06192607
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to footwear and insole assemblies for footwear.
Footwear insoles having a resilient element to provide support beneath a region of the wearer's foot are known. Examples include those described in: Connell U.S. Pat. No. 1,077,871; Galloway U.S. Pat. No. 1,401,066; Balch U.S. Pat. No. 1,468,856; Lindgren U.S. Pat. No. 1,558,152; Lacey U.S. Pat. No. 1,702,012; Geilear U.S. Pat. No. 1,948,347; Ward U.S. Pat. No. 2,071,146; Scott U.S. Pat. No. 2,079,820; Ahronheim U.S. Pat. No. 2,106,202; Feder U.S. Pat. No. 2,114,526; Copithorn U.S. Pat. No. 2,119,703 and Vorderer U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,737.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the invention, an insole assembly for footwear comprises a cushioning member and an underlying resilient support member. The cushioning member defines an undersurface having at least a first region disposed beneath a wearer's heel and a second region extending beneath a wearer's arch. The resilient support member comprises a body disposed beneath the first region of the undersurface, and at least one resilient cantilevered arm member having a first end attached to the body and a second end extending beneath the second region of the undersurface, the cantilevered arm member defining an arch support surface in supporting engagement with the undersurface.
Preferred embodiments of this aspect of the invention may include one or more of the following additional features. The cushioning member further defines an upper surface for engagement by a wearer's foot, with an upraised arch surface positioned for engagement with an arch region of the wearer's foot, the upraised arch surface positioned for resilient support by the arch support surface defined by the resilient cantilevered arm member. Preferably, the cushioning member upper surface disposed for engagement by the wearer's foot has a general contour imitating that of a bottom surface of the wearer's foot at rest. The body of the resilient support member, in the first region disposed beneath a wearer's heel, defines an aperture, and the cushioning member is adapted to engage in the aperture in a manner to secure the relative positions of the body and cushioning member. The body of the resilient support member further comprises an upstanding lip extending about a heel end of the body to engage with a side surface of the cushioning member in a manner to further secure the relative positions of the body and cushioning member. The cushioning member comprises memory elastic polymeric material, e.g. polyester elastomeric expanded foam material, and the resilient support member comprises memory elastic polymeric material, e.g. polyester elastomeric material. The resilient cantilevered arm member has an arcuate shape in a plane perpendicular to the arch support surface. The insole assembly comprises a plurality of resilient cantilevered arm members, at least one arm member being arranged for movement independent of adjacent resilient cantilevered arm members. The cantilevered arm member defines at least one through aperture which forms separate arm segments that are adapted to respond relatively independently to local stepping forces.
According to another aspect of the invention, a resilient insole support member for footwear has a first region disposed beneath a wearer's arch and a second region extending beneath a portion of the wearer's foot other than the arch and the resilient member comprises a body disposed beneath the second region, and at least one resilient cantilevered arm member having a first end attached to the body and a second end extending beneath the first region, the cantilevered arm member defining a surface imitating a contour of a bottom surface of a wearer's arch.
Preferred embodiments of this aspect of the invention may include one or more of the following additional features. The resilient insole support member comprises a plurality of resilient cantilevered arm members with at least one resilient cantilevered arm member arranged for movement independent of adjacent resilient cantilevered arm members. The resilient support member comprises memory elastic polymeric material, e.g. polyester elastomeric material. The resilient cantilevered arm member has an arcuate shape in a plane perpendicular to the arch support surface. The resilient cantilevered arm member defines at least one aperture extending through the arm member to form separate arm segments, the separate arm segments adapted to respond relatively independently to local stepping forces.
REFERENCES:
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patent: 989823 (1911-04-01), Svenson
patent: 1055306 (1913-03-01), Arrowsmith
patent: 1077871 (1913-11-01), Connell
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patent: 2079820 (1937-05-01), Scott
patent: 2106202 (1938-01-01), Ahronheim
patent: 2114526 (1938-04-01), Feder
patent: 2119703 (1938-06-01), Copithorn
patent: 2716295 (1955-08-01), Stein
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patent: 3233348 (1966-02-01), Gilkerson
patent: 3825017 (1974-07-01), Scrima
patent: 4510700 (1985-04-01), Brown
patent: 4756096 (1988-07-01), Meyer
patent: 4843737 (1989-07-01), Vorderer
Birchler Terry Michael
Kolada Paul Perry
Opie Stephen David
Painter Michael Joseph
Pisciotta Jeffrey C.
Anderson Denton L.
Patterson M. D.
Secondwind Products, Inc
Sheldon & Mak
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