U.S. patent application number 10/065059 was filed with the patent office on 2004-03-18 for high performance custom moldable footwear.
This patent application is currently assigned to Van Horne, Mr. Scott McLean. Invention is credited to Van Horne, Scott.
Application Number | 20040049950 10/065059 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 31989967 |
Filed Date | 2004-03-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040049950 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Van Horne, Scott |
March 18, 2004 |
High performance custom moldable footwear
Abstract
A custom moldable footwear is disclosed having a base and an
upper portion. The upper portion contains within it two bladders
located on the medial and lateral side of the foot. The two
bladders are placed approximately between the base and malleoli,
and between the middle of the heel and the proximal metatarsals.
The bladders have within them a dry composite. The dry composite is
impregnated by a fast setting resin/hardener liquid that is
dispensed via a double barrel syringe and spiral cap through a
small opening located on the posterior heel. The present invention
is manifested in numerous types of footwear
Inventors: |
Van Horne, Scott; (Calgary,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SCOTT VAN HORNE
2536 CHICOUTIMI DR. N.W.
CALGARY
AB
T2L 0W5
CA
|
Assignee: |
Van Horne, Mr. Scott McLean
VH Inc.
2536 Chicoutimi Dr. N.W.
Calgary
AB
T2L OW5
|
Family ID: |
31989967 |
Appl. No.: |
10/065059 |
Filed: |
September 13, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
36/88 ; 36/117.6;
36/93 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B 5/049 20130101;
A43B 5/0407 20130101; A43B 7/16 20130101; A43B 5/0411 20130101;
A43B 5/1666 20130101; A43B 7/20 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
036/088 ;
036/093; 036/117.6 |
International
Class: |
A43B 007/14; A43B
005/04 |
Claims
What I claim as my invention is:
1. A custom moldable footwear for receiving and supporting a user's
foot comprising: a base, said base comprises the entire sole of the
footwear; an upper portion composed of a liner material and an
exterior material, said upper contains within said liner material
and said exterior material a bladder; said bladder is located on
both the medial and lateral side of the foot, said bladder having a
vertical placement extending from said base proximally to the
malleoli, said bladder having a horizontal placement extending from
the middle of the heel to the proximal metatarsals, said bladder
contains within it dry composite; said upper having a small
juncture, said juncture is located on the posterior heel of said
footwear superior to the calcaneus, said juncture is a portal for
injection of fast setting resin/hardener liquid into said bladder,
said resin/hardener liquid is contained within a double barrel
syringe, said resin/hardener liquid is dispensed into said bladder
through a spiral cap attached to the end of said syringe.
2. A footwear according to claim 1 wherein said base is composed of
a high density light weight foam, having said foam sandwiched
between two layers of rigid composite.
3. A footwear according to claim 2 wherein said base having
attached said dry composite extending from the base proximally
through said bladder, said dry composite is built into said base
while said base is originally formed.
4. A footwear according to claim 3 wherein said dry composite is
carbon fiber, Kevlar, fiber glass, and the like, said dry composite
is impregnated by said resin/hardener liquid upon dispensing of
said syringe.
5. A footwear according to claim 1 wherein said bladder is sealed
around it's perimeter, said perimeter is sealed through stitching
on said upper and gluing on said base.
6. A footwear according to claim 5 wherein said bladder is vacuum
pressurized during manufacture, causing said bladder to be a
pressurized, sealed bladder, said sealed bladder is punctured upon
insertion of said spiral cap into said portal causing a new seal to
be formed between said sealed bladder and said spiral cap.
7. A footwear according to claim 1 wherein said portal is the
location where completely mixed said resin/hardener liquid enters
said bladder, said portal is fitted with a cap once said
resin/hardener liquid is fully dispensed, said cap fits precisely
into said portal, the outer surface of said cap is completely flush
with said upper once said cap is correctly pushed into said
portal.
8. A footwear according to claim 1 wherein said bladder is located
but not exclusive to said vertical placement and said horizontal
placement; said bladder is located but not exclusively placed
between said liner material and said exterior material.
9. A footwear according to claim 1 wherein said spiral cap fits
perfectly onto said syringe and into said portal, said spiral cap
mixes said resin/hardener liquid through out transit from said
syringe to said portal.
10. A footwear according to claim 9 wherein said resin/hardener
liquid enters said bladder fully mixed, said fully mixed
resin/hardener liquid having a set time of approximately 5 minutes,
said set time being the time at which said mixed resin/hardener
liquid becomes a solid material with plastic qualities.
11. A footwear according to claim 10 wherein said set time is at,
but not solely limited to, 5 minutes.
12. A footwear according to claim 1 wherein said liner material and
said exterior material is made of leather, synthetic materials and
the like.
13. A footwear according to claim 1 wherein the embodiments are
manifested in an inline and ice speed skate.
14. A footwear according to claim 1 wherein the embodiments are
manifested in a hockey skate.
15. A footwear according to claim 1 wherein the embodiments are
manifested in a figure skate.
16. A footwear according to claim 1 wherein the embodiments are
manifested in a cross-country ski boot.
Description
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0001] This invention pertains to footwear such as in-line skates,
ice skates, hockey skates, figure skate, cross-country ski boots,
and the like. More particularly, this invention pertains to such
footwear which can be custom molded, to any foot, after the boot
has been manufactured.
[0002] The sport of in-line and ice speed skating, hockey, figure
skating, cross-country skiing, and the like are all very
competitive sports, at the elite level. For optimal performance
these sports demand comfort and stability. A lack of comfort can
result in decreased training time. A lack of stability can result
in: a loss of power through excessive joint bending and increased
fatigue through excessive lower leg muscle stimulation, these
factors will cause a decrease in performance.
[0003] Standard mass produced footwear used for the aforementioned
sports are manufactured with a set shape and support, provided by
molded plastic. The shape and support of the footwear cannot be
modified; therefore, the athlete has to suffer the lack of support
and comfort that comes with skate boots that are not exactly formed
to their feet. A significant problem exists as to how to
accommodate individual differences within mass produced articles of
footwear.
[0004] Many high-end models are made with a thermoplastic structure
throughout the upper. Thermoplastic can be heated and then molded
to the athlete's foot. The downfall of thermoplastic uppers is that
they are typically bulky, heavy, and have limited rigidity. The
mold-ability of the previous art is limited to the upper portion of
the boot. This leaves an already formed arch, or no arch support at
all. With the myriad of different shaped arches existing in the
general population a pre-formed arch can be a serious problem for
any athlete with a non-normal arch. Individuals with higher than
normal arches will lose power during the push phase when their
arches collapse. Individuals with flat arches will have to put up
with excessive pain.
[0005] Some other attempts to solve the problem of how to custom
form a mass produced article of footwear have been to place a self
contained bladder within the footwear, strategically placed in
areas of greater inter-individual anatomical variance, within the
bladder a large variation of materials are contained which all have
a common function of becoming more rigid through different
mechanisms: chemical reactions, heat, or ultraviolet light. A major
limitation of the above inventions is that the bladder is not
integrated into the main structure of the footwear through mutual
composite linkage or even mechanical attachment. The bladder system
in these inventions is too thick and heavy, in some due to excess
gel material, in others due to thick foam pieces contained within
the bladder. Most bladder systems contained no medium within them
for the stiffening or forming agent to impregnate, and create a
long lasting rigid matrix. All self-contained bladder systems can
only achieve one set stiffness, after molding, which leaves no
customization of the amount of desired support. Some systems do not
maintain their shape after usage, therefore if an individual has to
put the footwear on just prior to a race or competition the
footwear will not be customized to their feet.
[0006] Some inventions have a bladder system that-can be injected
externally with a stiffening agent, but were only located in the
insole of the footwear, and were not mechanically attached. These
inventions were also limited by the fact that there was no medium
within them for the stiffening or forming agent to impregnate, and
create a long lasting rigid matrix, as was mentioned above. Also,
the methods of mixing the stiffening agent (usually a resin and
hardener composition), before injection, was not user friendly, and
in many cases was too time consuming and expensive.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0007] The aim of the present invention is to solve the
above-mentioned problems and provide footwear that is more
supportive, more comfortable and more moldable than the previous
art.
[0008] According to the preferred embodiments of the invention, a
custom moldable footwear is provided having a base and an upper
portion. The upper portion is composed of a liner material and an
exterior material. The liner and exterior material have within them
a pocket or bladder on both the medial and lateral side of the
foot. The bladders have a vertical placement extending from the
base to the malleoli, and a horizontal placement extending from the
middle of the heel to the proximal metatarsals. The bladders have a
dry composite within them. The upper has a small portal on the
posterior heel of the skate boot, superior to the calcaneus.
Through the portal a fast setting resin/hardener liquid is
injected. The fast setting resin/hardener liquid is contained
within a double barrel syringe that is dispensed into the bladder
through a spiral cap.
[0009] An objective of the invention is to provide footwear that
can be almost entirely shaped to a foot. Only a thin base plate is
pre-shaped the rest of the boot starts out soft and can be
stiffened while on an individual's foot, providing an exact mold of
the individual's foot, within 5-10 minutes.
[0010] Another important objective of the invention is to provide
footwear with support composed of a fast setting
resin/hardener-composite matrix. Resin/hardener molding provides a
far more precise mold of the foot than does thermoplastic.
[0011] Another important objective is to provide footwear that can
have customized support, ranging from very stiff to soft. This
range of stiffness can be acquired by limiting the amount of
resin-hardener injected, and by adjusting the size of the
bladder.
[0012] Another important objective is to provide footwear wherein
the resin-hardener can be easily injected into the bladder through
a spiral cap, that fits on to the end of a double barrel syringe,
that contains the resin and hardener liquids in separate barrels.
During transit through the spiral cap the resin and hardener is
properly mixed before they reach the tip.
[0013] Another important objective is to provide footwear that can
be effectively molded to any shape of arch. The medial bladder
extends to the lateral side of the transverse arch; therefore this
entire area can be molded to any shape of arch.
[0014] Another objective is to provide footwear that can be easily
manufactured through mass production. The initially manufactured
product is supplied to distributors as a stock footwear made in an
adequate range of traditional sizes. The wearer tries on the
footwear and the size that provides the best fit is chosen, and
then molded to the individual's foot.
[0015] A final objective is to provide footwear that can be molded
into it a range of motion. The present invention allows for an
approximate three-minute window during which, the individual
investing in the new footwear, can go through a range of motion. By
taking the foot through a range of motion that mimics that of the
actual sport or recreation that the footwear will be used for
provides an even better shaped custom molded footwear than if the
footwear was made from a plastic mold. Those of ordinary skill in
the art would be privy to the fact that most custom molded footwear
are built around a plaster or plastic replica of the foot and lower
leg of the individual buying the footwear. Due to the extremely
high costs of custom manufacturing each individual pair of
footwear, an alternative method such as the present invention, that
allows mass production and provides a comparable or even superior
product, is the ultimate choice.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0016] The aspects and advantages of the present invention will
become better understood by reference to the following "detailed
description of the invention", when taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings, wherein: FIG. 1 provides a sagittal view of
an in-line skate constructed in accordance with the present
invention; FIG. 2 provides a sagittal view of an ice-speed skate
constructed in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 3
provides a sagittal view of a hockey skate constructed in
accordance with the present invention; FIG. 4 provides an exploded
view of the internal components of the upper shoe portion of the in
line skate of FIG. 1, with the upper portion being sectioned down
the heel, and the inner liner along with the elastomeric foam
padding being removed. Eyelets and lace covers are not shown. Also,
provided is a magnification of the portal opening, and the
corresponding portal cap, both contained within the middle heel of
the upper; FIG. 5 provides a frontal cross-sectional view of the
in-line skate of FIG. 1, sectioned through the ankle region of the
skate, looking forward there from; FIG. 6 provides a rear frontal
plane view of the in-line skate of FIG. 1; FIG. 7 provides a
sagittal view of the in-line skate of FIG. 1, a magnification
similar to that of FIG. 4, and a view of the double barrel syringe,
both inserted in the portal and enlarged on its own.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0017] The present invention provides a custom moldable footwear,
which in a preferred embodiment is an in-line skate 1 such as
illustrated in FIG. 1. The preferred embodiment is also configured
as an ice-speed skate 2 such as that illustrated in FIG. 2, and as
a hockey skate 3 such as that illustrated in FIG. 3. For the
purpose of this patent the preferred embodiment within the inline
skate will be described in detail. These embodiments can be used in
the aforementioned footwear, and the sole right will be held for
such footwear. The inline skate 7 includes an upper shoe portion 4,
which receives the user's foot and ankle. The upper shoe portion 4
is secured to a rigid base 5, outlined in the drawing by a thick
dashed line. Contained within the upper shoe 4 is a bladder 6, seen
throughout the figures with a thin dashed line. The bladder 6 has
contained within it a dry composite 8, as will be described
subsequently.
[0018] Although the preferred embodiments of the athletic shoe
illustrated in FIG. 1 is an in-line skate, it should be understood
that the present invention is well suited for the construction of
other athletic shoes, such as ice-speed skates seen in FIG. 2,
hockey skates seen in FIG. 3, figure skates, cross-country ski
boots and the like. The present invention is especially useful is
footwear that extend proximally to support the ankle joint. In-line
boots require this type of construction, and are a suitable model
for the present invention.
[0019] The rigid base 5 has attached below it an inline track 7
that carries a plurality of wheels. In the present invention the
preferred embodiments are contained within and above the rigid base
5, and therefore what is attached below the rigid base 5 will not
be discussed any further.
[0020] The in-line skate 7 of FIG. 1 includes an upper shoe portion
4, which initially after manufacture is very soft and flexible, the
only initial support being derived from memory foam and the upper
material. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4 the upper shoe portion 4
includes and exterior fabric material 9, which may be constructed
from leather, woven nylon and the like. The exterior fabric
material 9 must be made from an impervious material, so that it is
possible to create an airtight bladder between it and the interior
fabric material 10 (seen in FIG. 4). The interior fabric material
10 may be constructed from leather and the like.
[0021] Attention is now directed to FIG. 4 to better understand the
internal construction of the upper shoe portion 4. Adhered within
and extending from the base 5 is the dry composite 8, which may be
composed of Kevlar, carbon fiber, fiber glass, and the like. The
interior material 10 is adhered to the base 5 on the inside of the
dry composite 8. The exterior material 9 is adhered to the base 5
on the outside of the dry composite 8 and to the outer surface of
the interior material 10, where the dry composite 8 is not present,
forming a seal between the interior material 10 and the exterior
material 9 with the dry composite 8 contained within, forming the
bladder 6.
[0022] Construction of the upper 4 and base 5 may be further
understood with reference to the cross-sectional view in FIG. 5. It
can be seen that base 5 is composed of a core made of high density,
extremely rigid, lightweight foam. The foam core 11 is sandwiched
between two layers of rigid composite 12, which may be composed of
Kevlar, carbon fiber, fiberglass, and the like. It can be clearly
seen that the dry composite 8 extends out of the base S proximally
to above the location of the malleoli. Adhered to the inside of the
interior material 9 is a thin layer of elastomeric foam padding, or
memory foam 13. Adhered to the inside of the memory foam 13 is an
inner liner 14, which may be composed of softer absorptive
materials, such as leather and the like. The inner liner 14 is
attached at the top of the upper 4 to the exterior material 9 by
machine stitching.
[0023] Attention is now directed to FIG. 6 where a small round hole
can be seen. This hole is a portal 15 where the resin/hardener
liquid 17 enters the bladder 6. It should also be noted in FIG. 6
that the bladder 6completely wraps around the heel cup,
mechanically attached to the base 5 where adjacent. The portal 15
can be seen blown-up in both FIG. 4 and FIG. 7. FIG. 4 shows within
the blown-up circle a portal cap 16 that fits perfectly within the
portal 15, and is placed into the portal 15 after the
resin/hardener liquid 17 is fully dispensed within the bladder 6.
Lining the bladder is a plastic flange 18, this provides the shape
and support for the portal 15. On the inner tip of the portal 15 is
a plastic seal 19 that maintains a negative pressure within the
bladder 6. As can be seen in FIG. 7 the plastic seal 19 is only
broken when the spiral tip 20, armed with the sharp pointed tip 21,
is pressed through, which then creates a new seal.
[0024] The double barrel syringe 22, seen in FIG. 7, contains
within a resin in one barrel and a hardener in the other, which can
be composed of epoxy, polyeurethane, and the like. Once the plunger
23 is depressed the resin/hardener liquid 17 enters the spiral cap
20 where it begins to mix. The length of the spiral cap 20 is
engineered so that the resin/hardener liquid 17 is perfectly mixed
when it leaves the tip.
[0025] As stated before, once the resin/hardener liquid 17 is fully
dispensed the portal cap 16 will be immediately inserted into the
portal 15 to prevent any back flow. Then the fully mixed
resin/hardener liquid 17 within the bladder 6 will be manually
massaged forward until it is evenly distributed throughout the
bladder 6. The resin/hardener liquid 17 will be engineered so that
it sets in approximately five minutes, allowing for enough time to
inject, cap, put on, massage, and mold. During the setting time the
new owner of the footwear will be taken through a range of motion,
which mimics that of the natural movement of the sport.
[0026] The custom fit provided by the fast-setting
resin/hardener-composit- e matrix within the bladder 6 provides a
precise mold of the foot, with a high degree of support, comfort,
and stability to the ankle joint, arch, and the heel cup.
* * * * *