U.S. patent application number 11/091103 was filed with the patent office on 2005-10-13 for ventilated foot orthotic.
This patent application is currently assigned to Bio Orthotics International, Inc.. Invention is credited to Neuner, Andrew.
Application Number | 20050223604 11/091103 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35059077 |
Filed Date | 2005-10-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050223604 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Neuner, Andrew |
October 13, 2005 |
Ventilated foot orthotic
Abstract
A thin, lightweight, ventilated foot orthotic is formed of a
strong, resilient thermoplastic material with a contoured shape
providing arch support partially spaced above the insole of the
foot wear in which the foot orthotic is used.
Inventors: |
Neuner, Andrew; (Plano,
TX) |
Correspondence
Address: |
OSHA LIANG L.L.P.
1221 MCKINNEY STREET
SUITE 2800
HOUSTON
TX
77010
US
|
Assignee: |
Bio Orthotics International,
Inc.
Plano
TX
|
Family ID: |
35059077 |
Appl. No.: |
11/091103 |
Filed: |
March 28, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60556953 |
Mar 26, 2004 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
36/174 ;
36/180 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B 17/08 20130101;
A43B 17/003 20130101; A43B 17/14 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
036/174 ;
036/180 |
International
Class: |
A43B 013/38; A43B
023/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A foot orthotic comprising: a thin contoured foot support body
having a size and shape for fitting into a user's footwear, the
support body having a top contoured surface and a bottom contoured
surface with an edge interconnecting the top and bottom contoured
surfaces, the contoured surfaces defining an upward arch between a
metatarsal area and a heel area to provide upward support to an
arch of a user's foot when the orthotic is inserted into the user's
footwear, wherein the arch area is at least partially spaced above
the insole of the footwear; and a plurality of spaced apart
ventilation holes formed in the support body between the top and
bottom contour surfaces to allow the interchange of air and
moisture therethrough.
2. The foot orthotic of claim 1, wherein: the bottom contour shape
generally corresponds in shape to the top surface spaced a short
distance, defined by the thickness of the support body, from the
bottom surface so that the support body of the orthotic has
thickness variations between about 0.5 cm, at a thickest part, to
about 0.1 cm, at a thinnest part, to form a thin lightweight
support body such that the thickness variations provide additional
alignment support to the user's foot.
3. The foot orthotic of claim 1, wherein: the support body
comprises a molded Acetal polymer material.
4. The foot orthotic of claim 1, wherein: the support body
comprises a molded polymer material composition comprising more
than about 66% Acetal polymer and less than about 30%
elastomer.
5. The foot orthotic of claim 4, wherein: the support body
comprises a molded polymer material comprising more than about 66%
Acetal polymer, less than about 30% elastomer, less than about 3%
stabilizer, less than about 2% carbon black, and less than about
0.005% formaldehyde bound in a thermoplastic polymer.
6. The foot orthotic of claim 1, wherein: the support body has
varied thickness such that along a front-to-heel cross-section the
metatarsal area of the support body is thicker than the arch
support area, and the arch support area is thicker than the heel
area.
7. The foot orthotic of claim 6, wherein: the arch area of the
support body comprises an upward contour greater than about 1 cm so
that the arch of the user's foot is supported by the orthotic above
the insole of a user's footwear to provide both arch support to the
user's foot and ventilation thereunder.
8. The foot orthotic of claim 1, wherein: the support body has
varied thickness such that the support body is thicker in the
middle and thinner at either side along a side-to-side
cross-section through the metatarsal area.
9. The foot orthotic of claim 1, wherein the ventilation holes in
the support body comprise a plurality of spaced apart holes having
a first maximum dimension extending entirely through the support
body, and further comprising: a plurality of indentations in the
bottom surface each surrounding one of the holes and having a
maximum dimension greater than the maximum dimension of the hole it
surrounds and extending partially into the support body and
surrounding the hole to facilitate ventilation thereunder.
10. A foot orthotic comprising: a thin contoured foot support body
having a size and shape for fitting into a user's footwear, the
support body having a top contoured surface and a bottom contoured
surface with an edge interconnecting the top and bottom contoured
surfaces, the contoured surfaces defining an upward arch between a
metatarsal area and a heel area to provide upward support to an
arch of a user's foot when the orthotic is inserted into the user's
footwear, wherein the arch area is at least partially spaced above
the insole of the footwear; and wherein, the support body comprises
a molded Acetal polymer material, having sufficient strength and
resiliency to flexibly support the arch of a user's foot above the
insole of the user's footwear.
11. The foot orthotic of claim 10, wherein: the support body
comprises a molded polymer material comprising more than about 66%
Acetal polymer, less than about 30% elastomer, less than about 3%
stabilizer, less than about 2% carbon black, and less than about
0.005% formaldehyde bound in a thermoplastic polymer.
12. The foot orthotic of claim 10, wherein: the arch area of the
support body comprises an upward contour greater than about 1 cm so
that the arch of the user's foot is supported by the orthotic above
the insole of a user's footwear and so that an open space is
provided thereunder.
13. The foot orthotic of claim 10, wherein: the support body has
varied thickness such that along a front-to-heel cross-section the
metatarsal area of the support body is thicker than the arch
support area, and the arch support area is thicker than the heel
area.
14. The foot orthotic of claim 13, wherein: the bottom contour
shape generally corresponds in shape to the top surface spaced
various short distances from the top surface so that the support
body of the orthotic has thickness variations between about 0.5 cm,
at a thickest part, to about 0.1 cm, at a thinnest part, to form a
thin light weight support body such that the thickness variations
provide additional alignment support to the user's foot.
15. The foot orthotic of claim 10, further comprising: a plurality
of spaced apart ventilation holes formed in the support body
between the top and bottom contour surfaces communicating between
the top surface and the space under the arch between the support
body and the insole to facilitate ventilation of air and moisture
therethrough.
16. A foot orthotic composed of a strong theromoplastic polymer
material, the foot orthotic comprising: a top contoured surface
having a shape defining an upward arch between a metatarsal area
and a heel area; a bottom contoured surface having a shape
generally corresponding to the shape of the top contour surface and
spaced varying short distances from the top surface; an edge
interconnecting the top and bottom contoured surfaces; and wherein
the top contour surface the bottom contour surface and the edge
define a support body sized and shaped to fit into footwear and
partially against the insole of the footwear and to provide upward
support to an arch of a user's foot such that the bottom contour
surface is spaced apart from the insole at the arch to allow
ventilation thereunder when the orthotic is inserted into the
footwear.
17. The foot orthotic of claim 16, wherein: the arch area of the
support body comprises an upward contour greater than about 1 cm so
that the arch of the user's foot is supported by the orthotic above
the insole of a user's footwear to provide for ventilation
therunder.
18. The foot orthotic of claim 16, wherein: wherein, the support
body comprises a molded Acetal polymer material, having sufficient
strength, toughness, resistance to fatigue, and resiliency to
flexibly support the arch of a user's foot above the insole of the
user's footwear without premature failure.
19. The foot orthotic of claim 16, wherein: the support body
comprises a molded polymer material comprising more than about 66%
Acetal polymer, less than about 30% elastomer, less than about 3%
stabilizer, less than about 2% carbon black, and less than about
0.005% formaldehyde bound in a thermoplastic polymer.
20. The foot orthotic of claim 16, wherein: a plurality of spaced
apart ventilation holes formed communicating between the top and
bottom contour surfaces to allow air and moisture flow
therethrough.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a utility application based upon
prior filed U.S. Provisional application Ser. No. 60/556,953, filed
Mar. 26, 2004 that is incorporated herein by reference and relied
upon for priority.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The invention relates generally to a foot orthotic, and more
particularly to a lightweight ventilated foot supporting orthotic
for insertion into a shoe.
[0004] 2. Background
[0005] A foot orthotic is a device for insertion into a shoe and
under a user's foot to provide support in selected areas of the
foot thereby facilitating alignment of the bones and joints of the
foot and the human body supported by the foot.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0006] A lightweight ventilated foot supporting orthotic made of
strong, resilient, durable plastic that is resistant to stress
induced fractures.
[0007] Other aspects and advantages of the invention will be
apparent from the following description and the appended
claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a useful orthotic for foot
support.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the orthotic shown in FIG.
1.
[0010] FIG. 3 is a side view of the orthotic shown in FIGS.
1-2.
[0011] FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the orthotic shown in FIGS.
1-3.
[0012] FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view along a lateral
centerline (front-to-heel) of an orthotic of FIGS. 1-4, taken along
section line 5-5 of FIG. 4, according to one embodiment of the
present invention.
[0013] FIG. 6 is an end cross-section view of the orthotic shown in
FIGS. 1-5, taken along section line 6-6 in FIG. 4.
[0014] FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view along a lateral
centerline (front-to-heel) of an orthotic shown in use in a shoe
shown in phantom lines according to one embodiment of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] It has been found that the anatomical contour of the human
foot is less than ideal when it is considerably planar rather than
sufficiently arched. It has been recognized that misaligned joints
in the foot typically lead to this less than ideal contour of the
foot. Leaving this condition untreated can lead to minor
complications such as blisters or calluses or can lead to more
serious consequences such as diminished capacity for certain types
of movement. It has also been found that in many cases the insole
of a shoe is also generally planar and does not provide appropriate
support and alignment for the foot.
[0016] Over-the-counter sole inserts, arch supporting devices or
orthotics are often used to reduce pain and discomfort associated
with misaligned joints in the foot. More specialized plantar
support members, known as orthotics, are commonly used to
biomechanically adjust misaligned joints in the foot and/or to
support the foot in proper alignment. Orthotics function to
optimally align joints in the foot. This is particularly important
during the gait cycle of the foot during human movement by walking
or running. The use of orthotics has been successful in realigning
the foot for increased comfort. However, it has been found that
some patients prefer a thin orthotic that fits conveniently within
a normal size shoe without adding significant weight while
providing substantial foot adjustment, foot support, or both. It
has also been found to be desirable to provide ventilation through
the orthotic between the sole of the foot and the shoe.
[0017] Therefore, the present invention provides a durable foot
orthotic that is thin and lightweight yet provides strong contoured
support. The orthotic is made of selected moldable polymeric
materials that have properties discovered to be useful for the
purposes of providing an orthotic according to the present
invention. Such useful characteristics include being moldable into
a thin yet highly contoured shape that is sufficiently rigid to
provide the required aligning support to the sole of the user's
foot. The material is one that is usefully lightweight, relatively
hard yet is resiliently flexible so that under high loading, as
with jumping or running, it can flex yet it returns to its prior
molded contour shape as though it had "a shape memory." The
material is relatively inert in the environment of a shoe including
possible heat, moisture, and natural chemical conditions of human
skin and perspiration. Further the material has a relatively high
modulus of elasticity and modulus of flexure. It is also resistant
to stress fracture after repeated flexure below its elastic strain
limits and is not susceptible to notch stress risers so that
ventilation holes and lightening pockets may be formed without
resulting in unacceptable stress cracking or fatigue failure. Thus,
the material is one that has a characteristic of being strong,
durable, and resistant to deformation and fracture under repeated
flexure.
[0018] One example of a material found by the inventor to usefully
meet the characteristics discovered to be useful for the purposes
of the present invention is a plastic or polymeric material known
as Acetal. A particular Acetal polymer thermoplastic material
available from the DuPont Company marketed under the trademark
Delrin.RTM. and designated 500P NC010, Medium Viscosity, has been
found to be useful for certain aspects of the present invention.
Another Acetal polymer thermoplastic material available from the
DuPont Company marketed under the trademark Delrin.RTM.100 ST also
has been found by the inventor to be particularly useful because of
its combination of supporting strength and flexible resiliency with
out breaking giving it a characteristic that the inventor has
termed "a shape memory". The material is also tough and resists
cracking due to stress risers or due to repeated partial loading
below the yield point. This particular material comprises more than
about 66% Acetal polymer, less than about 30% elastomer, less than
about 3% stabilizer, less than about 2% carbon black, and less than
about 0.005% formaldehyde bound in a thermoplastic polymer. This
material is also relatively inert in the environment of a shoe
including possible heat, moisture, and natural chemical conditions
of human skin and perspiration. Further the material has a
combination of strength, stiffness, hardness, dimensional
stability, toughness, fatigue resistance, solvent and fuel
resistance, abrasion resistance, low wear and low friction. In
particular a relatively high modulus of elasticity and modulus of
flexure combined with high toughness and impact resistance, and
especially notched impact resistance and is not susceptible to
notch stress risers so that ventilation holes and lightening
pockets may be formed without resulting in unacceptable stress
cracking. It is also resistant to stress fracture after repeated
flexure below its elastic strain limits so that fatigue failure is
reduced.
[0019] Shown in FIGS. 1-4 is an orthotic 10 for insertion into a
left shoe, between the sole of a shoe and the sole of a user's foot
(not shown). A corresponding orthotic (not shown) for a right shoe
may be formed by reversing the symmetry along a lengthwise center
line, designated 12 for convenient reference, and extending from a
front portion 11 to a heel portion 13 of the orthotic 10. The
orthotic 10 includes a top surface 14, a bottom surface 16, and a
perimeter edge 18. It will be observed that the front 11 is
designed to terminate at a location corresponding to metatarsal
area adjacent to or slightly posterior to the ball of the foot.
Other orthotics with front portions extending to the toe might also
be used although for purposes of lightweight while providing
appropriate metatarsal and arch support to the foot the orthotic 10
as depicted has been found to be useful.
[0020] The orthotic 10 is molded of a thermoplastic material having
the characteristics discovered to be useful according to the
present invention. A thin contoured plantar body 9 is formed having
a top contoured surface 14 and a bottom contoured surface 16 with a
narrow, rounded or otherwise smoothed edge 18 interconnecting the
top and bottom surfaces 14 and 16. The top surface 14 is formed
with a contoured surface designed to contact and support the human
foot while inside a shoe 8 (see FIG. 7). In the example embodiment
shown, the top surface 14 includes two concave regions 14a and 14b
that converge on a convex region 14c at a position corresponding to
the metatarsal area of the foot. Another concave region 14d is
formed generally centrally located at a position corresponding to
the heel of the foot toward the heel portion 13 of the body 9 of
orthotic 10. A convex region 14e is formed at the arch portion 20
of the orthotic 10. In other embodiments, the top surface 14 may
include other types of contours found desirable for supporting and
aligning a particular user's foot. The bottom surface 16 includes a
contoured surface with regions such as 16a and 16b approximately
following the contours of the top surface 14 designed to contact
the interior sole of a shoe and to provide partially flexible
support in upwardly projecting areas.
[0021] The top surface 14 may also diverge from the shape of the
bottom surface 16 in certain areas to provide additional alignment
support to the joints of the foot. For example, the metatarsal
support region 14c may be curved upward away from the bottom
surface 16c at the metatarsal area so that the body 10 may be
thicker at the metatarsal area 14c to provide upward support, where
it is desirable to insure that upward alignment support is
maintained relative to adjacent areas of the foot. For example, in
the thick region the body may be about 0.45 cm thick. For another
example, at the top heel surface 14d may be closer to surface 16d
to allow the heel of the wearer to be comfortably positioned
downward toward the sole of the shoe. For example the body may be
about 0.15 cm thick in the central heel region. Thus, region 16c
maybe relatively flat, or less concave, than the top portion 14c is
convex and the orthotic may be thicker or thinner in particular
regions. The body is generally thin. This feature is useful for
fitting easily within a wearer's shoe, for providing a light weight
device, and for providing space between the orthotic and the insole
of the shoe to allow the ventilation holes to be effective. For
example, an orthotic according to one embodiment of the invention
may have a maximum thickness less than about 0.5 cm. In another
example the thickness at the central metatarsal may be about 0.5 cm
and the thickness in the heel region may be more than about 0.1 cm.
Variations in the thickness of the support body 9 in a range of
about 0.5 cm to about 0.1 cm is not by itself sufficient to provide
the required support and alignment. Particularly, at the arch 20 of
the foot, proper alignment may require supporting the arch of the
user's foot above the insole of the shoe more than about 1 cm and
up to more than about 2 cm. Thus according to embodiments of the
invention the contour support at the arch is usefully provided by
the upwardly arched contour shape and the strength of the selected
plastic material of orthotic body 9 to provide the foot with
support and to hold its contour shape. Thus, according to these
embodiments the orthotic device does not rely only upon the
variations in the thickness and the incompressibility of a more
flexible rubber orthotic with varied thickness. When heavy loading
occurs the thin orthotic allows flexure in the upwardly arched
areas such as at the raised arch 20 and surface regions 14e and 16e
may flex downward toward the insole of the shoe. The metatarsal
area of the foot is supported upward by top surface 14c both by the
contour shape and also by slightly thicker material in the
metatarsal region as discussed above. In other embodiments, the top
surface 14 may include other variations in the contour shape,
however the contour shapes of the top 14 and the bottom 16 surfaces
are generally similar to maintain an overall thin lightweight
orthotic.
[0022] The edge 18 follows the perimeter shape of the contour
surfaces 14 and 16 and terminates at the shape of the inside of the
shoe as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, to fit securely against the
interior of the shoe and to support the sole of the user's foot.
The edge 18 extends from the top surface 14 to the bottom surface
16 on either side of the arch 20 and extends around the heel
portion 13 and the front portion 11. In such situations the top
surface contour, the length, and side-to-side dimensions are
determined for snug fit within the user's shoe size. In the
embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4, the edge 18 is smoothly convex or
rounded to avoid sharp corners and to provide for comfortable
wearing by a user. In other embodiments, the edge 18 may include
other types of contours and might be more or less rounded for other
purposes without departing from certain aspects of the
invention.
[0023] A pattern 30 is formed with a plurality of indentations 32
in the bottom surface 16 to further reduce weight. By using a
strong flexible material, such as Acetal, such as the Delrin.RTM.
polymer material of DuPont or another material having the
characteristics as described according to certain aspects of the
invention, the volume of material and therefore the weight of the
orthotic is reduced. Reducing the volume can also reduce the cost
because less material is required.
[0024] The use of the strong, flexible and stress fracture
resistant material, such as the Delrin.RTM. and Acetal materials
described above, also allows the orthotic to be formed both thin
and with a plurality of ventilation holes 40 extending between the
top surface 14 and the bottom surface 16. Normally such ventilation
holes might be formed in a softer and more flexible polymer having
"rubbery" characteristics, such as an ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA)
material without adverse consequences. However such materials will
not support the contour shape except by compression strength at
regions of the orthotic having increased thickness. Such
ventilation holes have not previously been successful in a thin
orthotic that depends upon bending strength for supporting the
desired foot alignment contour shape.
[0025] Aspects of the invention as described will be further
understood with reference to the lateral cross-section shown in
FIG. 5 and the transverse cross-section shown in FIG. 6. The
lateral cross section view of FIG. 5 is taken at an imaginary
vertical plane through the lateral center line at section line 5-5
of FIG. 4 and the transverse cross section view of FIG. 6 is taken
at an imaginary vertical plane through the orthotic 10
perpendicular to the length of the first orthotic at a section line
6-6 as indicated in FIG. 4. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the orthotic
10 is for insertion into a left shoe. A corresponding orthotic for
insertion into a right shoe (not shown) may be formed by reversing
the symmetry along the lateral centerline 12. The thin orthotic
will facilitate use by those who might not tolerate a thicker
orthotic.
[0026] FIG. 7 shows a cross-section of an orthotic device 10
inserted into footwear 50 such as a shoe 50 (shown in phantom
lines) of a user. The orthtic device 10 is placed against the
insole 52 of the shoe 50 and, because of the arch contour shape,
touches the insole at least in a forward area 54 adjacent to the
metatarsal area of the user's foot and at a rearward area 56
adjacent to the heel of the user's foot. An arch top surface
contour region 14f of the orthotic and also a bottom surface
contour 16f are positioned above the insole at the arch area 58 of
the insole. In some embodiments the arch height 60, defined by the
spacing between the top surface arch contour 14f and the insole, is
usefully more than about 1 cm and in some embodiments the arch
height 60 may be up to about 2 cm or more. Even thought the support
body is thinner than the desired height 60 for supporting the arch
of the foot, the combined thickness of the support body 9 and the
clearance distance 62 supported by the strength of the polymer
material of the orthotic 10 provides upward support to the arch of
the user's foot.
[0027] As described above the thickness of the orthotic is
generally maintained within a relatively thin range and less than
the desired arch support height. Minor variations in thickness may
be provided for positive compression support in particular areas
while bending strength of the material is relied upon for
supporting the contour shape in other areas where a certain amount
of limited flexure bending is permitted. The indentations 32
further reduce weight in a pattern that continues to provide the
required flexural bending strength. There are ribs 34 of the
pattern that extend between the indentations 32. The ribs 34 may
also be thicker than other areas of the orthotic to provide
strength to support the arch and also to provide positive
compression support against the insole of the shoe in the
metatarsal area. The ventilation holes 40 have a maximum dimention
41 that extends through the orthotic. The maximum dimension 41 may
for example be the diameter of a circular hole, where circular
holes are formed to further reduce stress rising corners, or it may
be a diagonal or other maximum dimension of a polygon shaped hole.
The indentations 32 are usefully formed having a maximum dimension
larger than the maximum dimension of the holes 40 and surrounding
the ventilation holes 40. Although it is not required in every
instance, the holes 40 are usefully located within the indentations
32 to facilitate ventilation, as with air and moisture flow into,
and out of, the cavities formed by the indentations 32. Thus, even
when the bottom surface 16 of the orthotic body 9 is compressed
against an insole 52 of a shoe 50 there can be ventilation through
the holes 40 where they are positioned in and fluidically
communicate with indentations 32.
[0028] A thin, lightweight orthotic 10 may be molded with
substantially the same support or corrective shape of other more
traditional orthotic arch supports and maintaining the same or a
similar contour shape of the top surface 14 and the bottom surface
16 using a thermoplastic Acetal polymer material determined by the
inventor to be useful for that purpose. Such a thin foot orthotic
device, made with the selected Acetal polymer material, can also
have a useful life that is comparable to other thicker foot
orthotics. The thin orthotic will facilitate use by users who might
not tolerate a thicker orthotic. Moreover the orthotic can be made
with sufficient arch support and clearance between the orthotic and
the insole, with ventilation holes, and/or with ventilation hole
extending into cavities defined by indentations to facilitate
ventilation, while continuing to resist cracking whether due to
stress or fatigue.
[0029] While the invention has been described with respect to a
limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art, having
benefit of this disclosure, will appreciate that other embodiments
and other combinations of the various inventive features can be
devised which do not depart from the scope of the invention as
disclosed herein. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should
not be limited to a particular embodiment or example set forth but
should include other equivalents that embody the discovered
concepts, structures, constructions, or structures set forth
herein.
* * * * *