U.S. patent application number 13/377163 was filed with the patent office on 2012-06-14 for semi-finished product for producing an innder sole or insole and inner sole or insole produced therefrom.
This patent application is currently assigned to Mafag-Reflexa AG. Invention is credited to Samantha Everz Vaz.
Application Number | 20120144697 13/377163 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41698194 |
Filed Date | 2012-06-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120144697 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Everz Vaz; Samantha |
June 14, 2012 |
SEMI-FINISHED PRODUCT FOR PRODUCING AN INNDER SOLE OR INSOLE AND
INNER SOLE OR INSOLE PRODUCED THEREFROM
Abstract
In order to increase the efficiency of insoles or shoe inserts,
it is proposed to start from a semi-finished product (100) having a
foam material layer which has a plurality of integrally formed
raised sections on the upper side. According to the invention, the
raised sections (120) or at least one of the raised sections should
comprise one central raised section and a raised section completely
or partially surrounding said central raised section, thus forming
a plurality of massage edges. The probability of stimulating the
desired reflex zone is hereby increased.
Inventors: |
Everz Vaz; Samantha;
(Zurich, CH) |
Assignee: |
Mafag-Reflexa AG
Kloten
CH
|
Family ID: |
41698194 |
Appl. No.: |
13/377163 |
Filed: |
October 19, 2009 |
PCT Filed: |
October 19, 2009 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/CH2009/000335 |
371 Date: |
February 27, 2012 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
36/44 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B 7/146 20130101;
A61F 5/14 20130101; A43B 17/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
36/44 |
International
Class: |
A43B 13/38 20060101
A43B013/38 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 9, 2009 |
CH |
885/09 |
Jun 12, 2009 |
CH |
918/09 |
Aug 25, 2009 |
CH |
1312/09 |
Claims
1. A semi-finished product for fabricating an insole consisting of
an elastic foam material layer corresponding to the outline of a
shoe, which on its upper side, starting from the base surface of
the semi-finished product, has a plurality of integrally formed
raised sections, likewise consisting of the same elastic foam
material, in the region of reflex zones of the sole of the foot,
wherein at least the raised section which massages the toe head of
the large toe comprises at least one central and at least one
peripheral elevation which form a plurality of massage edges.
2. The semi-finished product according to claim 1, wherein both the
at least one central elevation and peripheral elevation have
ramp-like lateral inclinations starting from the basic sole, which
open into a flat raised section.
3. The semi-finished product according to claim 1, wherein measured
from a normal to the base surface, the lateral inclination has an
angle between 30.degree. and 60.degree..
4. The semi-finished product according to claim 1, wherein the at
least one central elevation and at least one peripheral elevation
which are disposed adjacently to one another, form at least one
corresponding recess.
5. The semi-finished product according to claim 1, wherein only the
raised section which massages the toe head of the large toe is
provided with at least one peripheral elevation.
6. The semi-finished product according to claim 5, wherein in
addition, the raised section used to massage the solar plexus is
provided with at least one peripheral elevation.
7. An insole or shoe insert fabricated from a semi-finished product
according to claim 1, wherein the foamed material layer of the
semi-finished product is disposed as a massage layer between a
cover layer and a supporting layer.
8. The insole or shoe insert according to claim 7, wherein the
cover layer is made from leather or textile material.
9. The insole or shoe insert according to claim 7, wherein the
supporting layer is fabricated from a cellulose-based material or
from plastic.
10. The insole or shoe insert according to claim 7, wherein the
cover layer is connected as a massage layer extensively following
the contours of the semi-finished product.
11. The insole or shoe insert according to claim 7, wherein the
cover layer only follows the outer contours of the raised sections
and bridges the intermediate spaces between the central elevation
and the at least one peripheral elevation leaving free a
cavity.
12. The insole or shoe insert according to claim 7, wherein the
elastic foam material of the massage layer has a hardness of less
than 25.degree. Shore A so that the hardness of the insole provided
with the cover layer has a hardness of higher than 25.degree. Shore
A.
13. The insole or shoe insert according to claim 12, wherein the
elastic foam material of the massage layer has a hardness of
between 10.degree. and 20.degree. Shore A.
14. The insole or shoe insert according to claim 12, wherein the
hardness of the insole or shoe insert provided with the cover layer
has a hardness of between 30.degree. and 40.degree. Shore A.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to a semi-finished product for
fabricating an insole, consisting of an elastic foam material layer
corresponding to the outline of a shoe, which on its upper side,
starting from the base surface, has a plurality of integrally
formed raised sections, likewise consisting of the same elastic
foam material, in the region of reflex zones of the sole of the
foot. The invention also relates to an insole or shoe insert
fabricated using the semi-finished product according to the
invention.
[0002] The term semi-finished product of an insole is understood
here as any base material corresponding to an outline of a shoe
which, when provided at least together with a cover layer, forms an
insole having the necessary hardness.
[0003] The term insole is understood here on the one hand as an
insole firmly connected to a sole of a shoe, and also a sole placed
loosely thereon which is also designated as shoe insert.
[0004] Insoles having raised sections suitable for reflex zone
massage are known in various embodiments. The majority of these
insoles have a nubbed bearing surface disposed over the entire
surface, the surface structure of the insole being formed by the
entirety of the nubs. Insoles of this type are disclosed, for
example, in EP-0,225,285 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,760,655 A. Whereas in
the latter case as in CH-686,062 A, the nub height is configured to
remain the same over the entire area of the shoe insert, other
insoles such as those, for example, according to WO 85/04786 are
configured with nubs which vary in height and which accordingly
form a foot bed in practice. Insoles of this type possibly bring
about an overstimulation of the sole of the foot, with the result
that the desired foot reflex zone massage no longer shows the
desired effect. On the contrary, overstimulation can lead to
blockages of the nerve pathways and to harmful consequences.
Correctly, corresponding suppliers point out that such shoes should
only be worn for 1-2 hours.
[0005] Two construction principles are known with regard to the
manufacture of insoles having raised sections of elastic foam
material. In one case, a harder base layer is taken as the starting
point and cushion-shaped raised sections are glued thereon. This is
an extremely complex and expensive method of manufacture. This
method of manufacture is known, for example, from the
afore-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,760,655 A. In order that the raised
sections still have a relevant massage effect, they must project
relatively strongly with respect to the base surface. As a result
of the nubbed cover layer which is applied thereover and extends
over the entire insole, in practice the massage is undesirably
perceived more strongly in the harder non-elevated regions than in
the elevated regions.
[0006] Known from DE-90,02,962.3 U is an insole forming the
preamble of patent claim 1. In this case, the base layer and the
raised sections are integrally fabricated uniformly from a foam
material having a hardness of 30.degree. to 45.degree. Shore A.
This insole is preferably fabricated from plastic. It can be
arranged both as a shoe insert and as an insole. In this known
insole, both the base layer and also the raised sections are made
of a preferably synthetic material. Latex as a natural product
classically has a hardness of Shore A of 10.degree. -20.degree..
Higher hardnesses can certainly be set but on the one hand this
makes the product expensive and on the other hand, the additives
are in part physiologically undesirable.
[0007] An insole forming the preamble of patent claim 1 is also
known from EP1245167. In this case, the inner sole comprises both a
base layer and also a cover layer, the latter being applied to the
cover layer. The base layer consists of a foamed material layer
having a hardness of preferably between 10.degree. and 20.degree.
Shore A. Together with the cover layer, the insole has a hardness
between 30.degree. and 40.degree. Shore A. The individual raised
sections of the insole thus furnish a gentle and effective foot
reflex zone massage during walking wherein hard impacts are
cushioned and consequently transmitted to the sole of the foot with
reduced strength via the reflex zone massage points. The raised
sections of the insole in the region of the reflex zones should be
adapted in such a manner that an optimal massage effect is
effected. In particular, an effective massage effect is achieved
when the edge of the raised section acts on the foot reflex zone.
However, since the anatomy of each foot is different and in
particular, the position of, for example, the toe head of the large
toes in relation to the insole can vary substantially from person
to person, an efficient massage effect is not ensured for every
person.
[0008] A re-positioning of the edge, for example, by means of a
mere lateral enlargement of the diameter of a raised section in
order to effect a massage in the case of a corresponding toe
alignment is not always possible since the interior of the shoe is
thereby restricted and therefore correspondingly uncomfortable for
the wearer. Furthermore, it would prove to be difficult and costly
to manufacture insoles having correspondingly shaped raised
sections only for a selection of various foot anatomies.
[0009] It is therefore the object of the present invention to
provide an insole which ensures a secured effective massage effect
in each case even with different foot anatomies.
[0010] This object is achieved by an insole having the features of
patent claim 1. Thanks to the at least one central and peripheral
elevation of the at least one raised section in the region of the
reflex zones of the sole of the foot, this region has a plurality
of edges of which at least one acts on a foot reflex zone in an
acupressure manner during walking. This also allows application in
shoes with a foot bed, thus forming protection with a reflex zone
foot bed.
[0011] Further advantageous embodiments are deduced from the
dependent claims and their mode of action and meaning is explained
in the following description. Preferred exemplary embodiments of
the subject matter of the invention are shown in the figures and
explained hereinafter in detail.
[0012] FIG. 1 shows schematically a view of a semi-finished product
according to the invention having raised sections in the region of
reflex zones of the sole of the foot in an arrangement suitable for
influencing the head region and the sensory organs;
[0013] FIG. 2 shows schematically an enlarged view of a raised
section according to the invention and the corresponding vertical
section of the raised section along the line A-A;
[0014] FIGS. 3-6 show sections of semi-finished products having
raised sections of different shapes for specifically influencing
different reflex zones for acting on corresponding organs or parts
of the body;
[0015] FIGS. 7-8 show two schematically enlarged cross-sections
through the semi-finished product provided with a cover layer as a
shoe insert or insole in corresponding embodiments of the
invention;
[0016] FIGS. 9-15 show schematically views of semi-finished
products or shoe inserts or insoles having different raised-section
formations for specifically influencing different reflex zones for
acting on corresponding organs and/or regions of the body; and
[0017] FIG. 16 shows schematically a view of a particularly
preferred embodiment of a semi-finished product or a shoe insert
having corresponding raised-section formations for specifically
influencing different reflex zones for acting on corresponding
organs and/or regions of the body.
[0018] FIG. 17 shows a side view of the shoe insert or insole
according to FIG. 16.
[0019] The reference numeral 100 designates the semi-finished
product in its entirety, which has a fundamentally flat base
surface 110 whereon raised sections 120 are arranged in the form of
reflex zones. The raised sections 120 can be fabricated integrally
with the base surface 110. The semi-finished product 100 can
consequently be constituted in one piece from the same elastic foam
material, for example from latex or plastic.
[0020] In one embodiment of the invention, for example, the raised
section 120 in the region of the toe head has at least one centred
elevation 121 and one peripheral elevation 122. In order to
simplify the following discussion, embodiments of the invention are
merely described in connection with the raised section 120 in the
region of the toe head since, as mentioned initially, the position
of a toe head relative to the insole can vary fairly substantially
in different persons. However, this should not be interpreted as
restrictive but merely as an example. Embodiments of the invention
can consequently be used additionally or alternatively in other
regions of reflex zones, such as for example, in the region of the
solar plexus. Simple raised sections having no centred and
peripheral elevation such as are described, for example, in
EP1245167 are designated with the reference numeral 130.
[0021] The at least one central elevation 121 and peripheral
elevation 122 are configured in such a manner that these each have
a ramp-like lateral inclination 123 starting from the base sole
110, which opens into a flat surface 124 of the elevation 121 and
122, wherein the inclinations 123 each run around the flat surfaces
124. This style of composition can have the effect that the insole
not only serves to massage the reflex zones during walking but also
achieves an acupressure effect in the rest state, which acts
relatively gently. In one embodiment of the invention, measured
from a normal N of the base surfaces 110, the lateral inclinations
123 have an angle .theta. between 30.degree. and 60.degree..
[0022] The at least one centred elevation 121 and peripheral
elevation 122 form a plurality of elevated massage edges 126 and
recesses 127 in the region of the raised section 120 of the reflex
zone. This plurality of massage edges 126 effects an acupressure in
the case of toe heads in different positions on the raised section
120. Normally, all the raised sections 120 and 130 project upwards
by the same amount above the base surface 110.
[0023] The centred elevations 121 in no way need to have merely a
circular shape (for example, a nub) but, as shown schematically in
FIGS. 7-10, can have any other embodiments and, for example, run in
an oval manner or linearly. A linear raised section 130, for
example, can constitute an apex line running at least approximately
at the same height. In particular, the raised section 120, as
depicted schematically in FIGS. 7-9, can have a plurality of
centred elevations 121 which in turn can have different
outlines.
[0024] As shown schematically in FIG. 5, the at least one
peripheral elevation 122 can run around the at least one centred
elevation 121 both in a closed and in an open manner.
[0025] The previously described semi-finished products are used for
further processing to give insoles or shoe inserts. These consist
of at least three layers, i.e. the soft massage layer 100 made of
foamed material, in particular of latex or plastic which has been
described previously as semi-finished product 100, as well as an
upper cover layer 150 and a lower supporting layer 190. These three
layers are joined to one another by corresponding lamination or
another type of adhesive bonding.
[0026] The choice of materials is conventional. Thus, the cover
layer is preferably made of a breathable material such as leather
or textile. For more reasonably priced solutions, artificial
leather is preferably also used as the cover layer.
[0027] The supporting layer can fulfil several functions. The
massage layer is barely abrasion-proof and must therefore be
protected. The cover layer fulfils this function. At the same time,
it can fulfil further functions such as having a shock-absorbing
effect, being permeable to vapour, having a heat-insulating effect.
These functions are fulfilled by various plastic materials or
cellulose-based films (e.g. under the trade name Texon) which are
available on the market for the shoe industry.
[0028] As depicted schematically in FIG. 7, the raised section 120
can, for example, be provided completely with the cover layer 150
and adhesively bonded over the entire surface, wherein the cover
layer 150 completely follows the contours of the massage layer or
the semi-finished product.
[0029] FIG. 8 shows an embodiment of the invention in which the
cover layer 150 is arranged continuously flat above the raised
section 120 so that at least one cavity is formed between the cover
layer 150 and the at least one recess 127. The cover layer 150 thus
follows only the outermost contours of the raised sections and not
the contours of the intermediate recesses. This reduces shear
movements onto the massage layer or onto the semi-finished product,
thus increasing the lifetime of the finished product, i.e. the
insole or the shoe insert without reducing the massage effect.
[0030] In a preferred embodiment the invention, the elastic foam
material of the semi-finished product 100 has a hardness of less
than 25.degree. Shore A and in particular between 10.degree. and
20.degree. Shore A, so that the hardness of the insole or shoe
insert 160 provided with the cover layer 150 has a hardness of
higher than 25.degree. Shore A, and in particular between
30.degree. and 40.degree. Shore A.
[0031] FIGS. 9-16 show insoles or shoe inserts having different
forms of raised sections 120. Depending on the arrangement and
shape, different organs and parts of the body can be stimulated in
combination. Particularly preferred is an embodiment known per se,
which is known as "5-point" or "5-zone" soles and is shown in FIG.
16. Such a sole serves to improve the general feeling of wellbeing
and is applicable for most persons. FIG. 16 shows on the one hand
the outline of the insole or shoe insert 160 and the outline of the
foot imaged thereon. Whereas the heel point is fixed by the shoe
shape and thus does not vary, the other points can be varied to
some extent with regard to their position.
[0032] The toe point is the most strongly variable in position.
Depending on the person, the large toe projects to a greater or
lesser extent or runs slopingly inwards. Since the edges of the
raised sections 120 are effective for the stimulation, as a result
of the embodiment of the raised section 120' according to the
invention, in particular for the large toes, a plurality of
effective upper massage edges 126 distributed over the entire area
of the raised section 120' and having a central elevation 121 and a
peripheral elevation 122 is formed, of which at least some of the
upper massage edges 126 are effective almost independently of the
running direction of the large toes.
[0033] In addition to the massage zone for the large toes, the
raised sections can also be configured in the same way for the
other massage zones. In particular the raised section 120'' for
stimulating the solar plexus comes into consideration here. This
raised section is characterised by 120' in FIG. 16 but is shown as
a conventionally configured raised section in the figure for the
sake of simplicity.
[0034] The insole or shoe insert according to FIG. 16 can be seen
in side view in FIG. 17. In order to increase the stimulation, the
lateral inclinations, in particular at the raised sections 120
configured according to the invention are provided with steeper
inclinations relative to the base surface 110 than in the
conventionally configured raised sections. The inclinations of the
lateral edges of the raised sections in conventional raised
sections 120 are preferably provided with an angle of inclination
of around 45.degree.. The inclination of the peripheral elevation
122 has an angle of inclination of 80.degree. whereas the angle of
inclination of the central elevation 121 is 75.degree.. These
inclinations are preferred details and relate to the inclination as
achieved in the unlaminated semi-finished product 100. These angles
of inclination are automatically changed to some extent after
laminating with an upper cover layer 150 and are usually somewhat
flatter. After a certain wearing time, this will change again. In
particular, in the case of steep angles of inclination, wrinkling
can occur.
[0035] However, this is in no way disadvantageous but leads to
further increased stimulation.
REFERENCE LIST
[0036] 100 Semi-finished product [0037] 110 Base surface [0038] 120
Raised sections [0039] 121 Central elevation [0040] 122 Peripheral
elevation [0041] 123 Lateral inclination [0042] 124 Flat surface
[0043] 126 Elevated massage edges [0044] 127 Recesses [0045] 130
Linear raised section [0046] 150 Upper cover layer [0047] 160
Insole or shoe insert [0048] 190 Upper support layer [0049] F Foot
outline
* * * * *