Elastic foot support to be built-in or inserted in shoes

• US 4,939,852 A
• Filed: 08/29/1988
• Issued: 07/10/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Edeltraud Brenner
• Original Assignee: Edeltraud Brenner
• Inventors: Brenner, Edeltraud
• Primary Examiner(s): Meyers, Steven N.
• Application Number:
  US07/243,100
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: 36/43, 36/44, 36/71, 36/91, 36/88, 128/586, 128/621, 128/623, 128/615, 128/605, 128/582
• US Class Current: 36/44
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/383 pieced
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 17/02 wedge-like or resilient
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/141 having an anatomical or curved form
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/142 situated under the medial arch, i.e. under the navicular or cuneiform bones
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/1445 situated under the midfoot, i.e. the second, third or fourth metatarsal
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/146 provided with acupressure points or means for foot massage

Abstract

The invention relates to an elastic foot support, to be built-in or inserted in shoes consisting of a support plate made of an arched elastic flat material, which is provided in its frontal area with an elastically flexible support body with at least two toroidally shaped projection on its bottom side. According to the invention, the support plate (1) has in its frontal section a cut out (16) or a slot (3) running approximately symmetrical to its longitudinal axis; further, the support body (2) is fastened to the support plate (1) in such a way that parts of the support body are pressed through the cut out (16) or the slot (3) when weighted down by the foot of the wearer, thereby having a massaging effect upon the foot.

Claims

1. An elastic foot support for insertion into shoes comprising:

a support plate with upper and lower major opposite surfaces, said support plate being in an arched form and having a frontal portion on an end thereof, said frontal portion including an aperture position approximately symmetrically with a longitudinal axis of said support plate; and

an elastically flexible support body having at least two toroidally shaped projections on a botton surface thereof, said support body being fastened to said support plate in such a manner that some paart thereof presses through said aperture when said support plate is pressed downward by a foot and thereby provides a massaging effect upon said foot, and said support body overlapping both said upper and lower major opposite surfaces of said support plate.

2. A foot support according to claim 1 wherein a portion of said support body forms a pocket such that there is a space between said upper and lower major opposite surfaces.

3. A foot support according to claim 2 wherein said frontal portion includes a pair of flanks defining at least a part of said aperture and said pocket is divided along said longitudinal axis into two sections.

4. A foot support according to claim 3 wherein said aperture is a slot with a profile of an approximate isosceles triangle.

5. A foot support according to claim 4 wherein said slot has a plurality of indentations and said pocket has projections corresponding to said indentations for arresting same.

6. A foot support according to claim 1 wherein said support body includes a double button shaped formation, said formation penetrating said aperture such that respective portions of said button lie above and below said surfaces of said support plate.

7. A foot support according to claim 1 wherein said support body is a profile body of expanded material having a slidable finished contact surface with said foot.

8. A foot support according to claim 1 wherein said support plate consists of a sheet steel having a thickness between 0.7 and 1.8 mm.

9. A foot support according to claim 1 wherein said support plate consists of a sheet steet having a thickness between 0.8 and 0.9 mm.