Contoured insole for footwear

• US 6,233,847 B1
• Filed: 06/01/2000
• Issued: 05/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Superfeet Worldwide Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Superfeet Worldwide Incorporated
• Inventors: Brown, Dennis N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kavanaugh, Ted
• Application Number:
  US09/586,654
• Time in Patent Office: 355 Days
• Field of Search: 36/44, 36/43, 361/74--78, 361/80, 361/82
• US Class Current: 36/44
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 17/00 Insoles for insertion, e.g. footbeds or inlays, for attachment to the shoe after the upper has been joined
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/142 situated under the medial arch, i.e. under the navicular or cuneiform bones
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/143 situated under the lateral arch, i.e. the cuboid bone
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/144 situated under the heel, i.e. the calcaneus bone
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/16 with elevated heel parts inside
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/22 with fixed flat-foot insertions, metatarsal supports, ankle flaps or the like

Abstract

An insole assembly for a shoe or other article of footwear. The assembly includes a soft, cushioning foam blank having an upper surface which is contoured to engage the plantar surface of a foot, and a thin, substantially rigid, resiliently flexible cap which is mounted to the bottom of the blank so as to extend around the heel end and forwardly along the medial and lateral sides thereof. The rigid cap includes an upstanding wall which engages and buttresses the perimeter of the foam blank, and a series of medial and lateral flanges which extend across and support the bottom of the blank. The flanges are configured to cooperate with the foam blank to define zones of support in specific areas, with the maximum support and rigidity being provided for the rearfoot and midfoot areas of the foot.

Claims

1. An article of footwear having an insole assembly, said insole assembly comprising:

A substantially soft, resiliently compressible cushioning blank member having an upper surface for engaging a plantar surface of a foot and a bottom surface for engaging a sole of said article of footwear; and

a U-shaped, substantially rigid, resiliently flexible cap member having a rearfoot portion which extends around a heel end of said blank member and medial and lateral side portions which extend forwardly from said rearfoot portion on opposite sides of a central opening in said cap member, said cap member having a relatively thin, substantially uniform thickness and comprising;

a support wall which extends generally upwardly in engagement with an outer edge of said cushioning blank member; and

first and second support flanges which extend inwardly along said medial and lateral side portions of said cap member in engagement with said bottom surface of said blank member so as to provide relatively greater rigidity and support beneath selected medial and lateral areas of a wearer'"'"'s foot;

said first and second flanges being separated by said central opening in said cap member, so that a central portion of said bottom surface of said blank member is unsupported by said rigid cap member so as to provide relatively greater cushioning beneath a selected central area of a wearer'"'"'s foot.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said cushioning blank member comprises:

a downwardly concave heel cup portion for engaging a heel of a wearer'"'"'s foot; and

an upwardly arched midfoot portion for engaging an arch portion of a wearer'"'"'s foot.

3. The article of footwear of claim 2, wherein said first and second flanges each comprise:

first and second primary flange portions which extend inwardly across said bottom surface of said blank member under said arches midfoot portion thereof.

4. The article of footwear of claim 3, wherein said edges of said first and second primary flange portions each follow a generally arcuate path between rearward and forward end points located proximate said wall portion of said cap member.

5. The article of footwear of claim 4, wherein said rearward end points of said edges of said first and second primary flange portions are positioned longitudinally proximate a forward end of said heel cup portion of said cushioning blank member.

6. The article of footwear of claim 5, wherein said cap member further comprises:

a horseshoe shaped rearfoot flange portion which extends around said rearfoot end of said blank member from said rearward end point of said medial flange portion to said rearward end point of said lateral flange portion.

7. The article of footwear of claim 6, wherein said rearfoot flange portion of said cap member comprises:

an inner edge of said rearfoot flange portion which extends generally parallel to said outer surface of said cushioning blank member around said rearfoot end of said blank member.

8. The article of footwear of claim 4, wherein said forward end point of said edge of said flange portion on said medial side of said blank member is located longitudinally forward of said forward end point of said flange portion on said lateral side of said blank member, so that said forward end points of said flange portions define a forward border of an area of support between said primary flange portions, which extends at a predetermined rearward angle from said medial to said lateral side of said blank member.

9. The article of footwear of claim 8, wherein said predetermined angle at which said forward border of said area of support extends is generally parallel to an angle at which the metatarsal heads of a wearer'"'"'s foot extend, from a medial to a lateral side thereof.

10. The article of footwear of claim 4, wherein said at least one flange portion of said cap member further comprises:

first and second secondary flange portions extending inwardly across said bottom surface of said blank member under said midfoot portion thereof, forwardly of said primary flange portions.

11. The article of footwear of claim 10, wherein said first and second secondary flange portions have inner edges which are spaced apart from one another by an open area of said bottom surface of said blank member which is wider than an open area by which said inner edges of said primary flange portions are spaced apart.

12. The article of footwear of claim 11, wherein said inner edges of said secondary flange portions follow generally arcuate paths between rearward and forward end points which are located proximate said wall portion of said cap member.

13. The article of footwear of claim 12, wherein said rearward end points of said edges of said secondary flange portions coincide with said forward end points of said first and second primary flange portions.

14. The article of footwear of claim 13, wherein said forward end points of said secondary flange portions coincide with forward end points of said wall portion of said cap member along medial and lateral sides of said blank member.

15. The article of footwear of claim 14, wherein said cushioning blank member further comprises:

a substantially flat, thin forefoot extension portion for engaging a forefoot portion of a wearer'"'"'s foot, forwardly of said midfoot portion of said blank member.

16. The article of footwear of claim 15, wherein said cushioning blank member further comprises:

first and second generally vertically extending wall portions of said outer surface of said blank member which extend along medial and lateral sides of said blank member, and which taper forwardly of said secondary flange portions to forward end points proximate said medial and lateral sides of said blank member at a rearward end of said forefoot extension thereof.

17. The article of footwear of claim 16, wherein said forward end point of said medial wall portion of said blank member is located forwardly of said forward end point of said lateral wall portion of said blank member, so that said forward end points of said medial and lateral wall portions of said blank member define a forward border of an area of support between said wall portions which extends at a predetermined rearward angle from said medial to said lateral side of said blank member.

18. An article of footwear having an insole assembly, said insole assembly comprising:

a cushioning blank member formed of a soft, resiliently yieldable material, said blank member having an upper surface for engaging a plantar surface of a wearer'"'"'s foot and a bottom surface for engaging a sole of said article of footwear; and

a U-shaped cap member formed of a rigid, resiliently flexible material and having medial and lateral side portions and a central opening, said cap member having a relatively thin, uniform thickness and comprising;

a support wall which extends generally upwardly in engagement with an outer edge of said cushioning blank member; and

at least one support flange which extends generally horizontally from one of said side portions of said cap member in engagement with said bottom surface of said blank member so as to provide additional rigidity and support beneath a selected area of a wearer'"'"'s foot;

said medial and lateral side portions of said cap member being separated by said central opening and being joined only by a central portion of said cushioning blank member, so that said soft, resiliently yieldable material of said blank member allows said medial and lateral side portions of said cap member to spread and flex independently under a wearer'"'"'s foot.

19. The article of footwear of claim 18, wherein said at least one support flange comprises:

first and second support flanges which extend inwardly along said medial and lateral side portions of said cap member for providing additional rigidity and support beneath medial and lateral sides of a wearer'"'"'s foot.

20. The article of footwear of claim 19, wherein each of said first and second support flanges comprises:

convexly-curved primary flange portions which extend inwardly along said medial and lateral side portions of said cap member and converge towards said central portion of said blank member, so that said converging flange portions cooperate with said resiliently yieldable material of said blank member to provide progressively increasing and then decreasing rigidity and support beneath a central portion of a wearer'"'"'s foot.

21. The article of footwear of claim 20, wherein said first and second support flanges further comprise:

convexly-curved secondary flange portions which extend inwardly along said medial and lateral side portions of said cap member forwardly of said primary flange portions and which diverge outwardly towards forward ends of said medial and lateral portions, so that said diverging secondary flange portions cooperate with said resiliently yieldable material of said blank member to provide progressively increasing flexibility towards a forward end of said insole assembly.

22. The article of footwear of claim 20, wherein said support wall extends continuously around a rearward end of said cushioning blank member and forwardly along medial and lateral sides thereof.

23. The article of footwear of claim 22, wherein said support wall comprises:

a stepped, upwardly projecting lip which extends along a rearward and medial side portion of said cap member for providing increased support for a heel cup of said cushioning blank member.

24. The article of footwear of claim 22, wherein said cap member further comprises:

a narrow, horseshow-shaped support flange which extends inwardly from said support wall around a heel end of said cushioning blank member.

25. The article of footwear of claim 22, wherein said support wall and flanges are generally planar members which are joined together as a unitary structure which forms said cap member.

26. The article of footwear of claim 25, wherein said unitary structure which forms said cap member is a molded plastic structure.

27. An article of footwear having an insole assembly, said insole assembly comprising:

a cushioning blank member formed of a soft, resiliently yieldable material, said blank member having an upper surface for engaging a plantar surface of a wearer'"'"'s foot and a bottom surface for engaging a sole of said article of footwear; and

a U-shaped cap member formed of a rigid, resiliently flexible material, said cap member being configured to cooperate with said cushioning blank member so as to provide zones of differential support beneath a wearer'"'"'s foot, said cap member having a thin, substantially uniform thickness and comprising;

a support wall which extends generally upwardly in engagement with an outer edge of said cushioning blank member;

a horseshoe-shaped support flange which extends generally horizontally in engagement with said bottom surface of said cushioning blank member along a rearward border of an opening in said cap member beneath a heel cup of said blank member, so that said horseshoe-shaped flange cooperates with said soft, resiliently yieldable material of said blank member to provide a first support zone of increased cushioning beneath a heel area of a wearer'"'"'s foot;

first and second primary support flanges which extend inwardly along medial and lateral sides of said cap member in engagement with said lower surface of said cushioning blank member, said primary support flanges converging towards a central opening beneath an arch and midfoot area of said cushioning blank member, so that said converging flanges cooperate with said soft, resiliently yieldable material of said blank member to provide a second support zone in which rigidity progressively increases and then decreases in a forward direction beneath an arch and midfoot area of a wearer'"'"'s foot; and

first and second secondary support flanges which extend inwardly along medial and lateral sides of said cap member in engagement with said bottom surface of said blank member, said secondary flanges being positioned forwardly of said primary support flanges and diverging outwardly from said central opening towards a forward end of said assembly, so that said diverging support flanges cooperate with said soft, resiliently yieldable material of said blank member to provide a third support zone in which rigidity progressively decreases and cushioning progressively increases in a forward direction beneath a distal-midfoot area of a wearer'"'"'s foot.

28. The article of footwear of claim 27, wherein said primary support flanges have substantially arcuate, converging inner edges so as to provide a smoothly progressive increase and decrease in rigidity beneath said arch area of a wearer'"'"'s foot.

29. The article of footwear of claim 28, wherein said cushioning blank member comprises:

a thickened arch portion which tapers forwardly of said secondary support flanges, so that said soft, resiliently yieldable material in said thickened portion provides a fourth support zone in which cushioning progressively decreases in a forward direction beneath a metatarsal head area of a wearer'"'"'s foot.

30. The article of footwear of claim 29, wherein said cushioning blank member further comprises:

a thin, substantially flat forefoot extension portion which extends forwardly of said thickened arch portion so as to extend beneath a toe area of a person'"'"'s foot.

31. The article of footwear of claim 28, in which said support wall and flanges are thin, generally planar members which are joined together as a unitary structure which forms said cap member.

32. The article of footwear of claim 31, wherein said unitary structure which forms said cap member is a molded plastic structure.

33. The article of footwear of claim 32, wherein said cushioning blank member is a unitary resilient foam structure.