×

Gel insoles with lower heel and toe recesses having thin spring walls

  • US 6,598,321 B2
  • Filed: 12/20/2001
  • Issued: 07/29/2003
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1999
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A removable insole for insertion into footwear, comprising a lower layer made from viscoelastic gel and including:

  • a lower surface;

    an upper surface;

    at least one portion of a toe portion and a heel portion formed from said viscoelastic gel, at least one recess in the lower surface of said at least one of a toe portion and a heel portion, each said recess having a peripheral side wall and a top wall, and a plurality of spaced apart spring walls formed from said viscoelastic gel in each said recess, said spring walls being connected with said top wall of a respective said recess, said spring walls having lower edges generally coplanar with a lower surface of said at least one of a toe portion and a heel portion which is in surronding relation to the respective said recess, wherein each of said spring walls is formed in a generally sinusoidal wave shape, wherein said spring walls provide a spring with less dampening energy absorption relative to the remainder of the lower layer formed from said viscoelastic gel when a force is applied to said lower layer, and wherein a spacing between adjacent ones of said spring walls is greater than the width of said spring walls.

View all claims
  • 7 Assignments
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×