Reduced weight equine orthotic pad and method
OwnerMonty L. Ruetenikinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved shock absorbing, light-weight, thermally insulative orthotic pad designed for use in a “pad and boot” assembly for hoofed livestock. The pad is comprised of a mixture of small particles incorporated and encased in elastomeric materials. The particles have a lower density than the elastomeric materials and possess better thermally insulative properties. The pad is preferably elliptically shaped when viewed from the top or bottom, may be wedge-shaped when viewed from the side, and may include a triangular projection designed to contact a horse's frog and/or a front projection designed to cushion an animal's toe. The pad may also have side clips and toe bumper.
Claims17
An orthotic pad for use in an equine boot comprising a solid elastomer orthotic pad having a hardness no greater than 70 Shore A and having expanded foam polymer particles dispersed therein, wherein the particles are of lower density than the solid elastomer and are immovably encased in the solid elastomer, wherein the orthotic pad has an upper portion above a centerline of the orthotic pad and a lower portion below a centerline of the orthotic pad, and wherein the lower portion of the orthotic pad has a greater concentration of particles dispersed in the solid elastomer.
An orthotic pad for use in an equine boot comprising a solid elastomer orthotic pad having a hardness no greater than 70 Shore A and having expanded foam polymer particles dispersed therein, wherein the particles are of lower density than the solid elastomer and are immovably encased in the elastomer, wherein the particles have a density no greater than 30% of the density of the material of the solid elastomer of the orthotic pad and are more heat insulative than the elastomer, and wherein a greater concentration of particles are dispersed in the elastomer in a lower portion of the orthotic pad, the lower portion being below a centerline of the orthotic pad.
An equine boot assembly comprising;
- an equine boot comprising an upper section made from flexible material, shaped to fit around the hoof of a horse and of a height to reach above the hoof of the horse, having a front, sides, and rear, a fastening means to fasten the front and rear together around the leg of a horse, and a bottom section, made of an elastomer attached to the upper section, of sufficient height and strength to constrain the deformation of a cushioning pad placed therein and compressed by the weight of a horse's hoof;
- and an elastomer orthotic pad disposed in the bottom section of the equine boot,
- wherein the elastomer orthotic pad comprises a solid elastomer body having a hardness no greater than 70 Shore A and having discrete expanded foam polymer particles dispersed therein, wherein the discrete particles are of lower density than the solid elastomer of the solid elastomer body, and are immovably encased therein, wherein the orthotic pad has an upper portion above a centerline of the elastomer orthotic pad and a lower portion below a centerline of the elastomer orthotic pad, and wherein the lower portion of the elastomer orthotic pad has a greater concentration of particles dispersed in the solid elastomer body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.