US 2006/0076700 A1 · Apparatus and methods for forming shoe inserts

Abstract

Foot impression generating apparatus comprising impression platforms including buns of open-cell sponge material bonded to an supporting non-porous skins formed of non-blown sponge material is utilized for making foot impressions by a consumer. The sponge material comprises a blended mixture of elastomeric thermosetting material and low melting temperature thermoplastic material chosen such that the buns and skins are respectively flexible and then become rigid when heated and then cooled above and below the plastic temperature range of the thermoplastic material. The consumer steps into heated impression platforms to form the foot impressions and then they are cooled and “frozen” in place. Next, scanning means are used to create a digital contour map of the foot impressions. Then a digitally controlled milling machine is utilized for forming shoe inserts in conformance with the digital contour map.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A foot impression generating apparatus for enabling formation of foot impressions, comprising:

impression platforms including buns of blown open-cell sponge material bonded to and supporting non-porous skins formed of non-blown sponge material wherein the sponge material comprises elastomeric and thermoplastic materials, and wherein the buns and skins are mounted upon a pair of bases having forefoot supporting and angularly elevatable trailing portions;
and
heating and cooling means for heating the impression platforms to a temperature slightly above the melting temperature of the thermoplastic material and then cooling the impression platforms to a temperature below that of the low temperature end of the plastic range of the thermoplastic material.

A method of forming shoe inserts for a consumer via utilization of a digitally controlled milling machine equipped with a laterally rotated milling spindle and a dovetail cutter having an apex radius smaller than any anticipated shoe insert feature radius, and having a software library of typical shoe last bottom geometries, comprises the steps of:

providing data indicative of the contours of the consumer's digitized foot impressions, shoe type and size, the trailing portion angle utilized, and any other details unique to the consumer such as a supplemental elevation angle for accommodating a shorter leg;
subtracting scaled corrections of a selected one of the typical shoe last bottom geometries stored in the library from the digitized foot impressions;
positioning the digitized foot impressions with reference to the table of the digitally controlled milling machine;
selecting an appropriately sized pair of shoe insert blanks;
selecting an appropriate set of shoe insert blank supporting devices for holding the shoe insert blanks as required for maintaining proper minimum clearance values in the forefoot portions of the digitized foot impressions;
forming the shoe insert contours in the digitally controlled milling machine with the milling spindle in conformance with the digitized foot impressions less scaled corrections of the selected one of the typical shoe last bottom geometries;
removing the shoe inserts from the shoe insert blank supporting devices;
covering the shoe inserts with material suitable for interfacing with the feet;
and
presenting or shipping the finished shoe inserts to the consumer.

7 more elements

providing data indicative of the contours of the consumer's digitized foot impressions, shoe type and size, the trailing portion angle utilized, and any other details unique to the consumer such as a supplemental elevation angle for accommodating a shorter leg;
subtracting scaled corrections of a selected one of the typical shoe last bottom geometries stored in the library from the digitized foot impressions;
positioning trailing portions of the digitized foot impressions with reference to the table of the digitally controlled milling machine;
selecting an appropriately sized pair of shoe insert blanks;
selecting an appropriate set of shoe insert blank supporting devices for holding the shoe insert blanks as required for maintaining proper minimum clearance values in the forefoot portions of the digitized foot impressions;
entering tool radius compensation offset correction values to be used in forming the trailing portions of the shoe insert contours, and reduced tool radius and fictitious tool radius compensation offset correction values to be used in forming the forefoot supporting portions of the shoe insert contours into the digitally controlled milling machine;
forming the shoe insert contours in the digitally controlled milling machine with the milling spindle in conformance with the digitized foot impressions less scaled corrections of the selected one of the typical shoe last bottom geometries;
removing the shoe inserts from the shoe insert blank supporting devices;
covering the shoe inserts with material suitable for interfacing with the feet;
and
presenting or shipping the finished shoe inserts to the consumer.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apparatus and methods for forming shoe inserts

Life of this patent

Apparatus and methods for forming shoe inserts

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13