Orthotic assembly having stationary heel post and separate orthotic plate
AssigneeNorthwest Podiatric Laboratory, Inc.
InventorDennis N. Brown
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A two-piece orthotic insert assembly. A post member is fixedly mounted in the heel end of a shoe, and has a generally concave bearing surface. A separate plate member is placed in the shoe so that the heel end thereof rests in the post, the heel cup of the plate member having a generally convex lower bearing surface which engages the concave bearing surface in the post member so as to permit a predetermined range of pivoting motion between the two pieces. The concave upper bearing surface of the post member defines a generally U-shaped bearing area which supports the rear foot portion of the plate at a predetermined angle for heel strike. Following heel strike, the plate member pivots so as to permit a controlled amount of pronation of the foot.
Claims9
An orthotic assembly which is detachably mountable to a shoe, said orthotic assembly comprising:
- an orthotic insert that is free from fixed attachment to an insole of said shoe, said orthotic insert comprising:
- an elongate, rigid plate member configured to extend from a heel end of a foot to a forefoot portion thereof, said plate member being formed of a thin, substantially rigid, resiliently flexible material;
- and
- a recess formed in said rigid plate member in a heel area thereof and extending upwardly from a lower surface of said rigid plate member;
- a plug member having an upper end for being received in said recess in said rigid plate member in interfitting engagement therewith so that said plug member will be located generally beneath the heel of a wearer's foot, said plug member being free from attachment to said rigid plate member;
- and
- an adhesive for mounting said plug member atop an upper surface of said insole of said shoe, so that said plug extends upwardly therefrom so as to engage said recess and thereby retain said orthotic insert in a predetermined position within said shoe.
An orthotic assembly which is detachably mountable to a shoe, said orthotic assembly comprising:
- a substantially rigid orthotic insert extending from a heel and to a forward end for being positioned beneath a forefoot portion of a foot, said insert having an upper surface which is contoured to engage a plantar surface of a foot and a lower surface having a recess formed in a heel area thereof and being free from fixed attachment to an insole of said shoe, said recess comprising a through opening formed in said heel portion of said insert;
- a plug member having a lower surface which is contoured to engage an upper surface of said insole and an upper end for being received in said recess, plug member being free from fixed attachment to said rigid orthotic insert;
- and
- an adhesive layer on said lower surface of said plug member, for selectively mounting said lower surface of said plug member to said upper surface of said insole to that plug member is located generally beneath a heel of a wearer's foot, and so that said plug member projects upwardly from said insole into said recess so as to detachably retain said orthotic insert in a predetermined position within said shoe.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.