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US 7,124,520 B2Granted
Footwear insoles
AssigneePittsburgh Plastics Manufacturing, Inc.
InventorsJohn A. Galbraith, James E. Zona
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An insole for footwear, including a plurality of compressible protrusions. An arrangement is provided for interconnecting the compressible protrusions, the interconnecting arrangement being adapted to ensure strict compression of the compressible protrusions upon acceptance of a compressive force.
Claims31
A footwear insole, said insole comprising:
- a compressible base;
- a plurality of compressible protrusions protruding in a direction away from said base and for protruding away from a wearer's foot;
- and
- means for interconnecting said compressible protrusions, said interconnecting means comprising said compressible base and combining with said compressible protrusions to provide for strict compression of said compressible protrusions in response to a compressive force, whereby a column-buckling effect is avoided;
- a first group of said protrusions being adapted to maximally absorb a compressive force along a first primary force vector, the first primary force vector being essentially parallel to a longitudinal axis of said insole;
- and
- a second group of said protrusions being adapted to maximally absorb a compressive force along a second primary force vector, the second primary force vector being oriented at an acute angle, in a forward direction, with respect to the first primary force vector;
- said first group of protrusions comprising at least a first genre of protrusions each having a longitudinal dimension extending along a planar dimension of said insole and a transverse dimension defined in perpendicular with respect to the longitudinal dimension along a planar dimension of said insole, the longitudinal dimension being greater than the transverse dimension, the longitudinal dimension being oriented essentially in parallel with respect to the first primary force vector;
- said second group of protrusions comprising at least a second genre of protrusions each having a longitudinal dimension extending along a planar dimension of said insole and a transverse dimension defined in perpendicular with respect to the longitudinal dimension along a planar dimension of said insole, the longitudinal dimension being greater than the transverse dimension, the longitudinal dimension being oriented essentially in parallel with respect to the second primary force vector;
- said first genre of protrusions and said second genre of protrusions being coincident in at least one region of said insole as defined along a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of said insole.
7 more elements
A footwear insole, said insole comprising:
- a compressible base;
- a plurality of compressible protrusions protruding in a direction away from said compressible base and for protruding away from a wearer's foot;
- and
- means for interconnecting said compressible protrusions, said interconnecting means comprising said compressible base and combining with said compressible protrusions to provide for strict compression of said compressible protrusions in response to a compressive force, whereby a column-buckling effect is avoided;
- said compressible protrusions comprising compressible material and presenting varying thicknesses, wherein:
- said protrusions comprise a first set of protrusions and a second set of protrusions;
- said first set of protrusions present at least one thickness corresponding to a first stage of compression in response to a compressive force and;
- said second set of protrusions present at least one thickness corresponding to a second stage of compression in response to a compressive force, the second stage of compression initiating subsequent to initiation of the first stage of compression;
- a first group of said protrusions being adapted to maximally absorb a compressive force along a first primary force vector, the first primary force vector being essentially parallel to a longitudinal axis of said insole;
- a second group of said protrusions being adapted to maximally absorb a compressive force along a second primary force vector, the second primary force vector being oriented at an acute angle, in a forward direction, with respect to the first primary force vector;
- said first group of protrusions comprising at least a first genre of protrusions each having a longitudinal dimension extending along a planar dimension of said insole and a transverse dimension defined in perpendicular with respect to the longitudinal dimension along a planar dimension of said insole, the longitudinal dimension being greater than the transverse dimension, the longitudinal dimension being oriented essentially in parallel with respect to the first primary force vector;
- said second group of protrusions comprising at least a second genre of protrusions each having a longitudinal dimension extending along a planar dimension of said insole and a transverse dimension defined in perpendicular with respect to the longitudinal dimension along a planar dimension of said insole, the longitudinal dimension being greater than the transverse dimension, the longitudinal dimension being oriented essentially in parallel with respect to the second primary force vector;
- said first genre of protrusions and said second genre of protrusions being coincident in at least one region of said insole as defined along a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of said insole.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.