MARTINEZ, Jacob (2902 Creasey Dr, Temple, TX, 76501, US)
SULAK, Duane, M. (501 Howe Hill Rd, Waco, TX, 76706, US)
GRANGER, David, Bradley (1794 W. Warren Rd, Lorena, TX, 76655, US)
MARTINEZ, Jacob (2902 Creasey Dr, Temple, TX, 76501, US)
SULAK, Duane, M. (501 Howe Hill Rd, Waco, TX, 76706, US)
| I CLAIM;
1. A triple density hee! cup, comprising:
a generally heel-shaped substrate having a length extending from a hee! back wall to a front border, which front border sn use is adapted to underlie a portion of the arch area of a human foot,
said heel-shaped substrate comprising a structural gel layer having a foot receiving surface and a shoe side surface,
said foot receiving surface having a flat area which is adapted to underlie the bottom of a wearer's foot in use and an upwardly extending integral wall which is adapted to lie adjacent the back of wearers heel and portion of the side of a wearer's heel in use, said integral wall having an apex of maximum height, said wal! tapering down in height from said apex toward said front border;
said shoe side surface defining a channel formed in said structural gel adapted to receive a reinforcing component;
a reinforcing component secured to said structural gei in said channel; said reinforcing component comprising a denser materia! than said structural gel, said reinforcing component having a curvature complementary to said integral wall in the area of the back of the heel, and descending to follow along the lines of the side/bottom interface of the heel cup toward said front border;
said shoe side surface further defining a heel cushion area;
a hee! cushion secured to said structural gel in said heel cushion area.
2. The nee! cup of claim 1 , wherein said heel cushion comprises a second density gei,
3. The heei cup of claim 6, wherein said second density gef integrally forms a honeycomb pattern.
4. The hee! cup of claim 1 , wherein said structural gel component comprises either TPU or TPR gel.
5. The hee! cup of claim 1 , wherein said reinforcement component comprises either TPU or TPR gel.
6. The hee! cup of claim 10, wherein said reinforcement component further comprises scoring marks.
J ( I |
TRIPLE DENSITY GEL HEEL CUPS
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
|ø(M)ϊ | This application claims the benefit of United States Provisional Patent Application 61/021 ,535, filed 16 January 2008.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
|0002] Not applicable.
TECHNICAL FIELD |0(K)3| This invention relates to the field of heel supports worn inside shoes.
BRIEF DESCRIPTiON OF THE DRAWINGS |OOθ4[ FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the preferred embodiment
føOOS] FIG. 2 is a bottom piaπ view of the preferred embodiment.
|ø006] Fig. 3 is a perspective view the preferred embodiment.
[0007] Fig, 4 is an exploded view of the preferred embodiment.
føOθS] Fig, 5 is a sectional view of the preferred embodiment, taken aiong 5-5 in FIG. 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
|OOθ9| A triple density heei cup or support ("TD heel cup") is disclosed that advantageously absorbs shock and provides support to the heei area of the foot. From a top view, the TD heei cup extends from a back heel wall to a front border. In use, the back heel wall will lie adjacent the back of the wearer's heel formed by the calcaneoυs or os tarsi fibυlare. The front border wii! lie adjacent the bottom of the wearer's foot essentially in or near the arch area of the wearer's foot, it is contemplated that a wearers foot may be covered with hosiery and when reference is made herein to the foot, it is intended to include feet clad with hosiery, socks and the like unless specified otherwise.
lOOlOj The TD heel cup comprises a generaliy fiat area which in use wiii contact the bottom of the wearer's foot, integral to the flat area and extending upwardly therefrom is a wail portion which is of maximum height at the back center of the heel cup. From the point of the wall's maximum height at the back center of the heei cup, the wail gradually tapers down in height to or nearly to the level of the flat area at the front border of the heei cup. The interior portion of the heei cup is adapted to receive a wearer's foot and iie adjacent thereto in use and the exterior portion of the heel cup is adapted to lie adjacent the shoe of the user. The interior portion comprises a gel materia!. The exterior portion comprises a gel material, a reinforcement
component attached to said gel material, and a heei cushion inserted into an indentation integrally formed in the gel and on the bottom surface of the gel.
|001 J j The gel material is preferably comprised of thermoplastic elastomer gel, also known as TPE gel, TPE gel is preferred over polyurethane (PU) gel for use in the invention due to its greater resiliency from its thermoplastic properties. TPE ge! is desirable because it can set up in 20-30 seconds in a molding process, whiie other materials, for example PU gel can take minutes, if a material takes minutes to set up, it may not be suitable for injection molding in an efficient manner, but would necessitate different components of the heel cup to be molded in parts and then assembled. The materia! used for the ge! is preferably strong to allow the heel cup to be made relatively thin, but to remain strong. The thin nature of the heel cup is preferred to allow for greater foot space in shoes designed with lesser space in the foot cavity of the shoe, such as dress shoes. The heel cup is also, however, suitable for use in shoes with a larger foot cavity, such as athletic shoes.
f 00121 There are various types of commercially available TPE gel, two of which are known as a thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer ("TPU") ge! anά thermoplastic rubber gel ("TPR") gel. TPU ge! may be selected if the color characteristics are of high importance, as it provides better color characteristics than TPR gel. In addition, TPU is more durable and easier to mold than TPR ge! so it is desirable for use in making the invention if it is desired to impart these characteristics to the final product or to the process for making the insole. A disadvantage to TPU ge! has heretofore been its higher cost as compared with other TPE gels such as TPR gel. TPR may also be used for the gel and has the necessary properties. Other gels can be used, but it is preferred that the gel used have the characteristics described in the following paragraphs.
|øø!3j The preferred gel has a low compression set. Compression Set is defined as the amount of permanent set a sample displays after being compressed at a stated amount of percentage (%) at a specific temperature for a given amount of time and recovery period. In a preferred embodiment, the Compression Set is <11±2% for the ge! layer. In order to select an
appropriate gel for use in the invention, gel can be tested with a testing device used for the measurement of the compression set, or shock, in accordance with ASTM F1614-95, "Standard Test Method for Shock Attenuating Properties of Materials Systems for Athletic Footwear," ASTM Internationa! For example, CompiTS or Computerized Impact Testing System from Exeter Research is a standard machine that tests shock in compliance with ASTSVI F1614-95
|0014| Tensile and Tear strengths: The preferred embodiment was found to have a tensile strength and tear strength of around 1.2 MPa and 12 kN/m for the ge! layer.
j00l5| Breaking Elongation Rate: The preferred embodiment was found to have a breaking elongation rate of 900% for the gel layer,
|0016| A Shore/Asker Hardness test provides a measure of hardness. In a most preferred embodiment, the ge! layer measures 24±3 Asker C.
[0017| The Shore/Asker hardness is measurable with a comrnerciaϋy available duromβter. The material to be tested is placed on a hard flat surface. The Asker tester is equipped with a "C" scaie and proper indentor type, typically a hemispherical type. The Asker tester is placed on the materia! to be tested with no additional pressure. The needle deflects to provide the reading,
|00181 The reinforcement component is a materia! of a more rigid density than the ge! and is attached to the shoe side surface of the heel cup to said gei layer. In a preferred embodiment, the reinforcement component extends across the back of the heel upright wall near the top of the wail. The reinforcement component then curves downwardly toward the base of the hee! cup and then extends along the side of the heel cup and forward to the front border of the hee! cup.
[00 Iθ] The reinforcement component may be made of any material having similar characteristics to polypropyiene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), thermoplastic vuicanizate (TPV), or thermoplastic rubber (TPR), Preferably,
the reinforcement component is made of TPR. Preferably, the hardness of the reinforcement component is about 70 ±3 ASKER.
|0020j The heel cushion in the preferred embodiment is shaped with a wide base designed to correspond with the fatty area of the nee! and generally tapers to a U-shape corresponding with the heel opening defined by the gel materia! of the heel cup. The shape described is effective for cradiing and cushioning the heel.
|0021 J in a preferred embodiment, the Compression Set is <11±2% for the hee! cushion, in order to select an appropriate ge! for use in the invention, gel can be tested with a testing device used for the measurement of the compression set, or shock, in accordance with ASTM F1614-95, "Standard Test Method for Shock Attenuating Properties of Materials Systems for Athletic Footwear," ASTM Internationa!. For example, CompiTS or Computerized impact Testing System from Exeter Research is a standard machine that tests shock in compliance with ASTM F1614-95.
føO22] Tensile and Tear strengths: The preferred embodiment was found to have a tensile strength and tear strength of around 1.0 MPa and 10.6 kN/m for the hee! cushion.
|ø023{ Breaking Elongation Rate: The preferred embodiment was found to have a breaking elongation rate of 950% for the heel cushion,
|0ø24{ A Shore/Asker Hardness test provides a measure of hardness. In a most preferred embodiment, the hee! cushion measures 20±3 Asker C.
[0025] The heel cushion is preferably comprised of thermoplastic rubber gel, also known as TPR gei. Other geis can be used, but it is preferred that the gel used have the following characteristics:
|G026| The shoe surface of the hee! cushion may be provided with areas which exhibit advanced cushioning features. A preferred embodiment incorporates honeycomb technology, by which a portion of the gel layer is molded into a honeycomb pattern. Honeycomb patterns have long been
known to deflect force by temporarily deforming then returning to original configuration. See "Recovery Systems Guide", Irvin industries, 1978 (cited m Fisher, Aerobraking and Impact Attenuation, 1995). The portion of the ge! layer to be molded to a honeycomb pattern is the high-impact zone of the heei of the invention.
|0027| In a most preferred embodiment, the hardness of the base layer measures 24±3 Asker C, the pad layer measures 20±3 Asker C, and the reinforcement component measures 70±3 Asker C
|002S| The total thickness, height, length, and width of the heei cup can vary depending on the size of the heel cup used which can be adapted for various shoe sizes or ranges of shoe sizes. The product can be produced in many sizes. In most examples of the product, the total thickness can be from about 20 to about 27 mm and preferably from about 23.5 mm to about 28.5 mm at the apex of the back of the heel area. The length is from about 88 mm to about 108 mm and preferably from about 90 mm to about 108.5 mm and the width is from about 60 mm to about 75 mm and preferably from about 63 mm to about 72.5 mm near the back of the heel area, and from about 53 mm to about 85mm and preferably from about 55.5 mm to about 63 mm near the front border. Ss there a ratio of width/height you use to calculate size for the various shoes?
|0029( The gel material, the heel cushion, and the reinforcement component are preferably formed and secured to each other through a process of injection molding. Preferably, the molds used to make the heei cup have two- sided contour. This allows for quicker assembly so that the mold does not have to be changed during the injection molding process. The gel material is molded on one side of the moid and the reinforcement component and heel cushion is molded on the opposite side of the mold. Standard injection molding assembly-line processes are preferably utilized, but any molding process which results in the structure with the properties herein disclosed can be used are known in the art.
|ø030| The preferred embodiment of the invention is a triple density heel cup. The first density is that of the geϊ of the structure. The second density is of the TPR gel of the heei cushion. The third density is of the reinforcement component. The triple density of the insole provides the following advantages: the dual density gel layers in the hee! region provide increased cushioning and comfort in the area of primary stress to the heel. The TPR comfort gel comprising the heei cushion provides good energy return and cushioning, preferabiy in the range of 44±4% energy return. The TPR or TPU gel comprising the base layer of the invention serves to aid in the energy return process. The reinforcement component provides support for the hee! and for the heel cup.
|ø03l | Now referring to the drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention (1 ), FIG. 1 shows a view of the top (foot side) of the hee! cup. Referring to FiG, 1 , structural gel iayer (1 } has a flat area (2) a front border (3) and an integral upwardiy extending wai! (4) which reaches its apex at (5), In use apex (5) wiil be essentially adjacent the midpoint of the back of the wearer's heel.
|0032] A view of the bottom (shoe side) of the heel cup is best seen in FSG. 2. As shown in FiG, 2, reinforcement component (6) is aiso secured to the bottom (shoe) side of the structural gel layer (1 ) aiong each side and extending to the front border (3), Also visible in FiG. 2 is hee! cushion (7) which preferably comprises a plurality of honeycomb areas (8). Heei cushion (7) is illustrated as being secured to an indentation in the gel which is on the bottom side of the hee! cup.
f0033[ Referring to bottom perspective view FIG. 3 structural gel iayer (1) and reinforcement component (6) are visible, as well as heel cushion (7), upwardiy extending wail (4), front border (3), and back heel end (11 ).
|0034j Referring now to exploded view Fig. 4, one can see indented hee! cushion area (9) and channel (10) which are defined by structural gel iayer (1). Hee! cushion (7) is shaped to fit into heel cushion area (9) and to form a part of a generally planar surface on the bottom of the heel cup. Channel (10)
is adapted to receive reinforcement component (6) so that a generally continuous shoe side surface is formed without impeding protrusions, Channel {10} and reinforcement component (6) essentially follow the heel shaped curvature of upwardly extending wall (4). Reinforcement component (6) provides a stabilizing structure conforming to the shape of the back of the heef of the wearer's foot. Reinforcement component (6) thus provides stability to the heel and to the structural gel layer from the back of the heel receiving area to the front border (3).
føO35] in a preferred embodiment, scoring marks (12) are provided in reinforcement component (6), The scoring marks are effective in providing strength to the insole and help keep the heel cup from moving.
|0036| Heel cushion (7) is positioned in the heel cushion area (9) and preferably incorporates honeycomb cushioning technology (8), This area provides advanced cushioning to the weight placed upon the heel of the user's foot.
føO37] Preferably, the back heel end (11 ) as shown in FIG. 3, of the heel cup is thicker than the front border area. This is best seen in FlG- 4. Generally, there will be less space in a shoe for the fore region of the heel cup and the need for increased cushioning is greater in the area where the heel cushion is placed.
[0038] FIG. 5 shows a cross-section of the heel cup from line 5-5 in FSG. 2. One can see the structural ge! layer (1 ), the channel (10), the reinforcement component (6), the integral upwardly extending wall (4), the apex thereof (5), the heel cushion area (7) and the flat area (2).
[0039| in the preferred manufacture process, the cradle and heel pad assemblies are injection-molded individually. Once created, the cradle and heel pad are placed in the base mold where the base gel is injected, bonding the cradle and heel pad to the invention.
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