EP0284922B1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Improved apparatus, system and method for forming custom-made shoe inserts
Assignee: Amfit Inc
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Filing: 1988-03-18
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Granted: 1994-06-01
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Expires: 2008-03-18
Abstract
Abstract A foot impression unit (10) is provided with an array of gauging elements (34), a control mechanism (36) for urging the gauging elements (34) into contact with the undersurface of a person's foot (12) to form an impression of the undersurface of the foot, a locking mechanism (38) for releasably locking and gauging elements in place to retain that impression, and a sensing mechanism (102) for scanning the gauging elements (34) to produce digital signals indicative of the positions of the gauging elements. These digital signals are stored and processed by a computer to provide a stored data record serving as a digital representation of the impression of the undersurface of the foot (12). The computer may also be employed to provide stored additional information for modifying that data record to compensate for a perceived defect of the foot (12). In response to the stored data record and any stored additional information for modifying that data record, a shaping unit shapes an insert blank to form a custom-made shoe insert conforming to the undersurface of the foot (12) and compensating for any perceived defect of the foot.
Inventors
- 👤 Paul D. Rolloff
- 👤 Reginald T. Lamb
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 10:21
CPC Classifications
A; A43; A43D; A43D1/00; A43D1/02; A43D1/022; A43B; A43B7/00; A43B7/14; A43B7/28; A43D39/00; G; G05; G05B; G05B19/00; G05B19/02; G05B19/42; G05B19/4202; G05B19/4207; A61; A61B; A61B5/00; A61B5/103; A61B5/107; A61B5/1077; A61B5/1078; G05B2219/00; G05B2219/30; G05B2219/36; G05B2219/36048; G05B2219/37; G05B2219/37043; G05B2219/37054; G05B2219/37057; G05B2219/45; G05B2219/45243; G05B2219/49; G05B2219/49025
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
271 words
Apparatus for digitizing the contour of a portion of a person's foot (12), said apparatus including an array of gauging elements (34) supported by a first support structure (14) and disposed in spaced relationship for independently guided movement along longitudinal axes of the gauging elements towards the portion of the person's foot (12), first control means (36) for urging the gauging elements (34) along said longitudinal axes into extended positions in contact with the portion of the person's foot (12), sensor means (102) for scanning the gauging elements to produce signals indicative of the positions of the gauging elements, said sensor means (102) comprising an array of sensors (108) supported by a second support structure (106, 107) and disposed with each sensor adjacent to a corresponding gauging element (34), each of said gauging elements (34) including an activating portion (46) for activating a corresponding sensor (108) to allow the position of that gauging element to be detected, and storage means (86, 170) for storing digital signals indicative of the positions of the gauging elements (34), characterized in that said gauging elements (34) are arranged for guided movement towards the undersurface of the person's foot (12), and second control means (104) is provided for producing relative movement between the array of gauging elements (34) and the array of sensors (108) while the gauging elements are in the extended positions to which they are urged by the first control means (36) so as to enable the sensors (108) to sense the activating portions (46) of the corresponding gauging elements (34) and produce digital signals indicative of the positions of the gauging elements (34).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
119 words
Apparatus as in claim 1, characterized in that said first support structure (14) includes a frame for supporting a person's foot (12) and for supporting the gauging elements (34) in spaced relationship, said first control means (36) is supported by the frame (14) for urging the gauging elements (34) along said longitudinal axes into extended positions in contact with the undersurface of the person's foot (12), said second support structure (106, 107) is movably supported by the frame (14) and said second control means (104) is coupled to the second support structure (106, 107) for moving the array of sensors (108) relative to the array of gauging elements (34) to sense the activating portions (46) of the gauging elements.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
56 words
Apparatus as in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said storage means comprises computer means (86), coupled to the sensor means (102), for storing the digital signals indicative of the positions of the gauging elements (34) and for processing those digital signals to provide the digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot (12).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
Apparatus as in claims 3, characterized in that said computer means (86) may be employed for modifying the digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot (12) to compensate for a defect of the person's foot.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
66 words
Apparatus as in one of the preceding claims, characterized by holding means (230) for holding a blank (218) of material from which a custom-made shoe insert (206) is to be formed, a shaping means (216), responsive to the digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot (12), for shaping the blank (218) to provide the custom-made shoe insert (206) in conformance with that digital representation.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
36 words
Apparatus as in one of the preceding claims, characterized by locking means (38) for holding said gauging elements (34) in place in the extended positions to which they are urged by the first control means (36).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
49 words
Apparatus as in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the activating portion (46) of each of said gauging elements (34) comprises a magnetic activator (46), and each of said sensors (108) comprises a Hall-effect sensor for detecting the magnetic activator (46) of the corresponding gauging element (34).
Claim 8
Independent Claim
94 words
A method of producing a custom-made shoe insert (206) for a person's foot, said method comprising the steps of: forming a digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot (12); storing the digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot (12); storing information for modifying the digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot (12); and shaping a blank (218) of material in accordance with the digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot (12) and the information for modifying that digital representation to form the custom-made shoe insert (206).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method as in claim 8 wherein said last-mentioned storing step is characterized by storing information for modifying the digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot (12) to provide compensation for one or more characteristics of the person's foot.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as in claim 9 wherein said information is operable for modifying a specified area of the digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot (12) in accordance with a specified ramp correction.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
48 words
A method as in claim 9 wherein said information is operable for modifying a specified area of the digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot (12) in accordance with a ramp correction having a specified maximum height at the inside or outside of the person's foot.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method as in claim 9 wherein said information is operable for modifying the entire digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot (12) in accordance with a constant height adjustment.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method as in claim 9 wherein said information is operable for modifying a specified area of the digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot (12) in accordance with a specified pad or depression of specified shape, size, position and thickness or depth.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method as in claim 9 wherein said information is operable for modifying the digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot (12) in accordance with a specified constant percentage increase or decrease in height.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
48 words
A method as in claim 9 wherein said information is operable for modifying a specified area of the digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot (12) in accordance with a ramp correction having a specified maximum height increase at the heel end of the person's foot.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as in claim 9 wherein said information is operable for modifying a toe crest or sulcus portion of the digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot (12) by a specified amount.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method as in claim 9 wherein said information is operable for modifying the digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot (12) by prompting an operator to modify the custom-made shoe insert (206) in a specified manner.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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