US4876758A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
System and method for forming custom-made shoe inserts
Assignee: Amfit LLC
•
Filing: 1987-03-31
•
Granted: 1989-10-31
•
Expires: 2007-03-31
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
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 15:30
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: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
260 words
Apparatus for digitizing the undersurface of a person's foot, said apparatus comprising: an array of gauging elements, each of aid gauging elements including an activator; a frame for supporting the person's foot and for supporting the gauging elements in spaced relationship for independently guided movement towards the undersurface of the person's foot; control means, supported by the frame, for urging the gauging elements into contact with the undersurface of the person's foot; sensor means, supported by the frame and movable relative to the gauging elements, for scanning the gauging elements to sense the positions of the gauging elements and produce digital signals indicative of those positions; said sensor means including a plurality of sensors, each corresponding to an associated one of the gauging elements, and a support structure, movably supported by the frame adjacent to each of the gauging elements, for supporting each of the sensors adjacent to the corresponding gauging element; each of said sensors being operable, when moved adjacent to the activator of the corresponding gauging element, for detecting that activator to sense the position of the corresponding gauging element and produce a digital signal indicative of that position; control means, supported by the frame and coupled to the support structure of the sensor means, for moving the support structure and the sensors supported thereon relative to the gauging elements to scan the gauging elements; and storage means, coupled to the sensor means, for storing the digital signals indicative of the positions of the gauging elements to provide a digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
260 words
Apparatus for digitizing the undersurface of a person's foot, said apparatus comprising: an array of gauging elements, each of aid gauging elements including an activator; a frame for supporting the person's foot and for supporting the gauging elements in spaced relationship for independently guided movement towards the undersurface of the person's foot; control means, supported by the frame, for urging the gauging elements into contact with the undersurface of the person's foot; sensor means, supported by the frame and movable relative to the gauging elements, for scanning the gauging elements to sense the positions of the gauging elements and produce digital signals indicative of those positions; said sensor means including a plurality of sensors, each corresponding to an associated one of the gauging elements, and a support structure, movably supported by the frame adjacent to each of the gauging elements, for supporting each of the sensors adjacent to the corresponding gauging element; each of said sensors being operable, when moved adjacent to the activator of the corresponding gauging element, for detecting that activator to sense the position of the corresponding gauging element and produce a digital signal indicative of that position; control means, supported by the frame and coupled to the support structure of the sensor means, for moving the support structure and the sensors supported thereon relative to the gauging elements to scan the gauging elements; and storage means, coupled to the sensor means, for storing the digital signals indicative of the positions of the gauging elements to provide a digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
34 words
Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein: each of said gauging elements includes a magnetic activator; and each of said sensors comprises a hall-effect sensor for detecting the magnetic activator of the corresponding gauging element.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
86 words
A method of producing a custom-made shoe insert for a person's foot, said method comprising the steps of: forming a digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot; storing the digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot; modifying the digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot to compensate for a defect of the person's foot; and shaping a blank of material in accordance with the modified digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot to form the custom-made shoe insert.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
86 words
A method of producing a custom-made shoe insert for a person's foot, said method comprising the steps of: forming a digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot; storing the digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot; modifying the digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot to compensate for a defect of the person's foot; and shaping a blank of material in accordance with the modified digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot to form the custom-made shoe insert.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
87 words
A method of producing a custom-made shoe insert for a person's foot, said method comprising the steps of: forming a digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot; storing the digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot; storing information for modifying the digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot; and shaping a blank of material in accordance with the digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot and the information for modifying that digital representation to form the custom-made shoe insert.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
87 words
A method of producing a custom-made shoe insert for a person's foot, said method comprising the steps of: forming a digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot; storing the digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot; storing information for modifying the digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot; and shaping a blank of material in accordance with the digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot and the information for modifying that digital representation to form the custom-made shoe insert.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method as in claim 4 wherein said last-mentioned storing step comprises storing information for modifying the digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot to provide compensation for one or more characteristics of the person's foot.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method as in claim 5 wherein said information is operable for modifying a specified area of the digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot in accordance with a specified ramp correction.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method as in claim 5 wherein said information is operable for modifying a specified area of the digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot in accordance with a ramp correction having a specified maximum height at the inside or outside of the person's foot.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method as in claim 5 wherein said information is operable for modifying the entire digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot in accordance with a constant height adjustment.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method as in claim 5 wherein said information is operable for modifying a specified area of the digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot in accordance with a specified pad or depression of specified shape, size, position and thickness or depth.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as in claim 5 wherein said information is operable for modifying the digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot in accordance with a specified constant percentage increase or decrease in height.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
46 words
A method in claim 5 wherein said information is operable for modifying a specified area of the digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot in accordance with a ramp correction having a specified maximum height increase at the heel end of the person's foot.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method as in claim 5 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 by a specified amount.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method as in claim 5 wherein said information is operable for modifying the digital representation of the undersurface of the person's foot by prompting an operator to modify the custom-made shoe insert in a specified manner.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
DE596762C
Cited
CH172972A
Cited
CH190837A
Cited
US2230143A
Cited
US2323539A
Cited
DE2308062A1
Cited
US4454618A
Cited
US4517696A
Cited
US4679331A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1992-10-30 | 1993-05-01 | 1993-10-31 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1996-10-30 | 1997-05-01 | 1997-10-31 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2000-10-30 | 2001-05-01 | 2001-10-31 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |