SHOE ORTHOTIC DEVICE AND RELATED METHODS

Abstract

The present invention provides an improved orthotic device adapted to be inserted into a high-heeled or raised-heel shoe and to receive a human foot thereon. The orthotic device may be operable to adhere to the sole of the shoe and may comprise a proximal contoured slope operable to prevent migration and increase acceptance of body weight at the heel of the wearer's foot and may comprise a distal contoured slope operable to support the arch of the wearer's foot, preventing the foot from sliding forward and focusing excessive painful pressure at the user's toes. The orthotic device may also have dual layers of adhesive material separated by a peel-away backing, and an inferior surface concavity with a channel allowing solvent to be used to dissolve the adhesive if the orthotic device needs to be repositioned or changed to a new shoe.

Claims

1. An orthotic device for insertion into a shoe for a human foot, comprising: a. a rigid or semi-rigid body having: i. a superior surface for supporting a human foot, and ii. an inferior surface for interfacing with a sole of a shoe; and b. a fitting adhesive operable to temporarily attach the body to the sole of shoe to test at least one location on the insole of the shoe for fit with said foot, said fitting adhesive being attached to a peel-away backing allowing the fitting adhesive to be removed from the body; and c. a setting adhesive for attaching said orthotic device semi-permanently to said insole.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said inferior surface has a substantially flat portion, said inferior surface being coated with said setting adhesive.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein said peel-away backing also protects and preserves said setting adhesive.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein said peel-away backing comprises a low-adherence superior surface and a tab, such that said peel-away backing may be easily peeled from said inferior surface of said device.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein said peel-away backing comprises an inferior surface, wherein said peel-away backing is in contact with said setting adhesive on a first side thereof and a second side thereof is coated with said fitting adhesive.

6. The device of claim 5, further comprising a second peel-away backing for protecting and preserving said fitting adhesive.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein said second peel-away backing comprises a low-adherence superior surface and a tab, such that said second peel-away backing may be easily peeled from said fitting adhesive and said inferior surface of said peel-away backing.

8. (canceled)

9. (canceled)

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising an inferior surface concavity and an adhesive solvent channel, said adhesive solvent channel providing a passage from a superior surface of said device to said inferior surface concavity.

11. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

14. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

16. The device of claim 15, further comprising a fabric for preventing slippage and shearing forces on said superior surface of said orthotic device.

17. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

21. The device of claim 1, wherein said shoe is a raised-heel shoe and said orthotic device is configured to be placed on said insole at a seat of said raised heel shoe such that an anterior portion of a heel of a wearer's foot is contacted and supported by a proximal contoured slope of the orthotic device, and said orthotic device prevents forward migration of said foot during wear.

22. An orthotic device for insertion into a raised-heel shoe for a human foot, comprising: a. a rigid or semi-rigid body having; an inferior surface for interfacing with a sole of a shoe; and b. a fitting adhesive operable to temporarily attach the body to the insole of shoe to test at least one location on the insole of the shoe for fit with a foot, said fitting adhesive being attached to a peel-away backing allowing the fitting adhesive to be removed from the body; and c. a setting adhesive for attaching said orthotic device semi-permanently to said insole.

23. The device of claim 22, further comprising a distal contoured slope operable to be positioned below a portion of an arch of said foot.

24. The device of claim 22, wherein said orthotic device comprises a substantially flat inferior surface, said inferior surface being coated with said setting adhesive.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein said peel-away backing is operable to protect and preserve said setting adhesive until said peel-away backing is removed.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein said peel-away backing comprises a low-adherence upper surface in contact with said setting adhesive and a tab, such that said peel-away backing may be easily peeled from said inferior surface of said device.

27. The device of claim 25, wherein said peel-away backing comprises a lower surface on which said fitting adhesive is coated.

28. The device of claim 27, further comprising a second peel-away backing for protecting and preserving said fitting adhesive.

29. The device of claim 27, wherein said second peel-away backing comprises a low-adherence superior surface and a tab, such that said second peel-away backing may be easily peeled from said inferior surface of said peel-away backing.

30. (canceled)

31. (canceled)

32. The device of claim 24, further comprising an inferior surface concavity and an adhesive solvent channel, said adhesive solvent channel providing a passage from a superior surface of said device to said inferior surface concavity.

33. (canceled)

34. (canceled)

35. (canceled)

36. (canceled)

37. A method of using an orthotic device, comprising the steps of: a. inserting an orthotic device comprising a rigid or semi-rigid body having a contoured for supporting a portion of a foot into a shoe; and b. temporarily adhering said orthotic device to an insole of said shoe using a fitting adhesive operable to temporarily attach the body to the sole of shoe to test at least one location on the insole of the shoe for fit with said foot; and c. semi-permanently securing said orthotic device to said insole of said shoe in said position using a setting adhesive.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein said fitting adhesive being located on a peel-away backing that covers said setting adhesive.

39. (canceled)

40. (canceled)

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] FIG. 1A shows a top-down view of an orthotic device, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] FIG. 1B shows a rear side view of an orthotic device, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] FIG. 1C shows a front side view of an orthotic device, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] FIG. 1D shows a side view of an orthotic device, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] FIG. 1E shows a cut-away side view of an orthotic device, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] FIG. 2 shows a side view of an orthotic device in use, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] FIGS. 3A-3B each show a bottom-up view of an orthotic device, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of an orthotic device, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] FIG. 5 shows a top-down view of an orthotic device secured on the sole of a shoe, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] Reference will now be made in detail to certain embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the invention will be described in reference to these figures and certain implementations and examples of the embodiments, it will be understood that such implementations and examples are not intended to limit the invention. To the contrary, the invention is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents that are included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims. In the following disclosure, specific details are given to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. References to various features of the present invention throughout this document do not mean that all claimed embodiments or methods must include the referenced features. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details or features.

[0036] Reference will be made to the exemplary illustrations in the accompanying drawings, and like reference characters may be used to designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

[0037] The present invention relates to orthotic device 100 having proximal 111 and distal 121 contoured slopes, and a plurality of adhesive layers 141, 151 for fitting and setting the device 100 to the sole 109 of a wearer's shoe 108 (see FIG. 2).

[0038] As seen in FIGS. 1A-1E, the orthotic device 100 may comprise a generally triangular outer profile with rounded corners when viewed from above, with a concave proximal (heel) 110 end and a blunted distal (arch) end 120. The superior surface 130 of the device may comprise a ridge 131 forming a crescent shape which curves from the corners of the proximal end 110 of the device 100 in toward the center of the device 100. The ridge 131 may thus define a divide between a proximal contoured slope 111 and a distal contoured slope 121.

[0039] The proximal contoured slope 111 may comprise a concavity 112 and may be operable to sit under and anterior to the heel 106 of the wearer 105 to provide support and counter act the tendency of the foot to slide forward in the high-heeled or raised heel shoe 108. The proximal contoured slope 111 may be crescent-shaped to encapsulate the anterior load-bearing morphology and contours of the heel 106.

[0040] The distal contoured slope 121 may comprise a substantially flat surface 122 sloping down toward the blunted distal end 120 of the device 100, the distal contoured slope 121 having a shape which is complementary to the arch 107 of the wearer's foot.

[0041] The device 100 may further comprise a first lateral contoured slope 132 and a second lateral contoured slope 133, the first and second lateral contoured slopes 132, 133 being located on either side of the distal contoured slope 121, running from an edge of the distal contoured slope 121 down to the sole 109 of the shoe 108. The first and second contoured slopes 132, 133 may each comprise a substantially flat surface having a steeper slope than that of the distal contoured slope 121.

[0042] As seen in FIGS. 3A-3C, the inferior surface 140 of the device 100 may comprise a substantially flat surface coated with a first setting adhesive 141. The setting adhesive 141 may comprise an adhesive substance (i.e., a glue, cement, mucilage, or paste) capable of securing the device 100 to the sole 109 of a shoe 108 in a semi-permanent manner, wherein the setting adhesive 141 may secure the device 100 to the shoe unless dissolved via an appropriate adhesive solvent, releasing the device 100 from the shoe 108.

[0043] The setting adhesive 141 on the inferior surface 140 of the device 100 may require preservation against drying out or oxidation from the air, and protection from physical contact with packaging and other objects (i.e., the fingers of the wearer) in the period between the manufacture of the device and the final setting of the device in a shoe 108. The setting adhesive 141 may be thus preserved and protected via a first peel-away backing 142. The first peel-away backing 142 may comprise a thin layer of flexible material (i.e., a plastic) with a shape which covers the inferior surface 140 of the device 100 and provides a tab 142a operable to be used to peel the first peel-away backing 142 from the device 100. The first peel-away backing 142 may comprise a low-adherence superior surface 143 (see FIG. 4) such that it may be easily peeled off of the first adhesive 141 while removing substantially none of the setting adhesive 141 from the inferior surface 140 of the device 100.

[0044] The device 100 may further comprise a second, fitting adhesive 151 on the inferior surface 144 of the first peel-away backing 142, the fitting adhesive 151 comprising an adhesive substance which provides a temporary, releasable adherence between the device 100 and the sole 109 of a shoe 108. The fitting adhesive 151 may thus be utilized to test the position of the device 100 within the shoe 108 for comfort, and then release the device 100 from the sole 108 for repositioning and long-term setting via the setting adhesive 141. The fitting adhesive 151 may be applied to a portion 145 of the inferior surface 144 of the first peel-away backing 142 and may be preserved and protected via a fitting peel-away backing 152. The fitting peel-away backing 152 may comprise a thin layer of flexible material (i.e., a plastic) with a shape which covers the portion 145 of the inferior surface 144 of the first peel-away backing 142 which is covered with fitting adhesive 151, and may provide a tab 152a operable to be used to peel the fitting peel-away backing 152 from the first peel-away backing 142. The fitting peel-away backing 152 may comprise a low-adherence superior surface 153 such that it may be easily peeled off of the fitting adhesive 151 while removing substantially none of the fitting adhesive 151 from the inferior surface 144 of the first peel-away backing 142.

[0045] The device may comprise an inferior surface concavity 160, the inferior surface concavity being located substantially centrally within the inferior surface 140 of the device 100. The inferior surface concavity 160 may comprise a substantially flattened hemispherical shape (i.e., circular concavity which is not as deep as it is wide). The device may further comprise an adhesive solvent channel 161, the adhesive solvent channel 161 comprising a passage linking the inferior surface concavity 160 to the superior surface 130 of the device 100. The adhesive solvent channel 161 may thus provide access for an adhesive solvent to be transferred into the inferior surface concavity 160, allowing the setting adhesive 141 to be dissolved if the wearer needs to change the placement of the device 100 for comfort, or wants to transfer the device 100 (e.g., to change the placement thereof for comfort).

[0046] It is to be understood that variations, modifications, and permutations of embodiments of the present invention, and uses thereof, may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. It is also to be understood that the present invention is not limited by the specific embodiments, descriptions, or illustrations or combinations of either components or steps disclosed herein. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Although reference has been made to the accompanying figures, it is to be appreciated that these figures are exemplary and are not meant to limit the scope of the invention. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto and their equivalents.