| US 7,506,459 B2 | ||
| Ball of foot shoe inserts | ||
| Bernard F. Grisoni, Cordova, Tenn. (US); Richard T. Avent, Memphis, Tenn. (US); and Laura J. Crane, Williston, Tenn. (US) | ||
| Assigned to Schering-Plough Healthcare Products, Inc., Memphis, Tenn. (US) | ||
| Filed on Jul. 29, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/193,158. | ||
| Application 11/193158 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/643172, filed on Aug. 18, 2003, granted, now 7,159,342. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2006/0026868 A1, Feb. 09, 2006 | ||
| This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer. | ||
| Int. Cl. A43B 19/00 (2006.01); A61F 5/14 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 36—71 [36/180] | 10 Claims |
| 1. A removable ball of the foot insert for placement into footwear at a position in correspondence with a forefoot portion
of the footwear, comprising:
a substantially planar member made from a viscoelastic gel, the planar member including a lower surface and an upper surface;
and
a plurality of spaced apart spring walls formed from a viscoelastic gel and extending from the lower surface of the planar
member at a predetermined area corresponding to a ball of the foot when the insert is placed into the footwear, for separating
bones of second and third metatarsals of the foot, said spring walls having heights that generally decrease outwardly from
a center of said predetermined area;
wherein the viscoelastic gel of the planar member has a hardness greater than a hardness of the viscoelastic gel of the spring
walls;
wherein said viscoelastic gel comprises a tackifier; and
wherein said insert comprises a low friction cover layer secured to said upper surface.
|