Patent Application
20230082026
The present invention relates to a disposable insole pad, and more particularly, a thin disposable insole pad that is removably attachable to a user's foot and placed between the user's foot and a footwear insole.
Insole or footbed is often disposed a top of the sole of footwear to be in contact with a foot to provide warmth, comfort, or support of the foot's structure (e.g. arch support). An insole can be a fixed inner sole or a removable sole. It is usually made of synthetic material, rubber, silicone, plastics, leathers, gels, or fabrics, and thus, it is relatively thick and placed inside of the footwear for relatively extended period of time without washing.
Insoles are generally not adapted to the problem of sweating or odor caused by the foot. Insoles are typically thick, and even when washable, they are not washed frequently, which exacerbates such problems that often result in bacterial or microbes growth, which leads to sticky, odor-filled, and unhygienic footwear. Furthermore, washing an insole is time consuming and inconvenient. Sometimes, an insole has to be hand washed. Sometimes, insoles are made from non-washable materials, and thus, washing can damage or destroy them. Besides, wearing footwear barefooted or without socks has become a fashion trend and, accordingly, conventional thick insoles are not well suited for such times.
Therefore, to solve the above problems, a thin disposable insole pad, which is removably attachable to a user's foot, is provided, as there is a need for a device that accomplishes this goal. This invention is directed to solve these problems and satisfy the long-felt need.
The present invention contrives to solve the disadvantages of the prior art. The present invention provides a disposable insole pad that is removably attachable to a user's foot and placed between the user's foot and a footwear insole.
The object of the invention is to provide a disposable insole pad 100 which includes an absorbent layer 10, a removable skin adhesive 20, a first release liner 30, and an anti-slip member 40. The removable skin adhesive 20 is attached to the top surface 12 of the absorbent layer 10, and the anti-slip member 40 is attached to the bottom surface 14 of the absorbent layer 10. The removable skin adhesive 20 is intended to be removably attached to a user's foot, and a first release liner 30 is provided to cover the removable adhesive 20. The user wears the present invention 100 by removing the first release liner 30 and attaching his foot to the removable skin adhesive 20, and then, he wears a shoe such that the anti-slip member 40 is to be in contact with a shoe insole.
Another object of the invention is to provide a disposable insole pad 100 which includes an absorbent layer 10, an anti-slip member 40, a release liner 50, and a toe cap 60. The anti-slip member 40 is attached to the bottom surface 14 of the absorbent layer 10 so that the anti-slip member 40 is to be in contact with a shoe insole. The release liner 50 covers the anti-slip member 40. The toe cap 60 covers toes of a user and it is made of cotton gauze and attached to the absorbent layer 10. The adhesive 62 is attached to an outer surface of the toe cap 60. The disposable insole pad 100 may or may not include a removable skin adhesive 20 attached to the top surface 12 of the absorbent layer 10.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a disposable insole pad 100 which includes an absorbent layer 10, first and second side attachment parts 25, 26, and a heel attachment part 27. The first and second side attachment parts 25, 26 are extended from the absorbent layer 10 toward opposite sides of the absorbent layer 10 for being respectively attached to opposite sides of the user's foot. The heel attachment part 27 is extended from the absorbent layer for being attached to a heel of the user's foot.
The advantages of the present invention are: (1) the insole pad of the present invention is thin and disposable and can effectively absorb a large amount of liquid or sweat, and thus, it is sanitary and hygienic; (2) the insole pad of the present invention is thin and attachable to the bottom of the foot, and thus, it is well suited for the fashion trends of today where wearing footwear (e.g. high heel, boat shoes, walking shoes, and the like) barefoot or without socks is preferred at least without any outward appearance of socks; (3) antibacterial agents, antimicrobials, and/or deodorizers are added to the absorbent layer, and thus, the present invention prevents or reduce bacterial or microbial growth, which removes foul odor inside the footwear; (4) the size of the present invention can be adjusted by cutting toe or hill-end of the present invention; (5) the present invention is thin and foldable, and thus, not only making it easy to stack and transport but also reducing transportation costs; (6) first and second side attachments parts and the heel attachment part can effectively hold the present invention to the user's foot; (7) first and second side attachments parts and the heel attachment part can protect the user's foot from injury; (8) first and second side attachments parts and the heel attachment part are transparent and suitable for wearing shoes barefoot or without socks; and (9) the present invention has a simple but effective structure, which reduces manufacturing costs.
Although the present invention is briefly summarized, the fuller understanding of the invention can be obtained by the following drawings, detailed description and appended claims.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this disclosure. It is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the specific devices, methods, conditions or parameters described and/or shown herein, and that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments by way of example only and is not intended to be limiting of the claimed invention.
Also, as used in the specification including the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include the plural, and reference to a particular numerical value includes at least that particular value, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Ranges may be expressed herein as from “about” or “approximately” one particular value and/or to “about” or “approximately” another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another embodiment includes from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent “about”, it will be understood that the particular value forms another embodiment.
An insole or footbed refers to a top of the sole that is in contact with a foot. The insole can be a fixed inner sole of footwear or a removable sole worn in footwear. Accordingly, a shoe insole includes a removable sole, fixed sole, or just the part of a shoe which contacts and supports a foot.
Footwear means shoes which are outer coverings for the feet such as high heels, boat shoes, walking shoes, sandals, slippers, crocs, flip-flops, sneakers, sports shoes, gym shoes, walking shoes, shoes, crocs, boots, etc. Footwear further includes men, women or children's footwear such as heels, mules, clogs, crocs, flat shoes, loafers, boat shoes, golf shoes, trainers, walking shoes, ballet flats, lace ups, espadrilles, slip-ons, sneakers, flip-flops, sandals, boots, etc.
Preferably, the absorbent layer 10 is constructed to be very thin and flexible, but still have the capacity to absorb a large amount of liquid or sweat. The removable skin adhesive 20 is preferably a hypoallergenic medical grade tape. As in
The removable skin adhesive 20 is an adhesive which can be attached to skin and removed from skin without causing injury. Preferably, the skin adhesive 20 is a medical-grade adhesive such as skin tape, double sided tape for skin, etc. Since the disposable insole pad 100 utilizes the skin adhesive 20 intended to be attached to a foot, the disposable insole pad 100 is intended to be used for wearing shoes barefooted or without socks. Still, the skin adhesive 20 can be attached to a sock as well and the user can wear socks and shoes which using the disposable insole pad 100. Accordingly, the insole pad 100 can be used for a variety of fits and styles notwithstanding the current fashion trends.
Preferably, the anti-slip member 40 is flexible and made of silicon rubber which prevents slippage of the disposable insole pad 100 especially when pressed by the user's foot. The anti-slip member 40 may be made of any other flexible material as long as it prevents slippage of the disposable insole pad 100. In one embodiment, the anti-slip member 40 may include a plurality of silicone rubber strips that extend from the user's toe to the heel as shown in
The disposable insole pad 100 of the present invention may further include a second release liner 50 for covering the anti-slip member 40. The second release liner 50 may include dotted cutting lines 52 to indicate different sizes of the disposable insole pad 100. The user can cut the disposable insole pad 100 by selecting one of the dotted cutting lines 52 for an intended size and cutting along the line 52 using a cutter, scissors, razor blade, or the like. The dotted cutting lines 52 may be formed on the toe side or heel side of the disposable insole pad 100. Instead of dotted lines, solid lines may be used, and sizes may be printed on the release liner 50 right next to each line 52 to indicate the intended size represented by each line 52.
The absorbent layer 10 is preferably made of cotton gauze, TCF (Totally Chlorine Free) pulp, pressed cotton pulp, plant based pulp, or cellulose pulp. Antibacterial agents and/or deodorizers may be added to the absorbent layer 10 to prevent bacterial or microbial growth and/or to eliminate or reduce offensive odor or smell. Examples of such antibacterial agents or deodorizers include plant extracts such as Curcuma longa, cinnamon, green tea, persimmon, etc. Charcoal may be used as an antibacterial agent or deodorizer. Antibacterial agents and/or deodorizers may be added to the absorbent layer 10 in the form of liquid or powder, or the absorbent layer 10 may be coated with a layer of antibacterial agents and/or deodorizers.
In one embodiment, the absorbent layer 10 may be made of a superabsorbent polymer. A superabsorbent polymer is a water-absorbing polymer that can absorb and retain extremely large amounts of liquid while not adding excessive bulk or thickness to the absorbent layer 10.
In one embodiment, the absorbent layer 10 may include multiple layers, having at least a top layer and a bottom layer (not shown). The top layer may be made of cotton gauze sheet, pure cotton cover, terry cotton, ribbed cotton, or synthetic fiber sheet, and the bottom layer may be made of cotton gauze, TCF (Totally Chlorine Free) pulp, pressed cotton pulp, cellulose pulp, plant based pulp, or superabsorbent polymer. The top layer is in contact with a foot and constructed to transfer user's sweat to the bottom layer.
The disposable insole pad 100 as shown in
The disposable insole pad 100 is constructed to be flexible and can be folded along about the dotted lines 72 indicated in
The first release liner 30 may be made of film or paper to prevent the removable skin adhesive 20 from adhering prematurely to an unintended object. The second release liner 50 may made of film or paper as well to prevent the anti-slip member 40 from being less functional. The release liners 30, 50 may be made of polypropylene, cotton pulp paper, etc. Adhesive bond strength between the removable skin adhesive 20 and the absorbent layer 10 is stronger than adhesive bond strength between the removable skin adhesive 20 and the first release liner 30.
The disposable insole pad 100 may or may not include a removable skin adhesive 20 attached to the top surface 12 of the absorbent layer 10. If the removable skin adhesive is provided, then, the disposable insole pad 100 further includes a release liner 30 for covering the removable adhesive 20.
The anti-slip member 40 may include a plurality of silicon rubber strips that are substantially extended from a toe to a heel of the user. The width of each strip is about 3-5 mm. Alternatively, the anti-slip member 40 may be formed into a layer as shown in
The absorbent layer 10 may be made of cotton gauze, TCF (Totally Chlorine Free) pulp, pressed cotton pulp, cellulose pulp, or plant based pulps. Antibacterial agents and/or deodorizers may be added while making the absorbent layer 10, or the absorbent layer 10 may be coated with antibacterial agents and/or deodorizers.
The absorbent layer 10 may comprise at least two layers of a top layer and a bottom layer. The top layer may be made of cotton gauze sheet, pure cotton cover, terry cotton, ribbed cotton, or synthetic fiber sheet. The bottom layer may be made of cotton gauze, TCF (Totally Chlorine Free) pulp, pressed cotton pulp, cellulose pulp, plant based pulp, or superabsorbent polymer.
Additionally, dotted cutting lines 52 may be formed on the release liner 50 on the heel side or toe side of the disposable insole pad 100. Because of the toe cap 60, it is preferably to form the dotted cutting lines 52 on the heel side.
In another embodiment, the disposable insole pad 100 may not have the foot contact layer 15, and it only includes an absorbent layer 10, an adhesive layer 80, and a release liner 90. The absorbent layer 10 may be made of ribbed cotton, terry cotton, pressed cotton pulp, plant based pulp, or TCF pulp.
The heel attachment part 27 is extended from the absorbent layer for being attached to a heel of the user's foot, and the removable skin adhesive is applied or attached to a top surface of the heel attachment part 27. The first and second side attachment parts 25, 26, and the heel attachment part 27 can effectively hold the disposable insole pad 100 to the user's foot. Additionally, the heel attachment part 27 can protect the upper heel of the user's foot which is vulnerable for injury.
A removable skin adhesive 20 may or may not be attached to the top surface 12 of the absorbent layer 10. Such removable skin adhesive 20 is to be removably attached to the bottom of the user's foot. Together with the first and second side attachment parts 25, 26, and the heel attachment part 27, the removable skin adhesive 20 can increase the bonding strength between the disposable insole pad 100 and the user's foot.
Preferably, the first and second side attachment parts 25, 26 are transparent, and the heel attachment part 27 is transparent as well to accommodate the fashion need of wearing shoes barefoot or without socks. The removable skin adhesive is transparent as well, and thus, the first and second side attachment parts 25, 26, and the heel attachment part 27 are not visible.
In alternative embodiment, the absorbent layer 10 may be further extended to cover a heel of the user's foot as shown in
Furthermore, the disposable insole pad 100 may further include the removable skin adhesive 20 attached to the top surface 12 of the absorbent layer 10 such that the removable skin adhesive 20 is to be removably attached to the bottom of the user's foot. The disposable insole pad 100 may include a first release liner 30 for covering the removable adhesive 20 and an anti-slip member 40 attached to the bottom surface 14 of the absorbent layer 10. The anti-slip member 40 is to be in contact with a shoe insole after the first release liner 30 is removed and the first and second side attachment parts 25, 26, the heel attachment part 27, and the removable skin adhesive 20 are attached to the user's foot. The disposable insole pad 100 may further include a second release liner 50 for covering the anti-slip member 40.
While the invention has been shown and described with reference to different embodiments thereof, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that variations in form, detail, compositions and operation may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by accompanying claims.
