US 12,324,486 B2
Insole apparatus and method of manufacture thereof
Ezio Margiotta, Letterkenny (IE); and Siimon Skirrow, Letterkenny (IE)
Assigned to TYFO SPORTS LIMITED, Letterkenny (IE)
Appl. No. 17/310,177
Filed by TYFO SPORTS LIMITED, Letterkenny (IE)
PCT Filed Jan. 24, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/051719
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jul. 23, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/152313, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 30, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 1900971 (GB), filed on Jan. 24, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0117353 A1, Apr. 21, 2022
Int. Cl. A43B 7/1425 (2022.01); A43B 7/144 (2022.01); A43B 7/1445 (2022.01); A43B 17/00 (2006.01)
CPC A43B 7/1425 (2013.01) [A43B 7/144 (2013.01); A43B 7/1445 (2013.01); A43B 17/00 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An insole apparatus for use with an item of footwear, said insole apparatus including:
an upper face and an opposing lower face, said upper face arranged to interface with a sole of a user's foot when in use;
wherein at least two or more regions of an upper surface of the upper face comprise at least one or more raised portions, said at least one or more regions of the upper surface are positioned to target and interface with at least two regions of cutaneous mechanoreceptors in the user's foot when in use,
wherein said at least one or more raised portions of the insole apparatus includes a first raised dome having a maximum height at an apex of between 8 to 30 mm relative to a remainder of the upper face in the region of the upper face which targets a central forefoot of a user when in use, and a second raised dome having a maximum height at an apex of between 12 to 40 mm relative to a remainder of the upper face in the region of the upper face which targets a medial midfoot region of the user when in use,
and a plurality of further raised portions which are located on the upper face of said insole apparatus configured to target any one or any combination of:
medially at a base of the first metatarsal phalangeal joint;
a base of a first interphalangeal joint closest to a midline and extending to a base of a second metatarsal phalangeal joint;
a proximal base fifth metatarsal phalangeal joint;
a central heel pad at a midline maximally posterior;
at a heel pad at 50% of a heel length maximally laterally;
a midline proximal limit of the heel pad; and
medially on a medial midfoot portion; and wherein
one or more of a raised side and/or a rear portion located at or along the periphery of the insole apparatus is configured to enable a user's foot to be located on the upper face of the insole apparatus relative to the raised portions when in use;
a plurality of smaller dimples or formations located across a remaining surface of the insole, and said plurality of smaller dimples or formations are designed to have a height which is less than the maximum height at the apices of the first and second domes of the at least one or more raised portions;
wherein a location and size of a distribution of the at least one or more raised portions versus the plurality of smaller dimples or formations is configured to target at least a combination of two or more fast adapting (FAI, FAII) and slow adapting (SAI, SAII) cutaneous mechanoreceptors in a user's foot in a non-uniform manner when in use; and
wherein the upper face of the insole includes a further surface layer that is textured or tactile to improve grip on the surface of the insole.