Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1247-8
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Orthopedic Support
The invention relates to an orthopedic support with an
even underside and a top side that is finished to as to
form a foot bed or a heel bed having at least one pad-
ding-like region within the area of pressure-sensitive
points of the foot, more especially of the caLcaneal
spur, in which case the support and the padding-like
region are comprised of a plastic, more particularly,
a silicone rubber.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
From the DE-GM 87 OO 689, an orthopedic support or foot
bedding is known which possesses a substantially even
underside adapted to an inner shoe and a top side fi-
nished so as to form a foot bed within the region of
the pressure-sensitive points of the foot, in which,
into a basic material of low elasticity, pads of sili-
cone rubber are inserted or placed underneath or put
upon the basic material. With such a support, especially
when large-surface paddings are involved, it is suppo-
sed to be possible to achieve improved wearing proper-
ties which, in the case of pressure-sensitive changes
or diseases of the foot, bring about a substantial
palliation of the paon by virtue of the specific proper-
ties of the silicone rubber. Due to the circumstance
that the padding material employed possesses an enhan-
ced wearing behavior on account of high elastic recovery
forces and good impact shock absorption, this orthopedic
support can be employed as a supporting or correcting
aid in acquired or congenital malformations of the foot
and wherever a pain alleviation and a good pressure dis-
tribution, e.g. in inflammatory diseases of the foot,
are desired.
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The fabrication of heel pads from silicone rubber is
known from "Orthop3dietachnik", 11/87, Pages 654 through
655. Such a heel pad serves to care for the rear of
the foot within the calcaneal area and, in particular,
where a shock absorption is desired within the calca-
neal area or in the case of a plantar calcaneal spur.
In this connection, the qualities of the silicone rub-
ber are utilized which makesa uniform pressure distribu-
tion possible, intercepts impact shock loads and thus
possesses substantial cushioning properties.
The DE-GM 78 34 409 describes a foot bed, more esp~ci-
ally an insole for the orthopedic therapy of foot troub-
les with a support that is adapted to the anatomical con-
ditions of the foot, in which case a padding layer of an
elastic material is disposed on the support. This pad-
ding layer is comprised of a silicone rubber. Such a
silicone rubber padding layer adapts optimally to the
anatomical conditions of the foot, in which case virtu-
ally at all points of the foot the same specific surface
pressure results. A padding layer of a silicone rubber
has to possess a high degree of resilience or springi-
ness, which can be put down to the fact that the sili-
cone rubber, when subjected to a load, yields vertically
laterally to the layer and thereby, within adjacent
areas, undergoes an increase in volume, which has a sup-
porting effect within this area. When walking, it is in-
tended to thereby achieve a constant light massage of
the foot surfaceaiding the blood circulation of the
foot. By birtue of its elastic properties, the silicone
rubber intercepts impacts and shocks, whereby the strain
on the foot, the knee, the hip joint and even on the
spinal column is reduced. However, this lateral displa-
cement of the material occurring when the padding layer
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of silicone rubber is subjected to a load is possible
only if the padding layer is disposed on a suppor-
ting means.
From the DE-GM 88 00 116, a heel pad of silicone rubber
with a heel bedding and, possibly, a shell following
marginally thereon is known, in which case the heel bed
possesses a region of silicone rubber which is standar-
dized so as to be softer. This region which is inten-
ded to be a padding of a silicone rubber padding which
is standardized to be softer is embedded in the silicone
rubber standardized so as to be harder of the heel pad.
In this heel pad and in all cases where the padding is
comprised of a silicone rubber which, in comparison
with the material of the insole or of the heel pad, is
standardized so as to be softer, the disadvantage of
a formation of material accumulation within the marginal
area of the padding when the padding is subjected to a
load or acted upon by a pressure results, in the way in
which the same corresponds to the pressure exerted by
the calcalean spur upon the padding. By the action of
the pressure, the padding material endeavors to get out
of the way laterally and since the lateral material dis-
placements cannot be taken up or absorbed by the mate-
rial of the insole or of the foot bed because their
material, in comparison with the material of the pad-
ding, is standardized to as to be harder, thus to pos-
sess a higher Shore hardness, this results in material
accumulations occurring within the marginal padding
area in the form of bead-like elevated portions or wave-
like formations which do not contribute to a pressure
relief of the foot, but exert a pressure on the sole of
the foot, the calcalean spur or the heel of the foot,
whereby the actual desired orthopedic effect is impai-
red and, consequently, pains do develop.
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In contrast to that it is the technical problem of the
present invention to provide an orthopedic support ac-
cording to the type described in the beginning, in which
not merely the occurrence of unwelcome high pressure
loads is avoided, but also the material displacements
giving rise to pains within the area of a pressure ef-
fect are prevented. The material displacement or mate-
rial compression occurring due to an acting load or
pressure within the area acted upon by pressure are in-
tended to be taken up by the adjacent material and ab-
sorbed in the support or by the foot bed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This technical problem is resolved in such an orthopedic
support by means of the features stated in Claim 1.
By means of the construction according to the invention
of the orthopedic support with a padding like region,
whose underside facing away from the sole of the foot
is provided with a concave recess, strains imposed on
muscles, tendons and joins caused by movement are ab-
sorbed, whereby a premature wear is prevented and
painful conditions are palliated. The entire support
is comprised of a plastic, more particularly a sili-
cone rubber which distinguishes itself by a great
softness and a high degree of elasticity. The cushio-
ning of impact loads is effected by means of the special
underside construction of the padding-like region formed
in the support. A material displacement within the pad-
ding-like region which occurs when subjected to a load
or when a pressure is applied is absorbed by the conca-
ve recess on the underside of the padding-like region
so that no material accumulations occur within the plan-
tar or calcaneal or calcaneal spur region when the pad-
ding-like region is subjected to a load or when a
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pressure is exerted upon the padding-like region. The
material of the padding-like region which is trying to
get away laterally is displaced into the concave recess
on the underside of the padding-like region.
With the support according to the invention, the loco-
motor system of the lower extremities is relieved by
the elastic absorption of hard impacts, particularly
with;n the area of the heel. The support, by virtue of
the construction of the specially designed padding-like
region, contributes toward a perceptible alleviation of
painful conditions. By means of the formation of the
padding-like region within the heel area or in a heel
bed, the calcanean spur is pressure-relieved at cer-
tain points within the critical region. An activation
of tired feet takes place especially where a calcanean
spur exists. Partial heel pressure is relieved immedia-
tely. The support itself can, for a relief of the heel
or of the calcanean spur, be provided with a padding-
like region formed within the heel area. The length of
the support may correspor,dto the length of the sole of
the foot, it is possible, however, for constructions
to be employed wherein the support covers two thirds of
the planta, but dimensions of the support are also pos-
sible when the same is to be employed exclusively as a
heel bed.
Advantageous constructions of the invention are charac-
terized in the subclaims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Embodiment exampLes of the invention are explained in
greater detail in the following with the aid of the
drawings.
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Thus
i 9. 1 shows in a diagrammatical view an orthopedic
support constructed in the form of a heel bed
with a formed padding-like region;
i 9. 2 shows a verticaL section in the direction of
Line II - II in Fig.1;
i 9. 3 shows in a diagrammatical view an orthopedic
support designed as a hee( bed with a padding-
like region constructed in the same;
i 9. 4 shows in a diagrammatical view an orthopedic
support designed in the form of a foot bed
with two padding-like regions constructed in
the same, and
i 9. 5 shows a vertical longitudinal section in the
direction of Line V - V in Fig.4.
ETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The orthopedic support 100 according to Figs. 1 and 5
is comprised of a plastic, more especially a silicone
rubber, in which case an addition cross-linked silicone
rubber is expediently used for the fabrication of the
support.
This support 100 is provided with an even underside 101
and a top side 102 finished so as to form a foot bed 110
(Fig.5) or a heel bed 10 (Figs. 1 and 4). The support
100, particularly within the heel area F, is advanta-
geously provided with a formed-on shell like rim 11
which, in the heel bed 10, extends up to the front edge
10a of the same and, in the foot bed 110, as far as
into the forward area of the support.
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In the support 100, at least one region 20 or 20' or 30,
within the area of pressure-sensitive points of the foot,
is constructed which, on the underside 101 of the support
100, is provided with a concave depression or recess 23,
which delimits and predetermines the region and which
is acted upon by pressure and which acts in the form of
a padding. The padding-like region 20,20' constructed
within the heel area F of the heel bed 10 or of the foot
bed 110 is disposed within the region of the calcanean
spur acting upon the padding-like region or the section
of the support 100. According to a further embodiment,
the foot bed 110 of the orthopedic support 100 within
the forward toe area or within the area of the ball of
the foot, possesses a further padding-like region 30 so
as to achieve a soft elastic or springably elastic cu-
shioning of the foot also within this padding-like re-
tion 30.
The padding-like region 20,20' or 30 is obtained in the
foot bed 110 or in the heel bed 10 by the formation of
the recess 23 on the underside 101 of the support 100.
The underside 101 of the support 100 is provided with
the concave recess 23 so that, between the support 100
and the surface area upon which the orthopedic support
100 rests, a hollow space is formed which serves for the
accommodation of material that tries to get away late-
rally when the padding-like region is subjected to a
load or when a pressure is exerted upon the same.
A soft-standardized plastic, more especially a silicone
rubber, is employed for the manufacture of the support
100 or of the heel bed 10 or of the foot bed 110, in
which case a silicone rubber is expediently used which
possesses a hardness of from 2 through 15 Shore.
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The padding-like region 20,20' for supporting the heel
and the calcanean spur possesses an oval or elliptical
configuration, in which case the recess 23 receives the
pertinent shape by means of which the padding-like re-
gion 20,20' is predetermined or preset for the support
of the calcanean spur. This padding-like region 20,Z0'
is constructed in the support 100 in such a way that,
when the support 100 is used, the padding-like region
comes to be located underneath the calcanean spur or
the same is supported on the padding-like region (Figs.
1 and 4). Also the padding-like region 30 within the
forward foot area of the orthopedic support 100 or of
the foot bed 110 possesses, according to Fig.5, a con-
figuration which corresponds to a circular surface pas-
sing into an ellipse. However, it is possible for the
padding-like regions 20,20' or 30 to also possess
other configurations.
The support 100 or the heel bed 10 or the foot bed 110
are comprised of a transparent or opaque springably
elastic silicone rubber. In the fabrication of the sup-
port 100, the support section, in which the padding-like
regions 20,20',30 are constructed, can be dyed. This
coloration of the padding has the advantage that, when
supports possessing different Shore hardnesses are em-
ployed, it will then be possible to immediately recog-
nize by the respective coloration whether a support 100
with a softer or harder standardized plastic is involved.
* * * * *
