Retrofit insole with embedded vibrating elements

Abstract

Retrofit insole comprising: - a flat body designed to be inserted into and removed from a user's shoe, comprising an substantially foot-shaped outer contour, the flat body being of a cuttable material allowing the outer contour to be cut to a desired size; - a plurality of vibrating elements partially or completely embedded in the flat body; - a power source partially or completely embedded in the flat body and electrically connected to each of the plurality of vibrating elements;and a control unit that is partially or fully embedded in the flat body and configured to selectively control a vibration of the plurality of vibrating elements, wherein the insole further comprises a switch configured to selectively open and close an electrical connection between a power source and the plurality of vibrating elements, wherein the switch is connected to the insole by means of a wire having a length sufficient to allow the switch to be located outside the user's shoe when the insole is located inside the shoe, wherein the control unit is configured to control the opening and closing of the switch.

Description

The present disclosure relates to an insole that can be inserted into a user's shoe. Insoles, also known as shoe inserts or insoles, are designed to be removable and placed inside a user's shoe to increase daily wearing comfort, increase a user's height, and / or treat conditions such as poor blood circulation in the user's feet, which may be a consequence of diabetes. Document KR10 2014 0 002 316A concerns a planar element with a vibration function, an insole that uses the same function, and shoes equipped with the insole. More specifically, it concerns a planar element with a vibration function, an insole that uses the same function, and shoes equipped with the insole, designed to enhance the vibration effects by effectively transferring the vibration of a vibration motor to a target object; and to maximize the acupressure and massage effects by effectively applying the vibration to a part of a user's body without reducing the vibration of the vibration motor. Document CN 1 02 361 565 A discloses an insole designed to be removable and inserted into a shoe. This insole comprises a long, thin body and a vibration device embedded within this body, which includes an electric battery, a control system, and a vibration generator. Document KR 20 0 285 504 Y1 refers to a shoe insole with a built-in vibration device and more specifically to a shoe insole with an integrated vibration device in which a vibration motor with an eccentric cam, an operating switch and a battery is inserted into the shoe insole to form a shoe insole that can be used for various types of footwear such as shoes, slippers and sports shoes. The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide an insole that is improved over the prior art. This objective is achieved through independent claim 1. Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims. The present invention relates to a retrofit insole comprising a flat body designed to be inserted into a user's shoe and an essentially foot-shaped outer contour, a plurality of vibrating elements partially or completely embedded in the flat body, a power source partially or completely embedded in the flat body and electrically connected to each of the plurality of vibrating elements, and a controller partially or completely embedded in the flat body and configured to selectively control the vibration of the plurality of vibrating elements. The flat body is made of a cuttable material, allowing the outer contour to be cut to a desired size. The insole described above, as disclosed herein, selectively stimulates a user's feet by selectively controlling each of the vibrating elements, thereby improving user comfort and blood circulation in the feet. According to various embodiments of the insole disclosed herein, the control system is configured to selectively control the elements in a predefined sequence or depending on sensor values ​​from one or more sensors. The insole, with all its integrated electrical components embedded in its flat body, can be inserted into and removed from a shoe. These electrical components include at least the numerous vibrating elements, the power source, and the control unit. Furthermore, its size can be adjusted to fit a specific shoe by trimming the flat body to the desired dimensions. In this context, “partially embedded” can refer to the fact that the electrical element is directly accessible from an outside of the insole, e.g., exposed on an outer surface of the insole, while “fully embedded” can refer to the fact that the electrical element is only accessible after removing an outer covering, e.g., a material layer of the flat body. In a preferred embodiment of the insole according to the present disclosure, the plurality of vibrating elements comprises one or more first vibrating elements arranged in a first section of the planar body, wherein the first section is designed to touch a forefoot portion of a user's foot, and one or more second vibrating elements arranged in a second section of the planar body, wherein the second section is designed to touch a heel portion of the user's foot, wherein the control is configured to control one or more first vibrating elements independently of the one or more second vibrating elements. In a further preferred embodiment of the insole according to the present disclosure, the control system is configured to selectively control a vibration of at least one vibrating element from the plurality of vibrating elements independently of at least one other vibrating element from the plurality of vibrating elements. In a further preferred embodiment of the insole according to the present disclosure, the control system is configured to control a vibration of each of the plurality of vibrating elements in a defined sequence. In a further preferred embodiment of the insole according to the present disclosure, the control unit comprises a wireless communication module configured to establish wireless communication with at least one external user device. In a further preferred embodiment of the insole according to the present disclosure, the insole further comprises at least one sensor which is configured to detect at least one of a pressure exerted on the flat body and a movement of the flat body, wherein the control is configured to selectively control the plurality of vibrating elements on the basis of at least the pressure detected by the at least one sensor. The insole according to the present disclosure further comprises a switch configured to selectively open and close an electrical connection between a power source and the plurality of vibrating elements. The power source can be provided in the form of a removable battery. When the battery needs to be replaced, the insole can be easily removed from the shoe. In the insole according to the present disclosure, the switch is connected to the insole by means of a wire which has a length sufficient to allow the switch to be located outside the user's shoe when the insole is located inside the shoe. The control system is designed to selectively control the opening and closing of the switch. In a further preferred embodiment of the insole according to the present disclosure, the flat body consists of a cuttable material that allows the outer contour to be cut to a desired size. In a further preferred embodiment of the insole according to the present disclosure, the flat body comprises air-permeable perforations designed to dissipate at least heat generated by the plurality of vibrating elements. The insole is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings, where Fig. 1, Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 show an external appearance of a retrofit insole according to the present invention; and Fig. 4 shows the insole of Fig. 1, Fig. 2 to Fig. 3 in a sectional view, with the various components of the insole shown schematically. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, an insole 1 comprises a flat body with an essentially foot-shaped outer contour 4. The flat body 3 is designed to be placed inside a user's shoe (not shown), where it can contact the user's foot while the shoe is worn. As shown in Figure 3, the flat body 3 may include a padded heel section 2 to provide additional support on a side opposite the side that contacts the user's foot. The flat body 3 preferably consists of a material that is hypoallergenic and antibacterial, thus helping to prevent odor. Furthermore, the material of the flat body 3 exhibits a certain degree of flexibility and / or elasticity to provide comfort and cushion impacts that occur during walking. Preferably, the material of the flat body 3 is a cuttable material that can be cut to a desired size such that the outer contour 4 of the flat body 3 corresponds to a user's shoe size. Examples of materials from which the flat body 3 may be made include shape-memory foam or ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) foam. As shown in Fig. 4, the flat body 3 comprises a plurality of vibrating elements 5. Each of the vibrating elements 5 can be attached to the flat body 3, preferably on the side of the flat body 3 that contacts the user's foot. The vibrating elements 5 are partially or completely embedded in the flat body 3. Each of the multiple vibrating elements 5 is electrically connected to a power source 7, which is configured to supply current to the vibrating elements 5. An electrical connection between the power source 7 and each of the vibrating elements 5 can be formed by one or more conductive wires (not shown). The power source 7 is partially or completely embedded in the flat body 3 of the insole 1. During use, each of the vibrating elements 5 transmits a mechanical vibration to the user's foot. This mechanical vibration creates a massage-like effect on the user's foot, increasing comfort, providing pain relief, and stimulating blood flow through the user's foot. The vibrating elements 5 are preferably arranged in a section of the flat body 3 that corresponds to parts of the user's foot that are subject to relatively high loads. In particular, the forefoot and heel of a user's foot experience a load during walking that is relatively high compared to the loads experienced by other parts of the foot. The flat body 3 therefore comprises a first section 11, which is indicated by the circle with a dashed line in the upper part of Fig. 4. The first section 11 is designed to contact the forefoot part of the user's foot and comprises one or more first vibrating elements 5 from the plurality of vibrating elements 5. Furthermore, the flat body 3 comprises a second section 13, which is indicated by the circle with a dashed line in the lower part of Fig. 4. The second section 13 is designed to contact the heel part of the user's foot, and one or more second vibrating elements 5 are arranged in this second section 13 of the flat body 3. The control unit 9 can be configured to control one or more first vibrating elements 5 located in the first section 11 independently of one or more second vibrating elements 5 located in the second section 13. For example, the control unit 9 can alternately control the first vibrating elements 5 in the first section 11 and the second vibrating elements 5 in the second section 13, thereby further increasing user comfort and blood circulation in the user's foot. The control unit 9 is partially or completely embedded in the flat body 3 of the insole 1. The control unit 9 can furthermore be configured to selectively control the vibration of at least one vibrating element 5 from the plurality of vibrating elements 5 independently of at least one other vibrating element 5 from the plurality of vibrating elements 5. According to more preferred embodiments of the insole, the control unit is configured to selectively control each vibrating element 5 independently of all other vibrating elements 5 of the plurality of vibrating elements 5. According to such embodiments of the insole 1, the controller 9 is configured to control the vibration of each of the plurality of vibrating elements 5 in a defined sequence. The sequence in which each of the vibrating elements 5 is controlled to vibrate can be selected to further enhance user comfort and stimulate blood flow. There can be one or more sequences for the selective control of the plurality of vibrating elements 5. These sequences can be selected by the user of the insole 1 and, for example, stored in a memory contained within the controller 9. The control unit 9 can also include a wireless communication module configured to establish wireless communication with at least one external user device. This external user device could be, for example, a smartphone or tablet running an application that controls the operation of the insole 1. According to such embodiments of the insole 1, in which the controller 9 comprises the wireless communication module, the operation of the controller 9, as disclosed herein, can be completely controlled by this application. For example, the user can select or specify a sequence in which the vibrating elements 5 are controlled, or select a vibration intensity with which the plurality of vibrating elements 5 are controlled. The wireless communication module can be a Bluetooth or Zigbee-based wireless communication module, although the present disclosure is not limited to either of these wireless communication protocols and alternative protocols can also be used. According to other embodiments of the insole 1, the control 9 can be configured to control a vibration intensity of each of the plurality of vibrating elements 5. The insole 1 can further comprise at least one sensor 15. According to certain embodiments of the insole 1, the at least one sensor 15 can be a pressure sensor 15 configured to detect pressure exerted on the flat body 3. A plurality of pressure sensors 15 can be provided at various locations on the flat body 3 near the vibrating elements 5. In these embodiments, the control unit 9 is configured to selectively control the plurality of vibrating elements 5 based on at least one pressure detected by the at least one pressure sensor 15. The controller 9 can control one or more of the vibrating elements 5 so that they vibrate when pressure is detected by the pressure sensor 15. Alternatively, the controller 9 can control one or more of the vibrating elements 5 so that they vibrate when no pressure is detected by the pressure sensor 15. Therefore, the controller 9 can control each of the vibrating elements 5 in accordance with a phase of the user's gait. For example, the controller 9 can be configured to control the multiple vibrating elements 5 only when a pressure sensor 15 detects pressure indicating that the user's foot is currently in contact with the ground. Alternatively, the controller 9 can be configured to control the multiple vibrating elements 5 only when a pressure sensor 15 detects pressure indicating that the user's foot is currently not in contact with the ground. According to further embodiments of the insole 1, the sensor 15 can be a motion sensor 15 configured to detect movement of the flat body 3, wherein the controller 9 is configured to control the plurality of vibrating elements 5 based on the detected movement of the flat body 3. According to certain embodiments of the insole 1, the controller can be configured to control the plurality of vibrating elements 5 when, based on a movement of the insole 1 detected by the motion sensor, it is determined that the user is moving their feet. The motion sensor 15 can be any sensor known in the prior art that can detect movement. According to certain embodiments, the motion sensor 15 can be a location sensor such as a GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, or Galileo sensor. Such sensors are equally suitable for detecting movement of the insole 1; they are primarily configured to determine the actual location of the insole 1. In such embodiments of the insole 1, the controller 9 can be configured to control the plurality of vibrating elements 5 depending on this actual location of the insole 1. For example, the controller 9 can control the plurality of vibrating elements 5 only if it is determined that the insole 1 is located within one or more predefined geographical areas.Geographic areas in which the controller 9 controls the multitude of vibrating elements 5 can be defined by a user, for example using the application discussed above, which runs on an external user device. Still referring to Fig. 1, the insole 1 further comprises a switch 17 configured to selectively open and close an electrical connection between the power source 7 and the plurality of vibrating elements 5. The switch 17 can be connected to (other components) of the insole 1 by means of one or more wires 19 of sufficient length to allow the switch 17 to be located outside the user's shoe when the insole is in the shoe. In these embodiments, the user can easily operate the switch 17 to open or close the electrical connection without having to remove the shoe and / or the insole 1 from it. Alternatively, the controller 9 can be configured to control the opening and closing of the switch in conjunction with the communication module described above and the application running on the external user device. In these embodiments, the user can activate or deactivate the vibration function of the insole 1 by interacting with this application. The insole 1 further comprises one or more air-permeable perforations 21, which are preferably arranged near one of the electrical components of the insole 1. The air-permeable perforations 21 are designed to dissipate at least the heat generated by at least one of the plurality of vibrating elements 5, the power source 7, the control unit 9, or the one or more sensors 15. A further advantage of the air-permeable perforations 21 is that they also dissipate heat and moisture originating from the user's foot, thereby further increasing comfort and reducing the occurrence of odors. The person skilled in the art recognizes that numerous adjustments and modifications can be made to the insole 1 without deviating from the basic principles of the present invention as defined in the claims. The scope of protection sought is therefore not limited to one or more of the embodiments of the present invention disclosed above, but is defined exclusively by the features specified in the appended claims and, at least in certain jurisdictions, their equivalents.

Claims

Retrofit insole comprising: - a flat body designed to be inserted into and removed from a user's shoe, comprising an substantially foot-shaped outer contour, the flat body being of a cuttable material allowing the outer contour to be cut to a desired size; - a plurality of vibrating elements partially or completely embedded in the flat body; - a power source partially or completely embedded in the flat body and electrically connected to each of the plurality of vibrating elements;and a control unit that is partially or fully embedded in the flat body and configured to selectively control a vibration of the plurality of vibrating elements, wherein the insole further comprises a switch configured to selectively open and close an electrical connection between a power source and the plurality of vibrating elements, wherein the switch is connected to the insole by means of a wire having a length sufficient to allow the switch to be located outside the user's shoe when the insole is located inside the shoe, wherein the control unit is configured to control the opening and closing of the switch. Insole according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of vibrating elements comprises: - one or more first vibrating elements arranged in a first section of the planar body, the first section being designed to touch a forefoot portion of a user's foot; and - one or more second vibrating elements arranged in a second section of the planar body, the second section being designed to touch a heel portion of the user's foot; and wherein the control is configured to control the one or more first vibrating elements independently of the one or more second vibrating elements. Insole according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control is configured to selectively control a vibration of at least one vibrating element from the plurality of vibrating elements independently of at least one other vibrating element from the plurality of vibrating elements. Insole according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the control is configured to control a vibration of each of the plurality of vibrating elements in a defined sequence. Insole according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit comprises a wireless communication module configured to establish wireless communication with at least one external user device. Insole according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one sensor configured to detect at least one of the following: - pressure exerted on the flat body; and - movement of the flat body, wherein the control system is configured to selectively control the plurality of vibrating elements on the basis of at least the pressure detected by the at least one sensor. Insole according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the flat body comprises air-permeable perforations designed to dissipate at least heat generated by at least one of the plurality of vibrating elements, the power source and the control system.

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