Mesh Foot Printer

Abstract

This invention provides a foot printer that uses the pressure applied by the soles of the feet to print the shape of the soles onto a recording medium via a mesh-like material. [Solution] This mesh foot printer comprises a mesh member 2 placed on a support base 1 on which the sole of the foot rests, a transfer medium 3 placed below the mesh member 3 which consists of paper having a carbon-containing layer, a sheet having a carbon-containing layer, or a film having a carbon-containing layer, and a recording medium 4 which consists of paper, a sheet, a film, or paper coated with a peelable adhesive, or a sheet coated with a peelable adhesive, or a film coated with a peelable adhesive, and is placed on top of the transfer medium. When a subject places their foot on the support base, the pressure from the sole of the foot is transmitted to the transfer medium via the mesh member, a coloring agent containing carbon is transferred to the recording medium, and the pressure distribution on the sole of the foot is printed as shades of gray, allowing for a simple and low-cost evaluation of the condition of the sole of the foot. It is useful for measuring sole balance in the medical and sports fields and can also be applied to shoe fitting tests and toy use. Conventional sensor-type and ink transfer-type methods for measuring sole pressure have the problem of being structurally complex and high-cost, so there has been a need for a device that can record the pressure distribution on the sole of the foot with a simple structure and low cost, and that allows for visual understanding of the strength of the pressure.