Removable Insole Orthosis for Adjustable Foot Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of orthotics with a foot part and lower leg part is complex, particularly in adapting the sole shape, which often requires extensive effort and cannot be easily changed post-production, necessitating frequent readjustments due to factors like growth in children.
Innovation Solution
An orthotic design featuring a removable insole within an outer shell, where the insole is machined to form the negative shape of the foot and used as a separate element for producing the orthotic, allowing for easy adjustment and hygiene benefits, with materials like cork and polyethylene providing thermal stability and comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the orthosis is produced using conventional methods with integrated sole, then the production process is complex and the sole shape cannot be easily changed, but the structural integrity is maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The orthosis is divided into separate components: an outer shell and a removable insole. The insole is produced separately using a sole print as a mould core, then inserted into the outer shell. This segmentation allows the insole to be easily removed and replaced for adjustments without affecting the outer shell, thereby simplifying the adjustment process while maintaining the overall structural integrity of the orthosis.
2Ease of operation
If the sole shape is adapted precisely to the foot shape, then the comfort of the user is improved, but the production process becomes more complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
A sole print of the patient's foot is created in advance and used as a mould core for producing the insole. This preliminary action captures the exact foot shape, allowing the insole to be precisely adapted to the patient's foot anatomy. The insole is then produced separately and inserted into the outer shell, enabling precise adaptation without significantly extending the overall production time.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the insole is made as a separate removable element, then the adjustment and hygiene are improved, but the structural stability may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The insole is nested within the outer shell of the orthosis. The insole is inserted into a receptacle or cavity in the outer shell, creating a nested structure where the inner component (insole) is housed within the outer component (shell). This nesting arrangement allows the insole to be removable for adjustments and cleaning while maintaining the structural stability of the overall orthosis when the insole is in place.
Data Source
AI summary
An orthesis with a foot part and a lower leg part connected with the foot part is characterized in that the foot part comprises an outer shell connected with the lower leg part and an insole arranged inside the outer shell and forming a negative shape of a foot sole; a method for producing such an orthesis includes generating a sole print of patient foot producing an insole matching the sole print; generating a negative shape forming the foot including the insole and lower leg section to be enclosed by the orthesis; generating a positive shape of the foot and lower leg section to be enclosed by the orthesis by filling the negative shape; generating the lower leg part and the outer shell, using the positive shape and the insole as a mould core; and inserting the insole into the outer shell of the foot part.