Contoured insole construction and method of manufacturing same

Abstract

A footwear construction apparatus and method includes a driving mechanism for moving a sheet of continuous material along a cutting path by a pair of closely spaced apart form factor rollers and then using them to simultaneously deform the sheet of continuous material and to guide a flexible continuous knife belt disposed within the cutting path into cutting engagement with the sheet along a desired contour formed by the pair of rollers to separate a contoured single piece footwear construction from the sheet of continuous material.

1 . An insole construction apparatus, comprising: 
 a sheet driving mechanism including a positive form factor drive roller and a negative form factor drive roller for continuously engaging a sheet of material to transport it along a cutting path;    a belt driving mechanism for causing a flexible knife belt to be driven continuously along a sheet engaging path; and    wherein at least one of said positive form factor drive roller and said negative form factor drive roller include at least one contoured form member for simultaneously deforming said sheet of material and guiding said flexible knife belt into cutting engagement with the deformed sheet of material to form a single-piece contoured footwear construction.    
   
   
       2 . The insole construction apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said single-piece contoured footwear construction is a contoured insole.  
   
   
       3 . The insole construction apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein said contoured insole includes a raised outer lip perimeter region and a lowered foot-receiving base bounded by said raised outer lip perimeter region.  
   
   
       4 . The insole construction apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein said single-piece contoured insole includes a raised foot receiving base bounded by a lowered outer lip perimeter region.  
   
   
       5 . A method of construction, comprising: 
 driving a sheet of continuous material along a sheet-cutting path;    driving a continuous flexible knife belt along another sheet-cutting path; and    simultaneously engaging said sheet of continuous material and said flexible knife belt to deform a portion of said sheet into a desired contour and to flex said flexible knife belt into cutting engagement with the deformed portion of said sheet to separate it from said continuous sheet.    
   
   
       6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the separated portion of said continuous sheet is a contoured single piece footwear construction.  
   
   
       7 . The method of construction according to  claim 6 , wherein said contoured single-piece footwear construction is a contoured single piece insole.  
   
   
       8 . The method of construction according to  claim 6 , wherein said contoured single-piece insole includes a raised outer lip perimeter region and a lowered foot-receiving base region bounded by said raised outer lip perimeter region.  
   
   
       9 . The method of construction according to  claim 6 , wherein said contoured single-piece insole includes a raised foot receiving base region bounded by a lowered outer lip perimeter region.  
   
   
       10 . A method of construction, comprising: 
 providing a sheet holding tray, said sheet holding tray having a form factor cutout on one of its sides and a deforming member cutout on the other one of its sides, wherein said sheet holding tray includes a deforming member disposed at about said deforming member cutout;    providing a pair of closely spaced apart rollers;    providing a material cutting knife at about an exit nip of said closely spaced apart rollers;    providing a blank form sheet of material, said sheet being a single piece construction with a uniform in thickness throughout and having an insole shape;    placing said blank form sheet in said form factor cutout supported from below by said deforming member;    placing said sheet holding tray into an entrance nip between said pair of rollers to allow said rollers to engage said sheet holding tray and transport it toward said material cutting knife;    deforming said blank form sheet with said deforming member to form an obverse desired contour in said sheet as it passes between said rollers;    making a continuous cut in said sheet along said obverse desired contour as it passes from between said rollers into said cutting blade to form a contoured single-piece footwear construction.    
   
   
       11 . The method of construction according to  claim 10 , wherein said contoured single-piece footwear construction is a contoured single piece insole.  
   
   
       12 . The method of construction according to  claim 11 , wherein said contoured single-piece insole includes a raised outer lip perimeter region and a lowered foot-receiving base region bounded by said raised outer lip perimeter region.  
   
   
       13 . The method of construction according to  claim 11 , wherein said contoured single-piece insole includes a raised foot receiving base bounded by a lowered outer lip perimeter region.  
   
   
       14 . A method of construction, comprising: 
 moving a sheet of continuous material along a cutting path by a pair of closely spaced apart form factor rollers;    using said pair of form factor rollers to simultaneously deform said sheet of continuous material and to guide a flexible continuous knife belt into cutting engagement with said sheet along a desired contour formed by said pair of form factor rollers to separate a contoured single piece footwear construction from sheet of continuous material.    
   
   
       15 . The method of construction according to  claim 14 , wherein said contoured single-piece footwear construction is a contoured single piece insole.  
   
   
       16 . The method of construction according to  claim 15 , wherein said contoured single-piece insole includes a raised outer lip perimeter region and a lowered foot-receiving base region bounded by said raised outer lip perimeter region.  
   
   
       17 . The method of construction according to  claim 15 , wherein said contoured single-piece insole includes a raised foot receiving base region bounded by a lowered outer lip perimeter region.  
   
   
       18 . The method of construction according to  claim 16 , wherein said flexible continuous belt knife travels along another cutting path; and 
 wherein said cutting path and said another cutting path intersect one another at about an angle of E degrees.    
   
   
       19 . The method of construction according to  claim 18 , wherein θ is between about 30 degrees and 90 degrees.  
   
   
       20 . The method of construction according to  claim 19 , wherein a more preferred θ is between about 45 degrees and 90 degrees.  
   
   
       21 . The method of construction according to  claim 20 , wherein a most preferred θ is about 90 degrees.  
   
   
       22 . A insole product formed by a process according to  claim 15.