Moldable thermoplastic inserts

Abstract

An apparatus for cushioning and protecting body parts of a human or animal is described. The apparatus includes a blend of dual durometer resilient flexible materials with a plurality of degrees of hardness to personalize the properties of comfort, proper fit, structure, and protection. The resilient flexible materials comprise thermoplastic, thermoset, casting, curing, epoxy, or resin materials, and a soft part is customizable.

1 . An apparatus for cushioning and protecting body parts of a human or animal comprising a blend of dual durometer resilient flexible materials with a plurality of degrees of hardness to personalize the properties of comfort, proper fit, structure, and protection;
 wherein said resilient flexible materials comprise thermoplastic, thermoset, casting, curing, epoxy, or resin materials; and   wherein a soft part is customizable.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said apparatus may comprise a shoe or shoe part; bicycle seats, knee braces, ankle braces, wrist braces, back braces, limb braces, sports helmets, shin guards, ski boots, ice skates, in-line skates, wheelchairs, and automobile seats, elbow, shin and knee guards, shoulder pads, arm and wrist pads, masks, and body molds and casts. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said apparatus comprises a shoe insole. 
     
     
         4 . The insole of  claim 1  wherein said arch and heel portion are molded from a unitary piece of a harder thermoplastic elastomer. 
     
     
         5 . The insole of  claim 1  wherein said thermoplastic elastomers are styrene block copolymer thermoplastic elastomers (SBCs), styrene diene copolymers (TPEs), unsaturated styrene butadiene styrenes (SEBSs), styrene ethyl-ethyl/propyl-styrenes (SEEPSs), ethylene octane copolymer (EOCs) and olefin block copolymers (OBCs). 
     
     
         6 . A heat moldable insole comprising an arch, a heel, and a non-arch portion; wherein said heat moldable insole comprises:
 a heat moldable composition comprising a combination of thermoplastic elastomers with varying degrees of hardness; wherein   a harder thermoplastic elastomer is used to form the arch and a heel portion of said insole; and   a softer thermoplastic elastomer blended with a blowing and/or a foaming agent is used to form the non-arch portion of the insole.   
     
     
         7 . The heat moldable insole of  claim 6  wherein said harder thermoplastic arch and heel portion comprise the following properties:
 a Shore® durometer hardness between about 60A and about 50D; 
 a tensile strength between about 2000 and about 3000 psi; 
 a compression set at 24 hours at room temperature of about 15% to about 25%; 
 a elongation at break of about 200% to about 1000%; and 
 a specific gravity less than about 1. 
 
     
     
         8 . The heat moldable insole of  claim 6  wherein said softer thermoplastic elastomer comprise the following properties:
 a Shore® durometer hardness between about 10A and about 40A; 
 a compression set at 24 hours at room temperature of about 15% to about 25%; 
 an elongation at break of about 200% to about 1000%; and 
 a specific gravity less than about 1. 
 
     
     
         9 . The heat moldable insole of  claim 6  wherein said insole comprises:
 a) said harder thermoplastic elastomer comprises:
 i) a Shore® durometer hardness between about 80A and about 95A; 
 ii) a tensile strength between about 2000 and about 3000 psi; 
 iii) a compression set at 24 hours at room temperature of about 20%; 
 iv) a flexoral modulus of about 100 kpsi to about 300 kpsi; 
 v) an elongation at break of about 300% to about 500%; and 
 vi) and a specific gravity of about 0.91; and 
 
 b) said softer thermoplastic elastomer comprises a foam blend with:
 i) a Shore® durometer hardness between about 25A and about 35A; 
 ii) a tensile strength between about 2000 and about 3000 psi; 
 iii) a compression set at 24 hours at room temperature of about 20%; 
 iv) a elongation at break of about 300% to about 500%; 
 v) and a specific gravity of about 0.89. 
 
 
     
     
         10 . The heat moldable insole of  claim 6  wherein said harder thermoplastic arch and heel portion and softer thermoplastic non-arch portion are molded and adhered to one another by mechanical or chemical bonds created by more than one injection manufacturing process which results in the two portions forming a single unitary piece. 
     
     
         11 . The heat moldable insole of  claim 10  wherein said manufacturing process utilizes a two-shot or multiple co-injection process. 
     
     
         12 . The heat moldable insole of  claim 6  wherein said harder thermoplastic elastomer ranges from about 50A to about 75D on the Shore® Durometer test; and
 wherein said softer thermoplastic elastomer ranges from about 20A to about 50A on the Shore® Durometer test. 
 
     
     
         13 . The heat moldable insole of  claim 6  wherein said harder thermoplastic arch and heel portion comprises a J-shaped portion configured to align and retain a heal of a foot. 
     
     
         14 . The heat moldable insole of  claim 6  wherein said softer thermoplastic elastomer non-arch portion is configured to define an indentation configured to receive a ball of a foot. 
     
     
         15 . The heat moldable insole of  claim 6  wherein said harder thermoplastic arch and heel portion comprises a portion in front of the arch that extends under a foot from about the big toe to about the fourth-toe. 
     
     
         16 . The heat moldable insole of  claim 6  wherein said harder thermoplastic arch and heel portion comprises a plurality of channels configured to compress under pressure and rebound upon unloading of the pressure. 
     
     
         17 . The heat moldable insole of  claim 16  wherein at least one of said channels comprise a cross sectional shape in a form of at least one of a “Z” or a “V”. 
     
     
         18 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A foot insole wherein said insole is an over the counter product that is customizable, and permanently formable to the foot comprising:
 i) a dual durometer insert where there is an outer protective shell and a softer cushioning shell, and utilizes chemical similarities to bond the two shells in a co-injection process;   ii) each shell is partially is fully foamed for lightweight properties; and   iii) an initial pre-indentation of the foot and toes is present in the over the counter insole before it is customized and further molded to the foot.