Sockliner

Abstract

A laminated foam sockliner for use in combination with footwear. The sockliner has a forward part generally underlying and supporting toes and metatarsal heads, a middle part generally underlying and supporting an arch, and a back part generally underlying and supporting a heel of the wearer. The sockliner includes a porous upper layer made from a flexible air permeable material. The upper layer provides support for at least a portion of the foot of the wearer including a heel and an arch of the foot. The sockliner also includes a shockfoam layer positioned generally at the back part of the sockliner below the upper layer. A top surface of the shockfoam layer being permanently bonded to at least a portion of a bottom surface of the upper layer underlying the back part of the sockliner. The forward part of the sockliner substantially lacks the shockfoam layer.

1 . A laminated foam sockliner for use in combination with footwear for cushioning a foot of a wearer of said footwear, the sockliner having a forward part generally underlying and supporting toes and metatarsal heads of a wearer in use, a middle part generally underlying and supporting an arch of the wearer in use, and a back part generally underlying and supporting a heel of the wearer in use, the sockliner comprising:
 a porous upper layer made from a flexible air permeable material, said upper layer having a top surface and a bottom surface opposite the top surface, said upper layer being sized and shaped to be inserted in the footwear and to provide support for at least a portion of the foot of the wearer including a heel and an arch of the foot; and   a shockfoam layer positioned generally at the back part of the sockliner below the upper layer, said shockfoam layer having a top surface and a bottom surface opposite the top surface, said top surface of the shockfoam layer being permanently bonded to at least a portion of the bottom surface of the upper layer underlying the back part of the sockliner, and said forward part of the sockliner substantially lacking the shockfoam layer.   
     
     
         2 . A sockliner as set forth in  claim 1  further comprising a closed cell foam lower layer positioned generally at the forward part of the sockliner and having a top surface and a bottom surface opposite the top surface, said lower layer being sized and shaped to be inserted into the footwear and to provide support for at least a portion of the foot, said top surface of the lower layer being permanently bonded to the bottom surface of the upper layer. 
     
     
         3 . A sockliner as set forth in  claim 2  wherein said back part of the sockliner entirely lacks the closed cell foam layer. 
     
     
         4 . A sockliner as set forth in  claim 2  wherein the lower layer includes a channel permitting air pass to cool and dry the foot. 
     
     
         5 . A sockliner as set forth in  claim 1  wherein at least a portion of the middle part of the sockliner entirely lacks the shockfoam layer. 
     
     
         6 . A sockliner as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the shockfoam layer comprises a nitrile butadiene rubber compound. 
     
     
         7 . A sockliner as set forth in  claim 5  wherein the shockfoam layer has a C-type durometer hardness from about 8 to about 10. 
     
     
         8 . A sockliner as set forth in  claim 6  wherein the shockfoam layer has a density from about 0.08 to about 0.11 g/cc. 
     
     
         9 . A sockliner as set forth in  claim 5  wherein the shockfoam layer has a density from about 0.08 to about 0.11 g/cc. 
     
     
         10 . A sockliner as set forth in  claim 1  further comprising a pillow positioned in the back part of the sockliner. 
     
     
         11 . A sockliner as set forth in  claim 9  wherein said pillow comprises a polyurethane gel positioned in an opening in the upper layer. 
     
     
         12 . A sockliner as set forth in  claim 10  wherein said pillow has a C-type durometer hardness from about 30 to about 35. 
     
     
         13 . A sockliner as set forth in  claim 11  wherein the pillow has a density from about 1.03 g/cc to about 1.04 g/cc. 
     
     
         14 . A sockliner as set forth in  claim 10  wherein the pillow has a density from about 1.03 g/cc to about 1.04 g/cc. 
     
     
         15 . A sockliner as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the upper layer comprises an open cell polyurethane foam. 
     
     
         16 . A sockliner as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the upper layer includes a channel permitting air to pass to cool and dry the foot. 
     
     
         17 . A sockliner as set forth in  claim 1  further comprising a cloth layer bonded to the upper surface of the base layer. 
     
     
         18 . A method of making a laminated foam sockliner for use in combination with footwear for cushioning a foot of a wearer of said footwear, the sockliner having a forward part generally underlying and supporting toes and metatarsal heads of a wearer in use, a middle part generally underlying and supporting an arch of the wearer in use, and a back part generally underlying and supporting a heel of the wearer in use, the method comprising:
 molding an open cell foam upper layer to have a lower surface and an upper surface opposite said lower surface and to be sized and shaped to cover at least a portion of a sole of the footwear to underlie at least a portion of the foot of the wearer including a heel and an arch of the foot;   molding a closed cell foam lower layer to have a lower surface and an upper surface opposite said lower surface, the lower layer being sized and shaped to cover at least a portion of the foot of a wearer including at least the toes of the foot;   bonding the upper surface of the lower layer to the lower surface of the upper layer;   forming a shockfoam layer to a predetermined size and shape corresponding to a portion of the upper layer included in the back part of the sockliner; and   bonding the shockfoam layer to the lower surface of the upper layer so the shockfoam layer is positioned below a portion of the upper layer and at the back part of the sockliner and not at the forward part of the sockliner.   
     
     
         19 . A method as set forth in  claim 18  further comprising molding a gel insert into an opening in the upper layer. 
     
     
         20 . A laminated foam sockliner for use in combination with footwear for cushioning a foot of a wearer of said footwear, the sockliner having a forward part generally underlying and supporting toes and metatarsal heads of a wearer in use, a middle part generally underlying and supporting an arch of the wearer in use, and a back part generally underlying and supporting a heel of the wearer in use, the sockliner comprising:
 a porous upper layer having a top surface and a bottom surface opposite the top surface, said upper layer being sized and shaped to be inserted in the footwear and to support at least a portion of the foot of the wearer including a heel and an arch of the foot;   a closed cell foam lower layer positioned generally at the forward part of the sockliner and having a top surface and a bottom surface opposite the top surface, said lower layer being sized and shaped to be inserted into the footwear and to support at least a portion of the foot, said top surface of the lower layer being permanently bonded to the bottom surface of the upper layer; and   a nitrile butadiene rubber compound shockfoam layer positioned generally at the back part of the sockliner, said forward part of the sockliner substantially lacking the shockfoam layer.   
     
     
         21 . A sockliner as set forth in  claim 20  wherein the shockfoam layer has a C-type durometer hardness from about 8 to about 10 and a density from about 0.08 to about 0.11 g/cc. 
     
     
         22 . A sockliner as set forth in  claim 21  further comprising a pillow positioned in the back part of the sockliner having a C-type durometer hardness from about 30 to about 35 and a density from about 1.03 g/cc to about 1.04 g/cc.