Light-cured composite insole
The present invention describes a shaped footwear device intended to be used as a supportive insole or orthotic and a system and methods for making the same. The footwear device includes a top foam layer, a light-cured composite material layer, and a bottom textile layer. The footwear device is created by conforming a pre-cured insole assembly to the plantar surface of a foot or foot mold and then exposing the pre-cured insole assembly to light to create a shaped footwear device with a light-cured composite material support plate.
1. A pre-cured insole assembly, the said assembly comprising:
stacked layers;
wherein, the stacked layers comprise at least one foam layer, at least one pre-cured composite material layer, and at least one textile layer, the stacked layers being positioned with respect to one another such that the at least one pre-cured composite layer is sandwiched between the at least one foam layer and the at least one textile layer;
wherein, the at least one textile layer has greater than 20% transmittance to light with a wavelength range between 370 nm and 410 nm; and
wherein, the at least one pre-cured composite material layer comprises at least one reinforcement fiber layer that is infiltrated with a liquid resin adapted to cure when exposed to light.
2. The pre-cured insole assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one reinforcement fiber layer is made from continuous glass fibers that are woven, stitched, or knitted.
3. The pre-cured insole assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one reinforcement fiber layer includes at least one cut-out adjacent to the outer edge of the reinforcement fiber layer.
4. The pre-cured insole assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one reinforcement fiber layer includes a cut-out in the interior area of the reinforcement fiber layer, the cut-out being a hole passing entirely through the reinforcement fiber layer such that the reinforcement fiber layer surrounds the hole.
5. The pre-cured insole assembly of claim 4 , wherein, the cut-out is designed to be in proximity to the plantar fascia after the pre-cured insole assembly is shaped to the plantar surface of the foot.
6. The pre-cured insole assembly of claim 4 , wherein, the cut-out is designed to be in proximity to the heel after the pre-cured insole assembly is shaped to the plantar surface of the foot.
7. The pre-cured insole assembly of claim 4 , wherein, the interior area of the cut-out comprises an additional padding layer.
8. The pre-cured insole assembly of claim 1 , wherein, an additional padding layer is added to at least a portion of the pre-cured insole assembly;
wherein, the additional padding layer is not in contact with the reinforcement fiber layer.
9. The pre-cured insole assembly of claim 1 , wherein, the liquid resin is adapted to cure when exposed to light with a wavelength range between 300 nm and 410 nm.
10. The pre-cured insole assembly of claim 1 , wherein, the liquid resin is adapted to cure when exposed to light with a wavelength greater than 410 nm.
11. The pre-cured insole assembly of claim 1 , wherein, the at least one foam layer is made from ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), polyurethane (PU), polyethylene (PE), or blends thereof.
12. The pre-cured insole assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one foam layer is 0.5 mm-6 mm thick.
13. The pre-cured insole assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one foam layer includes at least one cut-out in the area that will be in proximity to the heel after shaping to the plantar surface of the foot.
14. The pre-cured insole assembly of claim 1 , wherein, the at least one textile layer is made from polyester, nylon, rayon, cotton, or blends thereof.
15. The pre-cured insole assembly of claim 1 , wherein, at least a portion of the at least one textile layer is infiltrated with the same said liquid resin.
16. The pre-cured insole assembly of claim 1 , wherein, the stacked layers are surrounded by a transparent, flexible packaging film that is less than 5 mils thick.
17. The pre-cured insole assembly claim 1 , wherein, the stacked layers are surrounded by a transparent, flexible packaging film that is less than 1 mil thick.
18. The pre-cured insole assembly of claim 1 , wherein the stacked layers comprise a polymer film barrier layer between the at least one pre-cured composite material layer and the at least one foam layer.
19. The pre-cured insole assembly of claim 1 , wherein the stacked layers comprise a polymer film barrier layer between the at least one pre-cured composite material layer and the at least one textile layer.