Die Erfindung betrifft ein Verfahren zur Herstellung einer Einlage (1) für einen Schuh, die eine während der Benutzung zumindest mit der Fußsohle des Benutzers der Einlage in Kontakt stehende Oberseite (2) und eine während der Benutzung zumindest mit der unteren Innenfläche des Schuhs in Kontakt stehende Unterseite (3) aufweist, und die mit einer auf den Benutzer und insbesondere auch auf den Schuh, abgestimmten Form versehen ist.

Um zum einen die Herstellung einer solchen Einlage schneller und einfacher zu gestalten und zum anderen auch spätere Anpassungen ohne Beeinträchtigung der Oberseite der Einlage zu ermöglichen, soll die Einlage personalisiert und einstückig aus einem Vollmaterial, insbesondere durch Materialabtrag, wie z. B. Fräsen, hergestellt werden und zumindest oberseitig mit einer auf den konkreten Benutzer und insbesondere auch auf den Schuh abgestimmten Topografie versehen werden.

A foot impression unit (10) is provided with an array of gauging elements (34), a control mechanism (36) for urging the gauging elements (34) into contact with the undersurface of a person's foot (12) to form an impression of the undersurface of the foot, a locking mechanism (38) for releasably locking and gauging elements in place to retain that impression, and a sensing mechanism (102) for scanning the gauging elements (34) to produce digital signals indicative of the positions of the gauging elements. These digital signals are stored and processed by a computer to provide a stored data record serving as a digital representation of the impression of the undersurface of the foot (12). The computer may also be employed to provide stored additional information for modifying that data record to compen­sate for a perceived defect of the foot (12). In response to the stored data record and any stored additional information for modifying that data record, a shaping unit shapes an insert blank to form a custom-made shoe insert conforming to the under­surface of the foot (12) and compensating for any perceived defect of the foot.

A technique is disclosed for fabricating a foot orthotic (250). The technique involves the determination of the arch volume of the foot and the subsequent formation of an orthotic blank (102) including measurements of the neutral alignment position of the foot. The orthotic is then formed by removing a portion from the orthotic blank. The orthotic has an upwardly extending convex region which is arranged to engage the arch portion of the foot.

A foot impression unit (10) is provided with an array of gauging elements (34), a control mechanism (36) for urging the gauging elements (34) into contact with the undersurface of a person's foot (12) to form an impression of the undersurface of the foot, a locking mechanism (38) for releasably locking and gauging elements in place to retain that impression, and a sensing mechanism (102) for scanning the gauging elements (34) to produce digital signals indicative of the positions of the gauging elements. These digital signals are stored and processed by a computer to provide a stored data record serving as a digital representation of the impression of the undersurface of the foot (12). The computer may also be employed to provide stored additional information for modifying that data record to compen­sate for a perceived defect of the foot (12). In response to the stored data record and any stored additional information for modifying that data record, a shaping unit shapes an insert blank to form a custom-made shoe insert conforming to the under­surface of the foot (12) and compensating for any perceived defect of the foot.

A system and method for forming a custom-made resilient insert for a given person's shoe in which the contour of the support surface of the insert conforms to the contour of the undersurface of a person's foot.

Method for obtaining a plantar image using means for securing and tightening an elastic membrane, as well as to the double-sided machining of the obtained insole, said means taking the form of two adjustable horizontal bars positioned on a scanner or a plurality of cameras and an anti-reflective lens, wherein a membrane is positioned between said horizontal bars and secured using T-flat bars; the stress of the membrane being adjusted using a handle; the foot is positioned on the membrane; an image is taken; and the insole is subjected to double-sided machining on the basis of the image of the surface provided in STL format, with the aid of a securing device that enables the pieces to be rotated up to 180°.

The device used includes a plurality of supporting bars with two adjustable horizontal bars, wherein the elastic membrane is adjusted and tightened using T-flat bars and a handle.

A technique is disclosed for fabricating a foot orthotic (250). The technique involves the determination of the arch volume of the foot and the subsequent formation of an orthotic blank (102) including measurements of the neutral alignment position of the foot. The orthotic is then formed by removing a portion from the orthotic blank. The orthotic has an upwardly extending convex region which is arranged to engage the arch portion of the foot.

An automatic system for forming custom-made shoe inserts, or shoe soles, for a person's feet from a pair of blanks (24L and 24R) is provided with a foot impression mechanism (12) including a pair of pin arrays (22L, 22R) for simultaneously forming an impression of the contour of the undersurface of each of the person's feet and for releasably retaining each impression formed. Each of the pin arrays is arranged in orthogonal rows and columns with adjoining pins in each column having asymmetric contacting surfaces (57, 61). The system is also provided with a blank holding assembly (14) for holding the blanks in lateral alignment with the impressions, blank shaping mechanism (16) for successively sensing each impression and for concomitantly successively cutting material away from each blank in conformance with the corresponding sensed impression, and a drive mechanism (18) for automatically driving the blank shaping mechanism both laterally and to-and-fro over the impressions and the blanks in response to a single drive motor (178) so as to form automatically the custom-made shoe inserts from the blanks in conformance with the impressions. A sensing and switching unit (250, 242, 254, 246) automatically stops the drive mechanism when the blank shaping mechanism is in both a desired lateral position and a desired to-and-fro position following formation of the custom-made shoe inserts.