| JP08275802 | MEMBER FOR SHOES |
| JP08275801 | MEMBER FOR SHOES |
| WO/2012/051588 | MATERIAL FOR MITIGATING IMPACT FORCES WITH COLLISION DURATIONS IN NANOSECONDS TO MILLISECONDS RANGE |
Claims
[1] A shoe comprising a cushion member, comprising: an outsole shaped like a foot bottom having a lower portion and comprising at least one insertion depression on a top portion of the outsole, the lower portion of the outsole coming into contact with ground; a midsole stacked on the top portion of the outsole and comprising a through- hole formed at a position corresponding to the insertion depression; an elastic member fitted to the insertion depression of the outsole while passing through the through-hole of the midsole and embedding an elastic body therein; an insole stacked on a top portion of the midsole and the elastic member; and a shoe upper enclosing an entire or a part of a foot except for a foot bottom, a lower circumferential portion of which is fixedly interposed between the midsole and the insole.
[2] The shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elastic member is fixedly assembled in a lower portion of the insole.
[3] The shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elastic member comprises an elastic block identically shaped like a cavity provided by the insertion depression and the through-hole and an elastic body embedded in the elastic block.
[4] The shoe as claimed in claim 3, wherein the elastic member comprises a flange formed on an upper peripheral portion of the elastic block.
[5] The shoe as claimed in claim 4, wherein the flange comprises a slant flange having a thickness decreasing from an internal circumferential portion to an outer circumferential portion thereof.
[6] A shoe comprising a cushion member, in which the shoe comprises a shoe upper enclosing an entire or a part of a foot except a the foot bottom, an outsole, a midsole, and an insole, the outsole, the midsole, and the insole being assembled in a lower portion of the shoe upper, the shoe comprising an elastic member fixedly assembled in a lower portion of a rear portion of the insole.
[7] The shoe as claimed in claim 4, wherein the elastic member comprises a slant elastic block having a thickness increasing from a front portion to a rear portion thereof and at least one elastic body embedded in the elastic block. |
Description
SHOES WITH ELASTIC BODIES
Technical Field
[1] The present invention relates to shoes assembled with an elastic body, in which a bottom part of a shoe is assembled with an elastic body and the elastic body is vertically assembled in a lower portion of an insole so that not only cushion of the shoes itself is improved and the cushion felt by a wearer is improved because the wearer's foot can be located very closely to the elastic body, but also the elastic body can be replaced as needed, and the elastic body is provided only in a rear portion of the insole so that the effect of increasing height can be achieved. Background Art
[2] As man began to walk erect, shoes have been developed. As various new materials have been developed together with scientific technology development, shoes has been rapidly developed, and have been used for various purposes, suitable for diverse activities, such as walking, climbing, medical treatment, and specific sports purposes.
[3] In particular, as concern about the importance of health has greatly increased, shoes for use in exercise have made rapid progress, and shoes of novel materials and features have been continuously developed. In view of body health, however, the problem to be preferentially solved in the art is how to provide ventilation and cushion in a shoe.
[4] In order to achieve the basic purpose of permitting a shoe wearer's activity while enclosing and protecting the wearer's feet, almost all kinds of shoes except slippers take the form in which an internal space of a shoe is substantially sealed, except for a top opening area provided so as to allow the wearer to put on or take off the shoe. Due to this feature of the shoes, ventilation-related problems may be unavoidable. However, various materials excellent in ventilation and various ventilation features suitable for shoes have been developed.
[5] In view of body health, the more important factor as compared to the ventilation in a shoe is cushion. If shoes are poor in cushion, feet are liable to easily feel tired. Furthermore, as well known in the art, shock induced when the outer soles of shoes come into contact with the ground is transferred to the shoe wearer's brain through the spine of the shoe wearer and exerts a harmful influence on the shoe wearer's health. Therefore, shoes should be sufficiently cushioned.
[6] A lot of the cushion-related problems have been already solved because various materials excellent in shock-absorption performance have been developed. However, it is impossible to solve all the cushion-related problems with the materials excelling in shock-absorption performance.
[7] That is, the cushion should be varied according to the shock amount transferred to the shoe. In the case of shoes for walking and jogging, the soft material can solve the cushion-related problem, but in the case of shoes for use in exercise requiring rapid movement such as a basketball or volleyball, it is not easy to solve the cushion-related problem only with the material. Therefore, shoes for use in exercise employ various cushion features, such as an air chamber, or the like, in the shoe, and at the same time use materials excelling in cushion.
[8] For example, the shoe in which an air cushion is assembled with an outsole for minimizing the shock is disclosed in Korean Utility Model Publication No. 1995-0005782. However, a manufacturing process of the air cushion assembled with the sole is complicated so that its cost is increased, thereby decreasing productivity. Further, such an air-cushion is has a disadvantage in that when the air-cushions are used for a long time, the air gradually leaks from the air-cushions so that the air- cushion loses its cushion performance.
[9] In order to solve the problem, shoes in which an elastic body, such as a spring, is mounted in a bottom part of the shoes has been developed, which is disclosed in Korean Patent Application No. 10-2007-0003649 filed on January 12, 2007 entitled "SHOES WITH ELASTIC BODIES" in the name the applicant of the present invention.
[10] The shoe assembled with the elastic body includes an outer sole protection sheath formed in a shape of a foot bottom, the bottom of the outer sole protection sheath coming into contact with the ground; an outer sole body stacked on and joined to an entire area on a top portion of the outer sole protection sheath, the outer sole body being formed with at least one depression or through-hole on the top portion thereof; at least one block type elastic body which is fitted in the depression or through-hole of the outer sole body; and a middle sole and an inner sole stacked on and joined to the entire area of a top area of the outer sole body and the elastic body.
[11] In the above shoes, the depression is formed in the outer sole body and the elastic body is fitted in the depression so that the outer sole body and the elastic body not only advantageously support the entire foot of the wearer, but also improve the cushion at the same time. However, since the middle sole and inner sole are stacked on and joined to the top area of the elastic body providing the largest cushion in sequence, the cushion felt by the wearer through the midsole and the inner sole may be decreased, and specifically, if the midsole is formed to have thick thickness or from the material having insufficient cushion, the cushion is disadvantageously further decreased.
[12] Further, the elastic body is fixed to a lower portion of the midsole, so that the elastic body cannot be separated and replaced after the shoe is completed. Therefore, it has a disadvantage in that the elastic body cannot be selected depending on the use purpose
of the shoe or wearer's weight.
[13] Further, Korean Utility Model Publication No. 305809 discloses "Outsole of Shoe having Shock Absorbing Function," in which the outsole 1 includes round latching units 2 and 2' at a front portion and a rear portion thereof, shock absorbing unit inserting openings 3 and 3' include the round latching units 2 and 2', spring sheets 5 and 5' are fixed to the shock absorbing unit inserting openings 3 and 3', the spring sheets 5 and 5' being assembled with lower portions of shock absorbing springs 4 and 4', shock absorbing units 7 and 7' are assembled with high density sponges 6 and 6' in an outer circumference, long holes 8 and 8' are formed in the shock absorbing units 7 and 7', the shock absorbing units 7 and 7' are fitted in the shock absorbing unit inserting openings 3 and 3', respectively, and sheets covers 9 and 9'are provided on top portions of the shock absorbing units 7 and 7' so as to seal the shock absorbing unit inserting openings 3 and 3'.
[14] According to the above construction, the outsole 1 includes the shock-absorbing unit inserting openings 3 and 3' in which the round latching units 2 and 2' are formed in bottom areas of the central portions of the shock-absorbing unit inserting openings 3 and 3', the bottom areas of the shock-absorbing unit inserting openings 3 and 3' except for the round latching units 2 and 2' are fixed with the spring sheets 5 and 5', the spring sheets 5 and 5' being formed in the lower portions of the shock absorbing springs 4 and 4', the shock absorbing units 7 and 7' assembled with the high density sponges 6 and 6' in the outer circumference are fitted in the shock-absorbing unit inserting openings 3 and 3', and the sheet covers 9 and 9' are stacked on the top portions of the shock absorbing units 7 and 7'. Therefore, the outsole can disperse the load of the body in the sole of the foot and the heel. However, the outsole has a problem in that the construction of the outsole is complicated so as to decrease productivity, and it is impossible to separate and replace the shock absorbing units 7 and 7' when the wearer wishes to adjust elasticity of the shock absorbing units 7 and 7' depending on the use purpose of the shoe and wearer's weight after the shoes are completed.
[15] Further, Korean Utility Model Publication No. 402587 discloses "Health Footwear having Improved Heel. The footwear includes a shoe upper, an outsole, and a slipsole and the bottom sole includes a midsole and an outsole. A heel of the outsole is formed in a curved surface being inclined with respect to a ground in 25 ~ 40°of inclination angles and a heel of the midsole embeds a shock absorbing member bag 28 selected in a spring mounting bag 100 and a through air bag 200 along the inclined curved surface. The midsole is shaped like a plate according to the outer shape of the outsole and the shape of the curved surface, a front portion of the midsole includes a plurality of slits 29a having one opened end extending from a predetermined position of the front portion to the end of the front portion, to be divided into several portions, and a center
waist portion of the midsole embeds a shank having high elasticity in a front and rear direction, the shank including a rib 29b shaped like a bead for reinforcement. As such, a bottom area of the heel of the bottom sole is formed in the shape of a curved surface in the front and rear directions according to the shape of the foot heel and the trace of the movement of the foot heel with respect to an ankle joint upon walking, so that stamping movement with respect to the ground can be achieved upon walking.
[16] Therefore, according to the above footwear, the rear heel of the outsole is inclined with respect to the ground in 25 ~ 40°of inclination angles and the rear heel of the midsole embeds the shock-absorbing member bag 28 along the inclined curved surface. Accordingly, the repelling power through dynamic stability is added so that the shape restoration of the outsole is excellent and the stamping movement with respect to the ground upon walking can be achieved, but the cushion felt by the wearer is not sufficient.
[17] Furthermore, U.S. Patent No. 5,343,637 discloses "Shoe and Elastic Sole Insert therefor", in which an elastic insert is accommodated in a cavity between the outer sole and the insole. This has a problem in that it is impossible to separate and replace the elastic insert when the wearer wishes to adjust elasticity of the elastic insert depending on the use purpose of the shoe or wearer's weight after the shoe is completed.
[ 18] Further, Korean Utility Model Publication No. 1998-26817 discloses "Shock
Absorbing Device of Heel of Shoe. A shoe including an outer sole 20, the outer sole 20 being formed in a bottom of an outer shoe upper 10, and a heel 30 formed at a rear portion of the outer sole 20 includes: a reinforcement plate 21 integrally formed with the outer sole 20; a coil spring 31 wound in such a manner that its diameter gradually increases from a lower end to an upper end thereof and attached at a lower surface of the reinforcement plate 21; a fixing plate 32 integrally attached to a lower surface of a rear end of the reinforcement plate 21 and including a plurality of inserting holes 321 to be received to the lower surface of the coil spring 31; and a bottom sole 33 including a fixing protrusion 331 on an upper surface thereof, the fixing protrusion 331 being fitted to and compressed into the inserting hole 321 of the fixing plate 32.
[19] However, according to the shoe having the above construction, predetermined shock absorption can be achieved in the rear end of the outer sole. However, if a foreign substance is inserted at a specific position of the coil spring 31, the foot is laid in an opposite direction of the portion having the foreign substance upon every step forward so that the walking is not stable, and also, the risk caused by falling down occurs.
[20] Further, Korean Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-0003460 discloses
"Functional Sole of Shoes with Flexible Heel. The sole including an outsole and an insole includes a shaking space in a rear heel between the outsole and the insole in order for the insole to support the load transferred from the heel and to flexibly shake,
so that the shock transferred to the heel upon stepping the ground can be slightly decreased. However, the cushion felt by the wearer through the entire of the foot bottom is absolutely insufficient.
[21] Furthermore, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H6- 165702 discloses a
"Shoe having Shock Absorbing Airbag, which includes a rectangular parallelepiped airbag 3, a plurality of coil springs 10 for providing the airbag 3 with elasticity, a plurality of spring caps 11, and an air controlling valve 4 and an air chimney pipe 5. The shoe having the above construction has an advantage in that the degree of cushion can be appropriately controlled according to the use purpose of the shoe. However, it has a problem in that the construction is complicated so that it is difficult to manufacture, thereby taking much time to manufacture the shoe, increasing its cost. Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem
[22] Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems occurring in the conventional shoe including the elastic body, and an object of the present invention is to provide a shoe including an elastic member in which a bottom part of the shoe on which an outsole, a midsole, and an insole are stacked in sequence includes the elastic member vertically positioned in a lower portion of the insole. Therefore, the elastic member is positioned closely to the wearer's foot so as to increase cushion felt by the wearer and an elastic body is assembled in a lower portion of a rear portion of the insole so as to obtain the effect of height- increasing shoes having cushion. Technical Solution
[23] The object of the present invention can be achieved by the elastic member vertically positioned in the lower portion of the insole.
[24] The present invention is technically characterized in that the shoe includes a shoe upper enclosing an entire or a part of foot except for a foot bottom and a bottom part of the shoe assembled in a lower portion of the shoe upper to support the foot bottom on which the outsole, midsole, and insole are stacked in sequence, wherein the elastic member is assembled with the bottom part of the shoe to be vertically positioned in the lower portion of the insole.
[25] That is, the shoe including the elastic member includes the shoe upper enclosing the entire or the part of foot except for the foot bottom, the outsole, the lower portion of which is in contact with ground, at least one midsole stacked on a top portion of the outsole, the elastic member passing through the midsole and inserted in and assembled with the outsole, and the insole stacked on the top portion of the midsole.
[26] At this time, a lower circumferential portion of the shoe upper is fixedly interposed
between the midsole and the insole so that the shoe upper is connected with the bottom part of the shoe.
[27] The outsole and the midsole in the bottom part of the shoe provides the shoe the cushion, in which the midsole formed from a soft material and having cushion can be assembled on the top portion of the soft and thin outsole to have a predetermined thickness or the thin midsole can be assembled on the top portion of the outsole formed from the soft material and having cushion with the predetermined thickness, and the outsole can be integrally assembled with the midsole.
[28] Further, the insole makes the bottom part of the shoe be connected to the shoe upper.
Basically, the wearer' foot is in direct contact with the top portion of the insole, but a slipsole may be added on the top portion of the insole as needed.
[29] A cushion member is assembled in the lower portion of the insole of the bottom part of the shoe with the above construction, and the cushion member is positioned at the position close to the foot, so that the foot can directly receive cushion upon walking or exercising. The cushion member passes through the midsole to be inserted in the outsole.
[30] At this time, it is acceptable that the cushion member vertically positioned in the lower portion of the insole is assembled with the lower portion of the insole. Therefore, if the cushion member is fixedly assembled in the lower portion of the insole, the process of staking the insole on the top portion of the midsole and the process of inserting the cushion member into the outsole can be unified into a single process.
[31] Further, the cushion member is fixedly assembled in the lower portion of the insole, but the cushion member is assembled in the lower portion of only the rear portion of the insole, so that the insole assembled with the cushion member can be used as a height-increasing insole.
Advantageous Effects
[32] As described above, the shoe including the elastic member includes the cushion member vertically positioned in the lower portion of the insole of the bottom part of the shoe. Therefore, the present invention has an advantage in that cushion transferred to the foot upon walking and exercising can be maximized, the outsole, midsole, and shoe upper are assembled, and then the insole is assembled with the elastic member so that not only the manufacturing process can be simplified, but also the cushion member can be separated and replaced according to wearer' weight or the use purpose of the shoe.
[33] Furthermore, the present invention has an advantage in that the cushion member is assembled in the lower portion of only the rear portion of the insole so that it can be used as the height-increasing insole.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[34] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a shoe including an elastic member according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention; [35] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a shoe including an elastic member according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention; [36] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a shoe including an elastic member according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention; [37] FIG. 4a is a cross-sectional view illustrating a shoe including an elastic member according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention; [38] FIGs. 4b and 4c are cross-sectional views illustrating a shoe including an elastic member according to a fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and [39] FIGs. 5a to 5d are cross-sectional views illustrating an insole according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention [40] The details of the object and the technical construction of the present invention and the corresponding effect of the present invention will be clearly understood with reference to the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description. [41] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a shoe including an elastic member, FIG.
2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a shoe including an elastic member, FIG.
3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a shoe including an elastic member, FIG. 4a is a cross-sectional view illustrating a shoe including an elastic member, FIGs. 4b and 4c are cross-sectional views illustrating a shoe including an elastic member, and FIGs. 5a to 5d are cross-sectional views illustrating an insole according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
[42] As shown in figures, the shoe including an elastic member includes: an outsole 10 shaped like a foot bottom including at least one insertion depression 11 on a top portion thereof, a lower area of which is in contact with ground; a midsole 20 stacked on the top portion of the outsole 10 and including a through-hole 21 formed at a position corresponding to the insertion depression 11 ; at least one elastic member 30 fitted into the insertion depression 11 of the outsole 10 while extending the through- hole 21 of the midsole 20 and embedding an elastic body 32 therein; an insole 40 stacked on a top portion of the midsole 20 and the elastic body 30; and a shoe upper enclosing an entire or a part of foot except for a foot bottom, a lower circumferential part of which is fixedly interposed between the midsole 20 and the insole 40.
[43] At this time, the number of the insertion depressions 11 formed in the outsole 10, the through-holes 21 formed in the midsole 20, and the elastic members 30 is provided at least one or more, wherein the number of which should be identical with each other.
[44] Further, the number and the assembly position of the elastic member 30 can be varied according to the use purpose of the shoe, in which, if one elastic member 30 is desired to be assembled, it is preferable that the elastic member 30 is assembled in a rear portion of the shoe exceedingly receiving the load of the foot, and if two or more elastic members 30 are desired to be assembled, it is preferable that the elastic members 30 are assembled in a front portion and a central portion together with the rear portion.
[45] The outsole 10 is formed from a material having a predetermined hardness and cushion, such as rubber, urethane, silicon, or the like, and is wear-resistant to friction against the ground, so that it primary absorbs the shock transferred to the foot. The outsole 10 includes at least one insertion depression 11 on the top portion thereof for receiving the elastic member 30.
[46] The midsole 20 is stacked on and joined to the top portion of the outsole 10, the lower portion of the midsole 20 being in contact with the top portion of the outsole 10. The thickness and number of the midsole 20 can be varied according to the use purpose of the shoe, and includes the through-hole 21 formed at the position corresponding to the insertion depression 11 of the outsole 10.
[47] The elastic member 30 fitted into the insertion depression 11 of the outsole 10 and the through-hole 21 of the midsole 20 employs a structure that the elastic body 32, such as a spring, or the like, is embedded in an inside an elastic block 31 manufactured to have a shape identical to that of the insertion depression 11 and through-hole 21. The elastic block 31 is formed from a material flexible but superior in restoration to the original state when it is elastically deformed, such as foamy urethane, rubber, silicon, or the like.
[48] Further, it is preferred that the elastic body 32 includes a coil spring, wherein the coil spring is wound in such a manner that its diameter gradually increases or decreases from one end to the other end thereof so as to form a truncated-cone shape or a truncated-pyramid shape, unlike a conventional cylindrical coil spring, which is spirally wound several times to have a constant diameter.
[49] When forming such a coil spring, it is necessary to adjust the rate of changing the diameters of respective turns of the coil spring, i.e. increasing or decreasing the diameter of the turn, in such a manner that a lower turn and an upper turn are not piled or in contact, e.g. a diameter of a turn smaller than that of an adjacent upper or lower turn can be inserted into the inside the adjacent turn without contact, when the elastic body 32 is compressed, thereby preventing a pair of neighbored upper and lower turns from being interfered of the elastic deformation with each other when the coil spring is compressed.
[50] At this time, the elastic body 32 is integrally embedded in the inside the elastic block
31, i.e. the elastic block 31 is filled between the turns of the spring, in which the elastic block 31 is formed from a soft material so that the elastic block 31, without interrupting the compression of the spring, decreases resistant elasticity momentarily generated when the compressed spring returns to the original state. [51] As shown in FIGs. 1 and 2, the elastic member 30 is interposed between the outsole
10 and the midsole 20, and the insole 40 is assembled on the top portion of the midsole 20 and the elastic member 30, wherein the top portion of the elastic member 30 is in direct contact with a lower portion of the insole 40, so that the foot of the wearer can be positioned very closely to the elastic member 30.
[52] At this time, the insole 40 is a part being in direct contact with the wearer's foot and is formed from various materials, such as leather, polyurethane, synthetic resin, natural rubber, cork, or the like. Especially, as shown in FIG. 3, by fixedly assembling the elastic member 30 with the lower portion of the insole 40, it is possible to insert the elastic member 30 between the outsole 10 and the midsole 20 only through a single manufacturing process of stacking the insole 40 on the outsole 10 and the midsole 20.
[53] The elastic member 30 of the present invention having the above construction passes through the through-hole 21 of the midsole 20 and is fitted in the insertion depression
11 of the outsole 10. The top portion of the elastic member 30 inserted between the outsole 10 and the midsole 20 has a plane side identical to that of the midsole 20, but at this time, it is acceptable that the elastic member 30 protrudes further than the top portion of the midsole 20.
[54] That is, as shown in FIG. 4a, when it needs to provide the shoe with the large cushion according to the use purpose of the shoe, the top portion of the elastic member 30 is assembled in the top portion of the midsole 20 with protruding from the top portion of the midsole 20. Therefore, when the wearer's foot compresses the shoe through the insole 40, the elastic member 30 is first compressed so as to increase cushion.
[55] At this time, if the shoe employs the above construction, a projection formed on the top portion of the midsole 20 and the elastic member 30 may occur pinch. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4b, it is preferable that a flange 33 is provided on a protruding upper portion of the elastic member 30. Especially, as shown in FIG. 4c, it is preferable that a slant flange 33' in which the thickness thereof decreases from an inner circumference to an outer circumference is employed.
[56] In discussing the manufacturing process of the shoe having the above construction, the midsole 20 including the through-hole 21 is stacked on the top portion of the outsole 10 including the insertion depression 11 and the elastic member 30 is inserted between the outsole 10 and the midsole 20, the shoe upper 50 and the insole 40 are assembled. Contrary to this, the shoe can be manufactured in such a manner that the midsole 20 is stacked on the outsole 10 and the shoe upper 50 is fixedly assembled
with them, so as to manufacture an outer shape of the shoe, and then the elastic member 30 and the insole 40 are assembled.
[57] That is, the elastic member 30 and the insole 40 can be assembled after manufacturing the outer shape of the shoe. Therefore, if the wearer desires to control the elasticity of the elastic member 30 depending to the use purpose of the shoe and wearer's weight, it is possible to separate and replace the elastic member 30.
[58] The shoe with the construction as described above is technically characterized in that the elastic member is positioned being fixed in or separated from the lower portion of the insole configuring the bottom part of the shoe. As for the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGs. 5a to 5d, the elastic member is fixedly assembled in the lower portion of the insole, but the elastic member is not inserted in the midsole and the outsole, so that it is possible to control the height of the insole. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5a, the elastic member 30 is provided in the lower portion of the rear portion of the insole so as to obtain the effect of the height-increasing insole.
[59] At this time, referring to FIG. 5a, a center lower portion of the insole 40 includes a cavity due to a height difference between a front portion and a rear portion of the insole 40, so that it cannot stably support the foot. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5b, it is preferable that the insole 40 includes the elastic member including the slant elastic block 31' according to the inclination of the insole and the elastic body 32 embedded in the elastic block 31'.
[60] Further, as shown in FIG. 5c, the elastic block 31 can include at least one elastic body 32 therein as it needs. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5d, it is acceptable that the insole includes the elastic block 31" assembled with the entire lower portion of the insole in a shape identical to that of the lower portion of the insole, and at least one elastic body 32 embedded in the elastic block 31.
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