EP2882309B1 - Shoe sole with ventilation, and shoe having such a sole - Google Patents

Description

Field of the invention

The invention relates to a shoe sole with a compressible, elastically deformable material-containing chamber having at least one air inlet and one associated with the air inlet inlet valve and an outlet associated with the air outlet, the chamber via the inlet valve and an air inlet space with at the top the shoe sole arranged air passages is connected and wherein the chamber is connected via the outlet valve with an opening on the shoe sole outside of its upper side. Furthermore, the invention relates to a shoe with such a shoe sole.

background

Out DE 199 24 256 C1 is a shoe sole of the above type known. This sole is intended to provide optimal shock absorption. In the heel area of this shoe sole damping elements made of plastic are arranged for damping of bumps. By choosing the damping elements, the degree of damping in the production of the shoe sole can be adjusted. The damping elements are arranged in a chamber. This additionally serves to ventilate the shoe equipped with the sole by sucking air into the chamber during walking out of the inside of the shoe and subsequently expelling this air. Another shoe sole with cushioning is off DE 196 40 655 known, wherein in the ball area and in the heel area deformable cavities are provided which are connected to each other and to the outside area via lines. But there is still a very big need, the To improve the wearing and walking comfort of shoes. WO 2008/125524 shows a shoe with a shoe sole with a chamber into which chamber via a centrally located in the shoe inlet air is sucked. The chamber is sealed at its top and inside the shoe with a membrane over which membrane water vapor can enter the chamber. In the chamber, a material may be arranged, which can improve the moisture absorption through the membrane.

Presentation of the invention

The object of the present invention is to improve the wearing and walking comfort of shoes by creating an improved shoe sole or an improved shoe bottom. The aim is primarily to improve the ventilation to achieve a good footwear climate. The shoe sole should be equally suitable for all everyday, work, leisure and sports shoes and be easy and inexpensive to produce and suitable for all styles of a shoe.

This object is achieved in the shoe sole mentioned above in that the chamber is arranged in the forefoot of the shoe sole and is substantially completely filled with an elastically deformable material, which is designed such that it absorbs air in its elastic expansion and in its compression before releases absorbed air.

It turns out that the arrangement of the chamber in the forefoot area a particularly good ventilation can be achieved. Furthermore, there is a good walking comfort. The substantially complete filling of the chamber with the elastically deformable material that absorbs and releases the air, by combining its own elasticity and by the partial compression of the air contained in it when delivered from the material a very good air circulation cycle, which will be explained in more detail below, and the stale or spent and containing eg welding particles, moist air carried away with each occurrence of the shoe interior and sucks fresh air into the shoe interior when lifting. Furthermore, there is a damping for the foot on the occurrence, which gives a very pleasant feeling. The chamber is loaded by the foot during walking at each step when it occurs on its upper side and is compressed and expands when the load is lifted when lifting the foot. Due to the substantially complete filling of the chamber with the elastic material, that sole part, for example the insole, which closes the chamber upwards towards the foot and is deformed at each step, is evenly stressed or uniformly supported by the filling of the chamber with the material and thus is not subject to excessive material fatigue in the air circulation process. It is thus a "collapse" of the shoe sole from the shoe inside prevented. This increases walking comfort and longevity of the insole.

The shoe bottom or sole of the present invention is suitable for all types of shoe. It may be a directly solicited style with molded shoe bottom or sole, in particular with a stiffened insole, or it may be a sewn finish. In a preferred embodiment, the shoe sole or the shoe bottom has a construction with an insole and an outsole, wherein the insole forms the outer top of the chamber and the passages to the air inlet chamber which is connected to the chamber.

The design of the shoe bottom or the sole according to the invention is thus suitable for both a classic sole construction for high-quality shoes as well as for sneakers or other shoes. Always the desired ventilation function and damping function is achieved, and thanks to the claimed structure the Insole in the forefoot area can be well supported and thus experiences no excessive burden.

It is also the case that the air inlet space is arranged in the front foot region of the shoe sole and in front of the chamber. This results in a particularly good construction of the sole and allows to place a large area ventilation area and damping area at the appropriate place.

For the elastically deformable material, an open-cell plastic is preferred, which is foamy or spongy and absorbs in its elastic expansion air in it and when compressed during walking, or when placing and loading the shoe sole previously absorbed air again. Preferably, the elastically deformable material, or in particular the open-cell plastic, already itself has a sufficient restoring force or acts as a spring means, so that this material alone causes the expansion of the chamber and thus the suction of air in the discharge of the chamber top without To this end, another means, in particular a separate spring means, is needed. However, such a separate spring means may be provided, for example in the form of at least one plastic spring or at least one metal spring, which is arranged in addition to the elastic material in the chamber and which supports the expansion of the chamber after the compression and subsequent discharge. The elastically deformable material may be disposed in an airtight envelope having at least one inlet port and at least one outlet port. This facilitates the sole construction or production, since then the chamber arranged in the sole need not be airtight. Any existing spring is then housed in the case. If the elastic, air-receiving or air-releasing material without shell arranged in the chamber, so this chamber itself must be airtight (with the exception of the air inlet and the air outlet). The sole can be made so, but requires a corresponding structure or a corresponding production. The foam may contain known antibacterial additives.

The flexibly compressible chamber can also be subdivided by partition walls or separating webs into a plurality of flexibly compressible chamber regions, preferably in the longitudinal and / or transverse direction to the shoe sole. Then, each chamber area is substantially completely filled with the material. By "essentially complete", in all embodiments of the invention, a filling of the chamber with the material can be understood, which results in no or only very small unfilled cavities. The chamber may in particular be filled to 90% or more, in particular to 95% or more of its chamber volume in the rest position with the material.

Preferably, a throttle is provided in the air outlet in addition to the exhaust valve. Thus, the damping can be better controlled than with a "free" air delivery via the exhaust valve, which usually already has a certain throttling effect itself constructive. The throttling of the air can, however, be determined more precisely or be adjusted with a throttle that is explicitly provided in addition to the valve. Constructively, the exhaust valve may be combined with the throttle or the exhaust valve and the throttle may be separate components. It is preferred that the throttle is an adjustable throttle or in the shoe sole interchangeably arranged throttle, which allows easy adjustment of the damping. Advantageously, an opening for the outlet of the exhaust air is arranged laterally on the sole, that is not on the underside thereof. In the case of an adjustable or interchangeable throttle this can then be arranged in the lateral opening of the sole, resulting in good accessibility to adjust or replace the throttle. The opening for the exhaust air can also be arranged on the underside of the sole be when the exhaust air is discharged into a arranged under the sole heel of the shoe. This then usually has a side opening for discharging the air, which again may have the aforementioned throttle. The term shoe sole is understood for the present invention, the whole shoe bottom with or without paragraph.

In a preferred embodiment of the shoe sole is in the heel area a second, also filled with elastic material of the same type chamber with valves (inlet valve and exhaust valve), and preferably also with a throttle in the outlet provided. This throttle can also be adjustable or replaceable. The second chamber is preferably also connected to an air inlet space. This air inlet space may, viewed in the longitudinal direction of the sole towards the ball area, be arranged in front of the second chamber. Preferably, the two chambers are not interconnected.

The invention further relates to a shoe with a shoe sole according to the invention. This results in the described benefits for the shoe. The shoe can be a men's or women's shoe or children's shoe and can be an everyday, work, leisure or sports shoe. The shoe can be a summer, winter or all-season shoe. It is obvious to the person skilled in the art that the construction according to the invention of the shoe bottom or the shoe sole can be used for any type of construction, that is to say for the direct-solicited type, in particular with molded-on construction and in particular with a stiffened insole. But also for the sewed style.

Also described is a method for adjusting the ventilation and also the damping in a shoe with a shoe sole having an adjustable or interchangeable throttle for the air discharged through the outlet of the chamber, wherein the ventilation and the damping by adjusting the adjustable throttle or by replacement the throttle against a ballast with different Passage is set. This allows in a simple way the adaptation of the ventilation and also the adjustment of the damping to the body weight and the personal wishes of the wearer of the shoes in the finished shoe, for example, before its delivery or in the shoe store at the sale and also later at the owner of the shoes.

By adjusting the throttle cross-section, the adjustable throttle allows a change in ventilation and damping, with the corresponding damping characteristic being linear, progressive or degressive depending on the design. Here, adjusting the shoe sole to the corresponding body weight by hand is possible, e.g. with a coin or a screwdriver. The adjustment takes place depending on the design in individual stages or steplessly. The interchangeable throttle as an alternative embodiment also allows for adjusting the damping values by inserting one or more throttle (s) adapted to a particular body weight into the shoe sole, e.g. In increments of 40-50kg, 50-60kg, 60-70kg etc.

The valves or throttles used are closed air and water tight. They are preferably designed to be quiet, oil resistant and fireproof and thus particularly suitable for work shoes with such soles.

Brief description of the drawings

• Figur 1 einen vertikalen Schnitt durch einen Schuh mit einer Schuhsohle bzw. einem Schuhboden gemäss der Erfindung in einer ersten Ausführung;
• Figur 2 eine schaubildliche Ansicht des unteren Teils der Schuhsohle nach Figur 1;
• Figur 3 das in einer Hülle angeordnete elastische Material;
• Figur 4 einen oberen Sohlenteil bzw. eine Brandsohle mit Öffnungen im Vorderfussbereich, die die Durchlässe zur Lufteinlasskammer bilden;
• Figur 5 einen vertikalen Schnitt durch einen Schuh mit einer Schuhsohle bzw. einem Schuhboden in einer zweiten Ausführung;
• Figur 6 eine schaubildliche Ansicht des unteren Teils der Schuhsohle von Figur 5;
• Figur 7 das elastische Material in einer luftdichten Hülle zum Einsatz in der Pumpkammer des Fersenbereichs; und
• Figur 8 einen oberen Sohlenteil bzw. eine Brandsohle mit zusätzlichen Durchlässen im Fersenbereich.

Further embodiments, advantages and applications of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims and from the following description with reference to FIGS. Showing:

• FIG. 1 a vertical section through a shoe with a shoe sole or a shoe bottom according to the invention in a first embodiment;
• FIG. 2 a perspective view of the lower part of the shoe sole after FIG. 1 ;
• FIG. 3 the elastic material disposed in a shell;
• FIG. 4 an upper sole portion or an insole with openings in the forefoot area, which form the passages to the air inlet chamber;
• FIG. 5 a vertical section through a shoe with a shoe sole or a shoe bottom in a second embodiment;
• FIG. 6 a perspective view of the lower part of the shoe sole of FIG. 5 ;
• FIG. 7 the elastic material in an airtight envelope for use in the pump chamber of the heel region; and
• FIG. 8 an upper sole part or an insole with additional apertures in the heel area.

Ways to carry out the invention

1. a) Die im Schuh befindliche Abluft A wird über Durchlässe bzw. Öffnungen 2 in der Oberseite der Schuhsohle aus dem Schuhinneren über einen Lufteinlassraum 4 in der Sohle 1 und über einen Lufteinlass 5 in die Kammer 6 eingesaugt in jenem Augenblick, in dem sich die zuvor zusammengedrückte Kammer 6 wieder ausdehnt, d.h. beim Anheben der Schuhsohle 1 vom Boden und der dadurch bewirkten Entlastung der Sohle. Dabei ist zwischen der Raum 4 und der Kammer 6 ein Lufteinlassventil wirksam, das der besseren Übersichtlichkeit halber in Figur 1 nicht dargestellt ist;
2. b) gleichzeitig wird somit durch einen in diesem Augenblick im Schuhinneren erzeugten Unterdruck Frischluft Fr von der Schuhaussenseite in das Schuhinnere angesaugt, welche die Abluft A ersetzt. Damit wird der Lüftungseffekt bewirkt;
3. c) die Abluft A wird zunächst in der Kammer 6 bis zum nächsten Auftreten der Schuhsohle 1 zwischengespeichert; und
4. d) schliesslich wird die Abluft A beim nächsten Auftreten und Abrollen der Schuhsohle 1 durch die Belastung und damit die Kompression der Kammer 6 durch einen Auslass 8 hindurch (der ein Kanal oder eine Leitung sein kann) über ein der Übersichtlichkeit wegen ebenfalls nicht dargestelltes Auslassventil durch einen Luftauslass 9 im Bereich der Schuhaussenseite an die Umgebung ausserhalb des Schuhs abgegeben. Das Auslassventil kann dabei an beliebiger Stelle im Luftpfad zwischen der Kammer 6 und dem Luftauslass 9 angeordnet sein, insbesondere aber im Auslass 9, wo das Ventil von aussen her zugänglich angeordnet sein kann.

The FIGS. 1 to 5 show a first embodiment of a shoe sole or a shoe bottom according to the invention or a shoe equipped therewith. FIG. 1 shows a vertical section through a shoe 10 with the shoe sole 1. First, the air circulation is explained:

1. a) The exhaust air A located in the shoe is sucked through passages or openings 2 in the top of the shoe sole from the inside of the shoe via an air inlet 4 in the sole 1 and an air inlet 5 in the chamber 6 at that moment in which the previously compressed chamber 6 expands again, ie when lifting the shoe sole 1 from the ground and thereby causing relief of the sole. In this case, between the space 4 and the chamber 6, an air inlet valve is effective, the sake of clarity in FIG. 1 not shown;
2. b) at the same time thus by a negative pressure generated at this moment in the shoe interior fresh air Fr from the shoe outer side into the shoe interior sucked, which replaces the exhaust air A. This causes the ventilation effect;
3. c) the exhaust air A is first stored temporarily in the chamber 6 until the next occurrence of the shoe sole 1; and
4. d) Finally, the exhaust air A at the next occurrence and rolling of the shoe sole 1 by the load and thus the compression of the chamber 6 through an outlet 8 through (which may be a channel or a line) on the sake of clarity also not shown exhaust valve by an air outlet 9 in the area of Schuhaussenseite delivered to the environment outside the shoe. The outlet valve can be arranged at any point in the air path between the chamber 6 and the air outlet 9, but in particular in the outlet 9, where the valve can be arranged accessible from the outside.

This is followed by a new lifting of the foot and the relief of the shoe sole 1, a new air circulation cycle begins with the step a).

The inventive shoe sole 1 also allows the occurrence and rolling of the shoe sole 1 on the ground due to the compression of the filled with exhaust air chamber 6 a shock absorption, which is indicated by the arrow D in FIG. 1 is shown. The chamber expands after the discharge in the direction of arrow F.

The combination of periodic air circulation in quick succession and cushioning / spring action D / F results in significantly improved well-being in the shoes even over a relatively long period of time. In addition, the described properties of the shoe sole 1 according to the invention can also result in extremely positive effects in people with back problems.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective plan view of the lower part of the shoe sole 1. Here, the air inlet chamber 4, the chamber 6 and the air inlet. 5 and the air outlet 9 is shown on the outside of the shoe sole 1. The outlet 9 could also be arranged directly in the side wall of the chamber 6, but in the example shown the outlet 9 is connected to the chamber 6 via a channel 8 arranged in the sole 1. The outlet can also open into a separate from the sole paragraph of the shoe, or the channel or line 8 leads directly into the paragraph, and the exhaust air is discharged in this case via an air outlet in the paragraph to the environment. In this case, an outlet valve may be arranged in the heel. In FIG. 2 For the sake of clarity, the inlet valve 15 at the corresponding inlet opening 5 and the outlet valve 19, which is used here directly in the opening of the sole or the air outlet 9 of the sole, are only indicated. These valves 15 and 19 may be conventionally constructed valves known to those skilled in the art. The function of the inlet valve 15 is to allow the passage of air from the air inlet space 4 into the chamber 6 via the air inlet 5, when there is a negative pressure in the chamber 6 with respect to the space 4. The valve 15, however, blocks the flow of air from the chamber 6 back into the room 4, if in the chamber 6, the same or a higher air pressure prevails than in the space 4. The outlet valve 19 has the function, the air passage from the chamber 6 to the air outlet. 9 and thus allow the environment when in the chamber 6, an overpressure relative to the ambient pressure prevails. On the other hand, the valve 19 blocks the airway from the outlet 9 to the chamber 6 when in the chamber 6, a negative pressure relative to the ambient pressure outside the shoe prevails. In this way, allow the valves 15 and 19, the previously described air circulation and prevent another air flow. The valves are commercially available valves and are air and water tight in the closed position. They are preferably low noise, oil resistant and defined fireproof. Their color and shape can be chosen to match the shoe. As mentioned they can be combined with an adjustable or non-adjustable choke for the air outlet.

The chamber 6 is substantially completely filled with an elastically deformable material 16, which is designed such that it absorbs air when it expands elastically and releases compressed air when it is compressed. In FIG. 2 the material 16 is only partially shown to make the figure clearer. The chamber 6 is completely filled with the material 16, which means that the chamber has virtually no voids that are not filled. Of course, a slightly different from 100% filling deviating filling of the chamber 6 with the material also meet, for example, a filling to 90% or more than 90% but less than 100%. The elastically deformable material 16 may in particular be an open-cell plastic. The foams of the type V16 B21 or MR 6290 or V10 B21 of the company Metzeler Schaum GmbH, Memmingen, Germany are suitable as filling of the chamber 6 or the foam AstiTech® of the company Beil GmbH, Peine, Germany as well as the foam with the article no. 110190 of the company Schaumstoff Härti AG, Switzerland.

In FIG. 3 an embodiment is shown in which the elastic material is enclosed in an airtight sheath 17 which can be inserted into the chamber 6. The shell 17 is provided in this example with an inlet port 11, which forms the air inlet 5. The inlet valve, not shown here, can be arranged in the socket 11 or at its transition to the shell 17 in the shell. The sheath 17 is connected to the outlet 9 via a line 8 arranged here on the sheath 17. The line 8 can in the channel of the sole lower part of FIG. 2 be inserted. The outlet valve is then arranged for example in the outlet 9 or in the shell 17 at the transition from the shell to the line 8 or along the line 8. The advantage of the embodiment according to FIG. 3 lies in the fact that the chamber 6 is not in the sole itself needs to be made airtight because the shell 17 encloses the elastic material airtight. This is particularly advantageous when the sole has a construction which is designed for the sewn construction of the shoe. FIG. 4 shows an insole 3 of the shoe sole with openings or with the passages 2 in the forefoot area, which connect the shoe interior with the air inlet space 4. The openings 2 are formed by perforation holes, but can also be formed in other variants as slots or shaped differently.

The FIGS. 5 to 8 show in a similar representation a second embodiment of a sole or a shoe equipped therewith. Same reference numerals as before are used for identical or functionally identical elements. The difference to the first variant according to the FIGS. 1 to 4 is that in addition to the chamber 6 in the forefoot a second chamber 6 'is formed in the heel area with all necessary for their function elements such as additional insole openings 2', a second air inlet space 4 'in the heel area and inlet opening 5' and outlet opening 9 'or inlet - And outlet, when the elastic material is not introduced directly into the chamber 6 'in the heel area, but has been previously enclosed in an airtight envelope. In the embodiment shown, the air inlet chamber 4 'is upstream of the chamber 6'. In other variants, however, it could also be arranged laterally to or behind the chamber 6 '. Both chambers 6, 6 'could also be supplied via a single air chamber 4, which is not preferred. In addition, in contrast to the first variant, the outlet opening 9 is arranged laterally further forward and the second outlet opening 9 'is arranged at the rear in the heel region. The valves are not shown in the second variant but also available to determine the air circulation in the manner described above.

Thus, with the second embodiment variant, a ventilation cycle in the forefoot region and in the heel region is made possible and, in addition, a cushioning / spring effect is ensured in the front foot region D / F and in the heel region D '/ F'. The exhaust air A 'is discharged in analogy to the first embodiment of the heel area, wherein the flow direction is again indicated by arrows.

FIG. 7 shows analogously to FIG. 3 in that the elastic material can also be arranged in the heel region in an airtight sheath 17 '. Accordingly, the elements 5 ', 8' and 10 '(neck) with the same function as in FIG. 3 intended. It is indicated at 19 'that the valve for the air outlet at the end of the short line 8' can be arranged. FIG. 8 shows the additional openings 2 'in the sole upper part 3 for the air inlet into the chamber 4'.

Not shown is an additional throttle or additional throttling function of the respective outlet valve which is preferably provided for all variants of embodiment and which throttles the exit of air from the chamber during compression of the material in the chamber 6 (or possibly the chamber 6 ') by reducing the flow cross section slows down than the exhaust valve does. Thus, the damping effect by the elastic material, which can deliver the air contained in it through the throttle only slower increases, such a throttle allows, as mentioned, an individual adjustment of the damping to an individual body weight and / or individual preferences and / or on the shoe type. The throttle may be located anywhere between the elastic material and the outlet 9. It can form a structural unit with the outlet valve. The throttle can be adjustable or replaceable. Preferably, it is located at or in the outlet 9 (and / or optionally the outlet 9 '), so that it is easily accessible for the replacement / setting.

Claims (11)

1. A shoe sole (1) comprising a compressible chamber (6) containing a resiliently deformable material, with at least one inlet (5) and at least one outlet (8) and in each case an inlet valve (15) assigned to the inlet (5) and an outlet valve (19) assigned to the outlet (8), wherein the chamber is connected via the inlet valve and an air inlet space (4) to passages (2) opening on the upper face (13) of the shoe sole, and wherein the chamber (6) is connected via the outlet valve to an outlet (9) on the outer face of the shoe sole (1), outside the upper face (13) thereof, characterised in that the chamber (6) is arranged in the forefoot region of the shoe sole (1) and is substantially completely filled with the resiliently deformable material (16) which is designed such that during its resilient expansion it absorbs air and during its compression it releases the air which was previously absorbed and in that the air inlet space (4) is arranged in the forefoot region of the shoe sole (1) upstream of the chamber (6).
2. The shoe sole according to Claim 1, characterised in that said shoe sole comprises an insole (3) and an outsole (7), wherein the insole forms the upper face of the chamber and has passages (2) to the air inlet space (4).
3. The shoe sole according to one of Claims 1 or 2, wherein the resiliently deformable material (16) is an open cell foamed plastics.
4. The shoe sole according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the resiliently deformable material is arranged in an airtight sleeve (17) which has at least one inlet connection (10) and at least one outlet connection (8).
5. The shoe sole (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterised in that it is provided with a throttle assigned to the outlet (9).
6. The shoe sole according to Claim 5, characterised in that the throttle is an adjustable throttle or a throttle which is replaceably arranged in the shoe sole.
7. The shoe sole according to one of Claims 1 to 6, characterised in that in the heel region a second chamber (6') filled with resilient material of the same type is configured with an inlet valve and an outlet valve, said chamber being connected via the inlet valve to an air inlet space (4') which is in air connection via passages with the upper face of the sole.
8. The shoe sole (1) according to Claim 7, characterised in that the air inlet space (4') is arranged in the sole longitudinal direction upstream of the second chamber (6').
9. The shoe sole according to Claim 7, characterised in that the first chamber (6) and the second chamber (6') are not connected together.
10. A shoe comprising a shoe sole according to one of Claims 1 to 9.
11. The shoe according to Claim 10, characterised in that the shoe is configured with the sole in a design with the sole directly applied thereon, in particular with the sole injection-moulded thereon and in particular with the inner sole applied by a Strobel process, or in that the shoe is formed with the sole in a stitched design.

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