GB2386538A

GB2386538A - Ventilated shoe

Info

Publication number: GB2386538A
Application number: GB0206753A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Chien-I Wu
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-03-22
Filing date: 2002-03-22
Publication date: 2003-09-24
Also published as: US20030188451A1; GB0206753D0; DE20206885U1

Abstract

A ventilation shoe has a sole 2 and a pad 3 placed on top of the sole and provided with through holes 31. The sole defines therein a chamber 1 in a rear portion thereof, at least one bore 21 in a side face defining the chamber so as to communicate with the chamber, at least one passage 11,12 and trenches 13 in a front portion thereof to communicate with the chamber by means of the at least one passage. A pouch 4 is received in the chamber and has at least one inlet 41,41' communicating with the at least one bore 21 and at least one outlet 42,42' communicating with the at least one passage. The at least one inlet has a first unidirectional valve (43; fig.3) and the at least one outlet has a second unidirectional valve (43'). Thereby air is circulated in the sole.

Description

r VENTILATION SHOE

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a shoe, and more particularly to a ventilation 5 shoe. The shoe has a resilient pouch received in the sole and having two inlets and two outlets respectively communicating with the air. Each inlet has a unidirectional valve and each outlet has a unidirectional valve such that air inside the shoe is able to circulate with the air outside the air.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

10 A conventional shoe normally encloses the toes and ankle of the user for protection. However this kind of shoe after worn for a long time causes athlete's foot. That is, the conventional shoe design is not able to circulate the air inside and outside the shoe and the stuffy air mixed with the moisture from the foot of the user becomes the perfect incubation bed for fungus. To overcome the shortcoming, 15 a ventilation shoe with a pouch is invented. When the user walks on a surface, the weight of the user presses the pouch so as to reach air circulation inside and outside the air. However, the pouch is provided outside the heel of the shoe so that the user will have to deliberately press the pouch, which causes the user to walk in a very awkward manner. Another invention has a pouch with a single inlet, which 20 cause insufficient air circulation. Related inventions are, for example, Taiwan Patent No. 437305 (A) patent, 285843 (B) patent and CN Publication No. 97204488.4 (C) .

The A patent discloses a shoe with a first pouch received in a rear section of the shoe and having a hollow cylinder and a second pouch received in a front

section of the shoe to communicate with the first pouch by air ducts. When the hollow cylinder is pressed by the weight of the user, air is transferred from the first pouch to the first pouch from the air ducts so that air is circulated. However, after a long period of time using the first pouch, the fatigue of the first pouch causes air 5 circulation failure.

B patent has an air chamber defined in a rear portion of the sole and outlets defined in a front portion of the sole to communicate with the air chamber by air ducts. When the air camber is pressed due to the weight of the user on the air chamber, air is transferred to the front portion and emitted to the inside of the shoe, 10 which accomplishes the object of air circulation. However, when the user is walking on a surface, the entire weight of the user does not fall on the air chamber completely so that the air quantity transferred to the front portion of the shoe is minimum and thus the effect of air circulation is minimum.

C publication has a major drawback, which uses a steel plate mounted on top 15 of the sole. The object of the steel plate is to allow the weight of the user to press the spring in rear portion of the shoe, which violates totally the ergonomic comfort of shoe design.

To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention intends to provide an improved ventilation shoe to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.

20 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the invention is to provide a shoe with a pouch received in the heel of the shoe and having two inlets defined to communicate with the air and two outlets communicating with the two inlets, such that when the pouch is pressed, air is able to be forced to move to the front portion of the shoe

and emitted evenly in the shoe.

Another objective of the invention is to provide a ventilation shoe, wherein a unidirectional valve is provided to each of the inlets and the outlets, such that air can only pass through the inlets and enter the inside of the pouch and air can only 5 pass through the outlets and expelled out of the shoe.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction

with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

10 Fig. I is an exploded perspective view of the ventilation shoe of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a schematic side view showing the air flow inside the ventilation shoe of the present invention; and .. Fig. 3 is a top view of the pouch in accordance with the present invention.

15 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to Fig. 1, the ventilation shoe constructed in accordance with the present invention is provided with a pouch 4 received in a chamber I defined in a heel of a sole 2 and a pad 3.

The sole 2 has two oppositely defined bores 21 defined in a side face defining 20 the chamber I so as to communicate the chamber 1 to the air, a first and a second passages 11, 12 defined in a top face of the sole 2 to communicate with the chamber 1 and irregularly defined trenches 13 distributed in a front portion of the sole to communicate with the first and second passages 11, 1 2.

The pouch 4 is hollow and is made of a resilient material. The pouch 4 has

two inlets 41,41' and two outlets 42, 42'. Each inlet 41, 41' has a first unidirectional valve 43 and each outlet 42, 42' has a second unidirectional 43', as shown in Fig. 3.

With reference to Figs. 2 and 3, when the pouch 4 of the present invention is received in the chamber 1 and the pad 3 with multiple through holes 31 defined therethrough is placed on top of the sole 2, a press on the pouch 4 will force the air inside the pouch 4 out of the pouch 4 from the outlets 42, 42'. The air will then travel through the first and second passages 11, 12 and distributed to the trenches 13. Because of the communication between the trenches 13 and the through holes 10 31, the air is able to flow through the through holes 31 and an objective of air circulation inside the shoe is accomplished.

It is to be noted especially from Fig. 3 that the first unidirectional valve 43 in the inlets 41 allows air to be pumped in the pouch 4 after the pouch 4 is pressed and the second unidirectional valve 43' in the outlets 42 allows the air in the pouch 15 4 to flow further into the front portion of the sole 2. When the air is forced to the front portion of the sole 2, the air is distributed to the trenches 13 and therefore to the through holes 31 in the pad 3. Accordingly, the user feels a fresh air flowing to the feet everytime the user presses the pouch 4.

It is to be noted from the foregoing description that the present invention

20 provides fresh air to the user every time the user walks. Therefore, disease such as athlete's foot is prevented.

Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the

structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and

changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

!;

Claims

What is claimed is: I 1. In a shoe having a sole and a pad placed on top of the sole and provided with 2 through holes, wherein the improvements comprise: the sole defining therein a 3 chamber in a rear portion thereof, at least one bore in a side face defining the 4 chamber so as to communicate with the chamber, at least one passage and S trenches in a front portion thereof to communicate with the chamber by means of 6 the at least one passage; 7 a pouch received in the chamber and having at least one inlet 8 communicating with the at least one bore and at least one outlet communicating 9 with the at least one passage, lO the trenches being so configured that a communication exists between the I l through hoes of the pad and the trenches, 12 the at least one inlet having a first unidirectional valve which allows air to 13 be pumped in the pouch and the at least one outlet having a second unidirectional 14 valve which allows air in the pouch to be pumped to the at least one passage and 15 therefore the trenches, 16 thereby air is circulated in the sole.

1

2. The shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein there are two bores oppositely defined in 2 the side face defining the chamber and two inlets each communicating with a

3 corresponding one of the bores.

l 3. The shoe as claimed in claim 2, wherein there are two outlets in the pouch and 2 two passages each communicating with a corresponding one of the outlets.

4. A shoe constructed and arranged substantially as described in relation to Figs. 1-3 of the accompanying drawings.

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