JP2007167122A - Support ring for toe - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a support ring for the toe which enhances exercise effect by making a user care about the movement of the legs and concentrate on the legs during exercise and by achieving an appropriate posture. <P>SOLUTION: The support ring for the toe comprises a cylindrical ring body covering at least the root of the big toe and having an axial attaching hole that adheres to the big toe elastically, annular ribs formed integrally with the outer surfaces on both the ends of the ring body, and responding projections which are projected integrally on the outer surface of the ring body, deform elastically in response to contact between a footwear and the big toe, and transmit the stress of deformation to the attaching hole. The responding projections may have ring-like, spiral, projected or pillar-like forms, and responding projections having different forms may by used simultaneously. The attaching hole communicates with the outer air via penetrating holes. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a toe support ring that allows a user to be aware of the movement of the foot during exercise and enhance the exercise effect.

  In recent health booms, movements to increase exercise effects are prosperous. In order to enhance the exercise effect, it is necessary to secure the correct form first, not to force, and to make the limbs move without waste. In particular, the foot is an organ that continuously performs various basic movements such as supporting the body, walking, running, and stopping, but it is difficult for the general public to be aware of the movement of the foot by themselves during exercise.

  As described above, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 propose a support ring to be attached to a toe in order to increase the tension force with respect to a motion of a foot normally performed unconsciously. The toe grip disclosed in the former document is formed by connecting three elastic rings, and the fingers are separated by attaching each ring to the index finger, middle finger, and ring finger of the toes. As an independent state, you can kick the ground firmly. On the other hand, the rubber pad disclosed in the latter document is composed of a single elastic ring having a plurality of round protrusions and ring-shaped steps on the outer surface. Since it touches the part that touches the bottom, there is no slip between the thumb and the shoe sole where the greatest force is applied when running or kicking up, and you can run faster by transmitting the full stroking force to the ground That's it.

Utility Model Registration No. 3112553 JP 2000-175705 A

  Although the two prior arts described above are different in the operation principle, both of them are intended to improve the tension force. However, it is unclear whether the user has the effect of being aware of the movement of the foot by wearing.

  In addition, as a problem inherent to each of the conventional technologies, the former technology consisting of triple elastic rings means that the ring is located on all the crotch of the foot. There is a risk of pain in the finger crotch if it is worn for a long time. In addition, if the beans are formed or the beans are crushed by rubbing, the pain becomes severe and the subsequent exercise is hindered.

  On the other hand, the latter technique is to make the protrusions function as a hook with the sole like spike shoes, which means that the behavior is stabilized so that the toes do not swim in the footwear. It plays the role of transmitting the force of the toes to the footwear. Then, in order to effectively transmit the kinetic energy of the toes to the shoes, it can be said that the protrusions and the like are preferably not deformed as much as possible during the exercise. Therefore, if the protrusions are hard and difficult to be deformed, they can easily bite into the toes, and there is a risk that pain will occur after prolonged use. Furthermore, the larger the catching force, the lower the degree of adhesion between the ring and the thumb, and the more likely it will come off, and no consideration is given to measures for ventilation, and there is much room for improvement in terms of practical use. Met.

  The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and the purpose of the invention is to realize a proper posture by allowing the user himself / herself to be aware of the movement of the foot during exercise and concentrating the foot, Thus, it is to provide a toe support ring that can enhance the exercise effect.

  In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, a cylindrical ring body that covers at least the base of the toe of the foot and is provided with a mounting hole that can be elastically adhered to the thumb in the axial direction, and an opening of the ring body Annular ribs integrally formed on the outer surface, and projecting integrally on the outer surface of the ring body, elastically deforming according to the pressure contact between the footwear and the thumb, and transmitting the stress at the time of deformation to the mounting hole The support ring for toes was constructed from the sensitive projections. Here, the ring main body includes a pipe shape with both ends opened through the mounting hole, or a finger sac shape in which only the base side of the thumb is opened and the fingertip side is closed.

  In the above-mentioned means, the mounting hole of the ring main body is in close contact with the thumb with an appropriate feeling of tightening due to the elastic expansion and contraction force when mounted on the thumb of the foot. At this time, since the mounting hole is in full contact with the thumb, a large contact area with the thumb is secured, and the frictional resistance with the thumb is increased. In addition to this, the annular rib provided on the outer surface of the opening at both ends of the ring body is formed thicker than the other parts, and the compression force in the center direction by the footwear increases when wearing, thereby tightening the opening. Increase the force. That is, the support ring of the present invention can be firmly fixed to the thumb by synergistically acting the elastic adhesion force and frictional resistance force by the ring body described above and the tightening force of the opening portion by the annular rib, and during the movement It is difficult for deviation to occur.

  The sensitive protrusion is elastically deformed so that the tip contact angle with the footwear changes according to the movement of the thumb, such as refraction of the first and second joints and displacement to the left and right, and the stress due to this elastic deformation passes through the ring body. Is transmitted to the mounting hole. Since the direction and force of the frictional resistance between the mounting hole and the thumb change during the transmission of the stress, the user can feel this change as an active tactile sensation. In this respect, the ring main body can be paraphrased as functioning as pseudo skin between the thumb and the footwear in the wearing range. Further, if any movement of the thumb occurs, elastic deformation of the sensitive protrusion always occurs, so that the consciousness concentration on the user's foot can be maintained for a long time.

  On the other hand, the above-mentioned annular rib also has elasticity, and the tip contact angle with the footwear changes according to the movement of the thumb. The buffer function for reducing the load is also common to the sensitive protrusion.

  Next, the means of the present invention regarding the specific shape of the sensitive protrusion will be listed. One of them is a ring shape, and the ring tip is in line contact with the footwear regardless of whether it is concentric or non-concentric with the ring body. The specific structure of the ring-shaped sensitive protrusion includes a circular arc, an ellipse, an elliptic arc, and the like in addition to a circle. The other one is spiral, and this also acts as a tentacle for the above-mentioned sensitive function with respect to the thumb, with the tip ridge line portion in line contact with the footwear. The other is formed in the shape of a protrusion, and specifically has a three-dimensional shape such as a rod-shaped, pointed mountain-shaped, dome-shaped, conical, triangular pyramid, etc. that can make point contact with footwear. Can be mentioned. The other is that the tip is not an acute angle, but it is formed in a columnar shape having a flat surface that can come into contact with the footwear even though it is minute. Specific examples of the structure include a cylinder, a prism, a truncated cone, etc. There is.

  Here, the characteristics of the sensitive protrusion are slightly different depending on the difference in shape. In other words, the ring-shaped or spiral-shaped items have a relatively large contact area because they are in line contact with the footwear, and are highly sensitive to the movement of the thumb, but are most sensitive to the movement perpendicular to the contacting line. As the direction of becomes closer to the contact line, the sensitivity decreases. On the other hand, if the sensitive projection is a protrusion, it makes point contact with the footwear, so the absolute sensitivity is low because the contact area is small, but the same sensitivity is shown for any angle of movement. . However, in the case of a projecting sensitive projection, the overall sensitivity can be increased by providing a plurality of projections on the ring body. On the other hand, when the sensitive protrusion has a columnar shape, the tip is in contact with the footwear on the surface, and thus has a characteristic that compromises line contact and point contact. In other words, in the case of a columnar shape, a uniform sensitivity is shown for any angle of movement while ensuring a certain level of sensitivity with an appropriate contact area.

  The present invention includes a plurality of sensitive protrusions on the ring main body as described above. If the number of sensitive protrusions increases, the number of tentacles increases accordingly, so that stimulation to the thumb becomes dense. More specifically, the present invention also includes providing two or more of the same kind or different kinds of one ring body at the same time. Further, the present invention includes the simultaneous provision of the different types of sensitive projections by any combination of ring shape, protrusion shape, ring shape, column shape, ring shape, protrusion shape, column shape, protrusion shape, and columnar ring shape.

  In particular, when a plurality of projecting or columnar sensitive projections are provided, the present invention selectively uses a means of connecting adjacent projecting or columnar sensitive projections by a ridge provided on the ring body. . When elastic deformation occurs in any of the sensitive protrusions by connecting the protruding or columnar sensitive protrusions, the connected sensitive protrusions are also elastically deformed in a chain, and even a slight change can be applied to the thumb. Can communicate. Moreover, the connection increases the durability of the sensitive protrusion, and also enhances the aesthetics of the ring as a design.

  By the way, as mentioned above, since the mounting hole is in close contact with the thumb as a whole, it is conceivable that the thumb is swollen in the mounting range. This stuffiness may cause discomfort to the user, weaken the frictional resistance between the thumb and the mounting hole, and cause ring misalignment. If the ring is misaligned, it can cause legumes. Therefore, in the present invention, the stuffiness at the time of mounting is reduced as much as possible by communicating the mounting hole with the outside air through the through hole. In addition, in order to improve air permeability, a through hole may be provided in the sensitive protrusion. However, since the sensitive protrusion comes into contact with the footwear, the air permeability of the through hole provided in the sensitive protrusion may be hindered. Further, if the number of through holes is increased, it is conceivable that the contact area of the mounting hole with the thumb is reduced and deviation is likely to occur. Therefore, in the present invention, a through hole may be provided in the upper half of the ring body, and a sensitive protrusion may be provided in the lower half of the ring body.

  Furthermore, the ring main body may be asymmetrical in that the base side opening is an oblique cut structure from the base of the thumb toward the crotch with the index finger. In addition, the cut structure here means that the base side opening is inclined and formed with respect to the shaft of the mounting hole, and means that the cut structure is necessarily formed through a cutting process at the time of manufacture. It is not a thing.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the outer surface of the ring body is elastically deformed in accordance with the movement of the thumb while the tip is in contact with the footwear, and the sensitive protrusion capable of transmitting the stress at the time of deformation to the mounting hole. Because the movement part (direction and size) acting on the thumb is sensed by the elastic deformation of the sensitive protrusion, the user himself can sense the movement (direction and size) acting on the thumb. Therefore, based on this, it becomes possible for the user to correct his / her posture during exercise and to adjust his / her stepping, so that the exercise effect can be enhanced. In addition, since an annular rib is provided on the outer surface of the opening of the ring body, the tightening force of the opening is increased by the elastic force, so that the displacement of the ring body can be prevented more reliably and the finger can be moved as in the prior art. Thus, it is possible to continuously improve the feeling of wearing. Further, since the stuffiness of the mounting hole is reduced by the outside air communication through the through hole, it is possible to reduce the ring misalignment and the uncomfortable feeling due to the stuffiness. In particular, in the case where through holes are also provided in the sensitive protrusions, the number of through holes is increased, so that the air permeability is increased accordingly. On the other hand, if a through hole is provided in the upper half of the ring body and a sensitive protrusion is provided in the lower half, a constant air permeability can be obtained while preventing a decrease in the adhesion of the mounting hole due to an increase in the through hole. In addition, since the sensitive protrusion is provided on the grounding side where foot pressure is applied, it is suitable as a configuration particularly during intense exercise. Furthermore, since the support ring of the present invention is only attached to the thumb, which is necessary for operations such as stepping and kicking up, of the toes, it does not hurt the crotch of the fingers as in the prior art. In addition, if the base side opening of the ring body has an oblique cut structure from the base of the thumb toward the crotch with the index finger, the base side opening covers the base of the thumb and matches the structure of the foot Therefore, it is possible to provide a support ring that is more practical than conventional techniques, such as having a good fit and preventing scratching with the index finger and its crotch.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment. In the figure, 1 is a pipe-shaped ring body having an attachment hole 1a extending in the axial direction and opened at both ends, and 2 is an outer surface of the ring body 1. This is a low-profile, column-shaped sensitive protrusion. The ring main body 1 is molded from a material having elasticity such as silicon rubber, and the sensitive protrusion 2 is formed integrally with the ring main body 1 by the same material. In the case of this first embodiment, three sensitive protrusions 2 are provided in the upper half of the ring body 1 in the circumferential direction, and two rows are provided in the axial direction. The same arrangement configuration is used for. In addition, the adjacent sensitive protrusions 2 adjacent to each other in the upper half and the lower half are connected to each other by an arc-shaped protruding ridge 3 protruding in the circumferential direction. On the other hand, 4 is an annular rib provided on the outer surface of the opening at both ends of the ring body 1 by the same integral molding. Further, 5 is a through hole that communicates the mounting hole 1a with the outside air. The through hole 5 is also formed in the columnar sensitive portion 2.

  The toe support ring configured as described above is used by inserting the toe into the mounting hole 1a and wearing socks as appropriate, and then wearing footwear such as shoes. When mounting, the base side opening of the ring main body 1 reaches the joint at the base of the thumb. In contrast, the opening at the other end of the ring body 1 is not particularly limited, and the length of the ring body 1 can be set freely, but it is preferable to set the length so as to cover the first joint of the thumb. . This is because the movement of both the base joint of the thumb and the first joint can be covered during exercise. Specifically, the ring body 1 is set to a length of 15 to 45 mm, but a length exceeding this range is not excluded from the present invention. The mounting hole 1a is also preferably set with an upper limit of 20 mm in diameter, but the numerical value is not limited to the above range as long as at least the thumb is not congested.

  Next, FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment. In the figure, 11 is a pipe-shaped ring main body that is provided with a mounting hole 11a extending in the axial direction and is open at both ends. , 13 is another projection-like sensitive protrusion provided on the outer surface of the ring body 11. Reference numeral 14 denotes a thick annular rib that reinforces the tightening force of the opening portions at both ends of the ring main body 11. The ring-shaped sensitive protrusions 12 are provided in two axial directions, and a plurality of protrusion-shaped sensitive protrusions 13 are provided on the outer surface of the ring body 11 between the ring-shaped sensitive protrusions 12 and the annular rib 14 in the circumferential direction. Provided. Further, 15 is a through hole, and a plurality of through holes are provided in the circumferential direction between the projecting sensitive projections 13. In addition, about the whole material, the ring main body 11 and the sensitive protrusions 12 and 13 and the annular rib 14 are integrally formed, the length of the ring main body 11, the diameter of the mounting hole 11a, and the mounting and using method of the present ring. Is the same as in the first embodiment described above.

  Next, FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment. In the outer surface of the pipe-shaped ring main body 21 with the mounting holes 21a penetrating in the axial direction and opened at both ends, the annular openings are formed at both end openings. In addition to providing the ribs 22 and 22, a spiral sensitive protrusion 23 is provided between the annular ribs 22 and 22, and a plurality of through holes are provided in the concave portion of the ring body 21 formed with the sensitive protrusion 23 as a protrusion. 24 is formed. The material, the ring main body 21, the sensitive projection 23 and the annular rib 22 are integrally formed, the length of the ring main body 21, the diameter of the mounting hole 21a, and the mounting / use method of this ring are described above. This is the same as the first embodiment.

  In the above-described three embodiments, the ring body is formed in the shape of a normal pipe that is bilaterally symmetrical, with the opening surface of the opening at both ends orthogonal to the axis of the mounting hole. On the other hand, in the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the base side opening 31 of the ring body 30 is cut obliquely from the base of the thumb toward the crotch with the index finger. 32 is an annular rib provided on the outer surface of the opening at both ends. According to the cut structure, the length of the ring main body 30 on the index finger side (in the drawing, near side) is set to be longer than the side surface side (in the drawing, back side) of the foot. It is possible to reduce the contact range with the index finger side while securing the base large enough to cover the base. Therefore, the fitting feeling is improved as a structure matching the foot structure, and the side surface of the index finger and the crotch with the thumb are not rubbed by the ring body 30 and the annular rib 32.

  Furthermore, in the fourth embodiment, a plurality of through holes 33 as vent holes reaching the mounting hole are provided in the upper half of the ring main body 30, and a plurality of sensitive protrusions 34 are provided in the lower half of the ring main body 30. Accordingly, the lower half of the ring body 30 is in close contact with the thumb on the entire surface to maintain the mounting force, and a certain air permeability is obtained by the through hole 33 provided in the upper half. Further, since the sensitive protrusion 34 is provided on the ground contact side where the foot pressure of the ring body 30 is applied, the movement of the foot can be recognized more accurately.

  The cut structure of the base side opening 31 is not limited to a straight line, but may be a curved line. Also, the opening on the fingertip side may have the same cut structure. In addition, although the right foot support ring is shown in FIG. 4, it goes without saying that the left foot support ring is formed symmetrically.

1 is a perspective view of a toe support ring according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The perspective view of the toe support ring which concerns on 2nd embodiment of this invention. The perspective view of the toe support ring which concerns on 3rd embodiment of this invention. The perspective view of the toe support ring which concerns on 4th embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1, 11, 21, 30 Ring body 1 a, 11 a, 21 a Mounting hole 2, 12, 13, 23, 34 Sensitive protrusion 3 Projection 4, 14, 22, 32 Annular rib 5, 15, 24, 33 Through hole

Claims (11)

A cylindrical ring body that covers at least the base of the big toe and is provided with a mounting hole that can be elastically adhered to the thumb in the axial direction; an annular rib integrally formed on the outer surface of the opening of the ring body; A projecting protrusion integrally formed on the outer surface of the ring main body, and elastically deforming according to the pressure contact between the footwear and the thumb, and comprising a sensitive protrusion capable of transmitting the stress at the time of deformation to the mounting hole. Toe support ring. The toe support ring according to claim 1, wherein the sensitive protrusion is formed in a ring shape that can be in line contact with the footwear. The toe support ring according to claim 1, wherein the sensitive protrusion is formed in a spiral shape that can come into line contact with the footwear. The toe support ring according to claim 1, wherein the sensitive protrusion is formed in a protrusion shape capable of point contact with the footwear. The toe support ring according to claim 1, wherein the sensitive protrusion is formed in a columnar shape capable of being in surface contact with the footwear. A toe support ring comprising a combination of the sensitive protrusions according to claim 2. 7. The foot according to claim 4, 5 or 6, wherein when a plurality of projecting or columnar sensitive projections are provided, adjacent projecting or columnar sensitive projections are connected by a ridge provided on the ring body. Finger support ring. The toe support ring according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a through hole reaching the mounting hole is provided in the ring body. The toe support ring according to claim 8, further comprising a through hole provided in the sensitive protrusion. The toe support ring according to claim 8, wherein the through hole is provided in the upper half of the ring body, and the sensitive protrusion is provided in the lower half of the ring body. The toe support ring according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the ring main body has an oblique cut structure in which a base side opening portion extends from a base of a thumb toward a crotch with an index finger.

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