JP2008504857A - Dynamically adjustable shock absorbing shoes - Google Patents

Abstract

  A buffer configured to allow an item of wear, such as a shoe, to dynamically adjust the effect of the next impact on the item in operational use of the item under control of the strength of the previous impact Has a vessel.

Description

  The present invention is to be worn on or covers a part of a person's body, such as shoes, boots or other footwear, clothing such as trousers, overalls, etc., protective equipment such as gloves, etc. , Or wearware as defined herein to include items relating to the human body, such as saddles or seats. The invention relates in particular, but not exclusively, to athletic shoes.

  When running or jogging, a person's body is impacted each time his shoes hit the ground. The impact force depends, inter alia, on the ground surface conditions (eg concrete or cobbles), how to run, the physical condition of the runner and the amount of buffering or damping provided by the shoe sole. Impact forces while running can cause wear and in particular serious injury to the ankle or knee joint. Accordingly, the improvement in impact force damping has received considerable attention. Some examples are described below.

  U.S. Pat. No. 4,263,728, which is hereby incorporated by reference, describes an inflatable air chamber having a peg-like peg extending downwardly, and an interior of a hollow cavity communicating with the air chamber. The invention relates to a jogging shoe with adjustable shock absorption system for the impact surface of the heel in the form. When the jogging shoe hits the running surface, the peg pushes the compressed air contained in the peg cavity into the air chamber, and the air chamber exerts the impact force across the shoe sole. Disperse. After the peg is pushed down, the air chamber can also be partially compressed to absorb the remainder of the force. Thus, a two-stage shock absorption and distribution system is provided. The shock absorbing system needs to be expanded to the initial pressure of use. Typically, the initial pressure is less than 30 pounds per square inch and depends on the weight of the person using the shoe. The shoe needs to be used in this case to determine whether sufficient and comfortable shock absorption or shock distribution is achieved. If necessary, the amount of pressure in the shock absorbing system can be adjusted by an air valve. The air valve communicates with the air chamber to allow for adjustable expansion of the air chamber. This provides a jogging shoe with improved shock absorption or shock dispersion characteristics for the heel portion that is impacted. A second aspect of the shock absorbing system of the present invention is the air valve so that depending on the amount of shock absorption required in these environments, air or other compressible fluid may be in the air chamber. Can be injected into or removed from the air chamber. Therefore, the weight of the person jogging, the type of surface on which the person jogging is running, and to some extent the jogging shoe that first contacts the running surface for a particular jogger Or the size of the area of the jogging shoe—the jogging person's way of running can be accommodated.

  U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,645, incorporated herein by reference, relates to a shoe sole having a shoe sole plate having a fixed inflatable tube element on the side involved with the ground. The sole also includes an upstanding side support wall that defines a chamber or installation space that communicates with the tube element using an inflation opening. Arranged in the installation space are a valve housing, a small pump, and a connecting conduit connecting the pump to the expansion opening. The tube element is provided along the center and side edges of the shoe sole and in the heel region. In addition, the tube elements can be inflated separately from each other so that the tread characteristics of a shoe with the sole can be individually adjusted. The tube element further includes a longitudinal partition that divides the interior of the tube element into two air chambers, the two air chambers communicating with each other through at least one opening in the longitudinal partition. . This provides improved tread characteristics and increased stiffness of the tube element. A small piston pump is fixed in the heel area between two holding plates. The pump includes a controller for a valve arrangement that allows communication between a corresponding one of the four pressure connections to a cylinder in the pump housing, so that the pipe element portion and the pipe element are individually Can be inflated. The valve arrangement is associated with the individual pressure connections, specifically and intentionally, to prevent air leakage in the tube element and possibly allow air to escape out of the tube element. Includes a valve that can also be actuated.

  U.S. Pat. No. 6,535,691, incorporated herein by reference, relates to providing support to the foot of a person wearing a shoe with an air cushion that includes a support chamber surrounding a folding pump. The pump is operable to direct compressed air to the support chamber by the wearer's foot to change the stiffness of the chamber. The support chamber is a pre-formed three-dimensional configuration that is sufficiently rigid to provide stable support to the foot prior to receiving compressed air from the pump. The user can adjust the pressure of the compressed air in the support chamber to a desired level by operating a relief valve.

  Thus, the above example shows that shoes are known that provide adjustable shock absorbing properties using air pumps, air chambers and air valves.

  The present invention addresses, among other things, the issue of impact variability over time while a person is running as a result of changes in surface conditions. One of the objects of the present invention is to provide sufficient attenuation of such an impact even if the magnitude of the impact varies along the path along which the person moves.

  The present invention also contemplates scenarios other than running or jogging where it is desirable to use intermediate mediators to provide sufficient absorption of shock to a human body of varying size. Automobile drivers, truck drivers, motorcycle riders, bicycle riders, horse riders, high-speed motor boat riders, etc. are also exposed to the mechanical impact conveyed by transportation during operational use. receive. The magnitude and frequency of the impact depends, for example, on the speed, topography or water surface nature, the shock absorption quality of what is located between the person's body and the surface on which the person's car, ship or horse is moving. . For example, riding a motorcycle for a long time on the back road still feels that the rider's hips and palms function as shock absorbers. Rugged padded gloves and ergonomic saddles help the rider overcome the challenges. Weakening the car suspension is not the preferred solution. If the suspension is too weak, this not only adversely affects road holding quality, but also prevents the rider's (literally) trouser's hips from feeling what the vehicle is trying to do, and therefore Prevent user control. For completeness, an automatically adjustable suspension called the “Adaptive Damping System” is known from 1991 in certain Mercedes-Benz cars. The system adjusts the shock absorber stiffness to one of four settings, several times per second on each wheel, based on how the road surface and car are driven.

  The present invention generally considers items of wear. The item has a buffer configured to allow the effect of subsequent impact on the item to be dynamically adjusted in the operational use of the item. The effect is adjusted, for example, for the purpose of controllably decreasing the effect or increasing the effect controllably. The adjustment is dynamic because it occurs in operational use. That is, the user does not need to stop to make adjustments like the known items as described above. In one embodiment of the invention, the shock absorber is configured to communicate wirelessly with a user interface that allows a user of the item to adjust the effect based on user input. For example, the user may have a device with a user interface that communicates with the shock absorber via a radio frequency (RF) link to allow the user to adjust the effect during operational use of the item. / I can carry it with her. In another embodiment, the shock absorber is configured to adjust, e.g., weaken, the effect of the next impact under the control of a sensor that senses the value of a parameter representing a previous impact in operational use of the item. When providing a damping effect, an automatically and dynamically adjustable shock absorber makes it possible to take into account changing external conditions to best neutralize the impact. The sensor can be housed in the item itself, for example physically connected to or integrated with the shock absorber. Alternatively, the sensor is a separate component that is not physically connected to the item and communicates wirelessly with a shock absorber.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, the shock absorber is coupled to the air chamber, an air pump connected to the air chamber, a relief valve connected to the air chamber, and the air pressure in the chamber. A gauge for measuring an amount to be represented; and a controller coupled to at least one of the pump and the valve for controlling the air pressure under combined control of the sensor and the gauge. Preferably, the controller is (user) programmable and / or processes user input received from the user in operational use of the item, eg using the RF communication link described above. Configured.

  Accordingly, the present invention provides a grip for footwear, gloves and other clothing, seats, saddles, bicycle handlebars that dynamically and automatically adapt to reduce the impact of impact on the human body through wear. Etc. is to provide.

  The invention also relates to a means of transportation provided with ware that is involved in said human body in operational use. A particular embodiment of the invention is an athletic shoe.

  The invention will now be described in more detail by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  Throughout the figures, the same reference numerals indicate similar or corresponding features.

  As an example of application of the present invention, consider athletic shoes. Currently available athletic shoes support the runner by means of controlling the damping or stiffness properties of the sole. Typically this is accomplished by squeezing the air in the sole of the athletic shoe to adjust the damping quality and stiffness of the shoe. One of these techniques relates to the regulation of the air pressure in the room integrated with the sole, depending on the anticipated needs of the user, i.e. predetermined. Reference is made to some of the above examples. In order for this to work, special equipment is required and therefore higher costs are required. This type of technology is generally applied to special shoes such as in-line roller skates. Obviously, this is a one-time shoe adjustment that does not take into account changes in motion use such as the user's physical conditions, terrain conditions and running style. The impact force depends on the terrain condition (concrete, sand, cobblestone, snow, etc.), user condition (weight, joint and muscle condition, shoe size, etc.) and how the user runs (speed / acceleration, gait). Depends on shape, foot landing, etc.) Another known embodiment (see above) again requires the setting of a relief valve in advance to control the stiffness or damping quality of the shoe.

  In one embodiment of the invention, the shoe properties are improved by means of dynamically adapting the sole stiffness based on continuous or periodic measurements of the relevant parameters. Depending on the measurement of the impact force while walking or running, the air pressure of the sole is adapted to optimize the damping / stiffness of the sole. In this way, the shoes are automatically adapted to changes in terrain, user situation and running style.

  One aspect of the present invention is the adaptation of the shoe sole air pressure to dynamically control or adjust the shoe damping and stiffness. This can be accomplished using a mechanism that performs a method having the following steps. In the sensor part, relevant parameters (eg impact force) are measured. In the control part, the air pressure and / or changes in the air pressure per unit time are adjusted on the fly based on the measurement. The result is the creation of a specific quality of damping or stiffness in the shoe sole.

  One aspect of the present invention specifically focuses on the measurement of impact forces during operational use (eg walking or running) and adjusting the air pressure.

  As indicated above, a suitable shoe function is to adjust the damping / stiffness of the sole under the control of impact force measurements. This function is performed, for example, by a system having a measurement unit, a control unit, and a pneumatic unit, which will be described in more detail below:

  The measurement unit includes a sensor that measures an impact force when the shoe lands on the ground. The sensor is disposed, for example, on the heel of the shoe. The impact force depends on, for example, the specific terrain at the moment, the user situation, and how to run. The sensor can be active or passive using a separate power source (eg, a battery) or is preferably powered by the impact force itself. The measurement of the impact force in the previous step controls the desired damping / stiffness value of the sole for the next impact step.

  Based on the measured impact force, the air pressure in the main chamber is adjusted. The adjustment is preferably performed when the shoe leaves the ground. If the shoe is still on the ground, the damping / stiffness of the sole is not adjusted by the control mechanism of the present invention. The air pressure required during the next impact with the ground has been determined during the previous step. However, when the shoe leaves, the shoe sole air pressure can be changed depending on recent impact force measurements. This new damping / stiffness value is used during the next step or when the foot is actually on the ground during the next step. Again, a passive mode of controlling the air pressure should be preferred. Using the force involved during the time that the foot contacts the ground, the control unit is adjusted so that the shoe sole air pressure reaches the desired optimal value while the foot is flying. .

  The pneumatic unit is the main chamber where the air pressure is generated. Similar to the solutions already existing in the athletic shoe industry, an air chamber is introduced at the sole. This primary air chamber communicates with the control unit to change pressure when the foot is in the air and to maintain a regulated air pressure during contact with the ground.

  The following operational phases are identified: During a collision between the shoe and the ground, the measuring unit measures the impact force, for example the maximum value of the impact force. When the shoe is on the ground, the main chamber is not controlled and the control unit is ready for the next control action. When the shoe leaves, the pressure in the main chamber is changed. When the shoe next hits the ground, the main chamber is set to be controllable to attenuate this next impact, and during the next impact the measuring unit measures a new impact force. .

  The system can be regarded as a controlled system where the sample time is the pace time. The compressibility of the trapped air is used to provide a specific attenuation. Alternatively or additionally, damping is established by controlling the rate at which air is released from the chamber when absorbing the shock. During each step, the air pressure and / or the change in air pressure is controlled based on measurements during previous samples / steps.

  The above is described in more detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system 100 in the present invention, illustrating various functions. The system 100 has a wear item 102 with a shock absorber 104 configured to allow the effect of subsequent impact on the item 102 to be dynamically adjusted in the operational use of the item 102. The shock absorber 104 has an air chamber 106 that functions as an actual absorber of shock at the item 102. The shock absorber 104 also has an air pump 108 that increases the air pressure in the chamber 106 and a relief valve 110 that decreases the air pressure. The configuration of the pump 108 is known, for example, from the prior art described above. Valve 110 and pump 108 are controllable as described below and function to adjust the air pressure and air pressure changes per unit time to control shock absorbing characteristics of shock absorber 104. The magnitude of the change in air pressure per unit time during the impact, along with other factors, determines how much energy is absorbed and not transmitted to the user's body. The shock absorber 104 also has a gauge 112 that is coupled to the chamber 106 and that allows the air pressure in the chamber and a quantity representative of the change in air pressure to be measured. The shock absorber 104 further includes a sensor 114 that senses a value of a parameter that represents an impact on the item 102 in operational use of the item 102. The sensor 114 has, for example, one or more accelerometers. A controller 116, such as a microcontroller, coupled to the pump 108, valve 110, gauge 112 and sensor 114 is provided. Controller 116 controls pump 108 and valve 110 based on inputs from sensor 114 and gauge 112. Preferably, the controller 116 adjusts the effect of the next impact under the control of a sensor 114 that senses the value of the parameter representing the previous impact in the operational use of the item. This assumes that the intensity of the sequence of impacts changes gradually, so that the order of magnitude of the intensity of the next impact is sufficiently predictable.

  FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of the present invention in which the pump 108 and valve 110 are separate components. In other embodiments (not shown), they are physically and / or functionally integrated with each other to form, for example, a controllable bi-directional air pump.

  FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of the present invention in which the sensor 114 is housed in the shock absorber 104. In other embodiments of the present invention (not shown), the sensor 114 is provided outside the shock absorber 104 but within the item 102 or completely outside the item 102. For example, the sensor 114 is worn on the user's body of the item 102 and communicates with the controller 116 via RF. As an alternative, the sensor 114 may be a remote sensing system (not shown) that determines the impact intensity from a location remote from the item 102 and communicates the measured intensity to the controller 116 via an RF link. It is a component.

  The embodiment of FIG. 1 further illustrates pump 108 and valve 110, both of which are controllable by controller 116. In another embodiment (not shown), one of the pump 108 and valve 110 is controllable, the other in this case having a fixed setting. For example, if the pump 108 has a fixed setting, the controller 116 controls the valve 110 to allow air to escape in an amount that can be controlled at each impact.

  The embodiment of FIG. 1 shows a system 100 having a gauge 112. Other embodiments (not shown) do not have such a gauge 112 and the response of the shock absorber 104 to the next impact is automatically controlled by input from the sensor 114.

  The power to the controller 116 and the power to communicate signals from the gauge 112 and sensor 114 to the pump 108 and valve 110 is provided, for example, by one or more small batteries (not shown). The power to operate the pump 108 and / or valve 110 with settings determined by the controller 116 is derived from a small power source, such as a battery, or the shock itself. Regarding the latter, reference is made to the above prior art for other examples of mechanically operated pumps used in footwear.

  Preferably, the system 100 further comprises a user interface 118 that communicates wirelessly with the controller 116 of the shock absorber 104, eg, via an RF link. The user interface 118 includes a handheld small device worn, for example, as a tag or watch on the user's shirt or jacket, which allows the user to connect the pump 108 and / or valve 110. Allows to intervene in automatic and dynamic adjustment. The user interface has, for example, one or more keys or buttons so that the user can buffer the next impact against the automatically obtained settings determined by the gauge 112 and / or sensor 114. Commands or commands may be sent to the controller 116 to increase or decrease the 104 response. As an alternative, the user interface 118 is voice controlled so that voice commands such as “more” and “less” produce results similar to those with manually operated user interfaces. Such a wireless embodiment of the user interface 118 can be operated by someone other than the user of the item 102. For example, if the user is a competitive runner, he / she may use his / her to determine the best settings for pump 108 and / or valve 110 depending on the mentor monitoring the runner's ability. A leader may wish to control the user interface 118. In addition, the controller can communicate information regarding the output history from sensor 114 and the setting history of pump 108 and valve 110 to interface 118 or to other receivers for later analysis, for example. Analysis related to performance during practice may lead to programming or reprogramming controller 116 to fine tune the control of shock absorber 104 during competition.

  System 100 is shown as having a single air chamber 106, a single pump 108, a single valve 110, and a single controller 116. Depending on the particular field of application of the present invention, a configuration with multiple chambers at multiple advantageous locations within the wearer 102 may be considered. For example, consider pants or overalls worn by motorcycle riders as part of motorcycle clothing. When the present invention is coupled to the bottom of a motorcycle garment involving the motorcycle rider's saddle, multiple smaller chambers are single so that there is a spare when one chamber is leaking. Larger chambers may be preferred. Furthermore, the individual areas of the user's body may require individually controllable shock buffers, for example when the shock at the contact surface is not evenly distributed in space and time. In this case, preferably a plurality of chambers are provided that are individually controlled by either a single controller 116 or a plurality of controllers 116. Accordingly, each of the individual functions of FIG. 1 that function in combination to cushion the shock may be spatially distributed in the wear to best fit the purpose in the present invention. it can.

  FIG. 2 is an illustration of an item of footwear 200, here a running shoe for running or jogging, where the positions of the various components are indicated using reference numerals corresponding to the functions described below in FIG. . As is apparent from the above description, ski boots have components of the system 100 in areas that are somewhat different from those shown in the shoes 200 in order to take into account the specific impact loads that occur in downhill skiing. May need to be contained. Similar considerations apply, for example, to motocross boots or trekking boots.

  FIG. 3 is a back side view of a portion of a leather motorcycle overall 300. The overall 300 has a support belt 302 integrated between an upper portion 304 and a lower portion 306 having legs. The butt portion 308 of the overall 300 is involved in a motorcycle saddle (not shown) in the operational use of the overall 300. In this embodiment, the butt portion 308 includes a plurality of air chambers 310, 312, 314, and 316 that have functions similar to those described for chamber 106 below FIG. Components 318, 320, 322, and 324 indicate the position of each sensor, similar to sensor 114, each pump similar to pump 108, and each valve similar to valve 110. The controller 116 is disposed in the belt 302, for example. The user interface 118 is a portable unit that can be attached to and removed from the motorcycle handlebar in a position that can be easily controlled using, for example, a thumb switch.

  FIG. 4 shows a portion of a bicycle having a frame 402 with a saddle 404 attached. The cover of the saddle 404 includes air chambers 406, 408, and 410 in certain areas. Preferably, such saddles 404 and covers are customized to take into account the specific physique of the individual user so as to optimize the location of the chambers 406-410. In this example, there is a single sensor 114 that communicates in a wireless manner (RF or IR) with a controller 116 (not shown) housed under the saddle 404, eg, in the frame 412 of the saddle 404. An air pump (not shown) similar to the pump 108 and a valve (not shown) similar to the valve 110 are similarly mounted under the saddle 404, preferably via the bicycle wheel (not shown) and the frame 402. It is mechanically operated using the gravitational energy of the user's body when reacting to the impact transmitted. When the shock is sufficiently buffered, the user's body moves a shorter vertical distance between successive shocks and the available gravitational energy is less than when the body is severely impacted. Be careful.

It is a block diagram of the item of the wear in this invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram of a specific example of a wear item in the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram of a specific example of a wear item in the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram of a specific embodiment of an item of wear in the present invention.

Claims (15)

  In an item of wear, an item having a shock absorber configured to allow the effect of subsequent impact on the item to be dynamically adjusted in operational use of the item.   The item of claim 1, wherein the shock absorber is configured to communicate wirelessly with a user interface that allows a user of the item to dynamically adjust the effect based on user input.   The item of claim 1, wherein the shock absorber is configured to adjust the effect of the next impact under the control of a sensor that senses a value of a parameter representing a previous impact in operational use of the item.   The item of claim 3 containing the sensor.   The item of claim 3, configured for wireless communication between the sensor and the shock absorber.   The item of claim 1, comprising footwear. The shock absorber is functionally
An air chamber,
An air pump connected to the air chamber;
A relief valve connected to the air chamber;
A controller coupled to at least one of the pump and the valve to control settings of the pump and / or the valve under control of the sensor;
The item of claim 3, comprising:   The item of claim 7, wherein the controller is programmable or user programmable.   A shock absorber for use with an item of wear configured to allow adjustment of the effect of subsequent impact on the item in operational use of the item.   10. The shock absorber according to claim 9, configured to communicate wirelessly with a user interface that allows a user of the item to dynamically adjust the effect based on user input.   10. A shock absorber according to claim 9, wherein the shock absorber is configured to adjust the effect of the next impact under the control of a sensor that senses a value of a parameter representing a previous impact in operational use of the item.   The shock absorber of claim 11 configured to communicate wirelessly with the sensor.   The shock absorber according to claim 11, which houses the sensor.   10. The shock absorber according to claim 9, wherein the shock absorber is configured to communicate wirelessly with a user interface that allows a user of the item to control attenuation based on user input during operational use of the shock absorber. An air chamber,
An air pump connected to the air chamber;
A relief valve connected to the air chamber;
A controller coupled to at least one of the pump and the valve to control settings of the pump and / or the valve under control of the sensor;
The shock absorber according to claim 11, comprising:

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