JP6298880B2 - Insole - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a shoe insole that extends over at least the forefoot region of the sole, preferably over the entire foot region. The insole has a spring steel plate and a synthetic resin layer in which the spring steel plate is disposed. The spring steel plate has rigidity in the lateral direction of the sole, particularly in an area where the sole is rolled, and has flexibility in the vertical direction in the vertical direction and elastically recovers after applying a load. . The spring steel plate has a cross-sectional profile that extends substantially over the sole region, preferably perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

  This type of insole is known in EP-A 373 336 A1 and EP-A 1 189 527 A1.

  Such insoles provide greater comfort when wearing shoes because they are more stable than conventional soles. Furthermore, since the spring characteristics and the spring restoration characteristics of the metal material have a beneficial effect on the comfort of the wearer when walking, the sense of walking is improved by the high spring tension of the insole spring steel.

  However, such a spring steel material has the disadvantage that its shock absorption properties are limited. That is, the energy imparted to the spring steel material by the falling weight component is absorbed only by this type of metal plate, and the remaining energy is propagated as a weight rebound component by the elasticity of the metal plate. The

  Propagation to such insoles in shoes means the following. That is, the shoe wearer's shoes rebound during walking, and the energy of the rebound propagates to the wearer's feet and is absorbed there.

  When the impact absorption test according to ASTM F 1976 is performed, according to the impact measurement in the toe root region and the heel region with respect to the spring steel insole described in European Patent Application Publication No. 373 336, the energy applied to the metal material is The finger root region and the heel region are absorbed by approximately 61% and approximately 60%, respectively, and the remaining energy is returned to the weight bounce component.

  Therefore, there is a need for an insole with improved shock absorption properties compared to the metal spring steel insole described in EP 373 336 A1.

  In order to improve shock absorption performance, gel insoles for shoes have been proposed. This type of insole for shoes is shown, for example, in German publication “Synthetic resin material” No. 8 (2005), pages 56-58. Other insoles made from gel are described in German Utility Model No. 20 2005 005011U1, US Patent Application Publication No. 2012 / 0023776A1, International Publication No. 2007 / 092091A2. .

  Unlike foamed plastic, the gel material is not only compressed when pressure is applied, but also elastically deforms three-dimensionally while it is crushed in the lateral direction. When the load is removed, it is restored again by the memory effect. Have. Specifically, a portion of the gel polymer is a pseudo fluid that can flow through the remaining gel matrix. The polymer is partially chemically bonded, and is partly physically held in the matrix in a very complex equilibrium process, and is deformed by deformation of the matrix when a compressive load is applied. This deformation is performed approximately reversibly, and when a load is applied, the kinetic energy transmitted by the impactor is received and absorbed.

  In a test similar to the above, the impact absorbing properties of an insole made only from a gel material are not significantly improved compared to a metal only insole. That is, in the above test, the gel insole absorbs approximately 65% and approximately 63% of the input energy in the toe root region and the heel region, respectively.

  Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an insole of the type described above with improved shock absorption.

  The object is achieved by the features of claim 1.

  Surprisingly, according to the present invention, the shock absorption characteristics of a joint type insole constructed by embedding a spring steel insole in the gel layer, ie by completely covering the metal layer with the gel, It was found to increase to 73.8% in the region and 76.1% in the heel region.

  This fact could not be predicted by a person skilled in the art who had expected to be 61 to 63% at most in the toe root region and the heel region even when combined as described above.

  In order to produce a flexible solid gel, polyurethane components such as those described in EP 57 838 A1 and EP 511 570 A1 can be used. In this case, two components are used, specifically an isocyanate component and a polyol component. These two components are usually mixed in a one-shot method and processed in a pot life.

Preferably, the polyurethane gel is made from a prepolymer. In the prepolymer, the product of the isocyanate functionality and the functionality of the polyol component is at least 5.2, preferably at least 6.5. Based on the weight ratio, this ratio is preferably 1: 6.5 to 1: 8. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the polyol component for producing the gel comprises the following mixture. That is,
(A) one or more polyols having a hydroxyl value less than 112;
(B) one or more polyols having a hydroxyl value in the range of 112-600.
Here, the weight ratio of component a to component b is between 90:10 and 10:90, the isocyanate index of the reaction mixture is 15 to 59.81, the isocyanate functionality and the polyol component The product with functionality is at least 6.15.

In another preferred embodiment, the raw materials for making the gel include: That is,
(A) one or more polyisocyanates;
(B) a polyol component comprising one or more polyols (b1) having a hydroxyl value smaller than 112 and one or more polyols (b2) having a hydroxyl value in the range of 12 to 600;
And optionally (c) a catalyst for the reaction of an isocyanate group with a hydroxyl group,
(D) additives and / or additives known from polyurethane chemistry;
Have The weight ratio of component (b1) to component (b2) is between 90:10 to 10:90, the isocyanate index of the reaction mixture is 15 to 59.81, the isocyanate functionality and the functionality of the polyol component Product of at least 6.15.

  In yet another embodiment, the polyol component comprises one or more polyols having a molecular weight of 1000-12000 and an OH number of 20-112. The product of functionality of the polyurethane-forming component is at least 5.2 and the isocyanate index is 15-60.

  In the production of the gel, preferably an isocyanate of formula Q (NCO) n is used. The letter n is 2-4 and Q is an aliphatic hydrocarbon radical having 8-18 C atoms or an alicyclic hydrocarbon radical having 4-15 C atoms or an aromatic having 8-15 C atoms. Group hydrocarbon radical. The isocyanate may be a pure product or a modified isocyanate.

  The gel compound may further comprise additives and / or additives known from polyurethane chemistry in a total amount of up to 50% by weight, based on the total weight of the gel compound.

  As described above, in a preferred embodiment, the weight ratio of polyisocyanate component to polyol component is 1: 6.5 to 1: 8. When the weight ratio is increased, a flexible elastic solid gel is obtained. Thus, increasing the weight ratio reduces Shore hardness 00 (measured according to ASTM D 2240) from approximately 80 to approximately 35 at room temperature.

  The Shore hardness 00 value according to the present invention is in the range of 45-70 at room temperature, in particular 52-64. The Shore hardness 00 value is determined according to ASTM D 2240.

  In the method for producing a gel according to the present invention, the isocyanate component and the polyol component are mixed by a one-shot method, and the obtained mixture is processed within a pot life (usually 5 to 15 minutes) and must be poured into a mold. Don't be.

  The mixing ratio of the polyisocyanate component and the polyol component depends on the required gel hardness. In this case, it is necessary to consider the structure of the material and, if added, the added catalyst. The catalyst has the effect of increasing the hardness value of the gel. Ultimately, those skilled in the art will experimentally determine the mixing ratio and mixing parameters to achieve the desired hardness value of the gel.

  An integrated insole manufactured from a gel and a metal plate is manufactured by a conventional casting method using a mold, such as used in gel manufacturing. The composite material formed in the insole according to the present invention has improved elastic and absorbent properties when compared to separate materials. As a result, in the insole according to the present invention, the impact absorption characteristics are improved.

  Preferably, the insole made of gel and metal plate has an outer cover layer which is impermeable to the polyurethane gel on at least one side.

  This type of cover layer can be formed from film, leather, imitation leather or fiber material (for example, a microfiber material that is impervious to PU gel). Preferably, leather or imitation leather synthetic resin material is used as the cover material. In this case, the purpose of the cover layer not only assists the comfort of the shoe wearer, but also assists the stability of the gel surface when acting on the sole of the foot during use.

An integrated type gel / metal plate insole manufacturing method according to the present invention includes a casting method. In the first embodiment, the following steps are performed.
(A) During the pot life, a liquid first part, a gel compound that has not yet been completely cured, is poured into the mold to form a first gel layer with the upper side having normal adhesive properties.
(B) A metal plate is placed on the first gel layer and pressed into the gel layer with light pressure.
(C) After applying the metal plate, a second gel layer is applied to the metal plate in the mold.
As an optional step:
(D) The cover layer is placed on the second gel layer that is still sticky, or in the second embodiment, the cover layer is placed before introducing the first gel layer. Insert into the mold and introduce the gel compound for the first gel layer into the mold.

  In another embodiment of the manufacturing method, the metal plate is placed in a mold so that both an upper gel layer and a lower gel layer can be formed. After the metal plate is placed in the mold, the gel is introduced continuously into the mold by air displacement or air is evacuated and introduced into the mold. Then, a molded product is formed at that position.

  The insole according to the present invention is a shoe sole manufactured from spring steel and gel. The sole is usually inserted into the shoe as an independent supporting sole. Alternatively, this insole may be used as an inner shoe sole if the edges are appropriately formed.

  Spring steel soles are used as inlays in the gel layer and are flexible in the longitudinal direction and rigid in the lateral direction. Usually, it exhibits a cushioning action on the toe root region. Furthermore, the action of rolling the foot is supported by a cross-sectional profile or a corrugated profile.

  In the first embodiment, the supporting insole covers only the fingertip region on the front side, but in the second embodiment, the entire foot including the front region and the heel region is covered. In this case, the insole is anatomically adapted according to the shape of the shoe or the shape of the foot. That is, it can be obtained in sizes corresponding to various shoe sizes. The cross-sectional profile may extend in both the forefoot region and the heel region. In this case, the cross-sectional profile preferably extends in the form of a sine wave. The total height is 0.5 to 2 mm, preferably about 1.3 to 1.6 mm. The wavelength is preferably 3 to 5 mm, preferably 7 to 12 mm, and particularly about 10 mm.

  The cross-sectional profile preferably extends at a first angle relative to the longitudinal direction of the shoe sole, at least in the forefoot region. The first angle is in particular 70 ° to 90 °, preferably 75 ° to 80 °. The cross-sectional profile may also extend at the above angle in the heel region.

  In order to support the action of naturally rolling the sole, the wave shape may extend at a second angle different from the first angle in the rear foot region (heel region). In this case, the second angle is preferably 90 ° to 110 °.

  According to still another preferred embodiment, the angle in both regions (anterior region and posterior region) is approximately 90 °.

  The hard and elastic plate material made of spring steel has a uniform thickness, the thickness is 0.1 to 0.6 mm, preferably 0.2 mm to 0.4 mm, especially 0.25 mm to 0. .35 mm.

  According to other embodiments, the cross-section of the transverse profile shape and / or the longitudinal profile shape may be a variety of different shapes. For example, it may be a channel shape, a heel shape, a rib shape, a groove shape, a wave shape, or a heel shape.

  In the composite plate material according to the present invention, the trough portion in the wave shape of the cross-sectional profile is completely filled with PU gel, and the thickness of the gel layer is larger than the overall height of the cross-sectional profile. Preferably, the thickness of the gel layer is uniform, so the composite insole has a flat and smooth surface on both the upper and lower sides and is a perfectly smooth structure.

  The overall height of the cross-sectional profile of the spring steel plate is 0.5 to 2.5 mm, preferably 1 to 2 mm, and particularly about 1.5 mm.

  Furthermore, the thickness of the gel layer is 1.5 to 4 times the total height of the cross-sectional profile, particularly 1.8 to 3.5 times, and more preferably 2.5 to 3 times.

  As used herein, “total height” is the height of any type of profile from the horizontal plane.

  In a particularly preferred embodiment, the total height of the profile including the plate thickness is approximately 1.5 mm and the total thickness of the gel is approximately 4 mm. The thickness of the spring steel plate is approximately 0.3 mm.

  According to the first embodiment, the spring steel plate is arranged in the gel layer. In the spring steel plate, the wave front is equidistant from the upper and lower surfaces of the PU layer. That is, the gel layer protrudes from the upper and lower sides of the profile by the same amounts d1 and d2. In the second embodiment, the protruding layers d1 and d2 have different sizes. In each case, d1, d2 of the gel layer and the total height H of the profile are measured. In this case, the value of the ratio d1: H and / or d2: H is 0.5: 1 to 1.5: 1, preferably 0.8: 1 to 1.2: 1.

  In yet another preferred embodiment, the solid plate-like material is completely surrounded by the gel edge, and thus the gel edge surrounds the side edges of the plate material approximately. As a result, the plate-like material is completely covered. Thus, further stabilization of the composite structure is achieved. Due to the ability of the gel to adhere in the polymerization phase, the cured gel has a strong adhesion to the plate-like material and cannot be removed from the spring steel plate without destroying the overall structure. When the plate-like material is deformed in the longitudinal direction during walking, the gel layer is compressed on the upper side of the plate and extends on the bottom side. As a result, the ability of the plate-like material to recover from the deformed state to the initial state is improved. In this case, when the metal surface is compressed or stretched, the gel layer does not leave and remains adhered.

  The insole according to the present invention can be used for any kind of shoes. It can be used not only for boots but also for boots and high heels. The insole supports and protects the arch, protects the toe root area, and improves the shock absorption of the applied pressure, making the foot less fatigued.

  Furthermore, the insole according to the present invention can be used for ordinary short shoes, for example, street shoes, running shoes, particularly sports shoes. The insole enhances performance and protects health. Similarly, the rigid plate structure protects against the risk of foot injury, especially at the work site.

  Other features and advantages of the invention form the subject of the following description and the following description of the embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a lower side of an insole having a forefoot region and a heel region. FIG. 2 is another plan view of the underside of the insole region. FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view along the line AA in the insole of FIG.

  FIG. 1 is a view of the insole 10 as viewed from below. The insole 10 has a forefoot region 12, a foot center region 14, and a heel region 16, and a vertical axis LL is shown.

  The insole 10 has a PU gel layer 18 as a first portion, and an edge 20 of the PU gel layer 18 forms an outer boundary of the insole 10.

  The PU gel layer 18 is substantially transparent. That is, it means that the spring steel inlay 22 and its outline 24 forming the outer boundary of the spring steel inlay 22 can be seen. The spring steel inlay 22 extends substantially parallel to the edge 20 of the PU gel layer 18, and a PU gel edge region 26 is formed between the contour 24 and the edge 20.

  Due to the transparent structure of the PU gel, the first cross-sectional profile 28 is visible in the forefoot region 12 and the second cross-sectional profile 30 is visible in the heel region 16.

  The cross-sectional profiles 28 and 30 extend at an angle α with respect to the longitudinal axis LL.

  FIG. 2 shows a second insole 40 that covers only the forefoot region 12. The same reference numerals as those in FIG. 1 are used.

  The edge 44 extends only to the forefoot region 12.

  Similarly, the second spring steel inlay 42 extends only to the forefoot region.

  FIG. 3 shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of the insole 10 of FIG. The spring steel inlay is shown at 50. The inlay has a wavy structure having a top portion 52 and a trough portion 54 as a profile 55. The separation distance H between the top and the valley corresponds to the height of the profile 55.

  Similarly, the wavelength corresponds to the separation distance W.

  The spring steel inlay 50 is embedded in a PU gel layer 56 having a thickness S. The layer extends downward from the valley 54, which is the lower side of the spring steel inlay 50, by a thickness d1. Similarly, the PU gel layer 56 protrudes upward from the top 52 of the spring steel inlay 50 by a thickness d2.

  Therefore, the total thickness S of the PU gel layer 50 is obtained by adding d1 and d2 to H.

  In the example of FIG. 3, d2 is larger than d1.

  Further, the insole 10 of FIG. 3 has a cover layer 58 fixed to the PU gel layer 56 on the upper side. The cover layer 58 is made of a synthetic resin layer such as leather or a microfiber layer.

  Physical parameters were measured by the following test methods.

  Impact absorption (impact test) was performed in the heel and toe regions according to ASTM F 1976. In this case, the foot impact on the ground was simulated by a free fall with a mass of 7.5 kg. The impact of the free fall mass on the specimen was performed at a speed of exactly 0.5 m / s. While the material is deforming, the speed of the falling mass is reduced. In this case, the change in speed per unit time is a measurement of the braking effect of the material.

  In this test, the maximum acceleration of the mass when contacting the DUT was measured, and at the same time, the penetration depth and the bounce height were determined. In addition, the energy lifted, released and absorbed was measured. Finally, in particular, the absorption rate and the spring constant were calculated.

  Spring steel insoles, gel insoles, and combination type insoles with spring steel insoles embedded in the gel were used.

  The spring steel insole had a thickness of 0.285 mm, had a profile extending in both the forefoot region and the posterior region, a height of 1.5 mm, and a wavelength of 1 cm.

  The thickness of the gel insole was 4 mm.

  The combination type gel insole had a spring steel inlay, and the spring steel insole was uniformly inserted. The peripheral edge was approximately 5 mm, and the gel was extended by approximately 1.25 mm on both sides of the overall height of the corrugated profile.

In the measurement of shock absorption, the following absorption rates were measured for the front toe root region.
Spring steel insole 61.23%
Gel insole 64.99%
Gel insoles with integrated spring steel insoles 72.84%

The following shock absorption values were obtained for the heel region.
Spring steel insole 59.85%
Gel insole 63.33%
Gel insole with integrated spring steel insole 76.12%

The spring constant was measured in units of N / mm. The following values were measured for the toe root area / heel area.
Spring steel insole 2959.56 / 3798.22
Gel insole 2008.97 / 2042.34
Gel insole with integrated spring steel insole 2483.38 / 2909.34

  Further, a gel insole integrated with a spring steel insole was subjected to a bending strength test according to DIN EN 12568 / DIN EN ISO 20344 / DIN EN ISO 20345.

  After 5 million bends, no damage could be identified in the sample.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10, 40 ... Insole 12 ... Forefoot side region 14 ... Foot center region 16 ... Saddle region 18, 56 ... PU gel layer 20, 44 ... Edge 22, 42, 50 ... Spring steel inlay 24 ... Contour line 26 ... Edge Inter-region 28 ... 1st profile 30 ... 2nd profile 52 ... Top part 54 ... Valley part 55 ... Profile 58 ... Cover layer

Claims (12)

A sole of at least the foot front region (12) Wide wants insoles for shoes over (10), said insole has a spring steel plate (22, 50), the spring steel plate (22, 50 ) has a stiffness in the transverse direction of the sole, after applying a load has flexibility in the vertical direction in the vertical direction is elastically restored, the spring steel plate (22, 50) is the cross-sectional profile ( has a 28,30,55),
The insole further has a synthetic resin layer in which the spring steel plate (22, 50) is disposed,
The synthetic resin layer is a polyurethane gel layer (18) having a Shore hardness 00 of 45 to 70,
The polyurethane gel layer (18) is provided so as to embed at least the entire cross-sectional profile (28, 30, 55) of the spring steel plate (22, 50), and is formed on the spring steel plate (22, 50). Glued,
The insole characterized in that the thickness of the polyurethane gel layer (18) is 1.5 to 4 times the total height H of the cross-sectional profile (28, 30, 55). Insole according to claim 1, characterized in that it extends over the entire foot area (12, 14, 16). The insole according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the spring steel plate (22, 50) has rigidity in a lateral direction of the sole in a region where the sole is rolled. The insole according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the cross-sectional profile (28, 30, 55) extends substantially over the sole region perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. Insole. The insole according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the Shore hardness 00 is 52 to 64. The insole according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the thickness of the polyurethane gel layer (18) is 1.8 to 3 times the total height of the cross-sectional profile (28, 30, 55). Insole characterized by. The insole according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the cross-sectional profile (28, 30, 55) is formed in a wave shape, and the overall height of the cross-sectional profile (28, 30, 55) is 0.00. a 5～2Mm, wavelength before kiha shape insole, which is a 3 to 15 mm. The insole according to claim 7, wherein the cross-sectional profile (28, 30, 55) is formed in a wave shape, and the overall height of the cross-sectional profile (28, 30, 55) is 1.3-1.6 mm, The insole, wherein the wave-shaped wavelength is 7 to 12 mm. The insole according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , wherein the polyurethane gel layer (18) protrudes at the same distance on both upper and lower sides of the cross-sectional profile (28, 30, 55), An insole characterized by forming a substantially flat and smooth surface. The insole according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , wherein the polyurethane gel layer (18) protrudes at different distances on the upper and lower sides of the cross-sectional profile (28, 30, 55). Insole. The insole according to any one of claims 1 to 10 , wherein an edge of the spring steel plate (22, 50) is surrounded by an inter-edge region (26) made of polyurethane gel. . The insole according to any one of claims 1 to 11 , wherein the cover layer (58) is fixed to the surface of the polyurethane gel layer (18).

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