KR102345003B1 - Midsole assembly for footwear and footwear including the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A midsole assembly of a shoe according to the present disclosure is a midsole assembly that provides a cushioning function to a shoe including an upper, a coupling member coupled to the upper to support the upper, and the coupling member under the It may include a cushioning member coupled to the side surface of the coupling member to form an empty space and bent to be convexly curved outwardly and extending in a direction away from the upper.

Description

A midsole assembly of a shoe and a shoe comprising the same

The present disclosure relates to a midsole assembly of a shoe and a shoe comprising such a midsole assembly.

In general, shoes include an upper for accommodating a user's foot, a midsole disposed under the upper to provide cushioning, and an outsole stacked on the lower portion of the midsole to directly contact the ground ( outsole) is formed. The midsole has been developed by applying various structural and material modifications such as a foam material and an air chamber to provide an improved cushioning effect to the user. The cushioning effect of the conventional midsole may depend on the overall height of the midsole and the compression set determined by the structural and/or material properties of the midsole.

However, in the existing midsole, there was a separate structure interposed between the upper and the outsole. Since this midsole structure occupies the space between the upper and the outsole, the degree of compression and restoration when a load is applied or removed from the upper part of the upper is limited. That is, even when the midsole structure is maximally compressed, it has no choice but to maintain a minimum thickness, so there is a limit to the range of compression and restoration, and accordingly, the performance of providing cushioning to the wearer was inevitably weakened.

US Patent Publication No. 8,181,360 (2009. 10. 01.)

One aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a midsole assembly of a shoe that performs an improved cushioning function by applying a member provided under the upper bottom surface of the shoe to alleviate the impact generated by the user's load.

Another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a shoe including a midsole assembly comprising a cushioning system capable of individually and stably responding to loads of various angles and sizes.

However, the problems to be solved by the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above problems and may be variously expanded within the scope of the technical idea included in the present invention.

A midsole assembly of a shoe according to an embodiment of the present invention is a midsole assembly that provides a cushioning function to a shoe including an upper, a coupling member coupled to the upper to support the upper, and the coupling It may include a cushioning member coupled to a side surface of the coupling member to form an empty space under the member, bent to be convexly curved outwardly, and extending in a direction away from the upper.

The shoe may include an outsole under the upper, and the cushioning member may extend from the coupling member toward the outsole.

The coupling member may be configured to engage at least below the hindfoot of the upper to support the hindfoot.

The coupling member may include a base plate for supporting a bottom of the upper, and a side coupling part for supporting a side surface of the upper.

The base plate is coupled under the hindfoot portion of the upper to support the hindfoot portion, and the side coupling portion may be formed to be curved to surround the hindfoot side and the heel surface of the upper.

The coupling member includes a side coupling part for supporting the side surface of the upper, the side coupling part is made of a single body or divided into a plurality and coupled to the upper, the buffer member is divided into a plurality of the single body or divided plurality Each of the coupling members may be coupled to each other.

The buffer member includes an upper end coupled to a side surface of the coupling member, a first end connected to the upper end, a second end positioned opposite to the first end, and outwardly convex from the first end to the second end It may include a support pillar including a curved and extended pillar portion, and a lower end spaced apart from the coupling member and connected to the second end of the support pillar.

A plurality of the support pillars may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other at intervals along the side surface of the coupling member.

At least one support column of the plurality of support columns includes a plurality of vertical cross-section segments having different centers of curvature, and the plurality of vertical cross-section segments include vertical cross-section segments having centers of curvature at opposite sides with respect to the support columns. may include

At least one of the plurality of support pillars may have a width at the pillar portion different from a width at the first end or the second end.

Each of the plurality of support pillars has an oblong shape having a cross-sectional thickness different from a width measured along an edge of the coupling member and a size different from the width, and the plurality of support pillars have different intervals from their neighbors or spaced apart from each other, the plurality of support pillars may have different widths.

The shoe may include an outsole under the cushioning member, and a lower end of the cushioning member may be attached to the outsole.

The coupling member may include a coupling protrusion protruding outward from a side surface, and the upper end of the buffer member may include a concave coupling groove to accommodate the coupling protrusion of the coupling member.

The support pillar of the buffer member may have an opening formed in the pillar portion.

A midsole assembly of a shoe according to another embodiment of the present invention, a first assembly part comprising a first coupling member for supporting the heel surface of the upper and a first cushioning member formed under the first coupling member and a second assembly part including a second coupling member supporting the side surface of the upper and a second buffer member formed under the second coupling member.

In the midsole assembly of a shoe according to another embodiment of the present invention, the coupling member may include a pocket portion opened downward, and the cushioning member may include an upper end accommodated in the pocket portion.

The coupling member may include a base plate for supporting the bottom of the upper, and the base plate may have a shape having at least one through hole.

The pocket portion may be provided to protrude from the outer surface of the coupling member.

The pocket portion may be provided by being inserted into the outer shell of the upper.

A shoe according to another embodiment of the present invention may include a midsole assembly having the above characteristics.

The midsole assembly of the shoe may be coupled to at least below the hindfoot portion of the upper to support the hindfoot portion.

A midsole assembly of a shoe according to another embodiment of the present invention is a midsole assembly used in a shoe including an upper and an outsole, which supports the side of the upper and is bent convexly outwardly from the side of the upper to form the upper and the upper It may include a support that extends to the outsole while forming an empty space on the inside between the outsole.

The supporter may be divided into a plurality of pieces along the edge of the upper and each spaced apart from each other may be supported between the upper and the outsole.

Each of the plurality of supports may have a strip shape having a width measured along an edge of the upper.

The support may include a plurality of vertical cross-section segments having different centers of curvature, and the plurality of vertical cross-section segments may include vertical cross-section segments in which the centers of curvature are located at opposite sides of the support.

The midsole assembly of the shoe according to the embodiment of the present invention may bring about a significant impact mitigation effect. That is, it is possible to provide more improved cushioning to the wearer because the shock load is relieved during all physical activities through compression and recovery of the cushioning member.

In addition, due to the structural characteristics of the cushioning member, that is, the empty space between each supporting column, the upper end and the lower end, it is possible to manufacture a shoe with a light weight.

Due to the material and shape of the pillar portion of the cushioning member in the midsole assembly of the shoe according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide energy return to the wearer during running and walking.

The midsole assembly of a shoe according to an embodiment of the present invention enables the design of a shoe having a cushioning performance required for each region through different designs of a plurality of support posts for each region. Furthermore, shoes equipped with such a midsole assembly can increase stability during running and walking.

1 is a side view showing a shoe having a midsole assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a rear perspective view illustrating a shoe having a midsole assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the rear.
3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the shoe shown in FIG. 1 taken along its longitudinal axis.
4 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating a vertical cross-sectional profile of a cushioning member in a midsole assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a perspective view illustrating a midsole assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a view showing a modified example of the support pillar of the midsole assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, (a) is a front view, (b) is a side view, (c) is a perspective view.
7 is a view showing a modified example of the cushioning member of the midsole assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, and schematically shows a side view of the shoe.
8 is a view showing another modified example of the cushioning member of the midsole assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, and schematically shows a side view of the shoe.
9 is a medial side perspective view illustrating a shoe having a midsole assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a lateral side perspective view of the shoe shown in FIG. 9 .
11 is an exploded perspective view (a) of a midsole assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention and a perspective view (b) showing a combination thereof.
12 is a side view illustrating a shoe having a midsole assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention.
13 is a perspective view illustrating a coupling member of a midsole assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention.
14 is a side view of a shoe having a midsole assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, a person skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains will be described in detail so that it can be easily implemented. In order to clearly explain the present invention in the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted, and the same reference numerals are assigned to the same or similar components throughout the specification. In addition, the accompanying drawings are only for easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, and the technical idea disclosed herein is not limited by the accompanying drawings, and all changes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention , should be understood to include equivalents or substitutes.

Terms including an ordinal number such as 1st, 2nd, etc. may be used to describe various elements, but the elements are not limited by the terms. The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

When an element is referred to as being “connected” or “connected” to another element, it is understood that it may be directly connected or connected to the other element, but other elements may exist in between. it should be On the other hand, when it is said that a certain element is "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another element, it should be understood that the other element does not exist in the middle.

Throughout the specification, terms such as “comprises” or “have” are intended to designate that a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification is present, but one or more other features It should be understood that this does not preclude the existence or addition of numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof. Therefore, when a part "includes" a certain component, this means that other components may be further included, rather than excluding other components, unless otherwise stated.

1 is a side view showing a shoe having a midsole assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view showing a shoe having a midsole assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the rear to be.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the shoe 10 according to the present embodiment includes an upper 12 and a midsole 14 and a midsole assembly 100 that are coupled below and provide a cushioning function, and an outsole 16 . can The upper 12 has a structure that wraps the user's feet, and may be made of leather, fabric or synthetic resin. The outsole 16 may be formed to have durability against contact with the ground because it is a portion in contact with the ground while being spaced apart from it in the lower portion of the upper 12 . In a portion where the outsole 16 is in direct contact with the ground, a material having friction durability, such as rubber, may be used. A midsole 14 may be attached to the bottom surface of the forefoot FF and the midfoot MF of the upper 12 to provide cushioning. For example, the midsole 14 may be formed of a midsole made of a foam material that provides a cushioning function between the upper 12 and the outsole 16 .

The midsole assembly 100 may include a coupling member 110 coupled to the upper 12 and a cushioning member 120 extending while forming an empty space E under the coupling member 110 . . The coupling member 110 may be coupled to and support the upper 12 , and the buffer member 120 may extend from a side surface of the coupling member 110 in a direction away from the upper 12 . At this time, the buffer member 120 may be bent so as to be convexly curved outwardly while moving away from the empty space (E).

Since the shoe 10 according to the present embodiment includes the outsole 16 under the upper 12 , the midsole assembly 100 may be positioned between the upper 12 and the outsole 16 . At this time, the cushioning member 120 of the midsole assembly 100 may extend from the coupling member 110 toward the outsole 16 . The midsole assembly 100 may be provided below the hindfoot RF of the upper 12 , wherein the coupling member 110 is configured to engage and support the hindfoot RF of the upper 12 . can be As another example, midsole assembly 100 may be disposed anywhere between upper 12 and outsole 16 . The midsole assembly 100 is coupled under the forefoot (FF) of the upper 12, or under the forefoot (FF) and the midfoot (MF), or the forefoot (FF), the midfoot (MF), and the hindfoot (RF). ) can be combined below.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the coupling member 110 may include a base plate 112 supporting a bottom of the upper 12 and a side coupling part 114 supporting a side surface of the upper 12 . The base plate 112 is coupled under the rear foot portion RF of the upper 12 to support the rear foot portion RF, and the side engagement portion 114 surrounds the side surface and the heel surface of the upper 12 . It may be formed to be curved.

A plurality of support pillars 124 of the cushioning member 120 may be arranged at intervals along the side surface of the coupling member 110 and spaced apart from each other. Each of the plurality of support pillars 124 may provide cushioning to the wearer while distributing and supporting the pressure according to the load of the shoe wearer between the upper 12 and the outsole 16 .

The plurality of support pillars 124 are provided, for example, two on the medial side, two on the lateral side, and two on the heel side, for a total of six. However, in the present invention, the number of the support pillars 124 is not limited thereto. That is, it is also possible that the support pillar 124 is made of one single body, and may be made of a plurality of more or less than 6 pieces.

Each of the support posts 124 configured in this way is fixed to the side coupling portion 114 of the coupling member 110 coupled to the periphery of the side surface of the upper 12 to attenuate the impact received from the ground during physical activity. That is, the support pillar 124 may guide the shock transmission in the vertical direction toward the sole of the wearer by the structural shape as described above to be attenuated.

3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the shoe shown in FIG. 1 taken along its longitudinal axis.

Referring to FIG. 3 , the buffer member 120 may include an upper end 121 coupled to the coupling member 110 and a lower end 126 spaced apart from the coupling member 110 , and the upper end 121 and A support pillar 124 may be connected between the lower ends 126 . That is, the support post 124 has a first end 124a adjacent to the upper 12 and a second end 124b positioned on the opposite side thereof, and the support post 124 of the buffer member 120 has a first end ( It may include a pillar portion 124c bent outwardly convexly between the 124a and the second end 124b. Even at this time, the pillar portion 124c may be partially bent convexly inwardly, and this is also within the scope of the present invention.

Referring to the enlarged view of FIG. 3 , the first end 124a may lead to the upper end 121 and the second end 124b may lead to the lower end 126 . In addition, the pillar portion 124c includes a switching portion A that changes direction while extending downwardly from the first end 124a, a curved portion B bent downwardly and outwardly of the switching portion A, and a horizontal It may include a lower connecting portion (C) extending inwardly to the second end (124b) and connected to the lower end (126) of the buffer member (120).

The upper end 121 of the buffer member 120 may be coupled to the side coupling portion 114 of the coupling member 110 . To this end, the coupling member 110 includes a coupling protrusion 115 protruding outward from the side surface, and the buffer member 120 is concave at the upper end 121 to accommodate the coupling protrusion 115. The coupling groove 122 is concave. may include The coupling protrusion 115 may include a first horizontal portion and a first vertical portion, and the coupling groove 122 may include a second horizontal portion and a second vertical portion. When the upper end 121 of the buffer member 120 is coupled to the side coupling portion 114 of the coupling member 110 , the first horizontal portion of the coupling protrusion 115 is coupled to the second horizontal portion of the coupling groove 122 . The first vertical portion of the coupling protrusion 115 may be in contact with and coupled to the second vertical portion of the coupling groove 122 . This bonding, for example, may be made through an adhesive, as another example, may be made using a variety of methods including snap bonding, rivet bonding, bonding through a hinge pin, and optional combinations thereof.

When the shoe 10 includes the outsole 16 under the cushioning member 120 , the lower end 126 of the cushioning member 120 may be attached to face the outsole 16 . That is, the outsole 16 may extend upward along the cushioning member 120 . At this time, the outsole 16 may be attached to the lower end 126 and the midsole 14 of the buffer member 120 , and the outsole 16 attached in this way may be manufactured and attached as an integral or separate type. When the outsole 16 is manufactured as a separate type, the outsole 16 part attached to the lower end 126 of the cushioning member 120 and the outsole 16 part attached to the midsole 14 of the shoe 10 are separated can be As another example, one integral outsole may be simultaneously attached to the lower end 126 and the midsole 14 of the cushioning member 120 .

In the midsole assembly 100 according to the present embodiment, the support pillar 124 may have an oblong shape having a cross-sectional thickness different from the width measured along the edge of the coupling member 110 and the size, , for example, may have a strip shape. The support pillars 124 of the cushioning member 120 may be applied to have different widths and different thicknesses for each supported region. At this time, the 'width' of the support column 124 is a length measured in the transverse direction along the circumference of the shoe when taking the cross section of the support column 124, and the 'thickness' of the support column 124 is the support column 124 ) can be defined as the length measured in the transverse direction from the outside to the inside of the shoe when taking the cross section.

For example, the width and thickness of the support post 124 on the medial side (M) may be set to be different from the width and thickness of the support post 124 on the heel side (H). Similarly, the width and thickness of the support pillar 124 on the lateral side (L) may be set to be different from those of the heel side (H) and the media side (M). In this way, different settings according to the arrangement area of the width and thickness of the support pillar 124 may be determined according to each area of the shoe. Changes in the cross-sectional shape according to the shape, cross-sectional thickness, cross-sectional width, and height direction of the support pillar for each region as described above are all within the scope of the present invention. Altering these elements or combinations of elements will also change the cushioning provided by the midsole assembly.

The cross-sectional thickness of each support post 124 of the cushioning member 120 constituting the midsole assembly 100 according to the present embodiment may be formed to fall within the range of 1 to 15 mm. In addition, the width of each support pillar 124 of the buffer member 120 may be formed to fall within the range of 2 to 250mm. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to these numerical ranges.

For example, the width W1 of the first pillar may be set to 25 mm, the width W2 of the second pillar may be set to 35 mm, and the width W3 of the third pillar may be set to 50 mm. As another example, when the width of each support column is set to 2 mm, the number of support columns may be further increased. As another example, when the width of the support column is set to 250 mm, it may be formed as one support column. Accordingly, the support pillar of the buffer member may be provided in one or more numbers, all of which also fall within the scope of the present invention. In addition, it is possible to respond to various static and dynamic loads by setting the number of support columns and the thickness and width of each support column differently on the medial side or the lateral side.

Each of the support posts 124 of the cushioning member 120 constituting the midsole assembly 100 according to the present embodiment may be set to have different distances, ie, intervals, between the support posts 124 adjacent to each other. That is, the distance D1 from the center line L1 of the first pillar to the center line L2 of the adjacent second pillar D1, and the distance D2 from the center line L2 of the second pillar to the center line L3 of the adjacent third pillar. ) may be set differently. For example, D1 may be set to 40 mm, and D2 may be set to 80 mm. In this way, the distance between the adjacent supporting pillars may vary depending on the number of supporting pillars, the separation distance, and the like, and may be set within the range of 10 to 200 mm.

In the support post 124 disposed on the heel side, the width of the first end 124a and the width of the second end 124b may be equal to each other, and the width of the column part 124c therebetween fluctuates according to the height. can be formed to It can be formed likewise on the medial side and the lateral side. Furthermore, the pillar portion 124c of the support pillar 124 in each region has a shape protruding outward, and in this case, the width of the pillar portion 124c is that of the first end 124a and the second end 124b. It may have a width greater than the width. That is, when the horizontal cross section of the pillar portion 124c is taken, the length of the outer surface in each cross section may have different lengths depending on the height of the pillar portion 124c (see FIGS. 2 and 3 ).

According to another example, the side coupling part 114 of the coupling member 110 may be separated into a plurality of coupling parts, and each coupling part may be arranged and attached to the side surface of the upper 12 . Each coupling portion may be configured to engage with the upper end 121 of each buffer member 120 corresponding thereto, and this is also within the scope of the present invention.

According to another example, the base plate 112 of the coupling member 110 extends from the hindfoot region RF to the midfoot region MF, or from the hindfoot region RF to the midfoot region MF through the forefoot region FF. ) can be extended and provided. In this case, the base plate 112 has cushioning performance so that when a load is applied to the base plate 112 of the forefoot (FF), midfoot (MF) and/or hindfoot (RF), it deforms, and when the load is removed, the original It can help the wearer during physical activities including walking and running by returning to the form of

On the other hand, the present invention is not limited to a shape in which the pillar portion of the cushioning member support pillar is bent convexly outwardly, and the pillar portion may have a shape in which the pillar portion is partially convexly bent inwardly. This structure will be further described with reference to FIG. 4 below.

4 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating a vertical cross-sectional profile of a cushioning member in a midsole assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The plurality of support posts 124 of the cushioning member 120 may have different curved profiles for each region of the rear foot RF. For example, as shown in FIG. 4 , the curved profile of one of the plurality of support posts 124 may be divided into 14 segments to have a curved profile each having a different radius of curvature. A segment having a large radius of curvature r may have a curved surface close to a plane, and a segment having a small radius of curvature r may have a curved surface that is rapidly curved.

The plurality of vertical cross-sectional segments may include vertical cross-sectional segments with centers of curvature positioned opposite to each other with respect to the support column 124 . That is, the center of curvature of some vertical cross-section segments may be located outside the support pillar 124 , and the center of curvature of some other vertical cross-section segments may be located inside the support pillar 124 . Referring to FIG. 4 , the centers of curvature C1 to C3 of the three segments S1 to S3 adjacent to the upper end 121 are formed on the outside, and the centers of curvature C4 to C11 of the remaining segments S4 to S11 are formed on the inside. Segments S1 to S3 form a shape concave on the outside of the support column 124 , that is, convex inward, and segments S4 to S11 form a shape convex on the outside of the support column 124 . This is only an exemplary illustration, and the present invention is not limited to the location of the center point of the radius of curvature. The drawings may be represented in an exaggerated manner. For example, in FIG. 4 , segments S1 to S14 forming a curved surface of the support column 124 are shown to explain an example of the support column. If segment S8 is close to a straight line, the center of curvature C8 may be located further away than shown in FIG. 4 .

On the other hand, a part of the support post 124 may be composed of a straight segment, and the segments S1 and S14 located at both ends of the support post 124 are connected to the upper end 121 and the lower end 126, respectively, and the upper end ( 121) and the lower end 126 may correspond to a straight segment.

5 is a perspective view illustrating a midsole assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The midsole assembly 100 according to this embodiment is a coupling member 110 for supporting the bottom surface of the upper 12 (refer to FIG. 3 ) in order to form a hollow structure in the hindfoot (RF) of the shoe 10 . An empty space E formed between the base plate 112 and the lower end 126 of the buffer member 120 may be included. The empty space E may be an empty space without any other configuration. This empty space may have a height corresponding to the distance between the upper 12 and the lower end 126 of the buffer member 120, which is spaced apart by the plurality of support pillars 124 . The adjacent support pillars 124 may be interconnected through the upper end 121 and the lower end 126 of the buffer member 120 . As another example, it is also possible that the plurality of support pillars 124 are not connected to each other at the upper end, but are each directly coupled to the side coupling portion 114 of the coupling member 110 .

The lower end 126 of the cushioning member 120 may have a solid flat surface to cover the entire area in contact with the outsole 16 . As another example, the lower end 126 of the cushioning member 120 may be formed to have a horseshoe-shaped plane with an empty center along the edge of the outsole 16 to connect the second end 124b of the support pillar 124. .

The coupling member 110 is made of an elastic polymer material and may be coupled to the upper end 121 of the buffer member 120 . In addition, the cushioning member 120 may also be molded of an elastic polymer material, and the support pillars 124, the upper end 121, and the lower end 126 constituting the cushioning member 120 are formed as a single body, or each component They may be separated and molded separately and attached to each other. At this time, the upper end 121 of the coupling member 110 and the buffer member 120 may be coupled to each other by a fusion bonding method, by an adhesive method using an adhesive, or by a stitch or a rivet. . The materials of the coupling member and the cushioning member are not limited to only elastomeric materials, but include various elastomeric materials or carbon fiber reinforced materials and other materials.

Two support posts 124 of the cushioning member 120 constituting the midsole assembly 100 may be provided on the medial side, two on the lateral side, and two on the heel side. Each of these support pillars 124 may be designed to mitigate the impact caused by different loads according to their characteristics.

The coupling member 110 and the cushioning member 120 constituting the midsole assembly 100 may be molded and manufactured using a mold, respectively, to be coupled to each other. This midsole assembly 100 may be attached to the upper 12 (refer to FIG. 3) again, and the outsole 16 may be further attached to a lower portion thereof. At this time, the upper end 121 and the lower end 126 of the cushioning member 120 perform a function of connecting the upper 12 and the outsole 16, and the support pillar 124 of the cushioning member 120 serves as a cushioning function. can be done

The support post 124 of the cushioning member 120 is, for example, TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane, thermoplastic polyurethane), PEBA (Polyether Block Amide, polyether block amide), or TPEE (Thermoplastic Polyester Elastomer, thermoplastic polyester elastomer) It may be made of a series of thermoplastic elastomers. Thermoplastic elastomers are advantageous for injection molding, and can act as a cushioning agent through their ability to be compressed when subjected to a load and restored to their original position when the load is removed. As another example, the support pillar 124 of the buffer member 120 may be manufactured using a carbon fiber and/or nanotube material. As another example, the support pillar 124 of the buffer member 120 may be manufactured using a material reinforced with carbon fiber in a material such as TPU, PEBA, or TPEE. The present invention is not limited to the type of such material, and various materials can be used to achieve a desired function as a buffer member.

The upper end 121 and the lower end 126 of the cushioning member 120 may be formed of the same material as the support pillar 124 or may be formed using a different material. When the upper end 121 and the lower end 126 and the support column 124 are formed of different materials, the material forming the upper end 121 and the lower end 126 is relatively more than the material forming the support column 124 . It may be a material that is less prone to deformation and recovery.

The coupling member 110 may also be formed of the same or similar material as the support column 124 or may be formed using a different material, and may be formed by selecting a material having an appropriate deformability compared to the material of the support column 124 . can

A plurality of support posts 124 of the buffer member 120 are connected to each other at the upper end 121 of each of the support posts 124, but the upper end 121 is separated for each support post 124, so that the coupling member ( It may be attached to the side coupling portion 114 of the 110). The method of attaching the buffer member 120 to the side coupling portion 114 of the coupling member 110 may be coupled to each other using an adhesive, an insert, a protrusion and a hole, and also laser bonding, HF (High Frequency) pulse You can also use combining bonding methods, such as bonding.

Meanwhile, the base plate 112 and the side coupling part 114 constituting the coupling member 110 may be manufactured as a single mold. The molded object may include an article manufactured by molding by injection molding, 3D printing, or various other molding techniques.

6 is a view showing a modified example of the support pillar of the midsole assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, (a) is a front view, (b) is a side view, (c) is a perspective view.

6, in the support pillar 124' according to the present modification, the width of the first end 124a' and the width of the second end 124b' are the same as each other, and the width of the pillar part 124c' is The width may be smaller than the width of the first end 124a' and the second end 124b'. In addition, the pillar portion 124c' may be formed to have a narrower width at the middle portion than the width at the lower portion, and the lower portion may be formed to have a greater thickness than the middle portion.

7 is a view showing a modified example of the cushioning member of the midsole assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, and schematically shows a view from the side of the shoe.

Referring to FIG. 7 , in the buffer member 120 ″ according to the present modification, the support pillar may be formed to have different widths and different thicknesses depending on the position thereof. For example, if it is assumed that the midfoot part is located on the left side in the drawing and it is located on the right side on the heel side, the support post 1241 close to the midfoot can be formed to have a wider width and a thinner thickness than the support post 1242 close to the heel side. have. Or alternatively, the support post close to the heel side may have a wider width and thinner thickness than the support post close to the midfoot.

8 is a view showing another modified example of the cushioning member of the midsole assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, and schematically shows a side view of the shoe.

Referring to FIG. 8 , in the buffer member 120 ″″ according to the present modification, the support pillar may have a different shape depending on the position thereof. For example, in the case where the midfoot part is located on the left side and the heel side on the right side in the drawing, the support post 1244 close to the midfoot part may be formed to have a shape curved to one side when viewed from the side of the shoe, and support close to the heel side. A through hole 129 may be formed in the center of the pillar 1245 . At this time, the support post 1244 bent to one side in the drawing is illustrated as having a convexly curved shape toward the heel side, but it is also possible to optionally have a convexly curved shape toward the midfoot.

9 is a medial side perspective view illustrating a shoe having a midsole assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10 is a lateral side perspective view of the shoe shown in FIG. 9 .

9 and 10, the cushioning member 220 of the midsole assembly 200 of the shoe 20 according to the present embodiment may include a support pillar 224 divided into five, at this time each The width and thickness of the support pillar 224 may be formed to be different from each other.

In addition, the opening 229 may be formed in each of the support pillars 224 to pass through. One or more openings 229 may be formed in the pillar portion of the support pillar 224 , and may be formed at the second end of the support pillar 224 . The openings 229 formed in each support pillar 224 may be formed to have different shapes. That is, each support column 224 may be designed to withstand different bending moments including compressive load and tensile load by changing the shape, width, height, number, etc. of the opening 229 . In this case, the width and height of the opening 229 may be set smaller than the width and height of each support pillar 224 .

In the present embodiment, the plurality of support pillars 224 may form the lower end 226 of the cushioning member 220 in the form of a bottom plate formed integrally with a plurality of pillars separated from each other by gathering at the second end (lower end). . The upper end 221 of the buffer member 220 adjacent to the first end (upper end) of the plurality of support pillars 224 may be separated from each other and coupled to the coupling member 210 .

11 is an exploded perspective view (a) of a midsole assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention and a perspective view (b) showing a combination thereof.

Referring to FIG. 11 , the midsole assembly 300 according to this embodiment includes a plurality of parts in which a coupling member 310 supporting the upper 12 and a cushioning member 320 providing cushioning are integrally formed with the upper part. (12) may be formed by bonding to each other in the longitudinal direction. That is, the hindfoot part RF is divided into the first region RF1 , the second region RF2 , and the third region RF3 , and parts corresponding to each are respectively divided into the first assembly part 301 and the second assembly part 301 , respectively. It can be divided into a body part 302 and a third assembly part 303 .

The first assembly part 301 may be formed of a first coupling member 310a and a first buffer member 320a integrally formed to support the heel surface of the upper 12 and provide a buffering function. The second assembly part 302 is a portion in which the second coupling member 310b and the second buffer member 320b that are adjacent to the first assembly part 301 and support the side surface of the upper 12 are integrally molded. can be done And the third assembly portion 303 is adjacent to the second assembly portion 302 and includes a third coupling member 310c and a third buffer member 320c supporting the midfoot (MF) side of the upper 12 . It may consist of integrally molded parts. The first assembly portion 301 , the second assembly portion 302 , and the third assembly portion 303 may each be made in separate molds, and may optionally be made in one mold or in multiple molds all at once. may be

The first assembly portion 301 , the second assembly portion 302 , and the third assembly portion 303 are coupled to each other to form the midsole assembly 300 , and are coupled to the hindfoot (RF) of the upper 12 . and can support it.

In this embodiment, an example in which the hindfoot part RF is divided into three regions and divided into three assembly parts 301 , 302 , 303 corresponding to each has been described, but one integrally molded part or a plurality of two or more It is also possible to combine the divided assembly parts to form a midsole assembly, and the midsole assembly may be divided in a direction other than the direction transverse to the medial side-lateral side (lateral direction of the upper) as in the example above. have.

Each molded product of the first assembly part 301 , the second assembly part 302 , and the third assembly part 303 according to this embodiment has an integrated structure using injection molding, 3D printing, and various other molding methods. can be produced with At this time, the first assembly part 301 , the second assembly part 302 , and the third assembly part 303 are, for example, TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane, thermoplastic polyurethane), PEBA (Polyether Block Amide, polyether block). amide), or a TPEE (Thermoplastic Polyester Elastomer)-based thermoplastic elastomer.

12 is a side view illustrating a shoe having a midsole assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 13 is a perspective view illustrating a coupling member of the midsole assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention.

In the midsole assembly 400 of the shoe 40 according to this embodiment, the coupling member 410 is divided into a plurality and coupled to the upper 12, respectively, and the buffer member 420 is divided into a plurality of coupling members. Each of the members 410 may be coupled. In this case, the coupling member 410 may include a base plate 412 and a side coupling portion 414 .

The base plate 412 of the coupling member 410 may constitute a bottom surface of the coupling member 410 coupled to the bottom surface of the upper 12 , and the upper 12 corresponding to the base plate 412 . ) may have the same planar shape as the bottom surface. The base plate 412 may be coupled to the bottom surface of the upper 12, for example, in a lattice shape having one or more through holes. However, the present invention is not limited to the grid shape on the bottom, and the base plate may have cut-outs on the medial side and the lateral side. Based on the material properties and patterns of the base plate 412, the coupling member may cause some level of configuration-dependent deformation. The material of the base plate 412 may be made of fabric, leather, or thermoplastic resin. The base plate 412 coupled to the upper 12 may be configured to have one or more through-holes rather than a lattice shape, or may be made of a combination of a plurality of materials.

The base plate having a lattice shape described with reference to FIG. 13 is not limited to this embodiment, and therefore, the lattice plate may be applied to all embodiments including FIG. 1 , which also falls within the scope of the present invention.

The side coupling portion 414 of the coupling member 410 is bent upward from the edge of the base plate 412 and may be coupled to the circumference of the upper 12 . The side coupling portion 414 may include a pocket portion 414a that is opened downward. The pocket portion 414a is formed of a plurality of portions separated from each other and may be disposed along the circumference of the base plate 412 . The pocket portion 414a may be provided to protrude from the outer surface of the coupling member 410 . The side coupling portion 414 may be made of a soft material such as fiber or leather, or made of a nylon-based elastomer having a certain level of strength. As another example, the side coupling portion 414 of the coupling member 410 may be attached via a reinforcing member when coupled to the side surface of the upper 12, which is also within the scope of the present invention.

The buffer member 420 has an upper end 421 accommodated in the pocket portion 414a of the coupling member 410, a lower end 426 spaced apart from the coupling member 410 and formed in a planar shape, and an upper end extending therefrom It may include a support post 424 connected to 421 . The upper end 421 of the buffer member 420 may, for example, extend in a vertical direction from the support pillar 424 to fit into the pocket portion 414a of the coupling member 410 and be coupled thereto. The upper end portions 421 extending from the plurality of support posts 424 may be individually inserted into and fixed to the corresponding pocket portions 414a, respectively.

14 is a side view of a shoe having a midsole assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention.

In the midsole assembly 500 of the shoe according to the present embodiment, the pocket portion 514a may be provided by being inserted into the inner side of the upper 52 . The upper 52 includes an endothelium 52a, an outer skin 52c, and an intermediate skin 52b, and the middle skin 52b is formed in a form in which a plurality of pockets 514a are connected to each other, and the endothelium 52a and It can be sandwiched between the outer shell (52c). The lower end of the middle skin (52b) is connected to the outer skin (52c), the outer skin (52c) may have a slit (52d) that can communicate with the pocket portion (514a) is cut.

Referring to the cross-section taken along the line AA' shown in FIG. 14, the upper end 521 of the buffer member 520 passes through the slit 52d formed in the outer shell 52c of the upper 52 to the middle skin ( 52b) may be coupled to the pocket portion 514a. Therefore, in this embodiment the middle blood (52b) can perform a function corresponding to the side coupling portion of the coupling member (510). The pocket portion (514a) located in the middle blood (52b) is made of a plurality, it can accommodate the upper end (521) extended from the plurality of support pillars (524) individually. The coupling member 510 and the buffer member 520 may be coupled by adhesive bonding, laser bonding, or HF pulse bonding, but the present invention is not limited to these bonding methods. The material of the intermediate skin 52b may be rubber, elastomer, resin, fiber, fabric, or a combination thereof. The present invention is not limited by these materials.

In the present embodiment, the middle skin (52b) of the upper 52 is performing the function of the coupling member 510 to which the buffer member 520 is connected, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. Similar to other embodiments, the base plate may be installed under the upper separately or together with the middle skin 52b or the outer sheath 52c of the upper 52 .

The cushioning member is connected to the side portion of the upper in all embodiments of the present invention. In addition, the cushioning member may be connected to the side portion of the upper through the existing reinforcement on the heel side.

In the midsole assembly according to the embodiments of the present invention described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 14, the cushioning member has been basically described as being installed on the rear foot of the shoe, but the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, the cushioning member may be installed to extend to the midfoot or forefoot of the shoe. When the midsole assembly as described above is installed on the lower side boundary of the entire area of the shoe including the rear foot, forefoot, and midfoot, the width, distance, number of support posts, etc. of at least one support post may be set differently from the above. It is of course possible to

On the other hand, when the outsole is omitted depending on the type of shoe, the lower end of the cushioning member of the midsole assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention may be configured to directly contact the ground. In this case, the lower end of the buffer member may be configured as a solid plate or a horseshoe plate to which the support posts of the buffer member are gathered and connected.

With respect to the coupling member described in the above embodiments, if the structure is coupled to the upper to support the upper and the buffer member can be connected thereto, regardless of the name used in the existing shoe structure or its unique function, the couple of the present invention Of course, it can be interpreted as a ring member.

All components such as the midsole assembly, upper and outsole may be manufactured using a 3D printer, or the entire shoe including these components may be molded and manufactured with a 3D printer, which also falls within the scope of the present invention.

Although the present invention has been described focusing on sports shoes for physical activity such as running, it goes without saying that it can be applied to other types of shoes.

Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited thereto, and it is possible to carry out various modifications within the scope of the claims, the description of the invention, and the accompanying drawings, and this also It is natural to fall within the scope.

10, 20, 40, 50, 60: shoes 12, 52: upper
14: midsole 16: outsole
52a, 52b, 52c, 52d: endothelial, mesothelial, integumentary, slit
100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600: midsole assembly
110, 210, 310, 410, 510, 610: coupling member
112, 412, 612: base plate
114, 414: side engaging portion 115: engaging projection
120, 220, 320, 420, 520, 620: cushioning member
121, 221, 421, 521, 621: upper part
122: coupling groove 124, 224, 424, 524: support pillar
124a, 124b, 124c: first and second stages, pillar portions
126, 226, 426: lower part 229: opening
301, 302, 303: first, second, and third assembly parts
310a, 310b, 310c: first, second, and third coupling members
320a, 320b, 320c: first, second, third cushioning member
414a, 514a, 614a: pocket portion
624a, 624b: first and second support posts
A, B, C: transitions, bends, connections
C1~C14: Center of curvature S1~S14: Segment
E: empty space
FF, MF, RF: forefoot, midfoot, hindfoot
RF1, RF2, RF3: first area, second area, third area

Claims (25)

In the midsole assembly providing a cushioning function to a shoe including an upper,
a coupling member directly coupled to the upper to support the upper; and
A cushioning member coupled to a side surface of the coupling member to form an empty space under the coupling member and bent to be convexly curved outwardly and extending in a direction away from the upper
A midsole assembly of a shoe comprising: The method of claim 1,
The shoe includes an outsole under the upper,
and the cushioning member extends from the coupling member towards the outsole. The method of claim 1,
and the coupling member is configured to engage and support the hindfoot at least under the hindfoot of the upper. The method of claim 1,
The coupling member is
a base plate for supporting the bottom of the upper; and
Side coupling part for supporting the side of the upper
A midsole assembly of a shoe comprising: 5. The method of claim 4,
the base plate is coupled under the hindfoot of the upper and configured to support the hindfoot;
The midsole assembly of a shoe, wherein the side coupling portion is curved to surround the hindfoot side and the heel surface of the upper. The method of claim 1,
The coupling member includes a side coupling part for supporting the side surface of the upper, and the side coupling part is made of a single body or is divided into a plurality and is coupled to the upper,
A midsole assembly of a shoe, wherein the cushioning member is divided into a plurality and each coupled to the single body or a plurality of divided coupling members. The method of claim 1,
The buffer member,
an upper end coupled to a side surface of the coupling member;
a support post including a first end connected to the upper end, a second end positioned opposite to the first end, and a column portion extending outwardly convexly from the first end to the second end; and
A lower end spaced apart from the coupling member and connected to the second end of the support column
A midsole assembly of a shoe comprising: 8. The method of claim 7,
A midsole assembly of a shoe, wherein a plurality of the support posts are spaced apart from each other at intervals along a side surface of the coupling member. 9. The method of claim 8,
At least one of the plurality of support columns includes a plurality of vertical cross-sectional segments having different centers of curvature,
wherein the plurality of vertical cross-sectional segments include vertical cross-sectional segments with centers of curvature positioned opposite each other with respect to the support post. 9. The method of claim 8,
At least one support post of the plurality of support posts has a width at the post part that is different from a width at the first end or the second end, the midsole assembly of a shoe. 9. The method of claim 8,
Each of the plurality of support pillars has an oblong shape having a cross-sectional thickness different from the width and size measured along the edge of the coupling member,
The plurality of support pillars are spaced apart from each other at different intervals from each other, or
wherein the plurality of support posts have different widths. 8. The method of claim 7,
The shoe includes an outsole under the cushioning member,
The lower end of the cushioning member is attached to the outsole, the midsole assembly of the shoe. 8. The method of claim 7,
The coupling member includes a coupling protrusion protruding outward from the side,
and the upper end of the cushioning member includes a concave engagement groove to receive the engagement protrusion of the coupling member. 8. The method of claim 7,
The support pillar of the cushioning member has an opening formed in the pillar portion, the midsole assembly of the shoe. In the midsole assembly providing a cushioning function to a shoe including an upper,
a coupling member coupled to the upper to support the upper; and
A cushioning member coupled to a side surface of the coupling member to form an empty space under the coupling member and bent to be convexly curved outwardly and extending in a direction away from the upper,
The coupling member and the buffer member,
a first assembly part including a first coupling member for supporting the heel surface of the upper and a first cushioning member formed under the first coupling member; and
A second assembly part including a second coupling member for supporting the side surface of the upper and a second buffer member formed under the second coupling member
A midsole assembly of a shoe comprising: In the midsole assembly providing a cushioning function to a shoe including an upper,
a coupling member coupled to the upper to support the upper; and
A cushioning member coupled to a side surface of the coupling member to form an empty space under the coupling member and bent to be convexly curved outwardly and extending in a direction away from the upper,
The coupling member includes a pocket portion opened downward,
The cushioning member comprises an upper end received in the pocket portion, the midsole assembly of the shoe. 17. The method of claim 16,
The pocket portion is provided to protrude from the outer surface of the coupling member, the midsole assembly of the shoe. 17. The method of claim 16,
The pocket portion is provided to be inserted inside the outer shell of the upper, the midsole assembly of the shoe. In the midsole assembly providing a cushioning function to a shoe including an upper,
a coupling member coupled to the upper to support the upper; and
A cushioning member coupled to a side surface of the coupling member to form an empty space under the coupling member and bent to be convexly curved outwardly and extending in a direction away from the upper,
The coupling member includes a base plate for supporting the bottom of the upper,
wherein the base plate is configured in a shape having at least one through hole. A shoe comprising the midsole assembly of a shoe according to claim 1 . 21. The method of claim 20,
wherein the midsole assembly of the shoe is coupled to at least below the hindfoot portion of the upper to support the hindfoot portion. In the midsole assembly used for a shoe including an upper and an outsole,
A midsole assembly of a shoe comprising a support that is directly coupled to the upper to support the side of the upper and is bent convexly outwardly from the side of the upper to form an empty space inside between the upper and the outsole and extend to the outsole . 23. The method of claim 22,
The support is divided into a plurality along the edge of the upper, each spaced apart from each other is supported between the upper and the outsole, the midsole assembly of the shoe. 24. The method of claim 23,
and each of the plurality of supports has a strip shape having a width measured along an edge of the upper. 23. The method of claim 22,
The support comprises a plurality of vertical cross-sectional segments having different centers of curvature,
wherein the plurality of vertical cross-sectional segments include vertical cross-sectional segments with centers of curvature positioned opposite each other with respect to the backing.

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