KR20070037449A - Dynamically adjustable impact-buffering sports shoe - Google Patents

Abstract

Wearable items, such as shoes, include a buffer configured to dynamically adjust the effect of the next impact on the item during the operational use of the item, under the control of the previous impact strength.

Description

Dynamically Adjustable Shock Buffered Running Shoes {DYNAMICALLY ADJUSTABLE IMPACT-BUFFERING SPORTS SHOE}

The present invention relates to shoes, boots, or other wear, clothes such as trousers, overalls, etc., to cover parts of the body of a person, such as gloves, or a person such as a saddle or a seat. A garment product, defined as including an item that engages the body of a person. The invention particularly relates to, but is not limited to, sneakers.

When running or jogging, a person's body is shocked whenever his shoes hit the ground. The impact force depends in particular on the terrain surface conditions (eg concrete or gravel), the running style, the runner's physical condition and the buffering or damping provided by the sole of the shoe. Impact forces during running can cause wear and serious injury, especially of the ankle or knee joint. Thus, considerable attention has been paid to increasing the damping of the impact force. Some examples are discussed below.

US Pat. No. 4,263,728, incorporated herein by reference, provides adjustable shock absorption for the heel impact surface in the form of an inflatable air chamber extending downwardly inside a hollow cavity connected to the air chamber and a pump-like peg. It is about running shoes with a system. When the jogging impacts the running surface, the peg sinks, compresses the air contained in the cavity into the air chamber, and the chamber distributes the impact force across the entire bottom of the shoe. After the peg is compressed, the air chamber can also be partially compressed to absorb the remaining force. This provides a two stage shock absorbing and dispersing system. The shock absorbing system must be inflated to the initial pressure for use. Typically the initial pressure will be less than 30 pounds per square inch, depending on the weight of the person using the shoe. The shoe will then be used to determine if sufficient and comfortable shock absorption or impact dispersion has been reached. If necessary, the amount of pressure in the shock absorbing system can be adjusted via an air valve. The air valve is connected with the air chamber to allow for adjustable expansion of the air chamber. This provides a jogging shoe with improved shock absorbing or impact dispersing properties for the heel portion that receives the impact. A second characteristic of the shock absorbing system of the present invention is an air valve, through which air or other compressible fluid can be injected into the air chamber, or can be removed from the air chamber depending on the amount of shock absorption required under such circumstances. have. Therefore, the weight of the jogger, the type of surface on which the jogger runs, and, to some extent, the style of the jogger-the size of the area of the jogging shoe that first touches the running surface or the portion of the jogging shoe for a particular jogger, will be acceptable. Can be.

U. S. Patent 5,598, 645, incorporated herein by reference, relates to a shoe sole with a bottom plate having an inflatable tube component fixed to the ground. The shoe bottom also includes an upright side support wall that defines the chamber or installation space, which is connected to the tube component by an expansion opening. In addition, a valve housing, a small pump, and a connecting pipe connecting the pump to the expansion opening are disposed in the installation space. Tube components are provided along the middle and lateral edges of the bottom, in the heel area. In addition, the tube components can be separated from each other and expandable to individually adjust the stepping characteristics of a shoe with a shoe sole. The tube component also includes a longitudinal partition, which partitions into two air chambers, each of which is connected to each other through at least one hole in the longitudinal partition. This provides for increased rigidity and improved stepping properties of the tube components. The small piston pump is fixed in the heel area between the two fixing plates. The pump comprises a control device for the valve arrangement, which allows the connection between each one of the four pressure connections connected to the cylinder of the pump housing so that the tube component part and the tube component can be individually inflated. Will be. The valve device includes a valve that is connected with a separate pressure connection to allow air to escape from the tube and prevents the escape of air from the tube component and can also be executed clearly and carefully.

US Pat. No. 6,553,691, incorporated herein by reference, relates to providing support to a shoe user's foot by an air cushion that includes a support chamber surrounding a retractable pump. The pump is operable by the wearer's foot to direct compressed air to the support chamber and to change the tightness of the chamber. The support chamber consists of a preformed three-dimensional configuration of sufficient rigidity to provide stable support to the foot before receiving compressed air from the pump. The user can operate the relief valve to adjust the pressure of the compressed air in the support chamber to the desired level.

As such, the example shows that a known shoe provides an adjustable shock-absorbing property using an air pump, air chamber and air valve.

The present invention particularly addresses the problem of the change in impact over time while a person is running as a result of changes in surface conditions. One object of the present invention is to provide adequate damping of such an impact even if the magnitude of the impact depends on the way the person travels.

The present invention also contemplates scenarios other than running or jogging, which preferably provide adequate absorption of the impact of a human body varying in size by an intermediate agent. Motorists, truckers, motorcyclists, cyclists, riders, speedboat drivers, etc. are also susceptible to mechanical shock delivered by the transport engine in operation. The magnitude and frequency of the impacts depend, for example, on the speed, the terrain or the nature of the surface and the quality of the shock absorption that lies between the human body and the surface on which the vehicle, vehicle or steed travels. For example, riding a motorcycle for a long time on a dirt road is because the rider leaves calluses on their hips and their palms, which part of the body also acts as a shock absorber. Sturdy padded gloves and ergonomic saddles help riders escape hard work. Making the suspension of the vehicle weaker is not a preferred solution. If the suspension is too weak, it not only adversely affects the quality of the driving stability, but also disturbs the (literally) intuitive feeling of the rider of what the vehicle is like, thus hindering user control. To be complete, it has been known since 1991 in a Mercedes Benz automobile, a self-adjustable suspension, called "Adaptive Damping System". The system adjusts the stiffness of the shock absorber several times per second on each wheel to one of four settings, based on the road surface and how the car is driven.

The present invention generally contemplates items of garment products. The item includes a buffer configured to dynamically adjust the effect of the next impact of the item when using the item. The effect is adjusted, for example, for the purpose of controllably reducing the effect or controllably increasing the effect. Adjustment is dynamic because it occurs during operation. That is, the user does not need to stop to make adjustments such as the items discussed above. In an embodiment of the invention, the buffer is configured for wireless connection with the user interface to enable the item user to adjust the effect based on user input. For example, a user can carry his device with a user interface that is connected to a buffer via a radio frequency (RF) link, allowing the user to adjust the effect during the operational use of the item. In another embodiment, the buffer is configured to adjust damping the effect of the next shock, for example under the control of a sensor to detect parameter representative values of previous shocks during operation of the item. When providing a damping effect, an automatic and dynamically adjustable buffer allows consideration of various external conditions to best neutralize the impact. The sensor may be housed in the item itself, for example in physical connection with a buffer. Alternatively, the sensor is a separate component that is not physically connected to the item and is wirelessly connected to the buffer.

In an embodiment of the present invention the buffer comprises an air chamber, an air pump connected to the air chamber, a relief valve connected to the air chamber, a gauge connected to the chamber for measuring an amount representing the air pressure of the chamber, and an air pressure to be adjusted. And a controller coupled to at least one of the valve and the pump under combined control of the gauge and sensor. Preferably, the controller is (user) programmable and / or configured to process user input received from the user during the operational use of the item, for example using the RF connection mentioned above.

Accordingly, the present invention provides wearables, gloves, other clothes, seats, saddles, grips of bicycle handlebars, etc., which are dynamically and automatically adapted to mitigate the effects of shock on a person's body through clothing products. .

The invention also relates to a vehicle having a garment product for engaging with a human body during operation. Certain embodiments of the present invention relate to sneakers.

The invention is explained in more detail by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a block diagram of an item of a garment product of the present invention.

2-4 are illustrations of certain embodiments of items of apparel articles of the invention.

In the entire drawing, the same reference numerals indicate similar or corresponding shapes.

As an example of the application of the present invention, athletic shoes are considered. Currently commercially available sneakers can support runners by controlling the damping or stiffness behavior of shoe soles these days. Typically this is done by pressing the air at the bottom of the sneaker to adjust the damping quality and rigidity of the shoe. One of these techniques relates to the regulation of the pressure of the air in the chamber that is integrated with the sole of the shoe according to the user's thoughtful needs, that is, according to a predetermined need. See some examples above, in order to operate this, certain instruments are needed and therefore high costs are involved. This kind of technology is generally applied to special shoes such as shoes of in-line roller skates. Clearly, this is only one adjustment of the shoe that does not account for changes in operation, such as related to the user's physical condition, terrain conditions and running style. Impact force depends on terrain conditions (concrete, sand, gravel, snow, etc.), user conditions (weight, joint and muscle conditions, shoe size, etc.), and user running style (speed / acceleration, walking shape, foot landing, etc.). Another known embodiment (see above), again requires the setting of a relief valve to adjust the damping quality or stiffness of the shoe previously.

In an embodiment of the present invention the shoe behavior is improved by dynamically adapting the stiffness of the sole of the shoe based on continuous or periodic measurements of the relevant parameters. Depending on the measurement of the impact force during walking or running, the air-pressure of the shoe sole is adapted to optimize the damping and stiffness of the sole. In this way, the shoe is automatically adapted to various terrains, user conditions, and running styles.

An aspect of the present invention is the adaptation of the air-pressure of the shoe sole to dynamically control or adjust the damping and stiffness of the shoe. This can be accomplished using a mechanism that implements the method with the following steps. Relevant parameters (eg impact force) are measured in the sensor part. The change in air-pressure and / or unit time in the control part is adjusted during use based on the measuring means. The result is the creation of a certain quality of damping and damping of the sole of the shoe.

Aspects of the present invention in particular focus on the measurement of impact forces during operation (eg, walking or running) and the regulation of air-pressure.

As indicated above, the function of the adaptive shoe is to adjust the damping / stiffness of the sole of the sneakers under the measurement control of the impact force. This function is discussed in more detail below, for example in the following parts: measuring unit; Control unit; It is executed by a system with air pressure units.

The measuring unit includes a sensor that measures the impact force when the shoe lands on the ground, the sensor being located, for example, on the heel of the shoe. Impact force depends on, for example, the particular terrain, user conditions, and running style at the moment. The sensor may be passive or active using a separate power supply (eg battery), or preferably powered by its own impact force. The measurement of impact force in the previous step controls the desired damping / stiffness value of the floor for the next impact step.

Based on the impact force measured, the air-pressure of the main chamber is adjusted. The adjustment is preferably carried out when the shoe is off the ground. When the scene is still on the ground, the damping / stiffness of the shoe is not controlled by the control mechanism of the present invention. The air pressure required during the next impact with the ground is determined during the previous stage. However, when the shoe falls, the air-pressure of the shoe can change with the last impact force measurement. Such new damping / stiffness values can be used during the next step or at the time the actual foot is on the ground during the next step. A passive method of controlling air pressure is also desirable. Using the force included during the time the foot is in contact with the ground, the control unit is adjusted in such a way that the air-pressure at the bottom reaches the desired optimum value while the foot is floating.

The air-pressure unit is the main chamber in which air-pressure can be induced. Similar to solutions already in the sneaker industry, an air chamber will be inserted at the bottom. This main air chamber is connected with the control unit to change the pressure when the foot is in the air and to maintain a regulated air-pressure while in contact with the ground.

The following operating steps are identified. During the contact between the shoe and the ground, the measuring unit measures the impact force, for example the maximum value. When the shoe is on the ground, the main chamber is not controlled and the control unit is ready for the next control operation. When the shoe falls, the pressure in the main chamber changes. The next time the shoe collides with the ground, the main chamber is controllably set to damp the next impact and the measuring unit mounts a tube for measuring the new impact force.

The system can be considered a controlled system with sample time, which is walking time. The compressibility of trapped air is used to provide constant damping. Alternatively or additionally, damping is achieved by controlling the proportion of air released from the chamber when absorbing the impact. Air pressure and / or changes during each walk are controlled based on measurements during this time sample / walk.

The above is discussed in more detail with reference to the drawings as follows. 1 is a block diagram of a system 100 of the present invention for illustrating various functions. System 100 includes an item of garment product 102 having a buffer 104 configured to dynamically adjust the effect of the next impact on item 102 during operation of item 102. The buffer 104 includes an air chamber 106 that acts as the actual absorber of the impact of the item 102. The buffer 104 also includes an air pump 108 for increasing the air pressure of the chamber 106 and a relief valve 110 for reducing the air pressure. The construction of the pump 108 has been known from the prior art discussed, for example. The valve 110 and pump 108 are controllable as described below and act to adjust the air pressure and air pressure change every unit time to control the shock absorbing characteristics of the buffer 104. The magnitude of the change in air pressure per unit time during impact determines, together with other factors, how much energy is absorbed and not delivered to the user's body. The buffer 104 also has a gauge 112 connected to the chamber 106 in order to be able to measure air pressure and representative amounts of the change. The buffer 102 also has a sensor 114 for detecting a value of a parameter indicative of the impact of the item 102 during use of the item 102. Sensor 114 includes, for example, one or more accelerometers. The controller 116 is provided with, for example, a micro-controller connected to the pump 108, the valve 110, the gauge 112, the sensor 114. Controller 116 controls valve 110 and pump 108 based on inputs from sensor 114 and gauge 112. Preferably, the controller 116 adjusts the effect of the next shock under the control of the sensor 114 which senses a parameter value representing the previous shock during operation of the item. This assumes that the intensity of the impact sequence is gradually changed so that the magnitude of the strength of the next impact is reasonably predictable.

1 shows an embodiment of the invention in which the pump 108 and the valve 110 are separate components. In other embodiments (not shown) they are integrated with one another physically and / or functionally, for example to form a controllable two-way air pump.

1 illustrates an embodiment of the invention in which a sensor 114 is housed in a buffer 104. In another embodiment (not shown) of the present invention, the sensor 114 is housed outside the buffer 104 but together within or outside of the item 102. For example, sensor 114 is on the body of the user of item 102 and is connected to controller 116 via RF. As an alternative example, the sensor 114 is a component of a remote sensing system (not shown) that determines the strength of the impact from a distance for the item 102 and communicates the measured strength to the controller 116 via an RF link. .

The embodiment of FIG. 1 further shows a controllable pump 108 and valve 110 to the controller 116. In another embodiment (not shown) one of the pump 108 and the valve is controllable and the other has a fixed setting. For example, when the pump 108 has a fixed setting, the controller 116 controls the valve 110 such that a controllable amount of air can be discharged per impact.

1 illustrates a system 100 that includes a gauge 112. Another embodiment (not shown) does not have such a gauge 112 and the response of the buffer 104 to the next shock is automatically controlled by an input from the sensor 114.

The power to the controller 116 and the transmission of signals from the gauge 112 and sensor 114 to the pump 108 and the valve 110 are provided by, for example, one or more small batteries (not shown). The power source for operating the pump 108 and / or the valve 110 according to the settings determined by the controller 116 is obtained from a small power source such as, for example, a battery or from the impact itself. For the impact itself, see the prior art above for further examples of mechanically actuated pumps used for wearing.

Preferably, system 100 further includes a user interface 118 that communicates wirelessly, for example, via an RF link with controller 116 of buffer 104. The user interface 118 is worn with a tag on, for example, a wrist watch or a user's shirt or jacket and allows the user to engage in automatic and dynamic adjustment of the pump 108 and / or valve 110. It includes small devices that are handheld. The user interface allows the user to increase the response of the buffer 104 to the next impact (s), for example, to automatically derived settings determined by the gauge 112 and / or the sensor 114, or It has one or more keys or buttons that can send a command or command to the controller 116 to reduce it. Alternatively, the user interface 118 is voice controlled so that voice commands such as "more" and "less" achieve results similar to those obtained through a manually operated user interface. This wireless embodiment of the user interface 118 may be operated by someone other than the user of the item 102 itself. For example, if the user is a track and field athlete, their trainer controls the user interface 118 to determine the best setting of the pump 108 and / or valve 110 according to the monitor's monitoring of the athlete's running. You may want to. In addition, the controller can convey the degree of output history from the sensor 114 and the setting history of the pump 108 and the valve 110 to the interface 118 or other receivers for later analysis. Analysis within the context of execution during implementation leads to programming or reprogramming of the controller 116 to fine tune the control of the buffer 104 during competition.

System 100 is shown to include a single valve 110 with a single air chamber 106, a single pump 108, and a single controller 116. Depending on the application of the particular field of the present invention, one may consider a configuration with multiple chambers at multiple strategic locations of the garment product 102. For example, consider pants or work clothes as a motorcycle rider's wearing equipment. When the present invention is incorporated into the hip portion of equipment that is coupled with the saddle of a motorcycle, multiple small chambers may be preferable to a single large chamber if only one chamber needs to be reserved for leakage. In addition, individual areas of the user's body may require individually controllable shock buffering, for example, when the impact on the contact surface is unevenly distributed in space and / time. In this case, a plurality of chambers are preferably provided which can be controlled individually by a single controller 116 or by a plurality of controllers 116. As such, many of each individual function of FIG. 1 that acts to buffer an impact may be separated and dispersed in a garment product in combination to best suit the purposes of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of the item of the shoe 200, where sneakers for running or jogging, the location of the various components being indicated using the reference numerals corresponding to the functions discussed in FIG. As will be apparent from the above description, ski boots may require that the components of the system 100 be accommodated in somewhat different areas than those shown in the shoe 200 in order to account for the specific amount of impact that occurs during the ski run. Similar considerations apply, for example, to motocross boots or trekking boots.

3 is a view of a portion of leather motorcycle pants 300 with the back portion shown. Trouser 300 includes an integrated support belt 302 between top 304 and legged bottom 306. The hip portion 308 of the pants 300 engages with the saddle (not shown) of the motorcycle during use of the pants. In this embodiment, the hip 308 is equipped with multiple air chambers 310, 312, 314 and 316 with similar functions as discussed in chamber 106 of FIG. 1. Components 318, 320, 322 and 324 represent the location of each sensor similar to sensor 114, each pump similar to pump 108, and the location of each valve similar to valve 110. The controller 116 is located in the belt 302, for example. The user interface 118 is, for example, a portable unit that can be removed from the handle of the motorcycle in a position that can be easily controlled with the thumb.

4 shows a portion of a bicycle with a frame 402 on which a saddle 404 is mounted. The cover of the saddle 404 has air chambers 406, 408, and 410 in some areas. Preferably such saddles 404 and covers are custom made to take into account the particular configuration of each user in order to make the best use of the positions of the chambers 406-410. In this example, a single sensor 114 is communicated in a wireless manner (RF or IR) with a controller 116 (not shown) received below the saddle 404, for example on a frame 412 of the saddle 404. )to be. An air pump similar to pump 108 (not shown) and a valve similar to valve 110 (not shown) are likewise mounted under the saddle 404 and preferably replace the wheels (not shown) and the frame 402 of the bicycle. When responding to a shock transmitted through it, it is mechanically activated using the gravity energy of the user's body. When the shock is properly buffered, the user's body travels a short vertical distance between successive shocks and the possible gravity energy is lower than when the body is severely impacted.

The present invention includes items that are worn to cover parts of a person's body, such as shoes, boots, or other wears, suits, overalls, gloves, etc., or that bind to the person's body, such as saddles or seats. Used in apparel products, limited to one.

Claims (15)

An item of a garment product, comprising: a buffer configured to dynamically adjust the effect of the next impact on the item during operation of the item. The item of claim 1, wherein the buffer is configured to wirelessly connect with a user interface for allowing a user of the item to dynamically adjust the effect based on user input. The item of claim 1, wherein the buffer is configured to adjust the effect of the next shock under control of a sensor to detect a value of a parameter indicative of a previous shock during operation of the item. The item of garment product according to claim 3, containing a sensor. 4. The item of garment product according to claim 3, configured for a wireless connection between the sensor and the buffer. The item of garment product according to claim 1, comprising a footgear. The method of claim 3, wherein the buffer is functionally: An air chamber, An air pump connected to the air chamber, A relief valve connected to the air chamber, An item of apparel article comprising a controller connected with at least one of the pump and the valve for control of the sensor controlling the setting of the pump and / or the valve. The item of garment 7, wherein the controller is programmable or user-programmable. A buffer configured for use with an item of a garment product, configured to control the effect of the next impact on the item during operation of the item. The buffer of claim 9, configured for wireless connection with a user interface for allowing a user of an item to dynamically adjust an effect based on user input. The buffer of claim 9, configured to adjust the effect of the next shock under the control of the sensor to detect parameter values indicative of the previous shock during operation of the item. The buffer of claim 11 configured for wireless connection with a sensor. The buffer of claim 11 which houses the sensor. 10. The buffer of claim 9, wherein the user of the item is configured for wireless connection with a user interface to enable control of damping based on user input while the buffer is operating. The method of claim 11, An air chamber, An air pump connected to the air chamber, A relief valve connected to said air chamber, A controller connected with at least one of the pump and the valve under the control of a sensor controlling the setting of the pump and / or the valve.

Images