KR930000526B1 - Shoe with spring-like sole member - Google Patents

Abstract

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Description

shoes

1 is a cross-sectional view of a shoe constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the present invention in which various components are removable.

3 and 4 are cross-sectional and plan views of a topmost buffer layer suitable for use in the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of a shoe constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention to have a flexible elastic member curved with the innermost cushioning layer of FIG.

* Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

10, 20, 50: shoes 11, 21: upper part

12, 22, 52: Outsole 13, 23, 53: flexible elastic member

15, 25, 55: heel buffer member 16, 24, 56: insole

17, 27: inner buffer layer 30: the innermost buffer window

32: ulnar support 33: ulna buffer

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to footwear, and more particularly, to a shoe in which a leaf spring-like resilient member formed of a fiber reinforcement polymer material is absorbed and released each time it walks.

Various methods have been adopted in the prior art to relieve the stress exerted on the foot during walking or running. One well known method employs an elastic member, such as a spring, that absorbs and releases energy at every step. This prior art stores and releases energy through elastic members arranged to act in a direction approximately orthogonal to the sole to absorb and redistribute local loads and forces.

U.S. Patent No. 4,492,046 describes a race shoe having a spring wire disposed in an elongated longitudinal hole of a shoe sole. The spring wire is arranged to forcibly open the hole so that the hole is closed when the wearer's heel is lowered, and the spring is in the lower section of the sole to help the weight move as the weight of the wearer moves forward to the ulna head of the foot. Push the upper section away from you. By assisting such a weight shift, it is mentioned in the patent specification that the runner can jump out with a comfortable stride. Clearly, this conventional structure was complicated and heavy, and it was dangerous in that the heel end of the shoe sole could be caught and the runner could fall over.

U. S. Patent No. 4,534, 124 describes another conventional spring-actuated running shoe, the sneaker described in this patent having a leaf spring coupled to its front end and a leaf spring coupled to the lower sole at its rear end. As described in this patent, the leaf springs are arranged parallel to some distance from the sole so that the weight imparted to the shoe is stored as energy in the leaf springs. Such structures are heavy, large, complex, and prone to thinking.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a simple and economical shoe having a structure for storing and releasing energy in a manner that is beneficial to the runner.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a shoe having a structure for storing and releasing energy in compliance with the runner's natural foot motion.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a running shoe having a structure that allows the stored energy to be released in the running direction of the runner during every step of running.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a shoe having an elastic member of a leaf spring type having a long bending life.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a spring-like resilient member that cooperates with a shoe to have flexural properties that can be easily adapted to a particular runner.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a spring-type resilient member disposed on a shoe to have a resilient property that can be easily adapted to supplement the resilient property of the running surface.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a spring-type resilient member that can be easily installed in a race shoe.

The above and other objects are achieved by the present invention for providing a shoe having a leaf spring type flexible resilient member disposed adjacent to the sole. According to the present invention, the flexible resilient member has certain flexural characteristics and is arranged to bend with the sole in the ulna head region of the wearer's foot each time it walks. Thus, the resilient member, which may be made of a fiber reinforced polymer material, stores and releases energy according to such curvature whenever it walks.

In one embodiment of the invention, the material forming the flexible resilient member may be a carbon fiber reinforced epoxy formed of multiple layers. The shape and thickness of each layer as well as the number of such layers can be selected to form the desired flexural properties. In this way, the flexible resilient member is adapted to the wearer's weight and other characteristics. In one embodiment, the various layers are bound to each other. In addition, the entire flexible resilient member may be placed between the shoe outsole and the insole, which contacts the wearer's foot.

The fiber reinforced polymeric material of each layer may have flexural properties in a direction along the direction of placement of the reinforcing fibers in the material. Typically, such materials can withstand greater forces, such as bending forces, in the direction of the fiber rather than across it. In one embodiment of the present invention, the various layers of fiber reinforced material forming the flexible resilient member are oriented with respect to the flexural properties of each layer. Such layers can be arranged such that the fiber placement directions are at an angle to each other. Thus, the longitudinal and transverse bending characteristics of the flexible resilient member can be tailored to the specific activity of the wearer. In a particular embodiment, the fiber placement direction of certain layers is the same as the longitudinal direction of the shoe and the other layers are arranged at an angle of 45 ° relative to the side of the shoe. In most applications, the flexible resilient member is stiffer in the longitudinal direction. As noted, the rigidity of the flexible resilient member can be tailored to a particular application state by varying the number of layers of fiber reinforcement material and the angular directions of those layers. Clearly, the specific flexure characteristics to be provided for a shoe must be tailored to the wearer's weight, the wearer's racing style, the wearer's specific activity properties, and the surface properties of where such activity occurs. Heavy weight racers require a fairly stiff flexible resilient member. Thus, the flexible resilient member of a shoe made for such a racer is formed of more layers of carbon fiber material regardless of shoe size. In addition, sprinters require greater strength and inertia loads on the runner's feet than in races such as marathon races, so sprinters require a more rigid flexible resilient member than marathon runners. Shoes for football players who are generally intense athletes and run short distances require a relatively stiff flexible elastic member.

At least in part the premise of the inventors in the present invention is as follows. In other words, to achieve an effective energized return for a runner sufficiently to improve the wearer's movement in some activity, a shoe with spring-like resilient members that is considerably stiffer and more resistant to flexion than regular sneakers is needed. . The permissible premise under this recognition is in stark contrast to the approach recognized by today's shoe designers and manufacturers.

A generally accepted view is that light and well-curved shoes improve runners' speed and comfort. Clearly, this view is based on the classical mechanics of reducing the force required to bend the shoe during use, reducing the weight of the shoe and ultimately reducing the total energy exerted by the shoe wearer, thereby improving runner speed and endurance.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the flexible resilient member is formed of multiple layers of carbon fiber material that can be cast from a solidifying material such as epoxy. In racing shoes with only moderate lateral, lateral loading, it is desirable to achieve significant longitudinal stiffness along the axis of the foot, which acts as a spring-resistant resistance to the bend of the shoe near the ulna head of the foot. do.

In the race shoes of the present invention, it is desirable to minimize the lateral rigidity. A significant amount of lateral stiffness can be avoided by aligning the fibers of the carbon layers in the longitudinal direction relative to the user's foot, but as a result there is no lateral support and the epoxy of the casting breaks in the direction along the carbon fibers. Thus, in a practical example, a compromise is made by placing the carbon fiber layers at predetermined angles relative to each other so that the fiber layers support each other. In a preferred embodiment, the tancer fiber layers are arranged approximately 10 ° apart in the longitudinal axis.

In a very advantageous embodiment, the spring-like resilient member is formed of four layers of carbon fiber qualities, especially for shoes in the range of foot dimensions of an ordinary adult male. The first layer is arranged such that its aligned carbon fibers are arranged at an angle of 10 ° (+ 10 °) counterclockwise with respect to the longitudinal axis, and the second layer has an angle of 10 ° clockwise (- 10 °). To achieve symmetry, to avoid in-mold deformation of the molten epoxy in the mold, the third and fourth layers are disposed at -10 ° and + 10 °, respectively.

Thus, a shoe manufactured using the aforementioned flexible resilient member is adjusted within the scope of obtaining the advantages of the present invention for the majority of people, in terms of energy storage and return. As mentioned above, adjusting the shoe to a particular individual can be done in a number of ways, such as varying the number of carbon fiber layers in the resilient member. For example, 2-3 carbon fiber layers can be used for some shoe dimensions.

The shoes of the present invention are not as flexible as conventional running shoes. Moreover, the shoes of certain embodiments of the present invention may be heavier than conventional shoes. Thus, the advantages of the present invention are achieved in a manner contrary to the common sense of those skilled in shoe manufacturing techniques.

As mentioned above, lateral stiffness may be undesirable in racing shoes. High lateral stiffness will increase the wearer's tendency to turn inward, which manifests itself as a rapid intermediate movement of the pressure center immediately after the heel hits the ground during the run. However, activities such as tennis and baseball require players to apply high lateral loads, especially during rapid turnover. According to the invention, it is desirable for shoes manufactured for this type of activity to be provided with significant lateral stiffness, which is obtained by increasing the orientation angle of the aligned carbon fibers from approximately ± 10 ° to ± 90 °. Can lose.

In some embodiments, the flexible resilient member occupies only about two thirds of the front of the shoe and is approximately flat. The heel portion of such shoes may be provided with a cushioning member that absorbs and redistributes impact forces and loads. However, in another embodiment, the flexible resilient member spans the entire length of the shoe, allowing the same function as previously described for flexion in the ulnar head region of the wearer's foot to the shoe's heel. In addition, the flexible resilient member need not be completely flat and may instead be bent in a manner consistent with the sole. For example, the flexible resilient member may be bent upward in the area in front of the shoe.

In embodiments of the present invention in which the flexible resilient member does not extend over the entire length of the shoe, the heel cushioning member formed of the resilient cushioning material may be provided at the back of the shoe. Such a cushioning member may be formed of a buffer material including a force distribution material sold under the trademark Sorbothane. When subjected to impact loads, these materials behave somewhat like liquids and distribute the load evenly. This has the effect of reducing the overall impact force at any point in the heel area of the shoe wearer's foot.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the insole is arranged to prevent direct contact of the wearer's foot with the flexible resilient member. Such direct contact may cause bruises or other injuries to the wearer's foot, particularly the area of the ulna head. By eliminating or reducing these injuries, the wearer's athletic function can be significantly improved. Further, in some embodiments of the present invention, the ulna support is formed in the innermost buffer window at an area corresponding to just behind the ulna head of the wearer's foot. Such an ulnar support has the effect of lifting the foot slightly to relieve the load on the ulnar head. Of course, this reduces fatigue and improves the function of the shoe. In addition to the foregoing, an ulna buffer located directly below the ulna head is provided in the innermost buffer window. Such ulna buffers serve to more evenly distribute the forces applied to the ulna head.

According to another aspect of the invention, the flexible resilient member cooperates with the outsole and the heel cushioning member of the shoe to obtain a coordinated response. Thus, the flexible resilient member acts like a spring and the outsole and heel cushioning member act as damping media. Insoles also act as damping media. Such damping media help to reduce one or more conditions of vibration due to shock waves generated on the runner's legs by impact upon kicking, and also help adjust the shoe to the wearer's specific running characteristics. Likewise, in embodiments of the present invention where the flexible resilient member extends to the rear of the shoe to provide a beneficial effect on the heel area, the buffer material in this area may serve to dampen vibrations as described above.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 shows a cross-sectional view of a shoe 10 according to the invention. As shown, the shoe 10 has an upper portion 11, which can be made in a manner known in the art, and an outsole 12 in this embodiment serving as the outermost bottom layer. The flexible resilient member 13 is disposed in contact with the outsole 12 and extends throughout the front of the shoe. However, at the rear of the shoe, the heel cushioning member 15 is placed in contact with the outsole 12, and serves to dampen and distribute the impact force generated when the heel portion of the shoe comes into contact with the ground (not shown) during a running exercise. . In addition, the heel cushioning member 15 holds the flexible elastic member 13 in place, and serves to prevent the elastic member from moving backward.

The flexible resilient member 13 and the heel cushioning member 15 are covered with insole 16 in this embodiment. Also in this embodiment a flexible inner buffer layer 17 is disposed on the inner surface of the insole 16. The insole 16 and the inner cushion layer 17 serve to comfort the wearer and also prevent the wearer's feet from directly contacting the flexible resilient member 13. In this particular embodiment, the medial buffer layer 17 is thicker in the vicinity of the heel of the shoe. This extra thickening provides additional cushioning support, reducing the transmission of the maximum force during the running workout to the wearer's heel.

2 shows a cross-sectional view of a shoe 20 constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention to have removable parts. This shoe also has an upper portion 21, which may be a conventional structure, an outsole 22, and a flexible resilient member 23. However, unlike the embodiment described above, in this embodiment, the insole 24 directly contacts the outsole 22 and lies between the outsole 22 and the flexible resilient member 23. In the heel area of the shoe, a heel buffer member 25 is disposed. However, unlike the embodiment of FIG. 1, the heel buffer member 25 and the flexible resilient member 23 of the second embodiment are removable. Thus, once the members are removed, the shoe 20 can be used like a conventional shoe, with the wearer's foot directly in contact with the insole 24. The heel buffer member 25 is shown to be engaged with the flexible resilient member 23. Any known joining structure can be used to ensure that the heel cushioning member and the flexible resilient member hold in place relative to each other. In this particular embodiment, a flexible inner buffer layer 27 is disposed over the flexible resilient member 23 and the heel buffer member 25. Of course, the inner cushion layer 27 is also removable to allow access to the flexible resilient member and the heel buffer member.

3 and 4 show, in side and plan view, one example of the innermost cushioning window 30 suitable for use in the shoe of the embodiments of the first and second degrees. The baremost buffer window 30 may be formed in a conventional manner, but the buffer window of this embodiment is provided with the ulnar support 32 protruding in an area corresponding to the position just behind the ulna head of the wearer's foot. . The buffer window is also provided with an ulna buffer 33 positioned to contact the ulna head of the wearer's foot. In this embodiment, the thickness of the ulna buffer 33 is equal to the thickness of the rest of this buffer window.

FIG. 5 shows in cross section a shoe 50 utilizing the above-mentioned innermost buffer window 30 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. In this embodiment, there is an outsole 52 and a flexible resilient member 53 is disposed directly above the outsole. In this embodiment, the flexible resilient member 53 extends only over a portion of the shoe length, while the remaining portion is arranged with a heel cushioning member 55 that operates in the manner described for the heel cushioning members of the first and second degrees. have. The cushioning member may be made of a viscous material that serves to mitigate the impact of the heel and to dampen the vibration of the flexible resilient member. Alternatively, the flexible resilient member may extend to the back of the shoe 50 to eliminate the need for a heel cushioning member 55. In such embodiments, outsole 52 and insole 56 both cooperate with the wearer's foot to damp any vibration of the flexible resilient member.

In this particular embodiment, the flexible resilient member 53 has a predetermined curvature that can further give comfort to the wearer. This embodiment utilizes a removable leftmost buffer window 30 as described with respect to FIGS. 3 and 4. As shown in FIG. 5, the innermost buffer window 30 matches the curvature of the shoe.

Claims (6)

A shoe having a flexible outsole in contact with the ground and a flexible resilient member extending over most of the length of the shoe and having a predetermined spring-like bending characteristic and disposed inside the shoe relative to the outsole, wherein the flexible resilient member Is formed of a plurality of layers of fibrous reinforcement polymer material bonded to each other, and has greater stiffness in the longitudinal direction than in the transverse direction, wherein the flexible resilient member and the flexible outsole are of the foot in the ulnar head region of the human foot. Disposed to bend together with each other in response to the bend so that energy imparted by a person is stored in the flexible resilient member in response to the bend during every step and released when the foot is lifted from the ground, and is released from the flexible resilient member The energy is applied over a predetermined time according to the predetermined bending characteristic of the flexible resilient member. Shoe, characterized in that the return to the person in the form of a force having a magnitude characteristic which is assigned to. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the flexible resilient member comprises a layer of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy material. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the layer of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy material consists of a layer of carbon fiber material implanted in an epoxy material, the layer of carbon fiber material having carbon fibers arranged in alignment, and injected into the epoxy material Another layer of carbon fiber material is further disposed, wherein the carbon fibers of the layers are disposed at an angle with respect to each other and with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shoe so as to achieve the predetermined bending characteristics of the flexible resilient member. . The shoe of claim 1 wherein more elongate fibers of the polymeric material layers are disposed in the longitudinal direction than in the transverse direction to achieve greater stiffness in the longitudinal direction. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the flexible resilient member is disposed between the outsole and an insole disposed in the interior of the shoe. The shoe of claim 1 wherein the polymeric material is reinforced with carbon fibers.

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