MXPA99011401A - Self-inflatable air cushion - Google Patents

Abstract

A self-inflatable air cushion (1a) which includes a support chamber (1) mounted in a sole (6) of a shoe and holding a liquid, a collapsible plenum chamber (10) surrounded by the support chamber (1) and partially protruding over the top of the sole (6) and having a top air hole (31), passage means (22, 33) connected between the support chamber (1) and the plenum chamber (10), and one-way valve (101) mounted in the passage means (22, 33) to let flow move in one direction from the plenum chamber (10) to the support chamber (1) upon compression of the plenum chamber (10).

Description

AIR COIL AUTOINFLAB E BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a self-inflating air cushion for use in shoes, and more particularly to a self-inflating air cushion which comprises a foldable plenum chamber, a support chamber, and a single-way valve connected between the chamber plenum and the support chamber to allow the air to be conducted from the folding plenum in the support chamber by compressing the plenum chamber with the foot. A regular air cushion for shoes generally comprises a foldable three-dimensional body defining a plurality of air cells and a plurality of passages connected between the air cells, and an air valve connected to the passages and placed outside the sole of the shoe . When the air cushion is inflated, an air pump is attached to the air valve and operated to pump air into the air cells. If the internal pressure of the air cushion is excessively high, it can not be regulated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the present invention, the self-inflating air cushion comprises a support chamber, a foldable plenum chamber surrounded by the support chamber and having an air hole, an air passage communicated between the chamber support and the foldable plenum chamber, a simple valve mounted on the air passage which allows the air to pass from the plenum chamber to the support chamber. When the plenum chamber is compressed with the foot, the air is forced out of the plenum chamber through the simple valve in the support chamber. When the plenum chamber is released, the outside air is drawn from the plenum chamber through its air hole. According to another aspect of the present invention, a safety valve or a pressure regulating chamber is provided to regulate the internal pressure of the support chamber to the desired level. According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a pressure accumulation chamber is provided having an end connected to the plenum chamber through a simple valve, which allows air to flow from the plenum chamber to the accumulation chamber of pressure, and an opposite end connected to the support chamber through a simple valve, which allows air to flow from the pressure accumulation chamber to the support chamber. When the plenum chamber is compressed, the air pressure is directed from the plenum chamber into the pressure accumulation chamber. However, since __ the support chamber simultaneously receives an external pressure, the air pressure of the pressure accumulation chamber prevents the passage to the support chamber. When the external pressure is released from the support chamber, the air pressure of the pressure accumulation chamber is allowed to pass into the support chamber.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view of a self-inflating air cushion according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a self-inflating air cushion according to an alternative form of the present invention; Figure 3 is an applied view of the present invention, showing the self-inflating air cushion mounted on a footbed of a shoe and operated by the user's foot; Figure 4 is a plan view showing another alternative form of the present invention; Figure 4A is a sectional view taken along line 10A-10A of Figure 4; Figure 4B showing the inverse direction of the plenum chamber of the embodiment shown in Figure 4; Figure 4C shows the plenum chamber of the embodiment of Figure 4 placed in the upper cavity of the corresponding support chamber; Figure 4D is a sectional view taken along line 10D-10D of Figure 4; Figure 5 is a sectional view of yet another alternative form of the present invention, showing the installation of the pressure regulating rod, in the pressure regulating chamber, and Figure 5A is a sectional view taken along the line 11A-11A but showing only one regulating rod.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITIES Referring to Figure 1, a self-inflating air cushion is shown which comprises a support or an air chamber 1, an open space 21 surrounded by the air chamber 1, a plenum chamber 10 placed in the open space 21 and having an air hole 31, an air cylinder 22 having its end, mainly, at the opposite end placed in communication with the support chamber 1, a connecting tube 33 connected between the plenum chamber 10 and the air cylinder 22, a simple valve 101 mounted on the air cylinder 22 which allows air to pass from the plenum chamber 10 through the air cylinder 22 to the interior of the support chamber 1, and a safety valve 103 mounted at one end, mainly, to the front end of the air cylinder 22. Figure 2 shows an alternative form of the present invention. According to this alternative form, the air cushion IB comprises a support chamber 1, an air cylinder 22 connected to the support chamber 1 on one side, a plenum chamber 10 spaced from the ---- air cylinder 22 in an opposite side to the support chamber 1, and a connecting tube 34 connected between an end, mainly, to the opposite end of the air cylinder 22 and the plenum chamber 10, a simple valve 101 mounted on the air cylinder 22 for allowing the air to be released from the plenum chamber 10 to the support chamber 1, and a safety valve 103 mounted at one end, mainly, to the front end of the air cylinder 22. Referring to Figure 3, the air cushion ÍA it is mounted within a shoe insole 6 with the plenum chamber 10 projecting out of an upper hole 61 of the insole 60 into the heel area. When the user's foot has walked on the plenum chamber 10, the plenum chamber 10 is folded, and the air inside the plenum chamber 10 is forced through the connecting tube 33 and the air cylinder 22 into the supporting chamber 1 When the user's foot is lifted from the folded plenum chamber 10, the outside air is immediately drawn from the plenum chamber 10 due to a difference in air pressure between the internal pressure of the plenum chamber 10 and the atmospheric pressure. When the user continuously walks on the plenum chamber 1 of the air cushion ÍA, the support chamber 1 will be fully inflated. When the support chamber 1 is fully inflated, the support chamber 1 supports the plenum chamber 10 against external pressure. In addition, through the safety valve 103, the user can adjust the pressure of the support chamber 1 to the desired level. With reference to Figure 4, the external air passage of the air hole 31 in the plenum chamber 10.

When the foot of the user provides a pressure to the plenum chamber 10, the air hole 31 is stopped by the foot of the user and the outside air of the plenum chamber 10 is forced by the pressure of the user's foot to flow through a air passage 3b to a pressure regulating chamber 304 and then through the simple valve 101 mentioned above to a pressure accumulation chamber 6. The pressure accumulation chamber 6 is placed in a place in which the chamber Pressure build-up 6 does not carry pressure when the support chamber 1 of the plenum chamber 10 receives a pressure from the user's foot. Accordingly, the compressed air is allowed to be forced out of the plenum chamber 10 in the pressure accumulation chamber 6 and then through the single valve 102 in the support chamber 1 by means of an air passage * 3a. With reference to Figures 4B, 4C and 4D, the plenum chamber 10 can be completely turned upside down approximately 180 ° and placed in an upper cavity 10a of the support chamber 1 with its air hole 31 facing upwards. With reference to Figures 5 and 5A, a pressure regulating rod 301 is mounted in a pressure regulating chamber 304. The pressure regulating rod 301 is a hollow rod having a longitudinal central hole 53., a plurality of recessed holes 54, and a plurality of radial transverse holes 52 in communication with the longitudinal central hole 53. The recessed orifices 54 and the transverse holes 52 are positioned corresponding to a plurality of distribution chambers 51, the simple valve 101 , and an air passage 3a. By turning the pressure regulating rod 301, the pressure of the pressure accumulation chamber 6 and the support chamber 1 is regulated. When the transverse holes 52 move from the air passage 3a, the compressed air can not pass from the plenum chamber 10 to the support chamber 1. When the air passage 3a, the transverse holes 52 and the distribution chamber 51 are placed in communication with each other through the longitudinal central hole 53, the air pressure is allowed to pass in the pressure accumulation chamber 6 subject to the volume of the distribution chambers 51. Assuming the interior volume of the plenum chamber 10 = A, the interior volumes of the distribution chambers 51 = B, when the interior volume of the plenum chamber is folded 10 = C, so P1V1 * P2V2 = n, the pressure of the plenum chamber 10 after being compressed is Pb + PaA / B + C, therefore the interior volume B of the distribution chambers 51 is greater, and the air stream Pb in the pressure accumulation chamber 6. When the transverse holes 52 and the plenum chamber 10 are arranged in communication with an air passage 3c, the air is allowed to leave the plenum chamber 10 through the air passage 3c to another area of air circulation. Consequently, the air cushion IA can also improve the ventilation of the shoe. It will be understood that the drawings were only designed solely for purposes of illustration, and are not intended as a definition of the limits and scope of the invention described.

It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method known to the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention, is the conventional one for the manufacture of the objects or products to which it refers. Having described the invention as above, the content of the following is claimed as a priority:

Claims (8)

1. A self-inflating air cushion characterized in that it comprises; a support chamber having a three-dimensional body adapted to retain a fluid and an upper cavity in the three-dimensional body to receive a plenum chamber; a recessed foldable plenum chamber that has a variable volume which is changed when the plenum chamber is folded; the connecting means connected between the support chamber and the plenum chamber; and at least one pressure accumulation chamber connected between the plenum chamber and the support chamber, the pressure accumulation chamber has an inlet connected to a first simple valve means and an outlet connected to a second simple valve means, the plenum chamber communicates with the pressure accumulation chamber by means of the first simple valve means so as to prevent the reverse flow of the accumulation pressure chamber to the plenum chamber.

2. The air cushion Self-inflating according to claim 1, characterized by additionally comprises a pressure regulation chamber connected between the plenum chamber and at least one pressure accumulation chamber and controlled to regulate the internal pressure of the support chamber.

3. The self-inflating air cushion according to claim 2, characterized in that the pressure regulating chamber comprises a controlled pressure regulating rod for regulating the internal pressure of the support chamber.

4. The self-inflating air cushion according to claim 2, characterized in that the pressure regulating chamber is connected to at least one air distribution chamber.

5. The self-inflating air cushion according to claim 1, characterized in that the plenum chamber has an air hole.

6. The self-inflating air cushion according to claim 1, characterized in that the plenum chamber is mounted in an open space surrounded by the support chamber.

7. The self-inflating air cushion according to claim 1, characterized in that the plenum chamber is positioned outside the support chamber and is spaced at a distance by the passage means.

8. The self-inflating air cushion according to claim 1, characterized in that the plenum chamber comprises at least one simple valve through which the outside air is extracted from the plenum chamber. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A self-inflating air cushion (la) including a support chamber (1) mounted on a sole (6) of a shoe and retaining a liquid, a plenum plenum chamber (10) surrounded by the support chamber (1) and protruding partially on the upper part of the sole (6) and having an upper air hole (31), passage means (22, 33) connected between the support chamber (1) and the plenum chamber (10), and a simple valve (101) mounted on the passage means (22, 33) to allow the flow to move in a direction from the plenum chamber (10) to the support chamber (1) upon compression of the plenum chamber (10). SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A self-inflating air cushion (la) including a support chamber (1) mounted on a sole (6) of a shoe and retaining a liquid, a plenum plenum chamber (10) surrounded by the support chamber (1) and protruding partially on the upper part of the sole (6) and having an upper air hole (31), passage means (22, 33) connected between the support chamber (1) and the plenum chamber (10), and a simple valve (101) mounted on the passage means (22, 33) to allow the flow to move in a direction from the plenum chamber (10) to the support chamber (1) upon compression of the plenum chamber (10). 3/4 4/4 l