US20040128864A1

US20040128864A1 - Static electricity removing tool for footwear bottom, static electricity removing footwear bottom and electricity removing method of footwear bottom

Info

Publication number: US20040128864A1
Application number: US10/704,135
Authority: US
Inventors: Hirokazu Kimura; Kayo Toyoda; Masahiro Hasegawa
Original assignee: Osaka Prefecture; Morito Co Ltd
Current assignee: Osaka Prefecture; Morito Co Ltd
Priority date: 2002-11-15
Filing date: 2003-11-10
Publication date: 2004-07-08
Also published as: EP1419708B1; TW200412869A; EP1419708A1; KR20040042891A; DE60307201D1; JP3915095B2; CN1505996A; JP2004160043A

Abstract

A static electricity removing tool for a footwear bottom includes a basal plate having in its inner face an attaching layer for attaching to a ground contacting face of a footwear bottom, a static electricity removing sheet in which a corona discharge is made of an electricity removing material, and a concave portion deeper than a thickness of the static electricity removing sheet, formed in a ground contacting face of the basal plate. Furthermore, a step difference more concave than the ground contacting face of the basal plate is formed in an outer face of the static electricity removing sheet by attaching the static electricity removing sheet to a bottom face of the concave portion by bonding.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a static electricity removing tool for footwear bottom, which is provided in the footwear bottom and removes the static electricity generated between the footwear and the ground when walking by utilizing a corona discharge by conductive fibers, and to a footwear bottom having the static electricity removing function.

2. Description of the Related Art

From old times, there have been publicly known a static electricity preventing footwear in which a material of stainless fibers of 0.5 to 1.5 deniers in fineness and 0.01 to 0.15 mm in length is contained in 3 to 5% by weight ratio in materials, such as rubber and fibers, forming a portion contacting with the ground at the bottom of a footwear main body, and a static electricity preventing foot wear (hereafter, referred to as prior art 1) in which a chip-like or foil-like stainless is used in place of the stainless fibers (for example, refer to JP-A-2002-101904 (pages 2-3)).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Since the footwear bottom is a place severely rubbed with the ground, it becomes a great cause for generating the static electricity when walking. As a result, it follows that the static electricity is accumulated in the footwear bottom and, additionally, the whole human body is electrified by a static electricity movement. From such a viewpoint, it is very desirable that the electricity can be removed in the footwear bottom in order that the human body is not electrified.

However, as mentioned above, the invention according to the prior art 1 is one in which the stainless fibers of the ground contacting place in the footwear bottom attempt to damp the static electricity by a neutralization/reduction at tips of the conductive fibers regardless of a material of floor face. However, since it is one which is used by being blended with a synthetic rubber and the like and is always under a ground contacting state, there has been a fear that the discharge is hindered by the fact that exposed faces of the conductive fibers are contaminated by contacts with the ground.

Further, in the case where the stainless fibers are blended with the synthetic rubber and the like, there is a high possibility that the blended material is inferior in comparison with a durability, an elasticity and the like possessed inherently by the synthetic rubber, so that a reduction in quality is brought about in points of wear feeling and easiness in walking.

The invention is one made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a static electricity removing tool and a static electricity removing footwear bottom, in each of which characteristics of a material of the footwear bottom, such as durability and elasticity, are not affected, and there is not brought about a reduction in electricity removing function owing to the fact that exposed faces of conductive fibers are contaminated.

According to the invention, there are provided a static electricity removing tool which comprises a basal plate having in its inner face an attaching means for a ground contacting face of a footwear bottom and a static electricity removing sheet in which a corona discharge is made an electricity removing means, and in which a concave portion deeper than a thickness of the static electricity removing sheet is formed in a ground contacting face of the basal plate, and a step difference concaved than the ground contacting face of the basal plate is formed in an outer face of the static electricity removing sheet by attaching the static electricity removing sheet to a bottom face of the concave portion through a bonding means; and a static electricity removing footwear bottom in which a step difference concaved than a ground contacting face of a footwear bottom is formed in an outer face of a static electricity removing sheet by forming a concave portion deeper than a thickness of the static electricity removing sheet in a ground contacting face of a footwear bottom and attaching a static electricity removing sheet, in which a corona discharge is made a electricity removing means, to a bottom face of the concave portion through a bonding means; and the like.

According to a static electricity removing tool for footwear bottom of the invention, as mentioned above, since there is adopted the constitution in which, by attaching the static electricity removing sheet in which the corona discharge is made the electricity removing means to the bottom face of the concave portion deeper than the thickness of the static electricity removing sheet, the outer face of the static electricity removing sheet is concaved than the ground contacting face of the basal plate, it is possible to effectively neutralize the static electricity generated when walking and accumulated in the footwear bottom by the corona discharge of the static electricity removing sheet adjoining the footwear bottom, so that an excellent electricity removing effect can be obtained.

Further, according to the static electricity removing tool for footwear bottom of the invention, a removal of the static electricity can be simply performed merely by attaching the static electricity removing sheet to a bottom face of the footwear bottom.

In addition to the above constitution, by forming a sheet covering piece in a concave portion edge of the basal plate to thereby cover an outer face end portion of the static electricity removing sheet, the static electricity removing sheet is prevented from carelessly dropping, and the static electricity removing sheet can be protected from a contamination and the like.

Additionally, also in the static electricity removing footwear bottom according to the invention, similarly to the above static electricity removing tool for footwear bottom, since there is adopted the constitution in which the outer face of the static electricity removing sheet is concaved than the ground contacting face of the basal plate by attaching the static electricity removing sheet in which the corona discharge is made the electricity removing means to the bottom face of the concave portion deeper than the thickness of the static electricity removing sheet, the static electricity generated when walking is neutralized by the corona discharge without the fact that the outer face of the static electricity removing sheet contacts with the ground, so that an excellent electricity removing effect can be obtained. Further, in the case where the sheet covering piece is formed in the concave portion edge of the footwear bottom and the outer face end portion of the static electricity removing sheet is covered by the sheet covering piece, it is possible to protect the static electricity removing sheet from the contamination and the like.

And, since there is adopted the constitution in which the electricity removing means is provided from the beginning, it is possible to obtain one fundamentally having no fear that the electricity removing means drops.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a static electricity removing tool for footwear bottom according to an [0015] embodiment 1 of the invention;
FIG. 2 is an A-A line enlarged sectional view of the static electricity removing tool for footwear bottom according to the [0016] embodiment 1 of the invention;
FIG. 3 is a sectional view similar to the A-A line of FIG. 2 in a static electricity removing tool for footwear bottom according to an [0017] embodiment 2 of the invention;
FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state that the static electricity removing tool for footwear bottom according to the [0018] embodiment 2 of the invention has been attached to the footwear bottom;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state that the static electricity removing tool for footwear bottom according to the [0019] embodiment 1 of the invention has been attached to the footwear bottom;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a footwear, showing a static electricity removing footwear bottom according to an [0020] embodiment 3 of the invention;
FIG. 7 is a B-B line enlarged end view showing the static electricity removing footwear bottom according to the [0021] embodiment 3 of the invention;
FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view showing a static electricity removing footwear bottom according to other embodiment of the invention; [0022]
FIG. 9 is a bottom plan view showing a static electricity removing footwear bottom according to other embodiment of the invention; [0023]
FIG. 10 is a bottom plan view showing a state that a static electricity removing sheet has been attached to a footwear bottom of a ready-made footwear; and [0024]
FIG. 11 is a C-C enlarged sectional view of the footwear bottom, showing the state that the static electricity removing sheet has been attached to the footwear bottom in the ready-made footwear.[0025]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 5, a static electricity removing tool for footwear bottom according to an [0026] embodiment 1 of the invention comprises a plate-like urethane rubber basal plate 1 of about 4 mm in thickness, which mainly approximates to an ellipse whose major axis is about 105 mm and whose minor axis is about 65 mm, and a nonwoven fabric-like static electricity removing sheet 2, of about 1.5 mm in thickness t, consisting of very fine conductive fibers.
Here, as shown in FIG. 1, [0027] concave portions 11, of about 2.5 mm in depth m, for fitting the static electricity removing sheet 2 are formed in three places in a ground contacting face 10 of the basal plate 1. To the whole inner face 13 becoming a back face of the ground contacting face 10, there are laminated in order a pressure sensitive adhesive double coated tape 5 of about 0.3 mm in thickness, and a release coated paper 6. The pressure sensitive adhesive double coated tape 5 acts as means for attaching the static electricity removing tool for footwear bottom to a footwear bottom 7.
Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the three static [0028] electricity removing sheets 2 from which the release coated papers 6 have been peeled are adhered to each of bottom faces 12 of the concave portions 11 of three places in the basal plate 1 by a pressure sensitive adhesive double coated tape 41 of 0.3 mm in thickness. By this, it follows that, in an outer face 20 of the static electricity removing sheet 2, there is formed a step difference 40 concaved than the ground contacting face 10 of the basal plate 1, and thus it follows that, under a state that the ground contacting face 10 of the basal plate 1 butts against the ground, the static electricity removing sheet 2 does not contact with the ground, so that a space is formed between the outer face 20 of the static electricity removing sheet 2 and the ground.
And, since the static [0029] electricity removing sheet 2 does not contact with the ground when wearing by the fact that the step difference 40 is formed, the exposed faces of the conductive fibers can be prevented from being contaminated when walking.
When used, if the static electricity is accumulated in the footwear bottom by walking and the like, since the footwear bottom is in a positional relation very adjacent in distance to the static electricity removing sheet, the static electricity can be removed by the fact that the corona discharge is generated from the [0030] outer face 20 of the static electricity removing sheet 2 toward the footwear bottom to thereby electrically neutralize the footwear bottom.
Incidentally, as the static [0031] electricity removing sheet 2 in the embodiment 1, it is possible to use, for example, a nonwoven fabric consisting of organic conductive fibers (trademark: THUNDERON) in which surfaces of acrylic fibers are covered by coatings of copper sulfide.
As shown in the enlarged sectional views of FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, a static electricity removing tool for footwear bottom according to an [0032] embodiment 2 of the invention is one common to the embodiment 1 about a basic constitution, i.e., a point that it comprises a basal plate 1 having in its inner face 13 the pressure sensitive adhesive double coated tape 5 as an attaching means for a ground contacting face 30 of a footwear bottom 3 and the nonwoven fabric-like static electricity removing sheet 2 consisting of very fine conductive fibers, the concave portion 11 whose depth dimension m is larger than the thickness t of the static electricity removing sheet 2 is formed in the ground contacting face 10 of the basal plate 1, the static electricity removing sheet 2 is attached to the bottom face 12 of the concave portion 11 through the pressure sensitive adhesive double coated tape 41, and in the outer face 20 of the static electricity removing sheet 2 there is formed the step difference 40 concaved than the ground contacting face 10 of the basal plate 1; but is one different from the static electricity removing tool for footwear bottom according to the embodiment 1 in a point that a sheet covering piece 15 is formed in a concave portion edge 14 of the basal plate 1, and an outer face end portion 21 of the static electricity removing sheet 2 is covered by the sheet covering piece 15.
And, according to the [0033] embodiment 2, by the fact that the sheet covering piece 15 is formed in the concave portion edge 14 of the basal plate 1 and the outer face end portion 21 of the static electricity removing sheet 2 is covered by the sheet covering piece 15, the static electricity removing sheet 2 is prevented from carelessly dropping, the static electricity removing sheet 2 is protected from the contamination and the like when walking, a ground contacting area of the concerned static electricity removing tool for footwear bottom can be increased in comparison with the static electricity removing tool for footwear bottom according to the embodiment 1, and a gripping force with respect to the ground can be made more well.
Incidentally, in the attaching means between the static electricity removing tool for [0034] footwear bottom 4 and the ground contacting face 70 of the footwear bottom 7 according to the embodiment 1 and the embodiment 2, in a case where simple and strong bonding means such as the pressure sensitive adhesive double coated tape 5 is used, a position can be simply changed in compliance with a wearer's taste by exchanging only the pressure sensitive adhesive double coated tape 5.
Further, as shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, a static electricity removing [0035] footwear bottom 3 according to an embodiment 3 of the invention is one using, as the static electricity removing sheet 2, the nonwoven fabric consisting of organic conductive fibers (trademark: THUNDERON) in which surfaces of acrylic fibers are covered by coatings of copper sulfide similar to the static electricity removing tool for footwear bottom 4 according to the embodiment 1 and the embodiment 2, and is one having a constitution in which concave portions 31 of a depth dimension of 2.5 mm deeper than the thickness 1.5 mm of the static electricity removing sheet 2 are formed in three places in a ground contacting face 30 of the static electricity removing footwear bottom 3, a step difference 34 concaved than the ground contacting face 30 of the footwear bottom 3 is formed in the outer face 20 of the static electricity removing sheet 2 by attaching the static electricity removing sheet 2 to a bottom face 32 of the concave portion 31 by a pressure sensitive adhesive double coated tape 33, a sheet covering piece 36 is formed in a concave portion edge 35 of the static electricity removing footwear bottom 3 by the method similar to the embodiment 2, and the outer face end portion 21 of the static electricity removing sheet 2 is covered by the sheet covering piece 36.
That is, in the static electricity removing [0036] footwear bottom 3 according to the embodiment 3, by causing it to have a function similar to the static electricity removing tool for footwear bottom 4 according to the embodiment 1 and 2, it is possible to ensure an ability for neutralizing and removing the static electricity by the corona discharge, by previously forming it as the footwear bottom there is no fear that the electricity removing means drops and, additionally, the durability can be obtained.
Further, as to a disposition of the concave portion in the static electricity removing tool for footwear bottom and the static electricity removing footwear bottom of the invention, it is not limited only to one having the concave portions in three places shown in the [0037] embodiment 1 to the embodiment 3 and, as shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, it can be also made, for example, into many circular concave portions, plural band-like concave portions and the like.
Additionally, as shown in FIG. 10, in the invention, by the fact that, to a [0038] groove 81 previously formed in a ground contacting face 80 of a footwear bottom 8 of a ready-made footwear, there is attached the static electricity removing sheet 2, which is thinner than a depth of the groove 81 and in which the corona discharge is made the electricity removing means, by cutting it to a size fitting to the groove 81 to thereby bring about a state that the outer face 20 of the static electricity removing sheet 2 is concaved than the ground contacting face, it is also possible to perform the electricity removal of the footwear bottom 8.
As mentioned above, in the invention, as the static electricity removing sheet in which the corona discharge is made the electricity removing means, there is used the nonwoven fabric consisting of organic conductive fibers (trademark: THUNDERON) in which surfaces of acrylic fibers are covered by coatings of copper sulfide, but it is not necessarily limited to this. For example, like conductive fibers (trademark: SOLDION) whose basic materials are polyethylene terephthalate cotton, pulp and carbon and in which conductive substances are mixed, and like carbon fibers, etc., if the fibers are ones which can obtain the electricity removing effect by the corona discharge, they are allowed in a gist of the invention. [0039]
And, even in a case where whichever fibers are used, there is brought about such a very excellent advantage is obtained that the corona discharge can be effectively performed by the characteristic constitution of the invention, i.e., the constitution in which it comprises the [0040] basal plate 1 having in its inner face 13 the attaching means for the ground contacting face 70 of the footwear bottom 7 and the static electricity removing sheet 2 in which the corona discharge is made the electricity removing means, the concave portion 11 deeper than the thickness of the static electricity removing sheet is formed in the ground contacting face 10 of the basal plate 1, and the step difference concaved than the ground contacting face 10 of the basal plate 1 is formed in the outer face 20 of the static electricity removing sheet 2 by attaching the static electricity removing sheet 2 to the bottom face 12 of the concave portion 11 through the bonding means; or the constitution in which the step difference 34 concaved than the ground contacting face 30 of the footwear bottom 3 is formed in the outer face 20 of the static electricity removing sheet 2 by forming the concave portion 31 deeper than the thickness of the static electricity removing sheet 2 in the ground contacting face of the footwear bottom 3 and attaching the static electricity removing sheet 2, in which the corona discharge is made the electricity removing means, to the bottom face 32 of the concave portion 31 through the bonding means; or the constitution in which by the fact that, to the groove 81 previously formed in the ground contacting face 80 of the footwear bottom 8, there is attached the static electricity removing sheet 2, which is thinner than the depth of the groove 81 and in which the corona discharge is made the electricity removing means, to thereby bring about the state that the outer face 20 of the static electricity removing sheet 2 is concaved than the ground contacting face, since the static electricity removing sheet 2 does not contact with the ground, the wear feeling is not adversely affected irrespective of a degree of hardness of the static electricity removing sheet 2 and, further, the static electricity removing sheet is disposed while forming the space in the vicinity of the footwear bottom without the fact that the static electricity removing sheet is contaminated and abraded.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A static electricity removing tool for footwear bottom, comprising:

a basal plate having in its inner face an attaching means for a ground contacting face of a footwear bottom;

a static electricity removing sheet in which a corona discharge is made an electricity removing means;

a concave portion deeper than a thickness of the static electricity removing sheet, formed in a ground contacting face of the basal plate; and

a step difference concaved than the ground contacting face of the basal plate, which is formed in an outer face of the static electricity removing sheet by attaching the static electricity removing sheet to a bottom face of the concave portion through a bonding means.

2. A static electricity removing tool for footwear bottom according to claim 1, wherein a sheet covering piece is formed in a concave portion edge of the basal plate, and an outer face end portion of the static electricity removing sheet is covered by the sheet covering piece.

3. A static electricity removing footwear bottom, comprising:

a concave portion deeper than a thickness of a static electricity removing sheet in which a corona discharge is made an electricity removing means in a ground contacting face of a footwear bottom;

a step difference concaved than the ground contacting face of the footwear bottom, which is formed in an outer face of the static electricity removing sheet by attaching the static electricity removing sheet to a bottom face of the concave portion through a bonding means.

4. A static electricity removing footwear bottom according to claim 3, wherein a sheet covering piece is formed in a concave portion edge of the footwear bottom, and an outer face end portion of the static electricity removing sheet is covered by the sheet covering piece.

5. An electricity removing method of footwear bottom, wherein by attaching to a groove previously formed in a ground contacting face of a footwear bottom a static electricity removing sheet which is thinner than a depth of the groove and in which a corona discharge is made en electricity removing means, there is brought about a state that an outer face of the static electricity removing sheet is concaved than the ground contacting face.