SHOE CUSHION AND SHOCK ABSORBING SHOE COMPRISING SAME

Abstract

Disclosed are a cushion for use in a shoe and a shock absorbing shoe having the cushion. The shock absorbing shoe includes: a sole having a lower surface thereof contacted with the ground; a cushion disposed above the sole; and an upper disposed above the cushion. The cushion includes: a rigid frame defining an inner region corresponding to the shape of at least a part of a foot of a wearer; and an elastic member supported by the frame and disposed in the inner region to support the foot of the wearer. The sole has a groove formed on an upper portion thereof in order to provide a deformation space for the elastic member.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2012-0004934, filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Jan. 16, 2012, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

[0002] 1. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to a shoe cushion and a shock absorbing shoe comprising the same.

[0004] 2. Background Art

[0005] An insole, which is inserted into a shoe, generally supports a sole of a wearer and functions as a cushion. The conventional insole has a nearly-flat shape and is made of soft synthetic resin, and a fiber sheet is adhered to an upper surface thereof in order to absorb moisture and prevent slipping.

[0006] However, with this kind of construction, the elasticity range is exceeded when a weight is applied over a certain limit, thereby inevitably being unable to provide the cushion effect.

[0007] The related art of the present invention is disclosed in Korea Patent Publication No. 2011-0043175 (Apr. 27, 2011).

SUMMARY

[0008] The present invention provides a shoe cushion and a shock absorbing shoe having the same that can facilitate a more adequate cushion by use of a structural elasticity in addition to a compression/restitution ability of a material itself.

[0009] An aspect of the present invention provides a shock absorbing shoe that includes: a sole having a lower surface thereof contacted with the ground; a cushion disposed above the sole; and an upper disposed above the cushion. The cushion includes: a rigid frame defining an inner region corresponding to the shape of at least a part of a foot of a wearer; and an elastic member supported by the frame and disposed in the inner region to support the foot of the wearer, The sole has a groove formed on an upper portion thereof in order to provide a deformation space for the elastic member.

[0010] Another aspect of the present invention provides a cushion for use in a shoe that includes: a rigid frame defining an inner region corresponding to the shape of at least a part of a foot of a wearer; and an elastic member supported by the frame and disposed in the inner region to support the foot of the wearer.

[0011] The elastic member can include a first elastic layer and a second elastic layer that are separated from each other and disposed above and below each other, and the elastic member can include a rubber band wound on the frame across the inner region in a direction perpendicular to a lengthwise direction of the frame. The rubber band can be hollow inside.

[0012] The elastic member can have a plurality of slits formed thereon in a direction perpendicular to a lengthwise direction of the frame, and the slits can be formed at a certain portion to which the foot of the wearer is adhered.

[0013] A portion of the frame corresponding to an arch of the foot of the wearer can be protruded upwardly, and at least some portions of a front portion and a rear portion in a lengthwise direction of the frame can be curved upwardly.

[0014] With certain embodiments of the present invention, a more adequate shock absorbing structure can be realized by providing the deformation space for the elastic member in the sole of the shoe.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a shock absorbing shoe in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the shock absorbing shoe in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] FIG. 3 is a magnified cross-sectional view showing a portion of the shock absorbing shoe in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] FIG. 4 is a side view showing a cushion in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] FIG. 5 is a top view showing the cushion in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] FIG. 6 is a top view showing a cushion in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Since there can be a variety of permutations and embodiments of the present invention, certain embodiments will be illustrated and described with reference to the accompanying drawings. This, however, is by no means to restrict the present invention to certain embodiments, and shall be construed as including all permutations, equivalents and substitutes covered by the ideas and scope of the present invention. Throughout the description of the present invention, when describing a certain relevant conventional technology is determined to evade the point of the present invention, the pertinent detailed description will be omitted.

[0022] Hereinafter, some embodiments of a shoe cushion and a shock absorbing shoe having the same in accordance with the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Identical or corresponding elements will be given the same reference numerals, regardless of the figure number, and any redundant description of the identical or corresponding elements will not be repeated.

[0023] Firstly, a shock absorbing shoe 100 in accordance with an aspect of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the shock absorbing shoe 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the shock absorbing shoe 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] As illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the shock absorbing shoe 100 in accordance with the present invention includes: a sole 140 having a lower surface thereof contacted with the ground; a cushion 130 disposed above the sole 140; and an upper 110 disposed above the cushion 130. Here, the cushion 130 includes: a rigid frame 132 defining an inner region A corresponding to the shape of at least a part of a foot of a wearer; and an elastic member 134 supported by the frame 132 and disposed in the inner region A to support the foot of the wearer. The sole 140 has a groove 145 formed on au upper portion thereof in order to provide a deformation space for the elastic member 134.

[0025] As such, the shoe 100 in accordance with the present embodiment can further increase a cushioning effect by use of elastic deformation in vertical directions as well as the simple compression/restitution of a member that performs a cushioning function. Specifically, the elastic member 134, which supports the foot of the wearer, can make upward and downward elastic deformations owing to the deformation space provided by the groove 145 formed in the sole 140. As a result, an effect similar to using a trampoline can be provided, thereby further improving the cushioning effect. Moreover, the shoe 100 in accordance with the present embodiment can help the wearer enhance a muscular strength. Hereinafter, the configuration of the shock absorbing shoe 100 in accordance with the present embodiment will be described in more detail.

[0026] The sole 140 is a part that contacts the ground directly and functions to create friction against the ground for a safe and swift walking. The sole 140 can have various patterns of protrusions (not shown) or trenches (not shown) formed on a bottom face thereof in order to generate the friction against the ground. Moreover, the sole 140 can have the groove 145 formed on the upper portion thereof, and the space for elastic deformation of the elastic member 134 of the cushion 130 is provided by the groove 145.

[0027] The sole 140 has the cushion 130 disposed thereabove. The cushion 130, which is for providing the cushioning effect to the wearer, includes the rigid frame 132, which defines the inner space A corresponding to the shape of at least a part of the foot of the wearer, and the elastic member 134, which is supported by the frame 132.

[0028] The frame 132 forms the overall external shape (i.e., approximately the shape of the foot of the wearer) of the cushion 130 and is preferentially made of a material that is sufficiently rigid and is as light as possible. As shown in FIG. 1, the frame 132 can be formed in the shape of a looped curve, and the elastic member 134 is disposed in the inner region A defined by the looped curve to support the foot of the wearer. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the frame 132 can be supported by an upper face of the sole 140, some or all of the elastic member 134 is positioned in a same vertical space as the groove 145 formed in the sole 140.

[0029] The elastic member 134 is supported by the frame 132 and functions to support the foot of the wearer. When the wearer wears the shoe 100 in accordance with the present embodiment, the elastic member 134 is deformed downwardly by the weight of the wearer. Here, since the deformation space is formed below the elastic member 134 by the groove 145 formed in the sole 140, the elastic member 134 can be elastically deformed sufficiently. When the load against the elastic member 134 is removed later (i.e., when the wearer walks), the elastic member 134 is restored to its original position, and by repeating these actions, the function similar to a trampoline can be realized through the shoe.

[0030] Meanwhile, the elastic member 134 can include a first elastic layer 134a and a second elastic layer 134b, which are separated from each other and disposed above and below each other, as illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. By forming the elastic member 134 with the first elastic layer 134a and the second elastic layer 134b that are separated from each other, the cushioning effect by the elastic member 134 can be maximized by a space 135 in between the first elastic layer 134a and the second elastic layer 134b. Although it would be possible to form the first elastic layer 134a and the second elastic layer 134b by attaching a board shape of elastic material (not shown) to a top face and a bottom face of the frame 132 having a predetermined thickness, the present embodiment suggests winding a rubber band repeatedly in a direction perpendicular to a lengthwise direction of the frame 132. By using this method, the rubber band can have the shape of crossing the inner region A defined by the frame 132, and a dual-layer structure of elastic member 134 can be realized more easily.

[0031] Here, as shown in FIG. 3, by using the rubber band that is hollow inside, it is possible to expect an effect that is similar to allowing the rubber band itself to substantially have a dual-layer structure by an internal space 134c thereof, thereby helping to maximize the cushioning effect.

[0032] Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the elastic member 134 can have a plurality of slits S formed thereon in a direction perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of the frame 132. By forming the slits S on the elastic member 134, individual regions defined by the slits S can be elastically deformed independently, allowing the cushion 130 to entirely adhered to the foot of the wearer more closely. While it is possible that the slits S are formed throughout the elastic member 134, the slits S may be only formed at a certain portion to which the foot of the wearer is adhered, as shown in FIG. 6.

[0033] In the case of using the rubber band, as described above, the slits S can be formed by winding the rubber band on the frame 132, without any additional process. Meanwhile, as illustrated in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, a portion 132c of the frame 132 that corresponds to an arch of the foot of the wearer can be protruded upwardly. Through this structure, the arch of the foot of the wearer can be sufficiently supported, thereby allowing the wearer to feel less tired.

[0034] Meanwhile, in order to prevent any discomfort in walking due to the rigid property of the frame 132 in accordance with the present embodiment, at least some portions of a front portion 132a and a rear portion 132b in the lengthwise direction of the frame 132 can be curved upwardly. Through this, it is possible for the wearer to maintain natural walking, despite the presence of the frame 132.

[0035] The upper 110 functions to protect an ankle and a top of the foot of the wearer by enveloping the foot of the wearer. The upper 110 can be made of various kinds of materials, such as leather, synthetic resin, fabric, etc., and can be bound by various means, such as a shoelace or Velcro, lest the shoe be taken off.

[0036] Meanwhile, it shall be appreciated that an insole 120 is additionally provided above the cushion 130.

[0037] Hitherto, the shock absorbing shoe 100 with the cushion 130 including the frame 132 and the elastic member 134 has been described, but the above-described cushion 130 can be manufactured and supplied separately from the shoe and can be applied various kinds of shoes.

[0038] Although certain embodiments of the present invention have been described, it shall be appreciated that there can be a very large number of permutations and modification of the present invention by those who are ordinarily skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains without departing from the technical ideas and scope of the present invention, which shall be defined by the claims appended below.

[0039] It shall be also appreciated that many other embodiments than the embodiments described above are included in the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A shock absorbing shoe comprising a sole having a lower surface thereof contacted with the ground, a cushion disposed above the sole, and an upper disposed above the cushion, wherein the cushion comprises: a rigid frame defining an inner region corresponding to the shape of at least a part of a foot of a wearer; and an elastic member supported by the frame and disposed in the inner region to support the foot of the wearer, and wherein the sole has a groove formed on an upper portion thereof in order to provide a deformation space for the elastic member.

2. The shock absorbing shoe of claim 1, wherein the elastic member comprises a first elastic layer and a second elastic layer that are separated from each other and disposed above and below each other.

3. The shock absorbing shoe of claim 2, wherein the elastic member comprises a rubber band wound on the frame across the inner region in a direction perpendicular to a lengthwise direction of the frame.

4. The shock absorbing shoe of claim 3, wherein the rubber band is hollow inside.

5. The shock absorbing shoe of claim 1, wherein the elastic member has a plurality of slits formed thereon in a direction perpendicular to a lengthwise direction of the frame.

6. The shock absorbing shoe of claim 5, wherein the slits are formed at a certain portion to which the foot of the wearer is adhered.

7. The shock absorbing shoe of claim 1, wherein a portion of the frame corresponding to an arch of the foot of the wearer is protruded upwardly.

8. The shock absorbing shoe of claim 1, wherein at least some portions of a front portion and a rear portion in a lengthwise direction of the frame is curved upwardly.

9. A cushion for use in a shoe, comprising: a rigid frame defining an inner region corresponding to the shape of at least a part of a foot of a wearer; and an elastic member supported by the frame and disposed in the inner region to support the foot of the wearer.

10. The cushion of claim 9, wherein the elastic member comprises a first elastic layer and a second elastic layer that are separated from each other and disposed above and below each other.

11. The cushion of claim 10, wherein the elastic member comprises a rubber band wound on the frame across the inner region in a direction perpendicular to a lengthwise direction of the frame.

12. The cushion of claim 11, wherein the rubber band is hollow inside.

13. The cushion of claim 9, wherein the elastic member has a plurality of slits formed thereon in a direction perpendicular to a lengthwise direction of the frame.

14. The cushion of claim 13, wherein the slits are formed at a certain portion to which the foot of the wearer is adhered.

15. The cushion of claim 9, wherein a portion of the frame corresponding to an arch of the foot of the wearer is protruded upwardly.

16. The cushion of claim 1, wherein at least some portions of a front portion and a rear portion in a lengthwise direction of the frame is curved upwardly.

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