Shoe sole structure and shoe using same

Abstract

In a sole structure, a first projection can be deformed more easily toward a heel than tiptoe in a through hole of a sole component, due to a heel side gap which is formed between an inclined surface of the first projection and a wall of the first through hole located closer to the heel.

Claims

1. A shoe sole structure comprising: a sole component configured to support a heel of a human foot, and having at least one first through hole vertically passing through a lateral side portion of the sole component; and a projection member provided above the sole component, and including a base, and at least one first projection projecting from a lower surface of the base and inserted in the at least one first through hole of the sole component, wherein a gap on a side of a heel of the sole component is formed between a wall of the at least one first through hole configured to be located closer to the heel of the sole component and a rear portion of the at least one first projection inserted in the at least one first through hole, due to the gap on the side of the heel of the sole component, the at least one first projection is more easily deformable toward the heel of the sole component than toward a tiptoe of the sole component, the at least one first through hole comprises a plurality of first through holes arranged adjacent to each other at an interval in a longitudinal direction, and the at least one first projection comprises a plurality of first projections each of which is inserted in an associated one of the plurality of the first through holes.

2. The shoe sole structure of claim 1, wherein the rear portion of the at least one first projection constitutes an inclined surface which is inclined downward and configured to be toward the tiptoe of the sole component, and the gap on the side of the heel of the sole component is formed between the inclined surface and the wall of the at least one first through hole located closer to the heel of the sole component.

3. A shoe comprising the shoe sole structure of claim 2.

4. The shoe sole structure of claim 1, wherein the at least one first projection has a lower end projecting downward to be located below a lower surface of the component.

5. A shoe comprising the shoe sole structure of claim 4.

6. The shoe sole structure of claim 1, wherein the at least one first through hole and the at least one first projection are longer in a width direction than a longitudinal direction.

7. A shoe comprising the shoe sole structure of claim 6.

8. The shoe sole structure of claim 1, wherein the sole component has at least one second through hole in a medial side portion of the sole component, the projection member includes at least one second projection inserted in the at least one second through hole, a medial side gap is formed between a wall of the at least one second through hole configured to be located closer to a medial side of the foot and a side portion of the at least one second projection inserted in the at least one second through hole, the side portion configured to face the medial side of the foot, and due to the medial side gap, the at least one second projection is more easily deformable toward the medial side of the foot than toward a lateral side of the foot, when worn.

9. The shoe sole structure of claim 8, wherein the at least one second projection has a lower end projecting downward to be located below a lower surface of the sole component.

10. A shoe comprising the shoe sole structure of claim 9.

11. A shoe comprising the shoe sole structure of claim 8.

12. A shoe comprising the shoe sole structure of claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shoe according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from below.

(2) FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a sole structure.

(3) FIG. 3 is a bottom view showing, on an enlarged scale, a heel side portion of the sole structure.

(4) FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the sole structure.

(5) FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-V in FIG. 3.

(6) FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(7) An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description of the embodiment is merely an example in nature, and is not intended to limit the scope, application, or uses of the present invention.

(8) FIGS. 1 to 6 show a shoe S according to an embodiment of the present invention. The shoes S are usable for indoor sports such as volleyball, handball, basketball, etc. The drawings illustrate a left shoe S only as an example. Since the right shoe is symmetrical to the left shoe S, only the left shoe S will be described in the following description, and the description of the right shoe will be omitted herein. In the following description, the expressions “above,” “upward,” “on a/the top of,” “below,” “under,” and “downward,” represent the vertical positional relationship between respective components of the shoe S. The expressions “front,” “fore,” “forward,” “anterior,” “rear,” “hind,” “behind,” “backward,” and “posterior” represent the positional relationship in the longitudinal direction between respective components of the shoe S. The expressions “left (side),” “leftward,” “right (side),” and “rightward” represent the positional relationship in the width direction of the shoe S.

(9) As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the shoe S includes a sole structure 1. The sole structure 1 includes, as main elements, an outsole component 2, a midsole component 3, a corrugated plate 4, a sole component 5, and a projection member 11. Each of these components will be described in detail below.

(10) (Outsole Component)

(11) The outsole component 2 extends to correspond to a region, of a human foot, from the plantar arch to the tiptoe, and has, on its lower surface, a ground surface 2a configured to contact with a ground surface or floor surface. The outsole component 2 is made from a hard elastic material which is harder than a material for the midsole component 3, which will be described later. Examples of suitable materials for the outsole component 2 include thermoplastic resins such as ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), thermosetting resins such as polyurethane (PU), and rubber materials such as butadiene rubber and chloroprene rubber. The outsole component 2 further includes, at its front end portion, a guard part 2b for protecting a tiptoe portion.

(12) (Midsole Component)

(13) The midsole component 3 is configured to support a region, of the plantar surface of a human foot, from the tiptoe to a rear side of the heel. Specifically, the midsole component 3 includes, on its upper portion, a planta support surface 3a which is configured to support the plantar surface of a human body, from the tiptoe to the rear side of the heel, and which extends in the longitudinal direction. A lower portion of the midsole component 3 is bonded to an upper portion of the outsole component 2 with an adhesive or the like. A shoe upper A (an instep cover) configured to cover a foot of a user is provided above the midsole component 3. The midsole component 3 is made from a soft elastic material. Suitable examples of the material for the midsole component 3 include thermoplastic synthetic resins such as ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) and foams of the thermoplastic synthetic resins, thermosetting resins such as polyurethane (PU) and foams of the thermosetting resins, and rubber materials such as butadiene rubber and chloroprene rubber and foams of the rubber materials.

(14) (Corrugated Plate)

(15) The corrugated plate 4 extends along a region, of a human foot, from the plantar arch to the rear side of the heel, and is curved to be corrugated in vertical direction as viewed from side. An upper portion of the corrugated plate 4 is bonded to a lower portion of the midsole component 3 with an adhesive or the like. The corrugated plate 4 is preferably made from a hard elastic material. Specific examples of such a hard elastic material include thermoplastic resin such as thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polyamide elastomer (PAE), and ABS, and thermosetting resins such as epoxy resins and unsaturated polyester resins. The corrugated plate 4 may also be made from a fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) containing carbon fibers, aramid fibers, or glass fibers as reinforcement fibers, and a thermosetting resin or a thermoplastic resin as a matrix resin.

(16) The corrugated plate 4 substantially prevents the midsole component 3 from being deformed locally and significantly even if an impact is applied especially in the vertical direction to a heel portion of the planta support surface 3a of the midsole component 3. Consequently, when the user is walking or running, the user's ankle is substantially prevented from excessively leaning inward or outward, thereby enabling enhanced stability to be ensured.

(17) (Sole Component)

(18) The sole component 5 is configured to mainly support the heel of a human foot. An upper portion of the sole component 5 is bonded to a lower portion of the corrugated plate 4 with an adhesive or the like. The sole component 5 is made from, for example, a foam of ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) resin, or an EVA rubber material. The sole component 5 enables the heel of the foot to be supported stably, while maintaining the cushioning properties. From the viewpoint of abrasion resistance, the EVA rubber material is more preferable than the foam of EVA resin as the material for the sole component 5.

(19) As shown in FIG. 4, the sole component 5 includes a lateral side support 6 configure to support a region of the heel adjacent to a lateral side of the foot, and a medial side support 8 configured to support a region of the heel adjacent to a medial side of the foot. The lateral side support 6 includes a front portion 6a and a rear portion 6b that are separated from each other in the longitudinal direction. The medial side support 8 includes a front portion 8a and a rear portion 8b that are separated from each other in the longitudinal direction. The lateral side support 6 extends in the longitudinal direction while a rear end of the front portion 6a is coupled to a front end of the rear portion 6b via a coupling portion 10. The medial side support 8 extends in the longitudinal direction while a rear end of the front portion 8a is coupled to a front end of the rear portion 8b via another coupling portion 10. The lateral side support 6 and the medial side support 8 are coupled together via yet another coupling portion 10 and still yet another coupling portion 10 which are arranged in the longitudinal direction.

(20) The lateral side support 6 has a plurality of first through holes 7, 7, . . . which vertically pass through the lateral side support 6 and which are arranged adjacent to each other at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction. Specifically, the front portion 6a of the lateral side support 6 has two first through holes 7, 7 arranged adjacent to each other at a predetermined interval. One of the first through holes 7, 7 that is located closer to the tiptoe has a substantially triangular shape which is tapered toward the tiptoe, as viewed from bottom. The other first through hole 7 that is located closer to the heel has a substantially rectangular shape which is longer in the width direction than the longitudinal direction, as viewed from bottom. The rear portion 6b of the lateral side support 6 has three first through holes 7, 7, . . . arranged adjacent to each other at predetermined intervals. Each first through hole 7 has a substantially rectangular shape which is longer in the width direction than the longitudinal direction, as viewed from bottom.

(21) The medial side support 8 has a plurality of second through holes 9, 9, . . . which vertically pass through the medial side support 8 and which are arranged adjacent to each other at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction. Specifically, the front portion 8a of the medial side support 8 has two second through holes 9, 9 arranged adjacent to each other at a predetermined interval. Each second through hole 9 has a substantially rectangular shape which is longer in the longitudinal direction than the width direction, as viewed from bottom. The rear portion 8b of the medial side support 8 has only one second through hole 9 which is longer in the longitudinal direction than the width direction.

(22) (Projection Member)

(23) As shown in FIG. 2, the projection member 11 is arranged on top of, and combined with, the lateral side support 6 and the medial side support 8 of the sole component 5. The projection member 11 includes a lateral side-front projection member 12 which corresponds to the front portion 6a of the lateral side support 6, a medial side-front projection member 13 which corresponds to the front portion 8a of the medial side support 8, and a rear projection member 14 which corresponds to the rear portion 6b of the lateral side support 6 and the rear portion 8b of the medial side support 8. Each of the projection members 12, 13, and 14 is made from, for example, natural rubber (NR), isoprene rubber (IR), isobutylene-isoprene rubber (IIR), styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), nitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR), or a mixture of at least two of these rubber materials.

(24) Each of the projection members 12, 13, and 14 includes a plate-like base 15 which extends in the longitudinal direction and which is curved upward in the direction from the tiptoe to the heel in cross section. As shown also in FIGS. 5 and 6, an upper portion of each base 15 is fitted and bonded to a respective portion of the lower portion of the corrugated plate 4 with an adhesive or the like.

(25) As shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of first projections 21, 21 (two projections in the shown example) project downward from the lower surface of the base 15 of the lateral side-front projection member 12. The first projection 21, 21 are arranged adjacent to each other at a predetermined interval in the longitudinal direction. In the lateral side-front projection member 12, one of the first projections 21, 21 that is located closer to the tiptoe has a substantially triangular shape which is tapered toward the tiptoe, as viewed from bottom, whereas the other first projection 21 that is located closer to the heel has a substantially rectangular shape which is longer in the width direction than the longitudinal direction, as viewed from bottom. Further, a plurality of first projections 21, 21, . . . (three projections in the shown example) project downward from a lateral side portion of the lower surface of the base 15 of the rear projection member 14. The first projections 21, 21, . . . are arranged adjacent to each other at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction. Each of these first projections 21, 21, . . . has a substantially rectangular shape which is longer in the width direction than the longitudinal direction, as viewed from bottom. The first projections 21 are formed such that in a state where each projection 21 is inserted in an associated one of the first through holes 7, the lower end of each first projection 21 projects downward from the associated through hole 7 to be located below the lower surface of the sole component 5.

(26) Each first projection 21 extends in the vertical direction such that its front portion is substantially vertical in cross section. In a state where each first projection 21 is inserted in the associated first through hole 7, the front portion is in contact with a wall, of the first through hole 7, located closer to the tiptoe, substantially without a gap.

(27) Further, a rear portion of each first projection 21 constitutes an inclined surface 21a which is inclined toward the lower end of the first projection 21 in the direction from the heel to the tiptoe. In the state where each projection 21 is inserted in the associated first through hole 7, a heel side gap 23 is formed between the inclined surface 21a and a wall, of the associated through hole 7, located closer to the heel. In the state where each first projection 21 is inserted in the associated first through hole 7, due to the heel side gap 23, the first projection 21 can be deformed more easily toward the heel than the tiptoe.

(28) As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of second projections 22, 22 (two projections in the shown example) project downward from the lower surface of the base 15 of the medial side-front projection member 13. On the other hand, another second projection 22 is provided on a medial side portion of the lower surface of the base 15 of the rear projection member 14. Each second projection 22 has a substantially rectangular shape which is longer in the longitudinal direction than the width direction, as viewed from bottom. The second projections 22 are arranged adjacent to each other at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction. The second projections 22 are formed such that in a state where each second projection 22 is inserted in an associated one of the second through holes 9, the lower end of each second projection 22 projects downward from the associated second through hole 9 to be located below the lower surface of the sole component 5.

(29) As shown in FIG. 6, each second projection 22 extends in the vertical direction such that a side portion facing the lateral side of the foot is substantially vertical in cross section. In a state where each second projection 22 is inserted in the associated second through hole 9, the side portion is in contact with a wall, of the first through hole 9, located closer to the lateral side of the foot, substantially without a gap.

(30) Further, another side portion of each second projection 22 facing the medial side of the foot constitutes an inclined surface 22a which is inclined toward the lower end of the second projection 22 in the direction from the medial side to the lateral side of the foot. In the state where each second projection 22 is inserted in the associated second through hole 9, a medial side gap 24 is formed between the inclined surface 22a and a wall, of the associated second through hole 9, located closer to the medial side of the foot. In the state where each second projection 22 is inserted in the associated second through hole 9, due to the medial side gap 24, the second projection 22 can be deformed more easily toward the medial side than the lateral side of the foot.

(31) (Effects of Embodiment)

(32) For example, when a user wearing the shoes S according to the embodiment of the present invention strongly steps on a floor to make a dash in the forward direction during a game of volleyball, handball, or the like, a reaction force F1 caused by the stepping on the floor is applied to each first projection 21. Consequently, each first projection 21 in the associated one of the first through holes 7 of the sole component 5 is deformed smoothly toward the heel (see arrows f1 in FIG. 5). Each first projection 21 accumulates elastic energy based on the deformation in the first projection 21. When the user shifts his/her weight to make the dash, the elastic energy is released to generate a grip force acting forward. As a result, the force for the dash in the forward direction can be increased.

(33) Contrary to the above case, for example, when a user wearing the shoes S intends to quickly stop his/her rearward movement, a reaction force F2 from the floor is applied to each first projection 21, as shown in FIG. 5. In this case, since each first projection 21 is difficult to deform toward the tiptoe in the associated first through hole 7, deformation in each first projection 21 toward the tiptoe in the associated one of the through holes 7 of the sole component 5 is reduced to a small amount (see arrows f2 in FIG. 5). Specifically, when the user wearing the shoes S intends to quickly stop his/her rearward movement, almost no deformation occurs in each first projection 21 in the associated through hole 7, substantially preventing a strong grip force to be generated. This can eliminate or reduce a time lag between the moment at which the user feels himself/herself stopping his/her movement and the timing at which the quick stop is actually made. As a result, the user can make the next movement swiftly.

(34) As can be seen, the first projections 21 enable the user to shift his/her weight smoothly from the heel of his/her foot in accordance with the user's movement in the forward-backward direction, while the sole component 5 maintains the cushioning properties and stability for the user's heel.

(35) On the other hand, when the user, who is performing, for example, repeated side stepping, strongly steps on the floor with the heel of his/her left foot (in particular, with a medial side portion of the heel) to quickly stop his/her leftward movement and swiftly make the next rightward movement (i.e., toward the medial side of the left foot shown in FIG. 6), a reaction force F3 is applied to each second projection 22, as shown in FIG. 6. Consequently, each second projection 22 is deformed in the associated one of the second through holes 9 of the sole component 5 toward the medial side of the foot (see the arrow f3 in FIG. 6). Each second projection 22 is smoothly deformed toward the medial side of the foot in the associated second through hole 9 of the sole component 5 at the time of the stepping on the floor, resulting in that elastic energy is accumulated in the second projection 22. When the user shifts his/her weight to make a dash, the elastic energy accumulated in each second projection 22 is released to generate a grip force, increasing a force for the dash in the leftward or rightward direction.

(36) In this embodiment, the rear portion of the first projection 21 constitutes the inclined surface 21a. With this simple configuration, the heel side gap 23 can be provided between the first projection 21 and the wall of the first through hole 7 closer to the heel.

(37) Further, in this embodiment, the first through holes 7, 7, . . . are arranged adjacent to each other at intervals in the longitudinal direction, and the first projections 21, 21, . . . are each inserted in the associated one of the first through holes 7, 7, . . . . This configuration contributes to a further increase in a grip force, of the entire shoe, acting forward with respect to a floor.

(38) Further, in this embodiment, each first projection 21 inserted in the associated first through hole 7 has its lower end projecting downward from the first through hole 7 to be located below the lower surface of the sole component 5, and each second projection 22 inserted in the associated second through hole 9 has its lower end projecting downward from the second through hole 9 to be located below the lower surface of the sole component 5. This configuration allows the forces F1 and F3 to act directly on the first and second projections 21 and 22, respectively. As a result, the entire shoe can have a further increased grip force acting forward and a further increased grip force acting in the width direction with respect to a floor.

(39) Further, in this embodiment, the first through holes 7 and the first projections 21 are each longer in the width direction than the longitudinal direction. This configuration increases each area configured to receive the action of the force F1. As a result, the entire shoe can have a further increased grip force acting forward with respect of a floor.

Other Embodiments

(40) The sole structure 1 of the embodiment described above includes the outsole component 2, the midsole component 3, and the corrugated plate 4. However, this is merely a non-limiting example. For example, the sole component 5 may have a planta support surface configured to support the plantar surface, of a human foot, extending from the tiptoe to a rear side of the heel, and may include the lateral side support 6 and the medial side support 8 in a heel portion of the sole component 5. The projection member 11 may be combined with the lateral side support 6 and the medial side support 8 of the sole component 5, thereby forming the sole structure 1. The sole structure 1 having this configuration does not need the outsole component 2, midsole component 3, or the corrugated plate 4.

(41) The sole structure 1 of the embodiment described above includes the plurality of first through holes 7, 7, . . . , the plurality of second through holes 9, 9, . . . , the plurality of first projections 21, 21, . . . , and the plurality of second projections 22, 22, . . . . However, this is merely a non-limiting example. The sole structure 1 may include one first through hole 7, one second through hole 9, one first projection 21, and one second projection 22.

(42) Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

(43) The present invention is industrially applicable, for example, as sports shoes for indoor sports such as volleyball, handball, and basketball.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

(44) S Shoe 1 Sole Structure 2 Outsole Component 3 Midsole Component 4 Corrugated Plate 5 Sole Component 6 Lateral Side Support 7 First Through Hole 8 Medial Side Support 9 Second Through Hole 11 Projection Member 12 Lateral-Side Front Projection Member 13 Medial-Side Front Projection Member 14 Rear Projection Member 15 Base 21 First Projection 21a Inclined Surface 23 HeelSide Gap 22 Second Projection 22a Inclined Surface 24 Medial Side Gap