CHECK VALVE PLATE FOR SHOES

Abstract

The present invention relates to a check valve plate for shoes, comprising: a porous valve plate, which is stacked on the upper surface of a shoe sole having receiving grooves therein and thereby closes the receiving grooves, and which has elasticity; and multiple valves, which are formed inside the porous valve plate and are selectively opened/closed according to air pressure, and which are formed so as not to deviate from the thickness (t) of the porous valve plate.

Claims

1. A check valve plate for shoes, comprising: a porous valve plate which is stacked on the upper surface of a shoe sole having receiving grooves 1a formed therein, and thereby closes the receiving grooves, and which has elasticity; a plurality of valves which are formed inside the porous valve plate and are selectively opened/closed according to air pressure, and are formed so as not to deviate from a thickness of the porous valve plate, and wherein the valves are formed inside the porous valve plate having the predetermined thickness, and the lower portions of the valves do not protrude downwardly from the porous valve plate, such that the thickness of the porous valve plate having the valves formed therein can be minimized and the porous valve plate can be easily applied to and used in shoes of soles having a small thickness.

2. The check valve plate for shoes of claim 1, further comprising: first annular tension grooves which are formed to be spaced apart from the circumferences of the valves toward the outside on the upper surface of the porous valve plate; second annular tension grooves which are formed to be spaced apart from the first tension grooves toward the outside on the lower surface of the porous valve plate; and annular locking protrusions which extend downwardly from the lower portion of the porous valve plate having the valves formed therein, and wherein, when the porous valve plate is exposed to an external force, the external force transmitted to the valves is absorbed and removed by the tension grooves and, such that the valves formed in the porous valve plate are prevented from having their shapes deformed by the external force.

3. The check valve plate for shoes of claim 1, further comprising shape deformation prevention grooves which are formed along the outer circumference of the porous valve plate, and are formed on the upper surfaces of the circumferences of the valves.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] FIG. 1 is a cross section view of main parts of shoes having an air circulation function, which are disclosed in an application pre-filed by the same applicant as the applicant of the present application;

[0021] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a check valve plate for shoes according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] FIG. 3 is a use state view of the check valve plate for shoes shown in FIG. 2.

BEST MODE FOR EMBODYING THE INVENTION

[0023] A check valve plate for shoes according to the present invention includes: a porous valve plate which is stacked on the upper surface of a shoe sole having receiving grooves therein and thereby closes the receiving grooves, and which has elasticity; and a plurality of valves which are formed inside the porous valve plate and are selectively opened/closed according to air pressure, and which are formed so as not to deviate from the thickness (t) of the porous valve plate.

MODE FOR EMBODYING THE INVENTION

[0024] A check valve plate for shoes according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail since they would obscure the invention in unnecessary detail.

[0025] FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate a check valve plate for shoes according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the check valve plate for shoes according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 illustrates use state views of the check valve plate for shoes shown in FIG. 2.

[0026] As shown in the drawings, the check valve plate 100 for shoes according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a porous valve plate 10 and a valve 20.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 2, the porous valve plate 10 may be stacked on the upper surface of a shoe sole 1 having receiving grooves 1a therein by bonding, and thereby close the receiving grooves 1a, and may be made of material having predetermined elasticity so as to be easy to contract and expand.

[0028] Herein, as shown in FIG. 3a for the purpose of ventilating the shoes, a passage part 5 may be formed in the periphery of the sole 1 to fluidly communicate with the receiving grooves 1a and discharge air inside the shoes to the outside, and a typical check valve 6 for shoes may be installed at the end of the passage part 5 so as to easily discharge air flowing into the passage part 5 through the receiving grooves 1a to the outside, and so as to prevent external air from flowing back into the passage part 5.

[0029] Accordingly, when the porous valve plate 10 is pressed by the weight of a wearer while the wearer is walking, the porous valve plate 10 expands downwardly (is pressed) to be brought into close contact with the receiving grooves 1a of the sole 1, and contracts the inner spaces of the receiving grooves 1a, as shown in FIG. 3A. When the press is removed as shown in FIG. 3B, the porous valve plate 10 is restored and acts so as to expand and restore the inner spaces of the receiving grooves 1a.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 2, the check valve plate for shoes may further include shape deformation prevention grooves 40 which are formed along the outer circumference of the porous valve plate 10, and are formed on the upper surface of the porous valve plate 10 along the outer circumferences of the valves 20, which are formed in the porous valve plate 10 as will be described below.

[0031] The shape deformation prevention grooves 40 compensate for contraction and expansion of the porous vale plate 10, which may occur during the process of fixing the porous valve plate 10 to the sole 1 and a midsole 7 by bonding, such that the valves 20 can be prevented from being widened and opened as the porous valve plate 10 is expanded and stretched, or a problem which may hinder the valves 20 formed in the porous valve plate 10 from being smoothly opened as the porous valve plate 10 contracts can be prevented in advance.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 2, the valves 20 are formed inside the porous valve plate 10 in plural number, and are selectively opened/closed according to air pressure and are formed so as not to deviate from the thickness (t) of the porous valve plate 10.

[0033] That is, the valves 20 are formed inside the porous valve plate 10 having a predetermined thickness (t), and the lower portions of the valves 20 do not protrude downwardly from the porous valve plate 10. Therefore, compared to the thickness (T) of the porous valve plate 2 including the valves 3 in Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1164463 (titled Shoes Having Air Circulation Function), which was developed by the same applicant as the applicant of the present application, the thickness (t) of the porous valve plate 10 including the valves 20 can be greatly reduced, such that the check valve plate 100 for shoes of the present invention can be easily applied to and implemented in shoes having thin soles, and versatility of a product can be guaranteed.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 2, each of the valves 20 has predetermined elasticity and is formed in a hemispherical shape to have an upper end opened and have an empty space therein, and one or more opening/closing parts 21 are formed on the side surface of the valve 20 by cutting.

[0035] The check valve plate 100 for shoes of the present invention, which includes the porous valve plate and the valve as described above, may be installed on the sole of the shoe. When a wearer walks, the porous valve plate 10 is pressed downwardly. In this case, the receiving grooves 1a of the sole 1 are contracted and air pressure is generated therein as shown in FIG. 3A. The opening/closing part 21 of each of the valves 20 is pressed by the air pressure and is closed. Accordingly, the air in the receiving grooves 1a flows into the check valve 6 through the passage part 6, and is discharged to the outside.

[0036] To the contrary, when the press to the porous valve plate 10 is removed and the porous valve plate 10 is restored as shown in FIG. 3b, the receiving grooves 1a of the sole 1 expands. In this case, external air flows into the shoes due to an air suction force, which is generated in the process of expanding the receiving grooves 1a, and flows to the upper portions of the valves 20 and flows into the receiving grooves 1a through the opening/closing parts 21 of the valves 20. In this case, the opening/closing part 21 of each of the valves 20 is naturally widened and opened by the inflow of air pressure, such that air flows into the receiving grooves 1a.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 2, the porous valve plate 10 may further include: a first annular tension groove 31 which is formed to be spaced apart from the circumference of each of the valves 20 toward the outside on the upper surface of the porous valve plate 10; and a second annular tension groove 32 which is formed to be spaced apart from the first tension groove 31 toward the outside on the lower surface of the porous valve plate 10. Therefore, the valves 20 are configured in the form of typical bellows.

[0038] That is, the porous valve plate 10 is continuously pressed by the weight of a wearer while the wearer is walking. In this case, when a pressing force is transferred to the valves 20 formed in the porous valve plate 10, and the opening/closing part 21 of each of the valves 20 has its shape deformed and is opened, air is not smoothly circulated in the shoes. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 3A, the tension grooves 31 and 32 formed on the outside of the valves 20 in the form of typical bellows receive the transferred force, and are induced to have their shapes deformed, such that the force transferred to the tension grooves 31 and 32 is naturally removed and thus the valves 20 is not influenced by the external force.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 2, the check valve plate 100 may further include annular locking protrusions 33 which are formed on the lower portion of the porous valve plate 10 in which the valves 20 are formed, for being inserted into holes 4a of the inner cushion 4.

[0040] The locking protrusions 33 guide the valves 20 to be securely fixed in place to fluidly communicate with the holes 4a of the inner cushion 4 during the process in which the porous valve plate 10 expands and is restored, and, as shown in FIG. 3A, the locking protrusions 33 guide external air to flow into the holes 4a of the inner cushion 4 through the valves 20 and to be stably transferred to the receiving grooves 1a of the sole 1.

[0041] When the porous valve plate 10 is pressed and descends and is brought into contact with the sole 1, the locking protrusions 33 support the valves 20 and guide to prevent the opening/closing part 21 of each of the valves 20 from having its shape deformed and being opened.

[0042] Herein, in Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1164463 (titled Shoes Having Air Circulation Function) developed before by the same applicant as the applicant of the present application, the inner cushion 4 for supporting the porous valve plate 2 is manufactured to have a large thickness in order to prevent the valves 3 protruding downwardly from the porous valve plate 2 from being brought into contact with the sole 1. However, in the check valve plate 100 for shoes of the present invention, the valves 20 do not protrude downwardly from the porous valve plate 10, such that the check valve plate 100 can be manufactured to have a small thickness and can be easily applied to shoes having thin soles.

[0043] The check valve plate 100 for shoes of the present invention configured as described above suggests the structure in which the valves 20 are formed inside the porous valve plate 10 having the predetermined thickness (t), and the lower portions of the valves 20 do not protrude downwardly from the porous valve plate 10, such that the thickness of the porous valve plate 10 having the valves 20 formed therein can be minimized, and the constitution (feature) of the check valve plate 100 for shoes of the present invention can be easily applied to and used in shoes having thin soles, and thus versatility of a product can be guaranteed.

[0044] Furthermore, the check valve plate 100 for shoes has the structure in which the valves 20 are not exposed under the porous valve plate 10, such that, even when the inner cushion 40 for elastically supporting the porous valve plate 10 is formed to have a small thickness, the valves 20 can be prevented from being brought into contact with the sole 1 as the porous valve plate 10 is pressed, and the opening/closing part 21 can be stably prevented from being opened, and thus the check valve plate 100 can be easily applied to shoes having thin soles and versatility of a product can be guaranteed.

[0045] In addition, the check valve plate 100 for shoes absorbs and removes an external force transferred to the valves 20 at the tension grooves 31 and 32, which are formed in the form of bellows, so as to prevent the valves 20 formed in the porous valve plate 10 from having their shapes deformed by the influence of the external force even when the porous valve plate 10 is exposed to the external force and has its shape deformed, such that the valves 20 are guided to stably perform an opening/closing function.

[0046] The check valve plate 100 for shoes having the above-described constitution according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is installed on the shoe sole 1 and continuously circulates air as follows.

[0047] First, when the porous valve plate 10 is pressed downwardly and is expanded by the weight of a walker during the walk as shown in FIG. 3A, the inner spaces of the receiving grooves 1a of the sole 1 are contracted and air pressure is generated therein. Since the opening/closing part 21 of each of the valves 20 is pressed and closed by the air pressure, the air in the receiving grooves 1a flows into the check valve 6 through the passage part 5 and thus is discharged to the outside.

[0048] Thereafter, when the press is removed and the porous valve plate 10 is restored as shown in FIG. 3B, the inner spaces of the receiving grooves 1a of the sole 1 expand, and external air flows into the shoes due to an air suction force, which is generated during the process in which the inner spaces of the receiving grooves 1a expand, flows to the upper portions of the valves 20, and then flows into the receiving grooves 1a through the opening/closing parts 21 of the valves 20. In this case, the opening/closing parts 21 of the valves 20 are naturally widened and opened by the inflow of air pressure, such that the air flows into the receiving grooves 1a.

[0049] Accordingly, the porous valve plate 10 is continuously expanded and restored by the weight of the walker during the walk, and air in the shoes is discharged to the outside and external air flows into the shoes as much as discharged air, such that ventilation can be smoothly performed in the shoes.

[0050] While the invention has been described with reference to certain preferred embodiments illustrated in the drawings, the embodiments are merely examples and are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes can be made and other equivalent embodiments can be provided based on the descriptions provided herein. In addition, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the invention is defined not by the detailed description of the invention but by the appended claims and the technical idea thereof.