EP0507263A2 - Sock for shoes - Google Patents

Abstract

A sock for shoes consists of an elastically yielding material. Incorporated into the undersurface (1) and the side surface (2) of the sock is a system of longitudinally and transversely extending air ducts (3, 4, 5), from which air holes (6, 17) lead to the sock surface, in order to make possible aeration of the foot sole. In the heel region (20), there is moulded at least one pump chamber (8) which feeds at least one longitudinal duct (3) in the heel/ankle region (20, 21). Moulded under a pad is at least one cavity (10), into which the heel-side duct (3) opens and from which at least one forefoot-side longitudinal duct (4) is fed. Radially directed sealing webs (7) in the pump chamber (8) and sealing lips (9) in the cavity (10), which are bent in an arrow-shaped manner in the flow direction, prevent the undesirable backflow of the air, released by the rolling process of the foot during walking.

Description

The invention relates to an insole for shoes with a system of longitudinal and transverse air ducts for ventilation of the feet according to the preamble of claim 1.

Foot sweat has been a problem since closed shoes. When walking, the rear foot is usually sufficiently ventilated by normal slipping of the shoe, but the midfoot and especially the forefoot with its large number of sweat glands are not. For this reason, generations of inventors have addressed this problem and developed shoes with devices for forced ventilation of the feet in order to increase the health of the feet in various forms.

For example, US 861 846 from 1907 shows a two-part ventilation unit. One part is a valve that can be opened and closed by hand, which is inserted in the shoe upper in the area of the ankle. The second part is an insole, in the underside of which a system of longitudinal and transverse grooves or air channels is formed, a plurality of air holes being provided towards the sole of the foot in the transverse channels. It is worth noting with this old proposal that it was recognized that it is advantageous if fresh air is constantly brought into the shoe from the outside; however, the valve used in the shoe upper had the disadvantage of not only bringing air, but also street dirt and moisture into the shoe. For this reason, this system could not prevail in practice.

Subsequently, only solutions were favored in which the insole was equipped with air channels and air holes. Examples include US 1 125 134 from 1915 or IT-C-320 287 from 1934. These and other known insole constructions are based on the fact that when walking under the pressure of the weight of the shoe wearer the elastic soles or the channels provided in them are periodically compressed and relieved, so that the resulting periodic reduction and enlargement of the air volumes results in air movement.

The latest studies and considerations have shown that three effects have to be considered for an optimal function of the foot ventilation: the ventilation, the circulation and the swirling of the foot air. The present invention is therefore based on the object of specifying an insole of the type mentioned at the outset which optimally fulfills these three effects.

This object is achieved by a generic insole with the features according to the characterizing part of claim 1.

Contrary to the prior art, the present invention is not limited to equipping only the lower surface of the insole with channels, air holes and the like, but rather optimizes the shape of all three sole surfaces - lower surface, surface and side surface - in order to achieve the desired effects. Of particular importance for the optimal function are the pump chamber in the heel area, but in particular also the cavern located under the pad, which acts as an additional pump chamber, and the sealing lips provided therein, which prevent the air from flowing back. It is thereby achieved that the shift in weight when the foot rolls also leads to an effective air circulation inside the shoe.

Due to the advantageous shaping of the heel-side pump chamber on the one hand into the bottom surface of the sole and on the other hand into the side surface of the sole, the suction of air is strengthened when the heel area is relieved, while when the heel area is under load, an adequate seal between the insole and the heel cap is ensured.

This sealing effect is particularly supported by the fact that sealing wedges are formed on the side of the sole in the heel area.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the lower surface of the insole on the three main tread surfaces - heel, inner ball, outer ball - is finely profiled, preferably by means of intersecting fine grooves, in order to enable a certain amount of post-deformation on these zones, which are strongly compressed by the deformation, even during a short wearing period that leads to the individual footbed of the respective wearer. Since there are as many foot shapes as there are face shapes, a hard footbed would only fit perfectly with a few feet; in the overwhelming majority of shoe wearers, the foot would have to adjust to the hard footbed, which would then lead to pressure points and calluses. This is prevented by the present training.

Since the fine grooves are connected to the air duct system, these main entrance zones are also ventilated, so that air and temperature compensation is possible.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the insole consists of at least two layers of different elasticity. The layer with the higher elasticity forms the bottom surface of the sole into which the channels, pumping chambers, etc. are molded. This ensures the dimensional stability and durability of the air duct system as well as the high walking comfort for the foot.

Foam plastic, in particular polyethylene, but also cork, cork-latex, latex- Foam and rubber cork.

Leather, textile, nonwoven, jute or sisal are suitable as foot-friendly material for coating the surface of the insole.

Further refinements and developments of the invention result from the remaining subclaims. These and their advantages are explained in more detail with reference to the drawing in the form of an embodiment.

The drawing shows a top view of the lower surface 1 of an insole for shoes, consisting of an elastically resilient material, for example a two-layer foamed polyethylene, the layer with the higher density and the higher elasticity forming the lower surface 1.

A system of chambers and channels is incorporated into the lower surface 1 of the sole. In the heel area 20, at least one pump chamber 8 can be seen, which is incorporated into the lower surface 1 on the one hand and into the side surface 2 of the insole on the other hand. Radial sealing webs 7 support the air flow directed from the heel region 20 to the tip 23.

The heel-side pump chamber 8 feeds heel-side air channels 3, which in turn open into at least one cavern 10, which is formed under an elevated pad. In the cavern 10, a plurality of sealing lips 9 are designed in the form of webs which are interrupted in the middle and are angled arrow-shaped in the direction of flow. At the edge of the cavern, ventilation holes 17 are stamped on the heel side of the webs, which, when the heel is put on, that is to say in the unloaded state of the forefoot and metatarsal region, vent the midfoot region 22. During the further rolling process, these holes 17 are then closed first, so that the air flow directed from the heel area 20 to the tip 23 is maintained without any significant weakening and thus brings about the active ventilation of the forefoot area.

From the cavern 10, longitudinal channels 4 on the forefoot side are fed, which in turn are connected to transverse channels 5. A series of air holes 6 are provided in the forefoot area 23, which guide the air directly to the underside of the foot.

The surface of the insole that is not recognizable in the drawing is coated with a foot-friendly material, for example leather or textile. The inner ball is lowered compared to the outer ball, which creates a sufficient pronation effect, as is required for shoes with a low heel.

The forefoot area of the insole has no shell formation either to the side or to the tip; instead, the sole becomes thinner towards the edges. This ensures that enough spaces remain in the shoe that are not fully filled by the foot to allow the necessary ventilation (V), circulation (Z) and swirling (V) of the foot's air (VZV system).

For the same reason, the back of the foot is only designed as a light shell in an asymmetrical shape, but the supination effect is achieved below the scaphoid due to increased sole volume.

As the drawing shows, the lower surface 1 of the insole is finely profiled on the three main tread surfaces - inner ball 14, outer ball 15 and heel 16, by means of intersecting fine grooves which are connected to the channel system 3, 4, 5. This system of fine grooves initially allows a certain amount of re-shaping even during a short wearing period, which leads to the individual footbed of the respective shoe wearer. This means that it is not the foot that adapts to the hard footbed, but the elastic / plastically flexible footbed that adapts to the foot.

Thanks to the connection to the air duct system, these main tread surfaces 14, 15, 16 are additionally ventilated, which leads to improved temperature compensation.

• Da die Einlegesohle in den Fersen-Gelenk-Bereichen 20, 21 satt am Innenschuh anliegt, werden alle Aussparungen in der Sohlenunterseite 2 zu mehr oder weniger abgedichteten Kammern. Unterstützt wird dies durch seitlich angeformte Dichtkeile 11, die so angewinkelt sind, daß sie sich bei Druckbeaufschlagung im Sinne eines Rückschlagventils an den Innenschuh anpressen. In der ersten Phase des Schritts wird mit dem ruckartigen Aufsetzen der Ferse die Kammer 8 gestaucht, so daß die Luft überwiegend durch die fersenseitigen Kanäle 3 in die Kaverne 10 unter der Pelotte gepumpt wird. Hier dringt ein kleiner Teil der Luft durch die randseitigen Luftlöcher 17 und belüftet den Mittelfußbereich 22. Außerdem wird das Feinnutensystem der fersenseitigen Hauptauftrittsfläche 16 durchlüftet. Im weiteren Verlauf des Abrollvorgangs verlagert sich das Körpergewicht mehr auf den Vorfuß. Dabei werden die pelottenartige Wölbung, unter der die Kaverne 10 eingeformt ist, zusammengedrückt und deren Luftlöcher 17 verschlossen, so daß die Luft in die vorfußseitigen Längskanäle 4 gepumpt wird. Die in Strömungsrichtung angewinkelten Stege 9 wirken als Dichtlippen und erschweren bzw. verhindern das unerwünschte Zurückströmen der Luft zum Fersenbereich 20.

The effect of the sole shown is as follows:

• Since the insole in the heel joint areas 20, 21 fits snugly against the inner shoe, all the recesses in the underside 2 of the sole become more or less sealed chambers. This is supported by laterally molded sealing wedges 11, which are angled so that they press against the inner shoe when pressurized in the sense of a check valve. In the first phase of the step, the chamber 8 is compressed with the jerky placement of the heel, so that the air is predominantly pumped through the heel-side channels 3 into the cavern 10 under the pad. Here, a small part of the air penetrates through the air holes 17 on the edge and ventilates the midfoot area 22. In addition, the fine groove system of the main tread surface 16 on the heel side is ventilated. As the rolling process continues, the body weight shifts more to the forefoot. The pelotte-like curvature, under which the cavern 10 is molded, is pressed together and its air holes 17 are closed, so that the air is pumped into the longitudinal channels 4 on the forefoot side. The webs 9, which are angled in the direction of flow, act as sealing lips and make it more difficult or prevent the air from flowing back undesirably to the heel region 20.

In the forefoot area 23, the air is distributed in the longitudinal channels 4 and transverse channels 5 and is pressed through the air holes 6 under the sole of the foot. At the same time, the fine groove systems 14, 15 are aerated in the area of the front main tread surfaces.

The air pumped into the forefoot area 23 and under the foot surfaces causes the active ventilation, circulation and swirling effect (VZV effect). In addition, the foot air flows back between the sole surface and the foot surface to the heel area 20, where it mixes with the fresh air entering through the slipping of the shoe before the air cycle begins again.

The mode of operation of the channel and chamber system according to the invention can be proven by adding a little talcum powder to the heel-side pump chamber 8. After just a few steps you can see talc stains on the black stocking in the area of the air holes 6, 17.

An additional ventilation effect can be achieved if 2 short grooves 12, 13 are incorporated into the side surface of the sole. These short grooves 12, 13 are combined into parallel groups and are specifically arranged in the joint area 21.

These grooves preferably pump around air that can enter between the foot and the shaft end. However, they are not connected to the main duct system.

Claims (10)

1.Insole for shoes, consisting of an elastically flexible material, with a surface deformed according to anatomical principles and coated with a foot-friendly material - leather, textile, non-woven, jute or sisal - one with a system of longitudinal and transverse air ducts (3 , 4, 5) equipped lower surface (1) and a number of air holes (6) from the channels (4, 5) to the sole surface in the forefoot area, characterized in that the sole surface in the forefoot area (23) is essentially flat, that a pronounced It is provided that at least one pumping chamber (8) is formed in the lower sole surface (1) in the heel area (20), which feeds at least one heel-side longitudinal channel (3) in the heel joint area (20, 21) that under the pad at least one cavern (10) is formed, into which at least one of the heel-side longitudinal channels (3) opens and from which at least one forefoot-side length gskanal (4) is fed, and that in the cavern (10) sealing lips (9) are formed, which hinder the backflow of air. 2. Insole according to claim 1, characterized in that the sealing lips (9) are designed as webs angled in the direction of the arrow, which are preferably interrupted in the middle. 3. Insole according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that in the cavern (10) further air holes (17) are provided on the edge of the sole surface. 4. Insole according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the heel-side pump chamber (8) on the one hand in the sole lower surface (1), on the other hand in the sole side surface (2) is molded. 5. Insole according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the heel-side pump chamber (8) contains radially directed sealing webs (7). 6. Insole according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that on the sole side surface (2) in the heel area (20) laterally sealing wedges (11) are integrally formed. 7. Insole according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that in the joint region (21) the sole lower surface (1), the sole side surface (2) or the sole surface connecting short grooves (12, 13) are formed, which preferably in two pairs opposing groups are combined. 8. Insole according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the sole lower surface (1) on the three main tread surfaces (14, 15, 16) - inner ball, outer ball, heel - is finely profiled, preferably by means of intersecting fine grooves that the duct system (3, 4, 5) are connected. 9. Insole according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it consists of at least two layers of different elasticity and that the layer with higher elasticity forms the sole lower surface (1) with the channels (3, 4, 5). 10. Insole according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it consists of foamed plastic, in particular polyethylene, cork, cork latex, latex foam or rubber cork.

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