US20180199669A1

US20180199669A1 - Shoe automatic inflatable cushion system

Info

Publication number: US20180199669A1
Application number: US15/868,813
Authority: US
Inventors: Shih-Chang Chen; Li-Pang Mo; Jia-Yu Liao; Hsien-Ting Huang; Chi-Feng Huang; Yung-Lung Han
Original assignee: Microjet Technology Co Ltd
Current assignee: Microjet Technology Co Ltd
Priority date: 2017-01-13
Filing date: 2018-01-11
Publication date: 2018-07-19
Also published as: TWI625101B; TW201825016A

Abstract

A shoe automatic inflatable cushion system is applied to a shoe which includes a shoe body and a bottom part connected therewith. When a weight sensor disposed on the bottom part detects a load, a control module receives an enabling signal and accordingly drives an air pump to operate, so that an inflatable cushion disposed in the shoe body is inflated and expanded. When an air pressure sensor detects the pressure inside the inflatable cushion higher than a specified threshold interval, the air pressure sensor sends a disabling signal to the control module, and the control module receives a disabling signal and accordingly stops operation of the air pump.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a shoe automatic inflatable cushion system, and more particularly to a shoe automatic inflatable cushion system inflated by an air pump.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Generally, most shoes are using shoelaces as a means of loosening and tying the shoes on feet. However, the shoes with shoelaces have many problems, e.g. the shoelaces are often loosened while moving, which requires retiring as a troublesome burden. Furthermore, the loosen shoelaces may cause danger, e.g. wearer or other people may trip over it, or it may be involved in the gap of an escalator, a bicycle chain or a motorcycle pin. In addition, wearing the shoes with shoelaces in long term may put excessive pressure on feet and cause discomfort.
Some shoes are using hook and loop fastener or a sock-type shoe body as the means of loosening and tying the shoes on feet. However, the hook and loop fastener has insufficient strength to fix the feet and is easily detached. Besides, the hook and loop fastener would gradually loses viscosity after using for a long period of time. As a result, the shoes with the hook and loop fastener are inconvenient while moving and are inappropriate for exercise. The sock-type shoe body also has insufficient strength to fix the feet, and the tightness cannot be adjusted once the shoes are purchased. Also, the sock-type shoe body would be loose after using a long period of time and fail to fix the feet well.
On the other hand, in general, people can only select shoes in different size according to their foot lengths rather than individual foot shapes. It is a common problem that people purchase the shoes which fail to fit the feet well, as their shoe bodies may be too wide, too narrow, too high, or too flat, and wearing unfit shoes to move can cause discomfort and injury.
Therefore, there is a need of providing a shoe automatic inflatable cushion system to solve the drawbacks in prior arts, which can be applied to a pair shoes and makes the shoes automatically adjustable to be adapted to the personal foot shapes, and comfortably wrap and fix the feet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention provides a shoe automatic inflatable cushion system. The shoe automatic inflatable cushion system can be applied to all kinds of shoes, and the inflatable cushion of the shoe automatic inflatable cushion system disposed on each shoe can be inflated and expanded to fit closely with the wearer's feet, which is adapted to the shape of the feet and can be adjusted, so as to wrap and fix the wearer's feet well and provide comfortable feeling while wearing.
Another object of the present invention provides a shoe automatic inflatable cushion system with an air pressure adjustment function. The internal air pressure of an inflatable cushion is automatically adjustable according to usage status, such that the life span of the inflatable cushion is extended and the wearer can wear the shoes under optimum pressure in any time.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a shoe automatic inflatable cushion system applied to a shoe. The shoe includes a shoe body and a bottom part connected therewith, by which a wear space and an opening communicated therewith are collaboratively defined. The shoe automatic inflatable cushion system comprises a weight sensor disposed on the bottom part, an inflatable cushion disposed in the shoe body, and an air passage arranged between the inflatable cushion and the shoe body, which is communicated with the inflatable cushion. When the weight sensor detects a load, it sends an enabling signal to a control module, and the control module accordingly enables an air pump, which is communicated with the air passage. The air pump pumps external air into the air passage and through guidance of the air passage, the air is fed into the inflatable cushion to inflate it. Meanwhile, an air pressure sensor disposed in the air passage is monitoring the pressure of the inflatable cushion. When the air pressure sensor detects the pressure inside the inflatable cushion higher than a specified threshold interval, a disabling signal is sent thereby to the control module, and that the control module accordingly stops operation of the air pump. Hence, the inflatable cushion is maintained in an optimum status with appropriate degree of expansion for perfectly wrap and fix the foot.
The above contents of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art after reviewing the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A schematically illustrates a sneaker to which the shoe automatic inflatable cushion system according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied;

FIG. 1B schematically illustrates the exploded structure of the sneaker of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 1C schematically illustrates the perspective view of the sneaker of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates the architecture of the sneaker of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 3A schematically illustrates the cross-sectional view of the sneaker of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 3B schematically illustrates the cross-sectional view of the original state of the sneaker of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 3C schematically illustrates the cross-sectional view of the inflated state of the sneaker of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B respectively schematically illustrate the exploded structure in different perspectives of an air pump according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 schematically illustrates the cross-sectional view of the structure of the piezoelectric actuator of FIGS. 4A and 4B;

FIG. 6 schematically illustrates the cross-sectional view of the structure of the air pump of FIGS. 4A and 4B; and

FIG. 7A to FIG. 7E schematically illustrate the actions of the air pump of FIGS. 4A and 4B.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention will now be described more specifically with reference to the following embodiments. It is to be noted that the following descriptions of preferred embodiments of this invention are presented herein for purpose of illustration and description only. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to be limited to the precise form disclosed.
Please refer to FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B. FIG. 1A schematically illustrates a sneaker to which the shoe automatic inflatable cushion system according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. FIG. 1B schematically illustrates the exploded structure of the sneaker of FIG. 1A. The shoe automatic inflatable cushion system of the present invention may be applied to various kinds of footwear, especially to shoes such as sneakers, sandals, or high heels, but not limited herein. In an embodiment shown in FIG. 1A, the shoe automatic inflatable cushion system 1 is applied to a sneaker 2 as an example. The sneaker 2 includes a shoe body 21 and a bottom part 22. As shown in FIG. 1B, the bottom part 22 further includes a shoe pad 22 a and a sole 22 b. The shoe body 21 is connected with the sole 22 b of the bottom part 22, and a wear space 23 and an opening 24 are defined. The shoe pad 22 a is disposed in the wear space 23 and may be coupled with the sole 22 b. Therefore, the shape of the shoe pad 22 a is substantially the same as the shape of the sole 22 b, except that the outline of the shoe pad 22 a is slightly smaller than the outline of the sole 22 b. Furthermore, the external appearance, the thickness and the like of the shoe pad 22 a and the sole 22 b may be changed depending on practical applications. One of the wearer's feet can be inserted into or detached from the sneaker 2 through the opening 24 of the shoe body 21, and the wear space 23 accommodates the wearer's foot after it has been inserted into the sneaker 2 through the opening 24.
Please refer to FIG. 1B to FIG. 1C. FIG. 1C schematically illustrates the perspective view of the sneaker of FIG. 1A. As shown, the shoe automatic inflatable cushion system 1 includes but not limited to the components of an inflatable cushion 11, an air pump 12, an air passage 13, a weight sensor 14, and an air pressure sensor 15. The inflatable cushion 11 is a structure that can be expanded by inflating, and the inflatable cushion 11 is disposed in the shoe body 21 of the sneaker 2. The air passage 13 is constructed by connecting a plurality of hollow hoses, but not limited thereto. The air passage 13 is arranged between the inflatable cushion 11 and the shoe body 21, and is communicated with the inflatable cushion 11 for transmitting air. In this embodiment, the inflatable cushion 11 may be but not limited to an inflatable and expandable structure formed integrally, having a plurality of inflatable cushion holes (not shown). The air passage 13 may also have a plurality of air passage holes (not shown), wherein the number, size and position of the air passage holes of the air passage 13 correspond to that of the inflatable cushion holes of the inflatable cushion 11. The air passage holes (not shown) and the cushion holes (not shown) are connected for transferring air between the air passage 13 and the inflatable cushion 11.
As shown in FIG. 1B and FIG. 1C, the air pump 12 is communicated with the air passage 13 for guiding external air thereinto. In this embodiment, the weight sensor 14 is embedded between the shoe pad 22 a and the sole 22 b of the sneaker 2, but not limited to. The weight sensor 14 is for detecting a load and accordingly sending a signal. The air pressure sensor 15 is disposed in the air passage 13 for detecting the air pressure inside the inflatable cushion 11 and accordingly sending a signal. In this embodiment, when the shoe automatic inflatable cushion system 1 is disposed in the sneaker 2, as shown in FIG. 1C, through the inflation and operation of the air pump 12, the air is pumped into the air passage 13, and the inflatable cushion 11 is expanded to wrap the wearer's foot, thereby providing sufficient support and protection, and performing adjustment based on the shape of the wearer's foot to increase comfort.
Please refer to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 schematically illustrates the architecture of the sneaker of FIG. 1A. In this embodiment, the shoe automatic inflatable cushion system 1 further includes a control system, and the control system includes a control module 16, a battery 17 and a relief valve 18. The control module 16 is electrically connected with the air pump 12, the weight sensor 14, the air pressure sensor 15, and the relief valve 18, respectively. The control module 16 respectively receives the signals sent from the weight sensor 14 and the air pressure sensor 15, and accordingly enables or disables the air pump 12.
When the control module 16 of the control system enables the air pump 12, the air pump 12 pumps an external air into the air passage 13. Being guided by the air passage 13, the air is fed into the inflatable cushion 11. Meanwhile, the air pressure inside the inflatable cushion 11 is monitored by the air pressure sensor 15 disposed in the air passage 13. When the air pressure sensor 15 detects the air pressure inside the inflatable cushion 11 higher than a specified threshold interval, the air pressure sensor 15 sends a disabling signal to the control module 16 to stop the operation of the air pump 12. Oppositely, when the air pressure sensor 15 detects the air pressure inside the inflatable cushion 11 lower than the specified threshold interval, the air pressure sensor 15 sends an enabling signal to the control module 16 to enable the air pump 12.
Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. As shown, the relief valve 18 is a pressure adjustment mechanism, which is disposed on an exterior surface of the shoe body 21 and electrically connected with the control module 16. When the control module 16 receives a pressure relief signal sent from the weight sensor 14, the relief valve 18 is controlled correspondingly to perform a pressure relief action. The control module 16 may be disposed on the inner side of the shoe body 21. More specifically, the control module 16 may be disposed on the inner side adjacent to the relief valve 18 or the position adjacent to the air pump 12, but not limited thereto. The battery 17 may be, but not limited to, a lithium battery or a mercury battery, which is for providing electric power to the control module 16. The location where the battery 17 is disposed may also be on the inner side of the shoe body 21 or the position on the inner side adjacent to the relief valve 18, but not limited thereto.
Please refer to FIG. 2 to FIG. 3C. FIG. 3A schematically illustrates the cross-sectional view of the sneaker of FIG. 1A. FIG. 3B schematically illustrates the cross-sectional view of the original state of the sneaker of FIG. 1A. FIG. 3C schematically illustrates the cross-sectional view of the inflated state of the sneaker of FIG. 1A.
As shown in FIG. 3A, in this embodiment, when the weight sensor 14 of the shoe automatic inflatable cushion system 1 does not detect any weight, which means the sneaker 2 is not being worn, the inflatable cushion 11 is in an original state that is not inflated and expanded, and the shoe body 21 has maximum wear space 23. Then, as shown in FIG. 3B, when the weight sensor 14 detects a load, which means the sneaker 2 is being worn by a foot, the weight sensor 14 sends an enabling signal to the control module 16. Accordingly, the control module 16 drives the air pump 12 to operate, making external air flow into the air passage 13 and guided thereby to be fed into the inflatable cushion 11, so that the inflatable cushion 11 is inflated and expanded to fit closely with the foot, as shown in FIG. 3C. At this moment, the foot and the expanded inflatable cushion 11 fill the wear space 23 inside the shoe body 21 to the full, by which the expanded inflatable cushion 11 is fitting the foot so that the foot is comfortably wrapped and fixed.
In addition, when the air pressure sensor 15 detects the pressure inside the inflatable cushion 11 higher than a specified threshold interval, the air pressure sensor 15 sends a disabling signal to the control module 16. Accordingly, the control module 16 stops the operation of the air pump 12 for preventing the pressure inside the inflatable cushion 11 from becoming too high, which may cause discomfort. Oppositely, when the air pressure sensor 15 detects the pressure inside the inflatable cushion 11 lower than the specified threshold interval, the air pressure sensor 15 sends an enabling signal to the control module 16, and the control module 16 accordingly drives the air pump 12 to operate. The above-mentioned specified threshold interval is an optimum range of the pressure that provides appropriate tightness for the foot wearing the sneaker 2. Through the air pressure detection and control, the degree of expansion of the inflatable cushion 11 is automatic adjustable, which makes the sneaker 2 comfortable and safe to wear.
In addition, the shoe automatic inflatable cushion system 1 of this embodiment further has an air pressure adjustment function. As shown in FIG. 1A, FIG. 1B, and FIG. 2, the shoe automatic inflatable cushion system 1 includes the relief valve 18 disposed on the exterior surface of the shoe body 21 of the sneaker 2, and the relief valve 18 may be but not limited to a switchable valve structure. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1B, the air passage 13 further includes a relief valve opening 13 a disposed corresponding to the relief valve 18 to be communicated therewith. As described above, the relief valve 18 is electrically connected with the control module 16, and is controlled to discharge the air inside the inflatable cushion 11. Once the relief valve 18 opens, the air inside the inflatable cushion 11 flows into the air passage 13 and is discharged out of the sneaker 2 by the relief valve 18. During the sneaker 2 is being worn, when the weight sensor 14 detects loss or disappearance of the weight of the load, which may happen when the wearer is sitting or starting to take off the sneaker 2, the weight sensor 14 sends a disabling signal as well as a pressure relief signal to the control module 16. Accordingly, the control module 16 controls the air pump 12 to stop operating and drives the relief valve 18 to open, such that part of the air inside the inflated inflatable cushion 11 is discharged out of the sneaker 2 through the relief valve 18. Consequently, the shoe automatic inflatable cushion system 1 adjusts its internal air pressure automatically and intelligently according to the usage status of whom wearing the sneaker 2. Under this circumstance, the inflatable cushion 11 is prevented from being inflated for too long, which prolongs the life span of the inflatable cushion 11. Moreover, the shoe automatic inflatable cushion system 1 enables the sneaker 2 to provide optimum pressure for every stage of wearing.
In some embodiments, the relief valve 18 may be but not limited to a rotary button, and is manually actuated to switch the release valve 18 on or off by screwing or unscrewing the rotary button. Therefore, the user is able to adjust the internal air pressure of the shoe automatic inflatable cushion system 1 through the rotary button, unscrewing the rotary button to switch the release valve 18 on so as to release pressure of the inflatable cushion 11, and screwing the rotary button to switch the release valve 18 off for stopping pressure releasing. As a result, the tightness of the sneaker 2 is manually adjustable to achieve an optimum status for the wearer.
FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B respectively schematically illustrate the exploded structure in different perspectives of an air pump according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 schematically illustrates the cross-sectional view of the structure of the piezoelectric actuator of FIGS. 4A and 4B. FIG. 6 schematically illustrates the cross-sectional view of the structure of the air pump of FIGS. 4A and 4B. As shown in FIG. 4A, FIG. 4B, FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the air pump 12 is a piezoelectric air pump. Moreover, the air pump 12 comprises a gas inlet plate 121, a resonance plate 122, a piezoelectric actuator 123, a first insulation plate 124 a, a conducting plate 125 and a second insulation plate 124 b. The piezoelectric actuator 123 is aligned with the resonance plate 122. The gas inlet plate 121, the resonance plate 122, the piezoelectric actuator 123, the first insulation plate 124 a, the conducting plate 125 and the second insulation plate 124 b are stacked on each other sequentially. After the above components are combined together, the cross-sectional view of the resulting structure of the air pump 12 is shown in FIG. 6.
The gas inlet plate 121 comprises at least one inlet 121 a. Preferably but not exclusively, the gas inlet plate 121 comprises four inlets 121 a. The inlets 121 a run through the gas inlet plate 121. In response to the action of the atmospheric pressure, the air is introduced into the air pump 12 through the inlets 121 a. Moreover, at least one convergence channel 121 b is formed on a first surface of the gas inlet plate 121, and is in communication with the at least one inlet 121 a in a second surface of the gas inlet plate 121. Moreover, a central cavity 121 c is located at the intersection of the four convergence channels 121 b. The central cavity 121 c is in communication with the at least one convergence channel 121 b, such that the gas entered by the inlets 121 a would be introduced into the at least one convergence channel 121 b and is guided to the central cavity 121 c. Consequently, the air can be transferred by the air pump 12. In this embodiment, the at least one inlet 121 a, the at least one convergence channel 121 b and the central cavity 121 c of the gas inlet plate 121 are integrally formed. The central cavity 121 c is a convergence chamber for temporarily storing the air. Preferably but not exclusively, the gas inlet plate 121 is made of stainless steel. In some embodiments, the depth of the convergence chamber defined by the central cavity 121 c is equal to the depth of the at least one convergence channel 121 b. The resonance plate 122 is made of a flexible material, which is preferably but not exclusively copper. The resonance plate 122 further has a central aperture 122 c corresponding to the central cavity 121 c of the gas inlet plate 121 that providing the gas for flowing through.
The piezoelectric actuator 123 comprises a suspension plate 1231, an outer frame 1232, at least one bracket 1233 and a piezoelectric plate 1234. The piezoelectric plate 1234 is attached on a first surface 1231 c of the suspension plate 1231. In response to an applied voltage, the piezoelectric plate 1234 would be subjected to a deformation. When the piezoelectric plate 1233 is subjected to the deformation, the suspension plate 1231 is subjected to a curvy vibration. The at least one bracket 1233 is connected between the suspension plate 1231 and the outer frame 1232, while the two ends of the bracket 1233 are connected with the outer frame 1232 and the suspension plate 1231 respectively that the bracket 1233 can elastically support the suspension plate 1231. At least one vacant space 1235 is formed between the bracket 1233, the suspension plate 1231 and the outer frame 1232 for allowing the air to go through. The type of the suspension plate 1231 and the outer frame 1232 and the type and the number of the at least one bracket 1233 may be varied according to the practical requirements. The outer frame 1232 is arranged around the suspension plate 1231. Moreover, a conducting pin 1232 c is protruding outwardly from the outer frame 1232 so as to be electrically connected with an external circuit (not shown).
As shown in FIG. 5, the suspension plate 1231 has a bulge 1231 a that makes the suspension plate 1231 a stepped structure. The bulge 1231 a is formed on a second surface 1231 b of the suspension plate 1231. The bulge 1231 b may be a circular convex structure. A top surface of the bulge 1231 a of the suspension plate 1231 is coplanar with a second surface 1232 a of the outer frame 1232, while the second surface 1231 b of the suspension plate 1231 is coplanar with a second surface 1233 a of the bracket 1233. Moreover, there is a drop of specified amount from the bulge 1231 a of the suspension plate 1231 (or the second surface 1232 a of the outer frame 1232) to the second surface 1231 b of the suspension plate 1231 (or the second surface 1233 a of the bracket 1233). A first surface 1231 c of the suspension plate 1231, a first surface 1232 b of the outer frame 1232 and a first surface 1233 b of the bracket 1233 are coplanar with each other. The piezoelectric plate 1234 is attached on the first surface 1231 c of the suspension plate 1231. The suspension plate 1231 may be a square plate structure with two flat surfaces but the type of the suspension plate 1231 may be varied according to the practical requirements. In this embodiment, the suspension plate 1231, the at least bracket 1233 and the outer frame 1232 are integrally formed and produced by using a metal plate (e.g., a stainless steel plate). In an embodiment, the length of the piezoelectric plate 2234 is smaller than the length of the suspension plate 1231. In another embodiment, the length of the piezoelectric plate 1234 is equal to the length of the suspension plate 1231. Similarly, the piezoelectric plate 1234 is a square plate structure corresponding to the suspension plate 1231.
In an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4A, in the air pump 12, the first insulation plate 124 a, the conducting plate 125 and the second insulation plate 124 b are stacked on each other sequentially and located under the piezoelectric actuator 123. The profiles of the first insulation plate 124 a, the conducting plate 125 and the second insulation plate 124 b substantially match the profile of the outer frame 1232 of the piezoelectric actuator 123. The first insulation plate 124 a and the second insulation plate 124 b are made of an insulating material (e.g. a plastic material) for providing insulating efficacy. The conducting plate 125 is made of an electrically conductive material (e.g. a metallic material) for providing electrically conducting efficacy. Moreover, the conducting plate 125 has a conducting pin 125 a so as to be electrically connected with an external circuit (not shown).
In an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the gas inlet plate 121, the resonance plate 122, the piezoelectric actuator 123, the first insulation plate 124 a, the conducting plate 125 and the second insulation plate 124 b of the air pump 12 are stacked on each other sequentially. Moreover, there is a gap h between the resonance plate 122 and the outer frame 1232 of the piezoelectric actuator 123, which is formed and maintained by a filler (e.g. a conductive adhesive) inserted therein in this embodiment. The gap h ensures the proper distance between the bulge 1231 a of the suspension plate 1231 and the resonance plate 122, so that the contact interference is reduced and the generated noise is largely reduced. In some embodiments, the height of the outer frame 1232 of the piezoelectric actuator 123 is increased, so that the gap is formed between the resonance plate 122 and the piezoelectric actuator 123.
After the gas inlet plate 121, the resonance plate 122 and the piezoelectric actuator 123 are combined together, a movable part 122 a and a fixed part 122 b of the resonance plate 122 are defined. A convergence chamber for converging the air is defined by the movable part 122 a of the resonance plate 122 and the gas inlet plate 121 collaboratively. Moreover, a first chamber 120 is formed between the resonance plate 122 and the piezoelectric actuator 123 for temporarily storing the air. Through the central aperture 122 c of the resonance plate 122, the first chamber 120 is in communication with the central cavity 121 c of the gas inlet plate 121. The peripheral regions of the first chamber 120 are in communication with the air passage 13 through the vacant space 1235 between the brackets 1233 of the piezoelectric actuator 123.
FIG. 7A to FIG. 7E schematically illustrate the actions of the air pump of FIGS. 4A and 4B. Please refer to FIG. 6 and FIG. 7A to FIG. 7E. The actions of the air pump will be described as follows. When the air pump 12 is enabled, the piezoelectric actuator 123 is vibrated along a vertical direction in a reciprocating manner by using the bracket 1233 as the fulcrums. The resonance plate 122 except for the part of it fixed on the gas inlet plate 121 is hereinafter referred as a movable part 122 a, while the rest is referred as a fixed part 122 b. Since the resonance plate 122 is light and thin, the movable part 122 a vibrates along with the piezoelectric actuator 123 because of the resonance of the piezoelectric actuator 123. In other words, the movable part 122 a is reciprocated and subjected to a curvy deformation. When the piezoelectric actuator 123 is vibrated downwardly, the movable part 122 a of the resonance plate 122 is subjected to the curvy deformation because the movable part 122 a of the resonance plate 122 is pushed by the air and vibrated in response to the piezoelectric actuator 123. In response to the downward vibration of the piezoelectric actuator 123, the air is introduced into the at least one inlet 121 a of the gas inlet plate 121. Then, the air is transferred to the central cavity 121 c of the gas inlet plate 121 through the at least one convergence channel 121 b. Then, the air is transferred through the central aperture 122 c of the resonance plate 122 corresponding to the central cavity 121 c, and introduced downwardly into the first chamber 120. As the piezoelectric actuator 123 is enabled, the resonance of the resonance plate 122 occurs. Consequently, the resonance plate 122 is also vibrated along the vertical direction in the reciprocating manner.
As shown in FIG. 7B, during the vibration of the movable part 122 a of the resonance plate 122, the movable part 122 a moves down till bring contacted with the bulge 1231 a of the suspension plate 1231. In the meantime, the volume of the first chamber 120 is shrunken and a middle space which was communicating with the convergence chamber is closed. Under this circumstance, the pressure gradient occurs to push the air in the first chamber 120 moving toward peripheral regions of the first chamber 120 and flowing downwardly through the vacant spaces 1235 of the piezoelectric actuator 123.
Please refer to FIG. 7C, which illustrates consecutive action following the action in FIG. 7B. The movable part 122 a of the resonance plate 122 has returned its original position when, the piezoelectric actuator 123 has ascended at a vibration displacement to an upward position. Consequently, the volume of the first chamber 120 is consecutively shrunken that generating the pressure gradient which makes the air in the first chamber 120 continuously pushed toward peripheral regions. Meanwhile, the air continuously introduced into the inlets 121 a of the gas inlet plate 121 and transferred to the central cavity 121 c.
Then, as shown in FIG. 7D, the resonance plate 122 moves upwardly, which is caused by the resonance of the upward motion of the piezoelectric actuator 123. Consequently, the air is slowly introduced into the inlets 221 a of the gas inlet plate 121, and transferred to the central cavity 121 c.
As shown in FIG. 7E, the movable part 122 a of the resonance plate 122 has returned its original position. When the resonance plate 122 is vibrated along the vertical direction in the reciprocating manner, the gap h between the resonance plate 122 and the piezoelectric actuator 123 providing space for vibration of the resonance plate 122. That is, the thickness of the gap h affects the amplitude of vibration of the resonance plate 122. Consequently, a pressure gradient is generated in the fluid channels of the air pump 12 to facilitate the air to flow at a high speed. Moreover, since there is an impedance difference between the feeding direction and the exiting direction, the air can be transmitted from the inlet side to the outlet side. Moreover, even if the outlet side has a gas pressure, the air pump 12 still has the capability of pushing the air to the air passage 13 while achieving the silent efficacy.
The steps of FIG. 7A to FIG. 7E are repeatedly done. Consequently, the ambient air is transferred by the air pump 12 from the outside to the inside.
As mentioned above, the operation of the air pump 12 can guide the air into the air passage 13, such that the air that is guided is introduced to the inflatable cushion 11, and the inflatable cushion 11 is inflated and expanded to fit the user's foot surface. Therefore, the sneaker 2 may be tightly and firmly attached to the user's foot, thereby providing sufficient support and protection for safe and comfortable wearing.
From the above descriptions, the present invention provides a shoe automatic inflatable cushion system, which may be applied to a pair of footwear such as sneakers. The weight sensor of the shoe automatic inflatable cushion system detects the load of a foot, then the inflatable cushion is inflated automatically and intelligently to fit the shape of foot that provides comfort as well as sufficient support and protection. Furthermore, an air pressure adjustment function is provided to automatically adjust the internal air pressure according to the usage status of the wearer, which prolongs the life span of the inflatable cushion and makes the footwear in an optimum comfortable status to wear. In addition, the pressure of the inflatable cushion is manually adjustable, thereby providing more convenience in operation and wider applicability.
While the invention has been described in terms of what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention needs not be limited to the disclosed embodiment. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims which are to be accorded with the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A shoe automatic inflatable cushion system applied to a shoe, wherein the shoe comprises a shoe body and a bottom part connected therewith, by which a wear space and an opening communicated therewith are collaboratively defined, the shoe automatic inflatable cushion system comprising:

an inflatable cushion disposed in the shoe body;

an air passage arranged between the inflatable cushion and the shoe body and communicated with the inflatable cushion;

an air pump communicated with the air passage;

a weight sensor disposed on the bottom part;

an air pressure sensor disposed in the air passage; and

a control module electrically connected with the air pump, the weight sensor, and the air pressure sensor;

wherein the weight sensor sends an enabling signal to the control module when detecting a load, and the control module accordingly drives the air pump to operate, making air guided by the air passage and introduced into the inflatable cushion so that the inflatable cushion is inflated and expanded, wherein when the air pressure sensor detects the pressure inside the inflatable cushion higher than a specified threshold interval, the air pressure sensor sends a disabling signal to the control module, and that the control module accordingly stops operation of the air pump.

2. The shoe automatic inflatable cushion system according to claim 1 further comprising a relief valve disposed on a surface of the shoe body, and the relief valve is communicated with the air passage.

3. The shoe automatic inflatable cushion system according to claim 2, wherein the relief valve is manually actuated to discharge the air from the shoe automatic inflatable cushion system.

4. The shoe automatic inflatable cushion system according to claim 2, wherein the relief valve is electrically connected with the control module, and when the weight sensor detects loss or disappearance of the weight of the load, the weight sensor sends a pressure relief signal to the control module, and the control module accordingly drives the relief valve to discharge the air from the shoe.

5. The shoe automatic inflatable cushion system according to claim 1, wherein the air pump is a piezoelectric air pump.

6. The shoe automatic inflatable cushion system according to claim 5, wherein the piezoelectric air pump comprises:

a gas inlet plate comprising at least one inlet, at least one convergence channel and a central cavity, wherein a convergence chamber is defined by the central cavity, and the at least one convergence channel corresponds to the at least one inlet, wherein after the air is introduced into the at least one convergence channel through the at least one inlet, the air is guided by the at least one convergence channel and converged to the convergence chamber;

a resonance plate having a central aperture, wherein the central aperture is aligned with the convergence chamber, wherein the resonance plate comprises a movable part near the central aperture; and

a piezoelectric actuator aligned with the resonance plate, wherein a gap is formed between the resonance plate and the piezoelectric actuator to define a first chamber, wherein when the piezoelectric actuator is driven, the air is introduced into the air pump through the at least one inlet of the gas inlet plate, converged to the central cavity through the at least one convergence channel, transferred through the central aperture of the resonance plate, and introduced into the first chamber, wherein the air is further transferred through a resonance between the piezoelectric actuator and the movable part of the resonance plate.

7. The shoe automatic inflatable cushion system according to claim 6, wherein the piezoelectric actuator comprises:

a suspension plate having a first surface and a second surface, wherein the suspension plate is permitted to undergo a curvy vibration;

an outer frame arranged around the suspension plate;

at least one bracket connected between the suspension plate and the outer frame for elastically supporting the suspension plate; and

a piezoelectric plate, wherein a length of the piezoelectric plate is smaller than or equal to a length of the suspension plate, and the piezoelectric plate is attached on the first surface of the suspension plate, wherein when a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric plate, the suspension plate is driven to undergo the curvy vibration.

8. The shoe automatic inflatable cushion system according to claim 7, wherein the suspension plate is a square suspension plate with a bulge.

9. The shoe automatic inflatable cushion system according to claim 6, wherein the piezoelectric air pump further comprises a conducting plate, a first insulation plate and a second insulation plate, wherein the gas inlet plate, the resonance plate, the first insulation plate, the conducting plate and the second insulation plate are stacked on each other sequentially.

10. The shoe automatic inflatable cushion system according to claim 1, wherein the control module comprises a battery to provide electric power to the control module.