Easy-to-wear and easy-to-take-off heel structure and its athletic shoes

Abstract

This utility model relates to a heel structure for easy-to-wear shoes, comprising a heat-set elastic portion located in the central region in the vertical direction, a heat-set rigid portion arranged adjacent to and below the heat-set elastic portion, and sheet-like unheat-set portions arranged on both sides of the heel structure. The heel structure is characterized in that the heat-set elastic portion has a concave-convex folded structure, forming multiple protrusions on the side of the heel structure facing inwards towards the shoe and multiple protruding ridges on the side facing outwards towards the shoe, with the planes on the protrusions parallel to the vertical direction lying on the same plane; the heat-set rigid portion has a concave structure. This easy-to-wear heel structure eliminates the need for users to bend over to tie shoelaces or pull up the heel structure that has collapsed due to stepping on the shoes when putting on or taking off athletic shoes, achieving a convenient and quick effect. This utility model also relates to athletic shoes with this easy-to-wear heel structure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of athletic shoes. Specifically, it relates to a heel structure for easy-to-put-on and-take-off shoes. Another aspect of this utility model relates to athletic shoes with a heel structure for easy-to-put-on and-take-off shoes. Background Technology

[0002] Shoes are designed with different focuses depending on their intended use. Athletic shoes typically have laces. During exercise, the tightening force of the laces minimizes the relative movement between the foot and the shoe, ensuring optimal performance. However, tightening and loosening laces is not always convenient when putting on and taking off athletic shoes, leading to a demand for easy-on and take-off shoes. Currently, there are many easy-on and take-off shoe models on the market, each with its own unique approach to ease of insertion. For example, some use elastic components to assist with putting on and taking off. Specifically, these utilize external elastic material injection molding inserts positioned at the heel. When putting on the shoe, the heel is compressed, making it easier for the foot to slip into the shoe. Once fully inserted, the elastic component naturally springs back to its original position, close to the heel, preventing the heel from becoming stuck as in other shoes without elastic heel supports.

[0003] In existing technologies, there are also solutions that utilize material properties to assist in putting on and taking off shoes. These solutions achieve ease of wear by altering the material and molding process of the heel. For example, composite materials can be bonded together and then thermoformed into the desired heel shape, making the heel firm and resistant to collapse or damage. A guide-line structure design at the shoe opening facilitates easy insertion, and the firm heel provides support for the foot after insertion, ensuring comfort. Besides designing a guide structure at the shoe opening, soft or soft-elastic materials can be used for the lower part of the heel. This allows the lower part of the heel to deform when the user puts on the shoe, widening the opening and making it easier to put on. After being stepped on, the elastic material allows the heel to spring back to its original shape, providing further support.

[0004] In addition to the existing technologies mentioned above for easy-on and easy-off shoes, there are also other designs for easy-on and easy-off shoe styles. For example, modifications can be made to the sole structure. One such design adjusts the sole structure, incorporating a combination of a dual-stability hinge and a midsole tensioner, and employing a variable, foldable sole. When putting on the shoes, the sole folds and arches; after stepping on the foot, the sole flattens out.

[0005] In addition, there are designs for the shoe upper collar to aid in putting on and taking off the shoes. This design involves widening or lengthening the shoe opening and making it shallow to avoid the instep area feeling constricted when wearing the shoes. The solution also includes elastic bands on both sides of the shoe upper to tighten the instep and prevent the shoes from slipping off.

[0006] The existing easy-on / off solutions mentioned above all require widening or enlarging the shoe collar to facilitate easy on and off. Furthermore, the external elastic component in the heel is susceptible to fatigue or aging over time, potentially leading to poor rebound, breakage, or even irreversible heel deformation. Heat-set heels, which require a certain degree of rigidity, are made of multiple composite materials, making the manufacturing process more complex. Over time, these composite materials may peel off or even crack. Utility Model Content

[0007] Therefore, the purpose of this utility model is to provide a heel structure for easy-to-wear shoes, and a sports shoe incorporating this structure that allows for convenient and quick on and off. Users no longer need to bend over to tie shoelaces or pull up the heel structure that has collapsed due to footsteps when putting on or taking off the sports shoes. In addition to achieving the goal of convenient shoe-wearing, it also features a simple manufacturing process and low cost.

[0008] This utility model provides a heel structure for easy-to-wear shoes, which includes a heat-set elastic part located in the central region in the vertical direction, a heat-set rigid part arranged adjacent to and below the heat-set elastic part, and sheet-like unheat-set parts arranged on both sides of the heel structure of the easy-to-wear shoes.

[0009] The heel structure of the easy-to-wear shoe is characterized in that the heat-setting elastic part has a concave-convex folded structure, forming multiple protrusions on the side of the heel structure facing the inside of the shoe and multiple protruding ridges on the side facing the outside of the shoe, and the multiple protrusions are on the same plane as the plane parallel to the vertical direction; the heat-setting rigid part has a concave structure, the concave opening facing the inside of the shoe, and the bottom surface of the concave part is a plane parallel to the vertical direction.

[0010] As a preferred aspect of this utility model, the heel structure of the easy-to-wear shoe is prepared by a hot-pressing process using multiple layers of TPU mesh fabric stacked together.

[0011] As a preferred aspect of this invention, the TPU mesh is woven from TPU yarn.

[0012] As a preferred aspect of this utility model, the diameter of the TPU yarns constituting the TPU mesh fabric ranges from 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm.

[0013] As a preferred aspect of this utility model, the heel structure of the easy-to-wear shoe is connected to the side of the upper by adhesive or sewing to form the upper.

[0014] As a preferred aspect of this utility model, the spacing between the protrusions of the heat-setting elastic portion is the same.

[0015] As a preferred aspect of this utility model, the distance between two adjacent protruding ridges is 0.5 cm to 2 cm.

[0016] As a preferred aspect of this invention, the thickness of the heel structure of the easy-to-wear shoe ranges from 4 mm to 6 mm.

[0017] This utility model also provides a sports shoe, wherein the sports shoe is provided with a heel structure as described above for easy on and off. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The embodiments of this utility model will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0019] Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating the manufacturing process of the heel structure for easy-to-wear shoes is shown.

[0020] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the heel structure of the easy-to-wear shoe along the plane of symmetry in the vertical direction is shown;

[0021] Figure 3 This illustrates the change in the heel structure of easy-to-wear shoes under downward compression of external force;

[0022] Figure 4 The illustration shows the various stages of a user wearing athletic shoes with an easy-on-slip heel structure;

[0023] Figure 5 Another embodiment of the heel structure of the easy-to-wear and easy-to-remove shoe according to the present invention is shown;

[0024] Figure 6 Another embodiment of the heel structure of the easy-to-wear and easy-to-remove shoe according to the present invention is shown;

[0025] Figure 7 Another embodiment of the heel structure of the easy-to-wear and easy-to-remove shoe according to the present invention is shown;

[0026] Figure 8 Another embodiment of the heel structure of an easy-to-wear shoe according to the present invention is shown.

[0027] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0028] 1-TPU mesh fabric; 11-Heel structure of easy-to-wear and easy-to-remove shoes not subjected to external force; 12-Heel structure of easy-to-wear and easy-to-remove shoes subjected to external force; 2-Heat-conducting hot press plate; 3-Shaping mold; A-Heat-setting elastic part; B-Heat-setting rigid part; C-Unheat-setting part; D-Protruding ridge. Detailed Implementation

[0029] This utility model relates to an easy-to-wear shoe heel structure that combines the characteristics of both elastic deformation and rigid structures, making athletic shoes easy to put on and take off while ensuring comfort and heel support. For elastic deformation structures, TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) material is widely known for its excellent properties such as high strength, high elasticity, wear resistance, oil resistance, cold resistance, and hydrolysis resistance. It can be used to produce various products including shoe materials, films, pipes, wires and cables, medical devices, and sports equipment. For shoe materials, a highly elastic TPU injection-molded component can be used as part of the athletic shoe heel. By designing a three-dimensional structure for this injection-molded component, it can recover its initial shape after being deformed by external force due to its elasticity. For example, when putting on the shoe, the heel collapses under the pressure of the foot, thereby increasing the shoe opening and lowering the shoe opening height, making it easier for the foot to enter the athletic shoe. After the foot slides into the athletic shoe, the heel, due to the elasticity of the highly elastic TPU injection-molded component, naturally rebounds to its initial position, restoring the heel's support for the foot.

[0030] For rigid structures, composite materials are generally used, such as mesh, high-density foam, hot melt adhesive, etc., which are first laminated into a composite layer. Then, the laminated composite material is placed in a hot-pressing mold with a three-dimensional heel-shaped inner cavity for molding. Since the composite layer is heat-set at high temperature, the overall heel of the shoe becomes hard. Therefore, when the user's foot is inserted into the sports shoe with the above-mentioned heel structure, the heel will not be crushed, deformed or damaged by stepping on it. In addition, an inlet structure is designed at the shoe opening to facilitate the foot to slide into the shoe along the shape of the inner side of the three-dimensional heel.

[0031] Therefore, the heel structure of the easy-to-wear shoe according to this utility model combines the features of the above-mentioned solutions. The elastic structure makes it easier for the athletic shoe to be inserted and allows it to return to its initial shape after the heel enters the shoe; the rigid structure prevents the heel from deforming excessively due to foot compression during wearing, making it difficult to return to its initial shape or getting stuck on the user's heel, and the rigid structure provides more solid support for the heel when the user wears the shoe. The heel structure of the above-mentioned easy-to-wear shoe combines an elastic structure based on the heel with a rigid structure formed by a heat-setting process, achieving the purpose of easy wearing and removal through the combination of the two structures. To make the above-mentioned features and advantages of this utility model more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments are given below, along with accompanying drawings, for detailed description.

[0032] Figure 1The diagram illustrates the manufacturing process of the heel structure for easy-to-wear shoes. Utilizing the thermoplastic properties of TPU material, 100% TPU yarn is woven into a TPU mesh fabric 1. This TPU mesh fabric 1 is then placed between a heat-conducting hot press plate 2 and a shaping mold 3 in a three-dimensional mold for thermoplastic shaping. After thermoplastic shaping, it is cooled and removed. The thermoplastic-shaped TPU mesh fabric 1 becomes stiff like leather, while the unshaped TPU mesh fabric 1 retains its original elasticity. This ensures the heel maintains a certain degree of rigidity and resilience. The manufacturing process of the heel structure for these easy-to-wear shoes is as follows:

[0033] 100% TPU yarn is woven into TPU mesh fabric 1, and multiple layers of TPU mesh fabric are stacked together, wherein the diameter of the TPU yarn ranges from 0.1mm to 0.3mm;

[0034] The forming mold is used to process the corresponding punch and die structures on the heat-conducting hot press plate 2 and the shaping mold 3 at the positions where the heel part needs to be folded or squeezed and deformed.

[0035] After the TPU mesh 1 is cut to the required size, the TPU mesh 1 is placed in a mold for heat setting and heating to form a heel structure for easy-to-wear shoes. The heat setting temperature range is between 130°C and 150°C, the pressure range is between 2 and 5 MPa, and the heat setting time range is between 10 and 40 seconds. The thickness of the heel structure for easy-to-wear shoes is between 4 mm and 6 mm.

[0036] After the heel cools, it is removed from the mold and has the same effect as TPU injection molded parts, being elastic and able to recover its shape after being stepped on and compressed. Utilizing the concave and convex design of the molding process, the thermoplastic mesh fabric can be squeezed and deformed vertically like a spring when at a vertical angle.

[0037] Figure 2A cross-sectional view of the heel structure of an easy-to-wear shoe along a plane of symmetry in the vertical direction is shown. The heel structure comprises three parts: a heat-set elastic part A, a heat-set rigid part B, and an unheat-set part C. The heat-set elastic part A and the heat-set rigid part B are arranged adjacently in the central region of the heel structure in the vertical direction. The heat-set elastic part A has a convex-concave folded structure, forming multiple protrusions on the side facing inwards from the shoe and multiple ridges D on the side facing outwards from the shoe. The distances between the ridges D are equal, and the spacing between two adjacent ridges is 0.5cm-2cm. After heat setting, the heat-set elastic part A possesses a certain rigidity, maintaining its folded structure. However, this folded structure allows it to undergo compressive deformation under external force, returning to its original folded structure after the force is removed, similar to the deformation of a spring. The heat-set rigid part B is arranged adjacent to the heat-set elastic part A. It has a concave structure with a flat bottom surface and the notch facing inwards towards the shoe. When subjected to external force, the rigid part B's rigidity provides support for the easy-to-wear heel component, allowing the heel to be completely collapsed. The unheat-set part C is arranged on both sides of the heat-set elastic part A and the rigid part B. In cross-sectional view, the planes extending from the unheat-set parts C on both sides are on the same plane as the vertical planes of the apexes or protrusions of the heat-set elastic part A and the rigid part B facing inwards. This ensures that the heel of the shoe with the aforementioned easy-to-wear heel component provides a comfortable fit to the user's heel. The unheat-set part C is resilient; when collapsed at the shoe opening by the user's foot, it can deform into a guiding shape, simultaneously enlarging the shoe opening and facilitating the user's entry into the shoe. Because of the elasticity of the various components of the heel structure of the easy-on-slip shoes, users can also easily remove the shoes by applying pressure from inside the shoe to deform the heel structure.

[0038] Figure 3 The diagram schematically illustrates the downward compression of the heel structure of an easy-to-wear shoe under external force. The left side shows a schematic of the heel structure 11 of the easy-to-wear shoe without external force, maintaining its heat-set structure. The right side shows a schematic of the heel structure 12 of the easy-to-wear shoe under external force. The heat-set elastic part A undergoes compressive deformation under pressure, while the heat-set rigid part B maintains its original state due to its rigidity, providing support for the heel structure. Specifically, the heel structure of the easy-to-wear shoe is shown in cross-sectional view for ease of description. However, it should be understood that the heat-set elastic part A and the heat-set rigid part B in the heel structure are three-dimensional structures, which can extend along the heel structure of the easy-to-wear shoe in a certain arc after being assembled with the shoe.

[0039] After the TPU mesh fabric 1 woven from the aforementioned TPU yarn is heat-pressed and shaped, it forms the heel structure of the easy-to-wear shoe. The heel structure of the easy-to-wear shoe is then bonded or sewn together with the upper to form the upper of the athletic shoe. When the user puts on the shoe, the heel of the foot presses down, causing the heat-shaped elastic part A of the heel structure of the easy-to-wear shoe to be compressed and deformed, thereby collapsing the heel and allowing the user's foot to slide smoothly into the athletic shoe. After the foot is in place, as the pressure acting on the heel structure of the easy-to-wear shoe disappears, the heel structure of the easy-to-wear shoe will naturally spring back to its original position to achieve the effect of easy wearing. Figure 4 The diagram illustrates the various stages of a user wearing an athletic shoe with an easy-on / off heel structure. First, the heel is in its original position before the user puts on the shoe. Next, the user reaches the maximum position of insertion into the shoe without deformation of the easy-on / off heel structure. Then, the user's heel presses down, compressing the easy-on / off heel structure, making the shoe easier to put on. Finally, as the user puts on the shoe, the easy-on / off heel structure returns to its original position, no longer compressed by the user's heel area, while simultaneously providing support for the heel.

[0040] Based on this, the present invention also provides a sports shoe, which includes the easy-to-wear and easy-to-take-off heel structure described above. Users no longer need to bend over to tie shoelaces or pull up the heel structure that has collapsed due to stepping on the shoes when putting them on or taking them off, thus achieving the purpose of convenient shoe-wearing.

[0041] It is conceivable that the above-mentioned TPU mesh heat setting method and the design of the heel structure of easy-to-wear shoes can have many different variations. The following heel designs are examples of heel structures of easy-to-wear shoes with pedal compression and elastic rebound functions, but are not limited to these.

[0042] Figure 5 Another embodiment of the heel structure of an easy-to-wear shoe according to the present invention is shown. The heat-set elastic portion A of the heel structure occupies approximately 80% of the total area of ​​the heel structure. The heat-set elastic portion A extends at an angle from the axis of symmetry of the heel structure towards both sides of the sole. The heat-set rigid portion B is connected to the sole and surrounded by the heat-set elastic portion, and its overall shape is an isosceles triangle when viewed from the rear of the shoe. The unheat-set portion C is located at the shoe opening above the heat-set elastic portion A, and is adapted to guide the user's foot into the shoe using its own elasticity.

[0043] Figure 6Another embodiment of the heel structure of the easy-to-wear shoe according to the present invention is shown. In this embodiment, it has only one concave-convex folding structure. The overall outline of the heat-set elastic part A is similar to that of the shoe heel, and its overall area accounts for more than 90% of the area of ​​the shoe heel portion. The heat-set elastic part A is concave towards the inside of the athletic shoe, reaching its maximum concavity towards the inside of the athletic shoe in the middle region in a direction parallel to the sole. The heat-set rigid part and the unheat-set part are located on the sides of the heat-set elastic part near and away from the sole, respectively, and their vertical heights are both less than 10% of the vertical height of the heel structure of the easy-to-wear shoe. When subjected to pressure from the user's heel, the heat-set elastic part A will compress and fold. Since the heat-set elastic part in this embodiment has only one folding structure, it will fold in half. After the foot is fully inside the athletic shoe, the heel structure of the easy-to-wear shoe immediately returns to its original shape.

[0044] Figure 7 Another embodiment of the heel structure of an easy-to-wear shoe according to the present invention is shown. The heel structure of the easy-to-wear shoe comprises only a heat-set elastic portion A and an unheat-set portion C. The heat-set elastic portion A extends from the sole of the easy-to-wear shoe's heel structure towards the shoe opening, and its area approximately occupies 80% of the area of ​​the easy-to-wear shoe's heel structure. The concave-convex folded portion of the heat-set elastic portion A, in addition to having a folded structure parallel to the sole direction, each layer of the folded structure is also composed of several triangles located in different planes.

[0045] Figure 8 Another embodiment of the heel structure of the easy-to-wear shoe according to the present invention is shown. This embodiment differs from other embodiments in that it has a heat-setting elastic part A with a hollow structure arranged from the middle portion to the shoe opening. The lower half of the heel structure of the easy-to-wear shoe is a heat-setting rigid part B. Because the heat-setting elastic part A in this embodiment is designed as a hollow mesh, its loose structure allows it to be easily compressed when the user puts on the shoe, while the lower half of the heat-setting rigid part B is rigid and provides support. The combination of these two structures allows the user to easily put on the athletic shoe, and the upper half of the heat-setting elastic part can quickly rebound after the user puts on the shoe.

[0046] The embodiments of this utility model have been illustrated and described herein, but those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications, omissions, and additions can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this utility model. It should not be understood as limited to the specific embodiments described herein, but encompasses all possible embodiments embodied within the scope and equivalents of the features described in the appended claims.

[0047] The dimensions and values ​​disclosed herein should not be construed as strictly limited to the precise numerical values ​​stated. Rather, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to represent the value and a functionally equivalent range around that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to represent “approximately 40 mm”.

[0048] All documents referenced in the “Detailed Description” section are incorporated herein by reference in the relevant sections; no reference to any document should be construed as an admission that it is prior art concerning this utility model. In the event of any conflict between the meaning or definition of any term in this written document and the meaning or definition of any term in the referenced documents, the meaning or definition assigned to the term in this written document shall prevail.

[0049] While specific embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to cover all such changes and modifications within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A heel structure for easy-to-wear shoes, comprising a heat-set elastic portion located in the central region in a vertical direction, a heat-set rigid portion disposed adjacent to and below the heat-set elastic portion, and sheet-like unheat-set portions disposed on both sides of the heel structure of the easy-to-wear shoes. The heel structure of the easy-to-wear shoe is characterized in that the heat-setting elastic part has a concave-convex folded structure, forming multiple protrusions on the side of the heel structure facing the inside of the shoe and multiple protruding ridges on the side facing the outside of the shoe, and the multiple protrusions are on the same plane as the plane parallel to the vertical direction; the heat-setting rigid part has a concave structure, the concave opening facing the inside of the shoe, and the bottom surface of the concave part is a plane parallel to the vertical direction.

2. The easy-to-put-on-and-take-off shoe heel structure according to claim 1, wherein The heel structure of the easy-to-wear shoes is made of multiple layers of TPU mesh fabric.

3. The easy-to-put-on-and-take-off shoe heel structure according to claim 2, wherein The TPU mesh fabric is woven from TPU yarn.

4. The easy-to-put-on-and-take-off shoe heel structure according to claim 2, wherein The diameter of the TPU yarns that make up the TPU mesh fabric ranges from 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm.

5. The easy-to-put-on-and-take-off shoe heel structure according to claim 1, wherein The heel structure of the easy-to-wear shoes is connected to the side of the upper by adhesive or sewing to form the upper.

6. The easy-to-put-on-and-take-off shoe heel structure according to claim 1, wherein The spacing between the protrusions of the heat-setting elastic part is the same.

7. The easy-to-put-on-and-take-off shoe heel structure according to claim 1, wherein The distance between two adjacent protrusions is 0.5 cm to 2 cm.

8. The easy-to-put-on-and-take-off shoe heel structure according to claim 1, wherein The thickness of the heel structure of the easy-to-wear shoes ranges from 4 mm to 6 mm.

9. An athletic shoe, characterized by The athletic shoe is provided with an easy-to-wear and easy-to-take-off heel structure as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

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