Heel core for shoe and shoe including the same

Abstract

To provide a heel core for shoes improving a use feeling and appearance of a shoe that has been made easy to wear by a function of a slide.SOLUTION: A heel core 31 for shoes incorporated in a heel of a shoe 11, includes: a lower support part 32 curved in a shape for wrapping a heel of a human body; an upper receiving part 33 for receiving the heel of the human body above the lower support part 32 and having rigidity; inclined guide parts 35 inclined forward and obliquely downward, formed on both left / right edges on an upper side of the upper receiving part 33; and a thin wall part 36 thinner than a central part inside the edge, formed at least in the upper receiving part 33 of an edge of the outer periphery so as to prevent a corner from appearing to an end in the thickness direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to shoes having a heel, such as athletic shoes or low shoes, and in particular to shoes that are easy to put on. [Background technology]

[0002] Shoes that can be put on without bending over are disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 listed below.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a shoehorn that is attached to the inner surface of the heel of a shoe by gluing or the like. In this configuration, the shoehorn is attached to the heel, so that the foot moving forward when entering the shoe moves with the instep and the front part of the sole in contact with the inner surface of the shoe, and at this time, the heel of the foot hits the inclined part of the shoehorn, pushing the heel of the shoe backward and widening it. This allows the foot to slide into the shoe. In other words, when the foot is put into the shoe, the shoehorn pushes the rear surface of the heel of the shoe backward, i.e., deforms it, widening the opening, and also allows the foot to slide into the shoe by inserting the toes forward.

[0004] Patent Document 2 discloses a shoe with a shoehorn function. This shoe has a heel guide section that extends diagonally backwards above the heel section. The heel section and the heel guide section are provided with a core material. With this configuration, when the foot is inserted through the opening and the heel of the foot abuts against the heel guide section, the shoehorn function allows the foot to easily enter the shoe and the shoe can be put on. Since the shoe of Patent Document 2 has the shoehorn function, the heel section of the shoe is widened or lowered backwards, similar to the contents of Patent Document 1, making it easier to insert the heel from the top of the foot.

[0005] However, in putting on shoes by spreading the heel backwards and lowering it like this, the heel is deformed and there is a repulsive force when the heel is deformed, so it is often difficult to actually put on shoes. That is, in a configuration in which the opening is spread backwards and the toes are inserted to make it easier to put the foot into the shoe, the heel of the shoe needs to be deformed and the force to insert the foot is required to put on the shoe, and the force and directional control are essential to insert the foot. Because a repulsive force is generated by the deformation of the heel, such an action may seem easy for a healthy person, but it is not easy for an elderly person who cannot put force into his / her foot, etc.

[0006] On the other hand, the following Patent Document 3 discloses a shoe that uses the unique shape and rigidity of a moon-shaped core (heel core for shoes) to support the weight of the heel and allow it to slide. In other words, the shoe can be worn without the need to deform the heel, simply by inserting the foot and fitting the shoe onto the foot. The wearer can put the foot into the shoe while standing or sitting, and the caregiver can move the shoe so that it fits onto the foot. There is no need to spread the heel backwards at the same time as this action, so the action is simple.

[0007] However, this structure gives the shoe heel core rigidity, and the outer periphery has sharp edges. When using general-purpose plastic as the material, the shoe heel core needs to be thick to a certain extent, but if the shoe heel core has a sharp edge with a certain thickness up to the outer periphery edge at the top, the sole of the heel will come into contact with the edge, even if not directly, when wearing the shoe. This can result in an unpleasant feel. Furthermore, the heel part may look inferior, as if it has a foreign object in it. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-344396 A [Patent Document 2] Registered Utility Model No. 3195071 [Patent Document 3] Patent Publication No. 2022-139151 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] The main object of this invention is to improve the feel and appearance of comfortable shoes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] To this end, the present invention provides the following heel core for shoes. That is, the heel core for shoes has a lower support part curved to encase the heel of the human body, and an upper receiving part that receives the heel of the human body above the lower support part, and has rigidity. The upper receiving part has inclined guide parts that are inclined downward and forward on both left and right edges of the upper part, and the thickness of at least the upper receiving part at the outer periphery edge is thinner than the central part on the inside of the edges.

[0011] In this configuration, at least the edge of the upper receiving part, which is thinner than the center part, is shaped so that there are no noticeable corners at the ends in the thickness direction, softening the impact on the heel when wearing. At the same time, when the edge is built into the heel part of the shoe, it is hidden by the covering material and suppresses the appearance of visible corners. Furthermore, the thin edge allows slight deformation even in a rigid shoe heel core, which also softens the impact on the heel and makes it easier to perform the hanging work in shoe manufacturing. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to this invention, at least the edge of the upper receiving portion is thinner than the central portion, which reduces the impact on the sole of the foot, improves the feel, and prevents deterioration of the appearance. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] Perspective view of a shoe. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a plan view of a heel core for a shoe. [Diagram 5] 1 is a bottom view of a heel pad for a shoe. [Figure 6] Cross section AA of Figure 3. [Figure 7] Cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in FIG. [Figure 8] Schematic diagrams showing examples of shapes of thin-walled portions of edges. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional end view showing another example of the wall thickness. [Figure 10] FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of another example of a shoe heel core. [Figure 14] 14 is a front view, a central cross-sectional view, and a bottom view of the shoe heel core shown in FIG. 13. [Figure 15] 13A and 13B are external views and cross-sectional views showing other examples of shapes of shoe heel cores. [Figure 16] 13A and 13B are external views and cross-sectional views showing other examples of shapes of shoe heel cores. [Figure 17] 13A and 13B are external views and cross-sectional views showing other examples of shapes of shoe heel cores. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0015] This invention relates to a shoe 11 that is easy to put on, and the shoe 11 referred to here is composed of a sole 12 and an upper 13 as shown in Figure 1. The rear end of the upper 13 has a heel part 14. The shoe 11 may be a low shoe as shown in Figure 1, an athletic shoe, or any other type of shoe.

[0016] 1 is a perspective view of only the right shoe of a pair of left and right shoes 11, seen from above and behind. An upper 13 is fixed onto a sole 12 that serves as a base for supporting the foot and wraps around the foot, and has an opening 15 at the rear through which the foot is inserted. The toes of the foot are placed in the part in front of the opening 15, and the part behind the opening 15, i.e., the heel part 14, wraps around the heel of the foot.

[0017] As described above, the shoe 11, which is designed to simplify the action of putting on the shoes, has a hard protrusion 16 that extends upward and diagonally backward at the top end of the heel part 14. The protrusion 16 is a part of the upper 13 and is integrated with the heel part 14.

[0018] Unlike the heel of a normal shoe, the protrusion 16 and the heel 14 have a rigidity that does not easily collapse or break even when stepped on. Such rigidity is obtained by sandwiching a shoe heel core 31 between the interior material 14a and the exterior material 14b that constitute the heel 14 of the shoe 11.

[0019] The shoe heel core 31 is formed in a three-dimensional curved sheet shape from synthetic resin such as polypropylene, ABS, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, etc. The rigidity is achieved by the hardness of the material and the curved shape.

[0020] Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of the shoe heel core 31 as seen diagonally from above, Fig. 3 shows its front view, Fig. 4 shows a plan view, Fig. 5 shows a bottom view, and Fig. 6 shows a vertical cross-sectional view at the center of the front view (cross-sectional view along AA in Fig. 3). As shown in these figures, the shoe heel core 31 comprises a lower support part 32 curved to encase the heel of the human body, and an upper support part 33 that supports the heel of the human body above the lower support part 32, and has the rigidity as described above.

[0021] The lower support part 32 has a U-shape with both ends slightly open in plan view as shown in Fig. 4. In side view, the lower support part 32 has, from bottom to top, a lower curved part 32a whose rear surface is rounded and protrudes backward, and an upper curved part 32b above the lower curved part 32a and which is rounded and protrudes forward in the opposite direction to the lower curved part 32a. The upper curved part 32b is less curved than the lower curved part 32a, and the lower support part 32 as a whole is shaped to correspond to the heel of the human body.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 6, the shape of the lower support part 32 in a side view is roughly trapezoidal, protruding forward toward the bottom end, with both the left and right ends of the bottom end surface being located at the most forward position in the shoe heel core 31. The bottom end of the lower support part 32 has a ground contact edge 34 that forms a straight line in a side view, and is formed so as to be in a position that wraps around the heel of the human body when the ground contact edge 34 is horizontal or in a position equivalent to the horizontal position when embedded in the shoe 11. The bottom end of the lower support part 32 is slightly tapered overall, and is shaped to be stable when the ground contact edge 34 is supported by a surface.

[0023] 4, upper receiving portion 33 has a U-shape in plan view with both ends slightly open, and has a reduced shape in plan view of lower support portion 32. The size of upper receiving portion 33 in plan view is smaller than the shape of the human heel in plan view.

[0024] In addition, in a side view, the rear surface of the upper receiving portion 33 has a base curved portion 33a that is continuous with the upper curved portion 32b of the lower support portion 32 and curves obliquely upward and backward, and an extension portion 33b that extends in a substantially straight line obliquely upward and backward from the base curved portion 33a. The inclination angle α of the extension portion 33b is preferably about 15° with respect to the vertical. It may be about 10° to 20°, or 25°.

[0025] 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B--B in FIG. 6, and is a cross-sectional view of the frontmost portion of the portion connecting the upper curved portion 32b of the lower support portion 32 to the base curved portion 33a of the upper receiving portion 33. The portion shown in this cross-sectional view corresponds to a height above the heel of the human body and close to the ankle, and the heel is placed below that height.

[0026] The shape of the upper receiving part 33 in a side view is approximately a fan shape inclined backward by the inclination angle α as shown in Fig. 6. The upward length of the upper receiving part 33 varies depending on the inclination angle α, but is set to a length that has sufficient rigidity and does not impair the stability of the shoe heel core 31 even when stepped on with the heel, and is not too long in consideration of the appearance. At this time, it is advisable to also consider the front-rear position of the rear upper end P of the upper receiving part 33. As shown in Fig. 6, it is better to have the front-rear position of the rear upper end P of the upper receiving part 33 correspond to the rearmost part Q of the lower curved part 32a of the lower support part 32 in order to achieve both stability and ease of wearing, than when it is significantly different.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 3, the front and rear views of the upper receiving portion 33 are such that they widen laterally as they go downward.

[0028] The lower support portion 32 and the upper support portion 33 are smoothly connected to each other without any steps.

[0029] Then, inclined guide portions 35 inclined diagonally downward toward the front are formed on both left and right edges of the upper portion of upper receiving portion 33, i.e., on the upper portion of upper receiving portion 33. As described above, inclined guide portion 35 is U-shaped in plan view and fan-shaped in side view, so that it has an undulating shape and is continuous with both left and right edges of lower support portion 32.

[0030] The heel core 31 for shoes having such an overall shape is formed to a thickness that provides the desired rigidity, but the thickness of at least the upper receiving portion 33 of the outer peripheral edge is formed to be thinner than the central portion inside the edge. The heel core 31 for shoes in Figures 2 to 7 is an example in which the thickness of the entire peripheral edge, including the lower end portion, is made thinner. In other words, the thin-walled portion 36 is an appropriate range on the inside of the outline that forms the outer periphery of the heel core for shoes 31 shown in Figure 2.

[0031] The manner in which the thickness is reduced, that is, the manner in which the thin-walled portion 36 is formed, may be either by forming a step or by not forming a step. From the viewpoint of avoiding stress concentration, it is better not to form a step.

[0032] For this reason, in the illustrated example, the edge portion having a thin wall thickness (thin wall portion 36) is formed by a wall thickness reducing surface 36a whose wall thickness is gradually reduced toward the end.

[0033] There are multiple ways to form this reduced thickness surface 36a, and as shown in the schematic diagram of Fig. 8, there are roughly three types. One of them is a structure in which the reduced thickness surface 36a is formed on one side, as shown in (a) and (b). If the left side of the drawing is the inner side and the right side is the outer side, (a) is an example in which the reduced thickness surface 36a is formed on the inner side. When the reduced thickness surface 36a is on the inner side as in (a), the upper receiving portion 33 is shaped to bend upward and backward, so the angle is gentler and the surface is wider, making it easier for the heel to hit.

[0034] In another example, as shown in FIG. 1(c), the wall thickness reduced surface 36a is formed on both the inner and outer surfaces.

[0035] Furthermore, the shape of the thickness-reduced surface 36a can be a flat surface as shown in (a) to (c), a convex curved shape as shown in (d), or a concave curved shape as shown in (e).

[0036] Whether the surface of the edge is the reduced thickness surface 36a or not is a relative matter in relation to the continuity of the surface due to the characteristics of the heel core 31 for shoes that is configured with a curved surface. Therefore, it is not necessarily possible to clearly distinguish between them.

[0037] Although not shown in the drawings, it is advisable to chamfer the ridgeline portion.

[0038] In addition, as shown in Fig. 9, which shows another example of a cross-sectional shape corresponding to a B-B cross-sectional end view, the thickness may be made different not only at the edge but also at the center. In the example of Fig. 9, the thickness is made thicker toward the center in the left-right direction.

[0039] In the examples of Figs. 2 to 7, the ends of the thin-walled portions 36 are depicted as lines, but the ends of the thin-walled portions 36 may have any appropriate thickness.

[0040] In a shoe 11 equipped with a shoe heel core 31 configured as described above, by attaching the interior material 14a and the exterior material 14b along the shoe heel core 31, the upper protrusion 16 of the heel portion 14 takes on a shape as if it were evenly padded to the upper receiving portion 33 of the shoe heel core 31.

[0041] Such a shoe 11 can be worn as shown in FIGS.

[0042] That is, when wearing the shoes while standing, the user can easily put them on by simply inserting the toe into the opening 15 of the upper 13 and dropping the heel as shown in Fig. 10. When wearing the shoes while sitting, the user should insert the toe of the shoe 11 and press the sole 12 against the sole of the foot as shown in Fig. 11.

[0043] In either case, as shown in Figure 12, the heel core 31 is in a state where the ground-contact side 34 at the lower end is in contact with the ground, and the rigidity of the heel core 31 itself supports the load applied to the upper support portion 33. Even if the heel of the human body presses against the upper support portion 33 through the interior material 14a, the heel core 31 does not deform or collapse, but instead allows the heel to slide forward by the inclined guide portion 35, encouraging the foot to enter the shoe. The protruding portion 16 above the heel portion 14 functions as a slide, and when the heel falls onto the heel portion of the sole 12, the foot fits into the shoe.

[0044] During this putting-on action, the edge of the shoe heel core 31 is made up of the thin-walled portion 36, and there are no noticeable corners at the ends in the thickness direction, so that the heel feels soft and comfortable. Furthermore, when the edge is built into the heel portion 14 of the shoe 11, it is hidden by the interior material 14a and the exterior material 14b, so there are no visible corners that are visible from the outside, preventing the appearance from being marred.

[0045] The thin-walled portion 36 that provides such an effect is constituted by a thickness-reduced surface 36a, and furthermore, the thickness-reduced surface 36a is formed without any steps, so that the above-mentioned effect can be achieved while ensuring rigidity.

[0046] Moreover, the thin edge (thin portion 36) allows slight deformation even in the rigid shoe heel core 31, which also softens the impact on the heel. This further improves the feel when wearing the shoe.

[0047] Furthermore, since the thin portion 36 is formed on the entire circumference including the lower end, some deformation is possible even at the lower end of the heel core 31 during shoe manufacturing in which the rigid heel core 31 is embedded in the upper 13. As a result, the suspending operation can be easily performed.

[0048] In this regard, as shown in the perspective view of Figure 13, it is advisable to form a notch 37 that cuts upward in the left-right middle part of the lower end of the lower support part 32. The notch 37 is preferably triangular. Figure 14(a) is a front view, (b) is a central cross-sectional view of the front view, and (c) is a bottom view. By providing the notch 37 in this way, the shoe heel core 31 has an increased degree of freedom of deformation, making the hanging operation even easier and allowing the upper 13 to be finished beautifully without wrinkles.

[0049] The above configuration is one embodiment for carrying out the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to only the above configuration, and other configurations can also be adopted.

[0050] For example, the ground contact edge 34 at the lower end of the shoe heel core 31 may not be a straight line, but may be stepped or curved.

[0051] Figures 15, 16, and 17 show other examples of the shape of the shoe heel core 31. In these figures, (a) to (d) are perspective views from different directions, (e) is a plan view, (f) is a front view, (g) is a bottom view, and (h) is a right side view. These external views are added to the cross-sectional views. (i) of Figure 15 is an end view of the CC section of (h), (j) is a central vertical cross-sectional view of the front view, and (k) is a DD cross-sectional view of (e). (i) of Figure 16 is an end view of the EE section of (h), (j) is a central vertical cross-sectional view of the front view, and (k) is an FF cross-sectional view of (e). (i) of Figure 17 is an end view of the GG section of (h), and (j) is a central vertical cross-sectional view of the front view.

[0052] The shoe heel core 31 shown in Figures 15 and 16 differs from the shoe heel core 31 shown in Figure 2 and other figures in that it prevents the lower support part 32 from protruding forward. The lower end of the lower support part 32 is formed in a straight line in the case of Figure 15, but in the case of Figure 16, it is slightly inclined in side view and appears curved in front view. In addition, as can be seen from (e) and (k), the constricted shape between the lower support part 32 and the upper receiving part 33 and the curved shape around it are relatively larger in Figure 16 than in Figure 15.

[0053] The heel core 31 in Fig. 17 has a shape in which the lower support part 32 protrudes significantly forward, like the heel core 31 in Fig. 2 and other figures described above, but as can be seen in (e), the upper receiving part 33 protrudes rearward only forward of the rear end of the lower support part 32. Also, the angle of the upper receiving part 33 is slightly gentler than in the example shown in Fig. 2 and other figures.

[0054] 15 to 17, the lower end of the lower support portion 32 has an end face, but a thin portion 36 may be formed on the edge of the lower end. Also, although the lower support portion 32 has a notch 37, the notch 37 may be omitted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 11. Shoes 31...Heel core for shoes 32...Lower support part 33…Upper receiving part 35...Inclination guide part 36…Thin section 36a…Thickness reduction surface 37…Notch

Claims

1. A shoe heel stiffener that is built into the heel of a shoe, It comprises a lower support portion curved to wrap around the heel of a person's body, having a lower curved portion with a rounded shape that protrudes backward when viewed from the side and an upper curved portion with a rounded shape that protrudes forward when viewed from the side, and an upper receiving portion above the lower support portion that receives the heel of a person's body, and is made of synthetic resin and has rigidity. The size of the upper receiving portion in plan view is formed to be smaller than the shape of the human heel in plan view, The upper receiving portion, in a side view, has a base curved portion that curves upward and diagonally backward, continuously from the upper curved portion of the lower support portion, and an extension portion that extends upward and diagonally backward from the base curved portion. The horizontal cross-sectional shape at the lower end of the upper receiving portion and the boundary with the lower curved portion has a circular arc portion in plan view, where the curvature is smaller than that of the lower curved portion. On the left and right edges of the upper part of the upper receiving portion, inclined guide portions are formed that are tilted diagonally downward and forward. The thickness of at least the upper receiving portion of the outer edge is thinner than that of the central portion inside the edge, The aforementioned thin edge portion is formed by a thickness reduction surface that gradually thins the thickness towards the end. Heel core for shoes.

2. The thin edge portion is formed continuously from the upper receiving portion to the lower curved portion. The heel support for shoes according to claim 1.

3. The thin edge portion is also formed by the thickness-reducing surface at the lower end of the lower curved portion, The thickness reduction surface formed at the lower end of the lower curved portion is formed on the outer surface. A shoe heel support according to claim 1 or claim 2.

4. The aforementioned thin-walled edge is formed around the entire circumference. A shoe heel support according to claim 1 or claim 2.

5. A notch is formed in the middle of the left-right direction at the lower end of the aforementioned lower support portion, cutting upward. A shoe heel support according to claim 1 or claim 2.

6. A shoe heel support as described in claim 1 or claim 2 shoes.

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