Insole

Abstract

To provide an insole that can improve comfort and breathability.SOLUTION: An insole 1 is used while being attached to footwear, and has an insole body 10 having a lattice structure and a cover 20 formed on the upper surface of the insole body 10. The insole body 10 has a first portion 11 corresponding to a big toe 21 of the user, and a second portion 12 corresponding to the base of a user's toes 22. In the insole body 10, the density of the lattice structure of each portion decreases in the order of the first portion 11, the second portion 12, and the portion other than the first portion 11 and the second portion 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an insole that is used in a state where it is attached to footwear. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, such a technical field is described, for example, in Patent Document 1. The insole described in Patent Document 1 is laminated with an outsole, a midsole, and an insole board to form a shoe that is easily deformed by the pressure of the foot of the shoe wearer. In this shoe, a plurality of recesses corresponding to the toes are provided, and a repulsion body is disposed in each recess, thereby supporting the movement of the foot that pushes backwards off the ground with the toes. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-104044 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, shoes with the above-mentioned insoles have the problem that the toes tend to get stuck in the recesses, making them uncomfortable to wear. Also, because the insoles are made of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), polyolefin foam, polyurethane foam, thermoplastic polyurethane, rubber, etc. and are formed into a tightly packed plate shape, they have poor breathability and tend to become stuffy.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve such technical problems, and has an object to provide an insole that can improve comfort and breathability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The insole of the present invention is an insole that is used while being attached to footwear, the insole having a lattice structure and a first portion corresponding to the user's big toe, the first portion being characterized in that the density of the lattice structure is greater than that of portions other than the first portion.

[0007] The insole according to the present invention employs a lattice structure. The lattice structure is a three-dimensional structure with cavities formed by periodically arranging lattices that are divided into branches, and has excellent breathability and cushioning properties, so that the breathability of the insole can be improved and the cushioning properties of the insole can be expected to be enhanced. By improving the breathability, the growth of bacteria and the growth of mold can be suppressed. Furthermore, by increasing the cushioning properties, the impact on the user's foot can be absorbed and the movement of the foot can be supported. As a result, a comfortable fit can be obtained and the breathability can be improved.

[0008] In addition, during normal walking, the user's big toe leaves the ground last, so if the force of pushing off the ground with the big toe is increased, walking becomes easier. In the insole according to the present invention, the density of the lattice structure of the first part corresponding to the user's big toe is greater than the density of the lattice structure of the parts other than the first part, so the first part can be made harder than the other parts. This makes it possible to increase the force of pushing off the big toe, making walking easier. In addition, for example, when operating the accelerator pedal or brake pedal of a car while wearing a shoe equipped with the insole according to the present invention, the density of the lattice structure of the first part is greater than the parts other than the first part, so the force of pushing off with the big toe can be naturally increased, and the pushing operation of the big toe can be stabilized. Therefore, force can be applied directly to these pedals, making it easier to control the accelerator and brake.

[0009] In the insole according to the present invention, it is preferable that the insole further has at least one of a second portion corresponding to the base of the user's toes and a third portion corresponding to the user's heel, and when the insole has the second portion, the density of the lattice structure of each portion decreases in the order of the first portion, the second portion, and portions other than the first portion and the second portion; when the insole has the third portion, the density of the lattice structure of each portion decreases in the order of the first portion, the third portion, and portions other than the first portion and the third portion; and when the insole has both the second portion and the third portion, the density of the lattice structure of each portion decreases in the order of the first portion, the second portion, the third portion, the first portion, the second portion, and portions other than the third portion.

[0010] In this way, by varying the density of the lattice structure between the first part, the second part and / or the third part, and the other parts, it is possible to prioritize the pushing force of the big toe while increasing the pushing force of the base of the toes and / or the heel. In this way, the first part, the second part and / or the third part work together to achieve stable walking and stable pedal operation.

[0011] In the insole according to the present invention, it is preferable that the thickness of the entire insole is the same. In this way, it is easier to ensure comfort and to manufacture the insole, compared to a case where the thickness varies due to unevenness. Furthermore, by making the thickness of the entire insole the same, the design freedom of the insole can be increased.

[0012] In the insole according to the present invention, when the insole is used as a driving insole, it is preferable that the insole further includes a fourth part corresponding to the fifth metatarsal of the user's right foot and the abductor digiti minimi muscle on the outside of the fifth metatarsal, and the density of the lattice structure of each part decreases in the order of the first part, the fourth part, the second part, the third part, the first part, the second part, the third part, and the part other than the fourth part. In this way, for example, when wearing a shoe equipped with the insole according to the present invention and driving a car heel and toe with the right foot, the fifth metatarsal and abductor digiti minimi muscle can be secured to press the accelerator pedal, so that the accelerator pedal can be pressed stably at the same time as the brake pedal is pressed.

[0013] The insole manufacturing method according to the present invention is characterized in that the insole is manufactured using a 3D printer, which makes it possible to easily manufacture an insole that is comfortable to wear and has improved breathability. Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve comfort and breathability. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1(a) is a plan view showing an insole according to a first embodiment, and FIG. 1(b) is a schematic side view showing the insole according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2(a) is a plan view showing an insole body, and FIG. 2(b) is a schematic plan view for explaining the insole according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 shows the sole of a user's right foot. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the action and effect of the insole according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1(a) is a schematic plan view showing an insole according to a second embodiment, and FIG. 1(b) is a schematic plan view showing an insole according to a third embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a schematic plan view showing an insole according to a fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Hereinafter, an embodiment of an insole according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are given the same reference numerals, and the duplicated description will be omitted. In the following description, an insole for a right foot will be taken as an example, but an insole for a left foot has the same structure unless otherwise specified.

[0017] [First embodiment] FIG. 1(a) is a plan view showing an insole according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 1(b) is a schematic side view showing the insole according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2(a) is a plan view showing an insole body, and FIG. 2(b) is a schematic plan view for explaining the insole according to the first embodiment. The insole 1 of this embodiment is a so-called insole, and is used in a state where it is attached to footwear such as shoes and sandals. The insole 1 has a lattice structure, and has the same overall thickness. The lattice structure is a three-dimensional structure (for example, a three-dimensional mesh structure) formed by periodically arranging lattices divided into branch shapes, and has cavities, and is a structure that is lightweight, breathable, and excellent in cushioning (also called elasticity) while maintaining strength.

[0018] The insole 1 includes an insole body 10 formed to be relatively thick, and a relatively thin cover 20 formed on the upper surface (i.e., the surface close to the user's foot) of the insole body 10. The user here refers to a person wearing the footwear to which the insole 1 is attached.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 2, the insole body 10 has a first portion 11 corresponding to the user's big toe 21 (see Fig. 3) and a second portion 12 corresponding to the base of the user's toes 22 (see Fig. 3). In Fig. 2(b) and Figs. 5 and 6 described below, the portions where the density of the lattice structure is different are shown in white to make the positions easier to understand.

[0020] The second portion 12 is provided so as to correspond to the area from the base of the big toe to the base of the little toe as shown in Fig. 2(a). Preferably, the second portion 12 is provided so as to draw a curve while corresponding to the area from the base of the big toe to the base of the little toe as shown in Fig. 2(b).

[0021] In the insole body 10 of this embodiment, the density of the lattice structure is different between the first portion 11, the second portion 12, and the portions other than the first portion 11 and the second portion 12. Specifically, the density of the lattice structure of each portion is the highest in the first portion 11 corresponding to the big toe 21 of the user, followed by the second portion 12 corresponding to the base of the toes 22 of the user, and the lowest in the portions other than the first portion 11 and the second portion 12. In other words, in the insole body 10, the density of the lattice structure of each portion decreases in the order of the first portion 11, the second portion 12, and the portions other than the first portion 11 and the second portion 12.

[0022] The insole body 10 is formed of a thermoplastic resin such as polyurethane thermoplastic elastomer (TPU), polystyrene thermoplastic elastomer (TPS), polyolefin thermoplastic elastomer (TPO), polyamide thermoplastic elastomer (TPA), polyester thermoplastic elastomer (TPC), and dynamically crosslinked thermoplastic elastomer (TPV). In consideration of a good fit to the user's foot, it is preferable to use a relatively soft resin. The entire insole body 10 has the same thickness.

[0023] Meanwhile, the cover 20 is formed with a lattice structure similar to the insole body 10. The overall thickness of the cover 20 is the same, but is thinner than the thickness of the insole body 10. Unlike the insole body 10, the cover 20 has the same overall lattice structure density. Similarly to the insole body 10, the cover 20 is formed from a thermoplastic resin such as TPU, TPS, TPO, TPA, TPC, and TPV, and is preferably formed from a relatively soft resin.

[0024] The insole 1 according to this embodiment employs a lattice structure. The lattice structure is a three-dimensional structure with cavities formed by periodically arranging lattices that are divided into branches, and has excellent breathability and cushioning properties, so that the breathability of the insole 1 can be improved and the cushioning properties of the insole 1 can be enhanced. By improving the breathability, the growth of bacteria and the generation of mold can be suppressed. Furthermore, by increasing the cushioning properties, the impact on the user's foot can be absorbed and the movement of the foot can be supported. As a result, a good wearing comfort can be obtained and the breathability can be improved. Furthermore, since the cover 20 is provided, the insole can be more suitably fitted to the user's foot, and the wearing comfort can be further improved.

[0025] During normal walking, the user's big toe leaves the ground last, so if the force of pushing off the ground with the big toe is increased, walking becomes easier. In the insole 1 of this embodiment, the density of the lattice structure of the first part 11 corresponding to the user's big toe 21 is the highest, so the first part 11 can be made harder than the other parts. This allows the force of the big toe 21 to be increased, making walking easier. In addition, for example, when operating the accelerator pedal or brake pedal of a car while wearing shoes equipped with the insole 1, the density of the lattice structure of the first part 11 is the highest, so the force of the big toe 21 to push down can be naturally increased, and the pushing operation of the big toe 21 can be stabilized. Therefore, force can be applied directly to these pedals, making it easier to control the accelerator and brake.

[0026] In addition to the first portion 11, the sole further includes a second portion 12 corresponding to the base of the user's toes 22, and the density of the lattice structure of the second portion 12 is smaller than that of the first portion 11 and larger than that of the portions other than the first portion 11 and the second portion 12. By varying the density of the lattice structure between the first portion 11, the second portion 12, and the portions other than the first portion 11 and the second portion 12 in this manner, it is possible to increase the force of the base of the toes 22 while preferentially ensuring the force of the big toe 21 to step on. In this manner, the combination of the first portion 11 and the second portion 12 allows for stable walking or stable pedal operation.

[0027] For example, as shown in FIG. 4, when a user wears a shoe with the insole 1 attached and depresses the accelerator pedal or brake pedal of a car, the first part 11 having the highest density of the lattice structure and the second part 12 having the next highest density of the lattice structure work together to ensure that the depressing force of the big toe 21 is prioritized while the depressing force of the base of the toes 22 is large, so that force can be applied directly to these pedals (see the arrow in FIG. 4(b)). As a result, it is possible to easily control the accelerator and brake. Note that the shoe is omitted in FIG. 4 to make it easier to understand the positional relationship between the user's foot and the insole 1.

[0028] Furthermore, since the thickness of the entire insole 1 is uniform, it is easier to ensure comfort and to manufacture the insole 1 compared to a case where the thickness varies due to unevenness. Furthermore, by making the thickness of the entire insole 1 uniform, the design freedom of the insole 1 can be increased.

[0029] The insole 1 of this embodiment is manufactured using a 3D printer. More specifically, the insole 1 is formed by integrally molding the insole body 10 and the cover 20 using a 3D printer by a material extrusion method (MEX). The material extrusion method is a method in which a thermoplastic resin is heated and melted, extruded from a nozzle, and solidified while being laminated. This material extrusion method is further divided into an FDM (Fuse Deposition Modeling) method, an APF (Arburg Plastic Freeforming) method, and a CFF (Continuous Filament Fabrication) method. When manufacturing the insole 1 of this embodiment, any of these methods may be used, or these methods may be used in combination.

[0030] When manufacturing the insole 1, the insole body 10 is first manufactured, for example, by a material extrusion method, and the cover 20 is further laminated on the upper surface of the manufactured insole body 10. When manufacturing the insole body 10, as described above, the density of the lattice structure of the first portion 11 is controlled so that the first portion 11 is the largest, the second portion 12 is the next largest, and the portions other than the first portion 11 and the second portion 12 are the smallest.

[0031] According to the above-mentioned method, the insole 1 that can improve comfort and breathability can be easily manufactured.

[0032] The cover 20 may be formed so as to cover the entire insole body 10. That is, the cover 20 may be formed so as to cover not only the top surface of the insole body 10 but also the bottom and side surfaces of the insole body 10. In this case, the insole body 10 and the cover 20 are each manufactured using a 3D printer, and then the cover 20 is wrapped around the insole body 10 so as to cover the entire insole body 10, thereby manufacturing the insole 1.

[0033] [Second embodiment] Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the insole will be described with reference to Fig. 5(a). The insole 1A of this embodiment differs from the first embodiment described above in that it further includes a third portion 13. The other structures are similar to those of the first embodiment, so repeated explanations will be omitted.

[0034] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5(a), the insole 1A further includes a third portion 13 corresponding to the heel 23 (see FIG. 3) of the user in addition to the first portion 11 and the second portion 12. The third portion 13 is formed in the insole body 10. In the insole body 10, the density of the lattice structure of each portion decreases in the order of the first portion 11, the second portion 12, the third portion 13, and the portion other than the first portion 11, the second portion 12, and the third portion 13. That is, the density of the lattice structure of each portion is the highest in the first portion 11 corresponding to the big toe 21 of the user, the second highest in the second portion 12 corresponding to the base of the toes 22 of the user, the third highest in the third portion 13 corresponding to the heel 23 of the user, and the lowest in the portion other than the first portion 11, the second portion 12, and the third portion 13.

[0035] According to the insole 1A having such a structure, in addition to obtaining the same effect as the first embodiment described above, it is possible to increase the force of stepping with the heel because it further has the third part 13. The first part 11, the second part 12, and the third part 13 work together to realize more stable walking or stable pedal operation.

[0036] [Third embodiment] Hereinafter, a third embodiment of the insole will be described with reference to Fig. 5(b). The insole 1B of this embodiment differs from the first embodiment described above in that it has a third portion 13 instead of the second portion 12. The rest of the structure is the same as in the first embodiment, so repeated explanations will be omitted.

[0037] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 5(b), the insole 1B has a first portion 11 and a third portion 13. In the insole body 10, the density of the lattice structure of each portion decreases in the order of the first portion 11, the third portion 13, and the portion other than the first portion 11 and the third portion 13. That is, the density of the lattice structure of each portion is greatest in the first portion 11 corresponding to the big toe 21 of the user, next greatest in the third portion 13 corresponding to the heel 23 of the user, and least in the portion other than the first portion 11 and the third portion 13.

[0038] According to the insole 1B having such a structure, in addition to obtaining the same effect as the first embodiment described above, by varying the density of the lattice structure between the first portion 11, the third portion 13, and the portion other than the first portion 11 and the third portion 13, it is possible to increase the stepping force of the heel 23 while preferentially ensuring the stepping force of the big toe 21. In this way, the first portion 11 and the third portion 13 work together to realize stable walking or stable pedal operation.

[0039] [Fourth embodiment] Hereinafter, a fourth embodiment of the insole will be described with reference to Fig. 6. The insole 1C of this embodiment differs from the first embodiment described above in that it further includes a third portion 13 and a fourth portion 14. The other structures are similar to those of the first embodiment, so repeated explanations will be omitted.

[0040] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 6, insole 1C has third and fourth portions 13 and 14 in addition to first and second portions 11 and 12. Since third portion 13 has already been described in the second embodiment, a duplicate description will be omitted. Meanwhile, fourth portion 14 corresponds to fifth metatarsal 24 of the user's right foot and abductor digitorum minimi 25 (see Fig. 3) on the lateral side of fifth metatarsal 24. This fourth portion 14 is formed in insole body 10.

[0041] In the insole body 10, the density of the lattice structure of each portion decreases in the order of the first portion 11, the fourth portion 14, the second portion 12, the third portion 13, and the portions other than the first portion 11, the second portion 12, the third portion 13, and the fourth portion 14. That is, the density of the lattice structure of each portion is the highest in the first portion 11 corresponding to the big toe 21 of the user, followed by the fourth portion 14 corresponding to the fifth metatarsal 24 and the abductor hallucis 25 on the outside of the fifth metatarsal 24, followed by the second portion 12 corresponding to the base of the toes 22 of the user, followed by the third portion 13 corresponding to the heel 23 of the user, and the lowest in the portions other than the first portion 11, the second portion 12, the third portion 13, and the fourth portion 14.

[0042] Insole 1C having such a structure further has a fourth portion 14 corresponding to the fifth metatarsal 24 of the user's right foot and the abductor hallucis muscle 25 on the outside of the fifth metatarsal 24. Therefore, for example, when driving heel-and-toe while wearing a shoe with insole 1C attached, the user can simultaneously and stably depress the brake pedal and the accelerator pedal with the right foot.

[0043] Heel-and-toe is one of the driving techniques for a manual transmission vehicle, and is an operation of stepping on the brake pedal and the accelerator pedal at the same time with the right foot. In the insole 1C of this embodiment, in addition to the first part 11, the second part 12, and the third part 13, there is a fourth part 14 corresponding to the fifth metatarsal 24 of the user's right foot and the abductor hallucis 25 on the outside of the fifth metatarsal 24, so that the user can reliably step on the brake pedal with the big toe 21 and base of the toes 22 of the right foot of the user, and at the same time, press the accelerator pedal with the fifth metatarsal 24 and the abductor hallucis 25 or the heel 23. As a result, the heel-and-toe operation can be performed smoothly.

[0044] The insole according to the present invention only needs to have the first portion 11 corresponding to the big toe 21 of the user, and may have a form having only the first portion 11.

[0045] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various design modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention as described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1, 1A, 1B, 1C: insole, 10: insole body, 11: first part, 12: second part, 13: third part, 14: fourth part, 20: cover, 21: big toe, 22: base of toes, 23: heel, 24: fifth metatarsal, 25: abductor hallucis

Claims

1. An insole used in a state where it is attached to footwear, The insole has a lattice structure and includes a first portion corresponding to the user's big toe; The insole is characterized in that the first portion has a lattice structure having a higher density than the portions other than the first portion.

2. The shoe further includes at least one of a second portion corresponding to the base of the user's toes and a third portion corresponding to the user's heel, when the second portion is included, the density of the lattice structure of each portion decreases in the order of the first portion, the second portion, and the portion other than the first portion and the second portion; when the third portion is included, the density of the lattice structure of each portion decreases in the order of the first portion, the third portion, and the portion other than the first portion and the third portion; The insole according to claim 1, wherein when the insole has both the second portion and the third portion, the density of the lattice structure of each portion decreases in the following order: the first portion, the second portion, the third portion, and the portions other than the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion.

3. The insole according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the thickness of the insole is the same throughout.

4. When the insole is used as a driving insole, the insole further includes a fourth portion corresponding to the fifth metatarsal bone of the user's right foot and the abductor digitorum minimi muscle on the outside of the fifth metatarsal bone, The insole according to claim 2 , wherein the density of the lattice structure of each portion decreases in the following order: the first portion, the fourth portion, the second portion, the third portion, the first portion, the second portion, the third portion, and the portions other than the fourth portion.

5. A method for manufacturing an insole, comprising the steps of: manufacturing the insole according to claim 1 or 2 using a 3D printer.

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