Footwear upper structure and heel core

Abstract

To provide a footwear upper structure and heel core, capable of enhancing shape holding property of an upper side of an opening of a heel part, so as to facilitate an operation of wearing shoes, with design property.SOLUTION: A footwear upper structure in which an opening 14b from which a heel of a foot is exposed, is formed on a heel part 11a, comprises: a decoration member 16 which surrounds the opening 14b and formed into an arch shape in view from the rear side, the decoration member being provided on the upper side of the opening 14b on the external surface of the heel part 11a. On a portion having the decoration member 16 on the heel part 11a of the upper 14, a heel core 19 formed of a flexible curve surface plate is included. The heel core 19 has: a pair of fixation support parts 91 which is fixed to a footwear base 12 in a state in which the inner surfaces of the fixation support parts are directed to inside in a lateral direction; a pair of curve surface side plate parts 92 which extends upward and rearward in a curved state, from the fixation support parts, in a state in which the inner surfaces of the curve surface side plate parts are directed to inside in the lateral direction; and a rear end continuous part 93 which connects the fixation support parts and the curve surface side plate parts and is formed in an arc shape in plan view.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a heel structure of an upper in footwear such as boots and sandals. [Background technology]

[0002] There is footwear that has a back band (also called a back strap or heel strap) on the heel of the upper. There is also footwear that has an opening formed on the heel of the upper that exposes the heel of the foot (see Patent Document 1). This opening is relatively wide, penetrating from the inside to the outside, and has a flattened semicircular shape when viewed from behind. A band-shaped decorative element, primarily for decorative purposes, is provided above and surrounding the opening on the outer surface of the heel. The decorative element is arch-shaped when viewed from behind, with both left and right lower ends fixed to the shoe base and the middle part in the longitudinal direction fixed to the outer surface of the heel.

[0003] Footwear with decorative members not only has a unique design due to the presence of the opening and decorative member, but also provides a certain degree of support for the heel, as the decorative member provides a certain degree of firmness in the heel area where the opening is formed, thereby providing sufficient support for the heel. However, because of the opening in the heel, like footwear with a back band, it is necessary to use one's hands when putting on the footwear. This is because the heel cannot be put on without holding the heel area with one's hands or a spatula. For this reason, such footwear cannot be put on quickly and with simple movements.

[0004] Patent Document 2 discloses footwear with holes (openings) similar to those described above, which allows shoes to be worn even if the heel is crushed and restored to its original shape. Specifically, a hole is drilled in the center of the crescent-shaped cover, and the crescent-shaped cover surrounding the hole and the continuous opening pad are made of a highly elastic and resilient material. This does not take into consideration the smoothness of the putting-on motion. Furthermore, even if the heel were to restore its shape without being crushed, this configuration requires the use of hands or a spatula when putting on the shoes, since the shoes are made of a highly elastic material. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Design Registration No. 1748026 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-52410 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The main object of this invention is to improve the shape retention above the opening in the heel portion so as to obtain both design and ease of wearing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To this end, the present invention provides the following upper structure.

[0008] That is, the footwear upper structure has an opening formed in the heel portion to expose the heel of the foot, and a decorative element that is arch-shaped when viewed from behind and surrounds the opening on the outer surface of the heel portion above the opening.A heel core made of a flexible curved plate is built into the part of the heel portion of the upper that overlaps with the decorative element.The heel core is further provided with a pair of fixed supports that are fixed to the shoe base with their inner surfaces facing inward in the left-right direction, a pair of curved side plates that curve upward and rearward from the fixed supports and have their inner surfaces facing inward in the left-right direction, and a rear end connection that is arc-shaped when viewed from above and connects the curved side plates.

[0009] In this configuration, the decorative element provided above the opening in the heel of the upper cooperates with the opening to give it a distinctive design, and also gives the area surrounding the opening a thick appearance, giving it a sense of weightiness.The heel core built into the back of the decorative element in the heel provides flexibility, rigidity, and elasticity, supporting the heel when putting the foot in and guiding it into the footwear. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to this invention, the heel core built into the upper part of the heel opening provides rigidity on the back side with the decorative member, improving shape retention, which simplifies the movement when putting the foot in and putting on the shoes. Furthermore, even if the upper part of the opening is narrow like a back band, the heel core maintains its shape and the shoes will not sag, which also contributes to a good appearance. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a main part. [Figure 3] Perspective view of the heel core. [Figure 4] Plan view, front view and left side view of the heel core. [Figure 5] Cross section of the heel core. [Figure 6] Perspective view of the heel core. [Figure 7] Plan view, front view and left side view of the heel core. [Figure 8] Cross section of the heel core. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0013] An example of footwear 11 is shown in Figure 1. Figure 1 is a perspective view of footwear 11 seen from diagonally above and behind, and Figure 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of its main parts, with some parts depicted in schematic form. Footwear 11 is a sandal-like low shoe, consisting of a base 12 and an upper 14 with a midsole 13 fixed on top of it. Upper 14 has a structure with many openings 14a, 14b. Openings 14a, 14b are formed between multiple parts 15 joined together to form upper 14, with opening 14a corresponding to the instep and opening 14b corresponding to the heel.

[0014] In the following description, the term "opening" refers to the "opening 14b in the heel portion."

[0015] The opening 14b exposes the lower rear surface of the heel when worn and has a flattened semicircular shape when viewed from behind. It is formed below the position corresponding to the upper part of the heel. In the illustrated example of footwear 11, the opening 14b is formed by joining the part 15b, which forms the wall surrounding the rear part of the heel, to the part 15a that forms the rear of the heel part 11a near the ankle, so that the opening 14b appears thinner. As with the footwear disclosed in the aforementioned Patent Document 1, the opening 14b may be formed over the entire lower rear end of the upper 14.

[0016] The portion above opening 14b that surrounds the top of opening 14b and has an arch shape when viewed from behind will be referred to as "opening upper portion 14c." This portion may be a back band that contacts and holds the top of the heel of the foot, and the back band may have a hook-and-loop fastener or a buckle at the end on the open side, or may have stretchable rubber in part.

[0017] A decorative member 16 is provided on the outer surface of the upper opening portion 14c, that is, above the opening 14b on the outer surface of the heel portion 11a, and has an arch shape when viewed from behind and surrounds the opening 14b.

[0018] The decorative member 16 is made of synthetic resin, synthetic rubber, synthetic leather, or the like, and is formed in a strip-like shape of appropriate thickness. It curves to fit the upper opening portion 14c. The lower ends on both the left and right sides are the widest, and the center is the narrowest. The upper edge 16a, which defines the front and upper contour, and the lower edge 16b, which defines the rear and lower contour, both form an arc-like curve and are smoothly continuous. The plate surface portion 16c, surrounded by the upper and lower edges 16a and 16b, is formed with decorative irregularities 17. In this example, the irregularities 17 are a border line 17a formed near the edge and rectangular through-holes 17b penetrating the thickness direction. Multiple through-holes 17b are provided. In addition to the irregularities 17 shown in the figure, they may also be formed as non-through recesses or raised letters or other shapes. The decorative member 16 is preferably flexible and exhibits resilience against deformation, but this is not required.

[0019] Both longitudinal ends of the decorative member 16, i.e., both lower ends, are fixed to the upper 14 and the shoe base 12 as a single unit. The left-right middle is fixed to the left-right middle position on the outer surface of the upper opening portion 14c. This fixing is performed via the rear end knob 18 attached to the upper rear end of the footwear as shown in Figure 2. That is, the rear end knob 18 is fixed by wrapping around the decorative member 16, and the part having this rear end knob 18 is fixed to the outer surface of the upper opening portion 14c by sewing or adhesive.

[0020] The upper opening portion 14c of the footwear 11 having such an external configuration has a heel core 19 built in. That is, the heel core 19 is inserted into the portion of the heel portion 11a of the upper 14 where the decorative member 16 is located. The heel core 19 has the function of maintaining the shape of the heel portion 11a as the core of the heel portion 11a, and is covered with the part 15 that constitutes the upper 14. In Fig. 2, the part 15 that covers the heel core 19 of the upper 14 is only drawn in the cross-sectional portion, and is omitted in other portions.

[0021] Heel core 19 is made of a flexible curved plate, and the basic part of its outline is the same as decorative member 16 held in upper opening portion 14c. A perspective view of heel core 19 is shown in Fig. 3, and its plan, front, and left side views are shown in Fig. 4. In Fig. 3, (a) shows heel core 19 as seen diagonally from above the front, and (b) shows it as seen diagonally from above the rear. In Fig. 4, (a) is a plan view with the front facing downwards, (b) is a front view as seen from the front, and (c) is a left side view with the front to the right.

[0022] As shown in these figures, the heel core 19 is made of a thin plate, and its basic structure consists of a fixed support portion 91, a curved side plate portion 92, and a rear end continuous portion 93, which are integrally formed with one another. In this example, a tongue 94 protrudes from the upper rear end of the heel core 19. The thickness of each of these portions is the same except for the edges. The thickness of the heel core 19 other than the edges can be approximately 1 mm.

[0023] The fixed support portion 91 is the base of the heel core 19 and is fixed to the shoe base 12 of the footwear 11 to support the entire shoe. A pair of fixed support portions 91 are provided with their inner surfaces facing inward in the left-right direction. The curved side plate portion 92 is a portion that connects the rear end continuous portion 93 to the fixed support portion 91 and extends in a curved manner upward and rearward from the fixed support portion 91. Like the fixed support portion 91, a pair of curved side plate portions 92 are also provided with their inner surfaces facing inward in the left-right direction. The rear end continuous portion 93 is the portion that the heel comes into contact with most when putting the foot in, and its main function is to maintain the shape of the opening upper portion 14c. The pair of curved side plate portions 92 are connected to each other and are formed into an arc shape in a plan view. Note that although a pair of fixed support portions 91 and curved side plate portions 92 are provided, they do not necessarily face each other completely in the left-right direction. Even if there are some parts like that, facing the inner surface inward in the left-right direction means that the inner surface faces inward in the left-right direction as the shape of the heel portion 11a, which forms the three-dimensional shape of the footwear 11.

[0024] The fixed support portion 91, the curved side plate portion 92, and the rear end continuous portion 93 all have surfaces that basically extend in the vertical direction, and the front view and plan view shapes of the heel core 19 are both roughly horseshoe-shaped, while the side view shape is roughly a fan-shape with an arc-shaped cutout in the center.

[0025] To describe the shape of each part in detail, the lower end 91a of the fixed support part 91 is linear and extends horizontally, and as can be seen in the plan view (FIG. 4(a)) and the front view (FIG. 4(b)), the pair of lower ends 91a are inclined relative to the front-to-rear direction so as to widen slightly forward. The section from the fixed support part 91 to the middle of the curved side plate part 92 is formed to have the widest extent in the planar direction of the heel core 19, that is, the widest width, and the rear end continuous part 93 is formed to be narrower than that. As can be seen in the side view of FIG. 4(c), both the upper edge 95, which curves in an arc in the front and upward direction, and the lower edge 96, which curves in an arc in the rear and downward direction, are formed so that the angle of inclination approaches horizontal from a vertical or near-vertical angle as they go upward and rearward. Here, "approaching horizontal" means that they may be horizontal.

[0026] The curves of the upper edge 95 and the lower edge 96 are not identical, such as if two concentric arcs of different radii are lined up side by side, but rather the upper edge 95 has a protruding portion 95a that protrudes slightly obliquely upward and forward compared to the lower edge 96. Rearward of this protruding portion 95a, the upper edge 95 and the lower edge 96 become closer to each other, and the rear end continuous portion 93 has a narrow shape as described above.

[0027] Regarding the shape in the vertical direction, as can be seen in the plan view (FIG. 4(a)) and front view (FIG. 4(b)), the lower end of the fixed support portion 91 is inclined inward in the left-right direction. The pair of fixed support portions 91 gradually narrows in width from the part with the greatest left-right distance upward, forming a curved surface that widens slightly in the left-right direction as it goes up. The rear end continuous portion 93 is not linear in the vertical direction, but has a shape that bends slightly backward as can be seen in FIGS. 4(c) and 5(a). As such, each portion is composed of a curved surface, and the surface rigidity of the heel core 19 is high.

[0028] The aforementioned tongue 94 has an inclined curved surface 94a on its upper surface that slopes diagonally downward toward the front and is formed integrally with the rear end continuous portion 93, with the inclined curved surface 94a continuing seamlessly with the inner surfaces of the rear end continuous portion 93 and the curved side plate portion 92. The shape of the tongue 94 is roughly circular in plan view, and with the exception of the corners of the lower end 91a of the fixed support portion 91, the entire heel core 19, including the portion with the tongue 94, is formed with a smooth curve without any corners. The inclined curved surface 94a of the tongue 94 is convex and curved upward.

[0029] A thin-walled portion 19a is formed along the entire edge of the heel core 19, which has such a three-dimensional shape. As shown in the cross-sectional view of Figure 5, the thin-walled portion 19a is formed by providing an inclined surface on the inner surface that becomes thinner toward the edge in the cross-sectional shape. In Figure 5, (b) is an end view of the AA cross section, and (c) is an end view of the BB cross section.

[0030] As shown in Figure 2, such heel core 19 is incorporated into part 15a that constitutes heel portion 11a of upper 14, and then integrated with insole 13 together with decorative member 16, and fixed to footwear base 12. In the figure, the symbol x, which is diagrammatically drawn, indicates the joint with decorative member 16, and symbol y indicates the joint with insole 13. These joints x and y are formed by sewing or the like.

[0031] The upper structure of the footwear 11 configured as described above can be expressed from a different perspective as follows: That is, the upper structure of the footwear 11 has a heel portion 11a incorporating a heel core 19 made of a flexible curved plate, and an opening 14a exposing the heel of the foot is formed through the heel core 19 in the heel portion 11a. Above the opening 14b on the outer surface of the heel portion 11a, a decorative member 16 is provided that is arch-shaped when viewed from behind and surrounds the opening 14b. The heel core 19 is formed in the shape described above.

[0032] The footwear 11 constructed as described above has a unique appearance and breathability, and is extremely easy and quick to put on, and is comfortable to wear.

[0033] That is, the opening 14b in the heel part 11a of the upper 14 and the decorative element 16 provided above it provide the desired design, and the presence of other openings 14a in the upper 14 also provides excellent breathability. The upper part 14c of the opening in the heel part 11a tends to be lower in the vertical direction due to the formation of the opening 14b, but the presence of the decorative element 16 provides high shape stability. Therefore, the decorative element 16 is not taut and does not sag, resulting in a beautiful appearance, and when it is flexible, it can actively suppress deformation and improve shape retention.

[0034] Furthermore, the upper opening portion 14c incorporates a heel core 19 made of a flexible material, ensuring excellent shape retention. Therefore, when putting on the shoes, even if the heel presses down on the upper opening portion 14c, downward deformation is suppressed, and the upper opening portion 14c also exerts a resilient force to guide the heel forward. In particular, the tongue 94 formed at the upper end of the rear portion provides an extremely smooth, sloping curved surface 94a to guide the heel. This makes putting on the shoes easy and quick.

[0035] The heel core 19, which performs these functions, is constructed of a curved plate with an overall curved surface, providing high surface rigidity and ensuring the necessary rigidity even when formed thinly. Furthermore, the heel core 19 has an upper edge 95 and a lower edge 96 in side view that both change in angle from vertical or near-vertical to horizontal as they move upward and rearward. In other words, the shape changes direction rearward by approximately 90 degrees in side view. Furthermore, the width of the portion from the fixed support portion 91 to the curved side plate portion 92 is wide, ensuring extremely high rigidity and high resilience despite the thin thickness. In particular, the protruding portion 95a formed on the upper edge 95 contributes to the high rigidity of the heel core 19.

[0036] In addition, the entire circumference of the heel core 19 is formed with a thin portion 19a due to the inclined surface formed on the inner surface, so even if it is built into the part 15 that constitutes the upper 14, no sharp corners are visible. This not only gives it a beautiful appearance, but also prevents pain when the foot touches it. Moreover, it does not get caught when putting on the shoe, so it also ensures smooth wearing as mentioned above.

[0037] When worn, the breathability is good as mentioned above, and the shape of the upper opening part 14c is in a state of being firm and maintains a firm shape, so that a good fit is obtained, and combined with the good breathability, a good wearing comfort is obtained.

[0038] 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 be adopted.

[0039] For example, as shown in Figures 6 to 8, the heel core 19 may be configured without the tongue 94. By omitting the tongue 94, the height of the upper rear end portion of the upper 14 is reduced. Since the structure other than the tongue 94 is the same as that described above, the same reference numerals as used in the previous explanation are used and detailed explanations are omitted.

[0040] In addition, for example, the heel core 19 may have a partial difference in thickness.

[0041] The heel core 19 does not need to be entirely covered, and the required function can be obtained even if it is exposed.

[0042] The decorative member 16 may be fixed to the upper opening portion 14c entirely, rather than being fixed partially.

[0043] Regardless of the manner in which decorative member 16 is secured, rear knob 18 may be omitted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 11...Footwear 11a...Heel 12...Shoe stand 14...Instep 14b…Aperture 14c...Aperture upper part 16...Decorative parts 19…Heel core 91...Fixed support part 92...Curved side panel 93...Continued rear end 94...tongue piece 94a…Slanted curved surface 95...upper edge 96…lower edge

Claims

1. A footwear upper structure having an opening formed in a heel portion to expose the heel of the foot, A decorative member is provided above the opening on the outer surface of the heel portion and has an arch shape when viewed from behind to surround the opening; A heel core made of a flexible curved plate is built into the portion of the heel of the upper that has the decorative member, The heel core has a pair of fixed support parts that are fixed to the shoe base with their inner surfaces facing inward in the left-right direction, a pair of curved side plate parts that curve upward and rearward from the fixed support parts and have their inner surfaces facing inward in the left-right direction, and a rear end connecting part that is arc-shaped in a plan view and connects the curved side plate parts together. Footwear upper structure.

2. A footwear upper structure having a heel part with a built-in heel core made of a flexible curved plate, An opening is formed through the heel core at the heel portion to expose the heel of the foot, A decorative member is provided above the opening on the outer surface of the heel portion, surrounding the opening in an arch shape when viewed from behind. Footwear upper structure.

3. A tongue piece having an inclined curved surface on the upper surface that slopes downwards and forwards is protruded from the rear upper end of the heel core.

3. The footwear upper structure according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The heel core has an upper edge that curves in an arc shape in the front and upward direction in a side view, and a lower edge that curves in an arc shape in the rear and downward direction, Both the upper and lower edges are designed so that the angle of inclination changes from vertical or near-vertical to horizontal as it moves upward and backward.

3. The footwear upper structure according to claim 1 or 2.

5. A heel core made of a flexible curved plate, a pair of fixed support parts whose inner surfaces face inward in the left-right direction; a pair of curved side plate portions extending upward and rearward from the fixed support portion, with inner surfaces facing inward in the left-right direction; a rear end continuous portion that is arc-shaped in a plan view and connects the curved side plate portions together; The vehicle has an upper edge that curves in an arc shape at the front and top in a side view, and a lower edge that curves in an arc shape at the rear and bottom, extending from the fixed support portion to the curved side plate portion and the rear end continuous portion, Both the upper and lower edges are designed so that the angle of inclination changes from vertical or near-vertical to horizontal as it moves upward and backward. Heel core.

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