insole

Abstract

To provide an insole that maximizes the height difference between the inner and outer sides of the foot within a limited thickness, thereby preventing the wearer's swing axis from shifting during a swing, facilitating smooth weight transfer, and allowing for easy insertion and removal from athletic shoes. [Solution] An insole 10 inserted into an athletic shoe, wherein there are no parts corresponding to the big toe contact area S1, the ball of the foot contact area S2, and the arch contact area S3 of the insole S10 of the athletic shoe, and the insole is formed with an elastic resin as the base material and is sloped so that the thickness increases from the inner side to the outer side of the foot.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an insole inserted into sports shoes, and particularly to an insole suitable for training in sports involving swings such as golf and baseball.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as an insole for golf shoes, an inclined insole formed to be inclined such that the outer foot side is higher than the inner foot side is known. By using an insole having such a structure, it is said that fluctuations and disturbances in the body axis during swinging can be corrected, and an appropriate and stable swing can be achieved. (See Patent Documents 1 to 3)

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In order to prevent displacement within the shoes when the insoles described in each patent document are inserted into and used in sports shoes, they are formed in substantially the same outer shape as the midsole of the shoes. However, an insole having such a shape has a certain thickness on the inner foot side where the thickness should be reduced, and further, the thickness on the outer foot side is made thicker than that on the inner foot side. Therefore, the insole becomes thick as a whole, which also contributes to shoe displacement. Therefore, it is necessary to take out the existing insole and replace it with an inclined insole. If an attempt is made to reduce the overall thickness of the insole, a sufficient height difference between the inner foot side and the outer foot side cannot be ensured, and the swing correction effect is reduced. Furthermore, insoles that are virtually identical in shape to the shoe's insole are difficult to insert and remove from the shoe, hindering frequent insertion and removal of the insoles.

[0005] This invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide an insole that contributes to improving swing form, while keeping the overall thickness of the insole down, maximizing the height difference between the inner and outer sides of the foot when inserted into an athletic shoe, and allowing for easy insertion and removal from the athletic shoe. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above problems, the insole according to the present invention is characterized in that there are no parts corresponding to the big toe contact area, ball of the foot contact area, and arch contact area in the insole of athletic shoes, and is formed with an elastic resin as the base material and is sloped so that the thickness increases from the inner side to the outer side of the foot.

[0007] According to the present invention, the thickness of the material is sloped from the inner side to the outer side of the foot, so that the knees of the wearer wearing athletic shoes naturally turn inward, preventing the body from shifting and the axis of the swing from becoming unstable during the swing, and allowing for smooth weight transfer to the inner side of the foot. Moreover, since there are no areas corresponding to the big toe contact area, ball of the foot contact area, and arch contact area in the insole of the athletic shoe, the difference in height between the inner and outer sides of the foot can be maximized within a limited thickness, and insertion and removal from the athletic shoe can be easily performed.

[0008] In the insole according to the present invention, it is desirable that the area on the medial side is one-third or less of the area on the lateral side, with respect to the vertical center line connecting the upper and lower ends.

[0009] According to the present invention, the area on the outer side of the insole occupies the majority of the area relative to the vertical center line, and the thickness is formed in a slope that increases from the inner side to the outer side, so that weight can be continuously and effortlessly shifted to the inner side of the foot.

[0010] The insole according to the present invention preferably has a notch cut out in a substantially arc shape or substantially trapezoidal shape in the area on the outer side of the foot from the longitudinal center line.

[0011] According to the present invention, since the notched portion, which is cut out in a substantially arc shape or a substantially trapezoidal shape, is formed on the outer foot side of the vertical center line, it is possible to further promote the load on the inner foot side.

[0012] Furthermore, the insole according to the present invention consists of a pair of left and right insoles, and it is desirable that the maximum thickness of the first insole is greater than the maximum thickness of the second insole.

[0013] In sports involving a swing motion, when the backswing begins, the body rotates and the center of gravity shifts to the rear foot, but sometimes the body's axis can drift outward (in golf, this is called "swaying"). According to the present invention, since the maximum thickness of the first insole for the rear foot is greater than that of the second insole for the front foot, the wearer can more easily put weight on the front foot and more difficult to put weight on the rear foot, thereby preventing the body's axis from drifting outward during the backswing.

[0014] Furthermore, it is desirable that the insole according to the present invention has a low-friction material provided on the contact surface of the insole that comes into contact with the insole when it is placed in the insole of the athletic shoe.

[0015] According to the present invention, since a low-friction material is provided on the contact surface of the insole, the insole becomes extremely easy to put on and take off. In particular, convenience is greatly improved for users who frequently need post-sports care or insole replacement. Furthermore, because the insole moves easily within the midsole, it can move to the correct position (outer foot side) with just a few movements when putting it on, and then remain in the correct position to perform its function.

[0016] Furthermore, it is desirable that the insole according to the present invention has a hard resin embedded at least on the heel side, which is harder than the base material, with respect to the horizontal center line orthogonal to the midpoint of the vertical center line.

[0017] According to the present invention, since the hard resin is embedded on the heel side with respect to the horizontal center line, the backward inclination during the swing operation is suppressed, and the posture of the wearer is stabilized. In addition, by increasing the rigidity of the heel part, the shock absorption during the swing is improved, and it becomes possible to efficiently adjust the load balance of the entire sole.

Effects of the Invention

[0018] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the body from slipping during the swing and the axis of the swing from wobbling, and the weight transfer to the inner foot side can be smoothly performed. In addition, it is possible to provide an insole that can maximize the height difference between the inner foot side and the outer foot side within a limited thickness and can be easily inserted into and removed from the sports shoes.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019] [Figure 1] It is a plan view showing an embodiment of the first insole according to the present invention and a cross-sectional view of a specific part. [Figure 2] It is a plan view showing an embodiment of the second insole according to the present invention and a cross-sectional view of a specific part. [Figure 3] It is a partial cross-sectional view of the heel side when the wearer wears the insole according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] It is a plan view showing another embodiment of the insole according to the present invention. [Figure 5] It is a plan view showing another embodiment of the insole according to the present invention. [Figure 6] It is a plan view showing another embodiment of the insole according to the present invention.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figures 1 and 2 are plan and cross-sectional views, respectively, of the first insole 10 and the second insole 20 according to the present invention. Figure 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the heel side when the insoles 10 and 20 are worn by a person, and Figures 4 to 6 are plan views showing other embodiments of the insole. In Figures 1, 2, and 4 to 6, the insoles S10 and S20 are shown with dashed lines to clarify the comparison with the insole shape of athletic shoes. In the following explanation, the same reference numerals will be used to indicate the same configuration, and explanations of redundant configurations may be omitted.

[0021] In this embodiment, the explanation assumes that the wearer is a right-handed player, with the left foot being the front foot and the right foot the back foot. However, when applied to a left-handed player, it is substantially the same except that the left and right are reversed. In this embodiment, the insole provided for the back foot is referred to as the first insole, and the insole provided for the front foot is referred to as the second insole.

[0022] As shown in Figure 1, the first insole 10 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "insole 10") has a curved, blade-like shape, which is significantly different from the shape of the athletic shoe's midsole S10, shown by the dashed line. Specifically, while the outer side of the insole 10 has almost the same shape as the midsole S10, the inner side is largely cut out in a roughly arc shape, and there are no parts corresponding to the big toe contact area S1, the ball of the foot contact area S2, and the arch contact area S3 of the midsole S10. Here, the big toe contact area S1, the ball of the foot contact area S2, and the arch contact area S3 refer to the areas that come into contact with the big toe, the ball of the foot, and the arch of the foot, respectively, when the wearer wears athletic shoes. Furthermore, from the toe side to near the midpoint of the insole 10, it is formed with a width of about half or less than half the width of the midsole S10, and gradually widens towards the heel side. Furthermore, the heel shape of the insole 10 largely overlaps with the shape of the midsole S10 (outer periphery), and in particular, the shapes of the two are substantially the same over a predetermined length (approximately 10-50 mm) from the lower end 1b to the upper end 1a. This helps to prevent the insole 10 from shifting significantly within the athletic shoe.

[0023] In this embodiment, for example, the total area of ​​the insole S10 is 180 cm². 2 In that case, the area of ​​the insole 10 is approximately 100 cm². 2 The ratio of the area of ​​the insole 10 to the total area of ​​the midsole is preferably 40-70%, and if it falls outside this range, the insole of the present invention will not be able to fully perform its function. A more preferable range for this ratio is 50-60%.

[0024] The base material of the insole 10 is made of an elastic resin having appropriate elasticity (for example, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer [EVA], urethane resin, silicone resin, synthetic rubber, etc.). The Shore hardness (Hs) of the elastic resin is preferably in the range of Shore A35 to Shore A55. As is clear from the cross-sectional view shown on the right side of Figure 1 (from cross-sectional view AA to cross-sectional view DD), this base material has a slope in which the thickness gradually increases from the medial side to the lateral side. In a cross-section perpendicular to the vertical center line CL1 connecting the upper end 1a and lower end 1b of the insole 10, the thickness (height) on the outermost side is the largest, preferably 5 to 25 mm. Conversely, the thickness (height) on the innermost side in each cross-section is the smallest, preferably 1 to 5 mm. Although chamfers may be applied to the four corners of the insole 10, the chamfer dimensions shall be ignored.

[0025] In this form of insole 10, there are no areas corresponding to the big toe contact area S1, the ball of the foot contact area S2, and the arch contact area S3 of the insole of an athletic shoe, and the thickness increases from the medial side to the lateral side, so that the height difference between the medial and lateral sides can be maximized within a limited thickness. For example, in the BB cross section, if the thickness of the outermost side of the insole 10 is 20 mm, the thickness of the innermost side of the insole 10 will be about 15 mm, and furthermore, since there is no insole in the ball of the foot contact area S2 on the medial side, the maximum height difference in the BB cross section is 20 mm. This configuration can improve the stability of the body's axis, the smoothness of weight transfer, and the ease of wearing the device in sports involving swinging, and is expected to improve athletic performance.

[0026] Furthermore, the insole 10 is divided by a vertical center line CL1 connecting its upper end 1a and lower end 1b, with the area on the inner side being less than 1 / 3 of the area on the outer side. For example, if the total area of ​​the insole 10 (area of ​​the shaded area) is 100 cm² 2 In this case, the area on the outer side of the foot from the vertical center line CL1 is 67 cm². 2 That concludes the analysis. The area on the inner side of the foot is 33 cm². 2The following applies. More specifically, when an insole 10 with the shape shown in Figure 1 is applied to a size with a total length of 26.0 cm, the area on the outer side of the foot from the vertical center line CL1 is approximately 82 cm². 2 The area on the inner side of the foot is approximately 18 cm². 2 This is the result. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of suppressing swing axis wobble, it is more desirable that the area on the inner foot side, separated by the vertical center line CL1, be 1 / 4 or less of the area on the outer foot side, even more desirable that it be 1 / 5 or less, and even more desirable that it be 1 / 6 or less.

[0027] Thus, in this form of insole 10, the area on the outer side of the foot occupies the majority of the area relative to the vertical center line CL1, and the thickness increases from the inner side to the outer side, allowing for a smooth and continuous shift of weight towards the inner side. Furthermore, the wearer of the insole 10 will feel a certain degree of discomfort in the sole of their foot, and will consciously try to stabilize the insole 10 by pressing it towards the outer side of their foot. Based on this conscious effort, weight will shift to the inner side of the foot, suppressing deviations in the swing axis and leading to a stable swing.

[0028] As shown in Figure 1, the insole 10 in this form has a notch 5 cut out in a roughly arc shape in the area on the outer side of the foot relative to the vertical center line CL1. That is, the outer edge 5a of this notch 5 is embedded in the outer side of the foot relative to the vertical center line CL1. It is desirable to set the maximum width from the vertical center line CL1 to the outer edge 5a to 5 to 30 mm. In this invention, the term "approximately arc-shaped" or "approximately trapezoidal" does not mean that the shape is geometrically limited to a circular arc or trapezoid, but also includes arcs with slightly different curvatures in parts, and trapezoids with rounded corners.

[0029] The weight distribution on the soles of the feet fluctuates from side to side during the swing. However, in this form of insole 10, there are no areas corresponding to the big toe contact area S1, the ball of the foot contact area S2, and the arch contact area S3 in the midsole S10. Furthermore, by forming a notch 5 in the area on the outer side of the vertical center line CL1, the weight distribution on the inner side of the foot is further enhanced, ensuring stability of the swing axis.

[0030] The insole of the present invention is preferably used as a pair, consisting of a first insole 10 and a second insole 20. As shown in Figure 2, the second insole 20 in this embodiment has a shape that is line-symmetric to the first insole 10 in a plan view. That is, like the first insole 10, the second insole 20 does not have parts corresponding to the big toe contact area S1, the ball of the foot contact area S2, and the arch contact area S3 of the midsole S20. In addition, as shown in the cross-sectional view on the left side of Figure 2 (from the EE cross-sectional view to the HH cross-sectional view), it is sloped so that the thickness increases from the medial side to the lateral side.

[0031] However, as shown in Figure 3, it is desirable to make the maximum thicknesses of the first insole 10 and the second insole 20 different so that the relationship T1 > T2 is satisfied when comparing their maximum thickness T1 and T2. For example, in the case of a right-handed golfer, the maximum thickness T1 of the insole for the right foot (first insole 10) is designed to be thicker than the maximum thickness T2 of the insole for the left foot (second insole 20).

[0032] This configuration allows for smooth weight transfer during the backswing motion, while suppressing excessive weight transfer to the rear foot (right foot for right-handed players) and naturally promoting weight transfer to the front foot (left foot for right-handed players). Taking a right-handed golfer as an example, weight shifts to the right foot during the backswing. The first insole 10 for the right foot is designed with a larger thickness on the outer side to stably support this load. On the other hand, the second insole 20 for the left foot is structured to receive weight transfer during the follow-through, but the maximum thickness is set moderately so as not to hinder slight movement to the left side. This ensures stability of the swing axis and improves the overall balance of the swing.

[0033] In the present invention, it is desirable that the insoles 10 and 20 of the first insole 10 and the second insole 20, which come into contact with the insoles S10 and S20 of athletic shoes, have a low-friction material 6 disposed on their contact surfaces. This low-friction material 6 is formed by coating with a highly sliding resin such as polytetrafluoroethylene [PTFE] or silicone resin, or by bonding or attaching a resin film.

[0034] Conventional insoles sometimes have a treatment applied to the contact surface to increase frictional resistance in order to prevent slippage with the midsole S10 and S20. However, this invention deliberately enhances sliding properties by providing a low-friction material 6 on the contact surface. By providing the low-friction material 6 in this way, the insoles 10 and 20 become very easy to put on and take off. In particular, convenience is greatly improved for users who frequently need post-sports care or change their insoles. In addition, the insole moves more easily within the midsole, making it easier to settle into the correct position and resulting in a comfortable fit.

[0035] Figure 4 is a plan view of an insole 10 according to another embodiment. As shown in Figure 4, the insole 10 has a hard resin 7 embedded at least on the heel side, separated by a horizontal center line CL2 that is perpendicular to the midpoint of the vertical center line CL1. This hard resin 7 is formed from a material such as polycarbonate or reinforced nylon into a shape such as a wedge, ellipse, circle, or polygon with a curved outer shape.

[0036] The embedded hard resin 7 suppresses backward leaning during the swing motion, stabilizing the wearer's posture. Furthermore, the increased rigidity of the heel improves shock absorption during the swing and allows for efficient adjustment of the overall weight distribution across the sole of the foot. Additionally, the placement of the hard resin 7 helps shift the weight on the sole of the foot towards the inner side, preventing instability in the swing axis. This results in improved rearfoot stability and smoother weight transfer to the front foot, particularly during the swing motion.

[0037] Although the present invention has been described above based on embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and modifications can be made as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0038] For example, in the above embodiment, an example is shown in which a notch 5, cut out in a substantially arc shape, is formed in the area on the outer foot side of the longitudinal center line CL1 of the insole 10 (see Figure 1). However, as shown in Figure 5, the shape of the notch 5 may be substantially trapezoidal. Also, as shown in Figure 6, the shape of the outer peripheral edge 5a on the inner foot side of the insole 10 may be a smooth arc from one end to the other. These also apply to the second insole 20.

[0039] Furthermore, to improve the breathability of the insole, multiple perforations may be formed in appropriate locations, and to improve the grip between the wearer's sole and the insole, multiple protrusions may be provided on the surface that comes into contact with the sole of the foot. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0040] 1a...Upper end, 1b...Lower end, 5...Notch, 5a...Outer edge, 6...Low friction material, 7...Hard resin, 10...First insole, 20...Second insole, CL1...Vertical center line, CL2...Horizontal center line, S1...Thumb contact area, S2...Ball of the foot contact area, S3...Arch contact area, S10...Midsole, S20...Midsole, T1...Maximum thickness of the first insole, T2...Maximum thickness of the second insole

Claims

1. An insole that is inserted into athletic shoes, The insole is characterized in that it does not have areas corresponding to the big toe contact area, ball of the foot contact area, and arch contact area of ​​the insole of the athletic shoe, and is formed with an elastic resin as the base material and is sloped so that the thickness increases from the inner side to the outer side of the foot.

2. The insole according to claim 1, wherein the area on the medial side is one-third or less of the area on the lateral side, with respect to the vertical center line connecting the upper and lower ends of the insole.

3. The insole according to claim 2, characterized in that it has a notch cut out in a substantially arc shape or a substantially trapezoid shape in the area on the outer side of the foot from the aforementioned vertical center line.

4. The insole according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the insole consists of a left and right pair of insoles, and the maximum thickness of the first insole is greater than the maximum thickness of the second insole.

5. The insole according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that when the insole is placed on the insole of the athletic shoe, a low-friction material is provided on the contact surface of the insole that is in contact with the insole.

6. The insole according to claim 2, characterized in that a hard resin with a hardness higher than the base material is embedded at least on the heel side, with a horizontal center line perpendicular to the midpoint of the vertical center line as the boundary.

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