Inner boots

Abstract

This inner boot provides improved contact with the leg while also reducing the feeling of pressure caused by the material's rebound force, even when tightened. [Solution] An inner boot 10 is constructed mainly of a cushioning material to cover the area below the knee and secures the leg by tightening from the outer boot, characterized in that a through hole 16 is provided in the ankle area 20 of the cushioning material, and a first bag-like body 22 made of an elastic fabric and filled with foam particles 26 is placed in the through hole 16.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to inner boots, and particularly to inner boots suitable for use when the legs are fixed by tightening from an outer boot, such as snowboard boots or ski boots.

Background Art

[0002] As a device for an inner part of footwear that fixes the legs by tightening an outer boot, such as skiing or skating, those disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are known. The techniques disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are both devices related to the holding property of the legs. The technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 provides pockets in the heel part and ankle part of the inner boot, and inserts a filler made of a cushioning material into this pocket to adjust the contact state with the legs.

[0003] The technique disclosed in Patent Document 2 arranges cushioning means such as a gel-like material or a neoprene rubber pad in the ankle region and ankle region of the skate boot, and by tightening this, while increasing the rigidity of the outer boot, it avoids pressure concentration on the heel and the like.

[0004] Certainly, according to such techniques, it is considered that the adhesion between the legs and the inner (inner boot) increases, and the integration with the outer boot also increases. However, since the cushioning material physically deformes a part of the material, a reaction force corresponding to the amount of deformation acts on the contact portion with the deformed portion. Therefore, pain may occur in the foot due to long-term use. Also, in the case of the cushioning means constituted by a gel-like material, although it can deform fluidly according to the convex part, it is difficult to give the material covering the gel elasticity, so the amount of deformation is small. Therefore, it is difficult to deform in accordance with the complex shape of the foot. Also, there is a problem that expansion or contraction occurs due to the influence of heat. <​​​​​

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 52-103251 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent No. 6079128 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] Therefore, the present invention aims to solve the above problems and provide an inner boot that can improve the close fit with the leg while reducing the feeling of pressure caused by the reaction force of the material, even when tightened by an outer boot or the like. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides an inner boot that is mainly made of a cushioning material and is configured to cover the area below the knee, and secures the leg by tightening from the outer boot, characterized in that a recess or through hole is provided in the area of ​​the cushioning material corresponding to the ankle, and a first bag-like body made of an elastic fabric and filled with foam particles is placed in the recess or through hole.

[0008] Furthermore, an inner boot having the above-described features may have a second bag-like structure made of elastic fabric and filled with foam particles placed in the inner wall of the inner boot, in the area located on both sides of the Achilles tendon. Having such features improves the contact of the inner boot with the Achilles tendon area and enhances the holding power. It also reduces the feeling of pressure on the Achilles tendon area caused by the reaction force of the material.

[0009] Furthermore, the first and second bag-like structures in the inner boot having the above-described characteristics can be configured to allow for changes in the elasticity of the fabric, the amount of foam particles, and the particle size. This configuration allows for appropriate adaptation to variations in ankle size and shape, Achilles tendon shape, etc. It also allows for adjustment of leg support and compression.

[0010] Furthermore, the first and second bag-like structures in the inner boot having the above-described features may also be provided with one or more partitions inside. With such features, even if the bag-like structures are large, it is possible to prevent the foam particles from becoming unevenly distributed inside. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] Inner boots with the above-mentioned characteristics can improve the fit with the leg while also reducing the feeling of pressure caused by the material's reaction force, even when tightened by outer boots, etc. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a side view showing the configuration of the inner boot according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a first reference diagram illustrating the structure and characteristics of a bag-like body applied to the embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a second reference diagram illustrating the structure and characteristics of a bag-like body applied to the embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a view of the AA cross-section in Figure 1. [Figure 5] This figure shows a cross-section (AA) of the inner boot shown in Figure 1, with the leg inserted and tightened by the outer boot. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the inner boot of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments shown below are some preferred forms for carrying out the present invention, and even if some parts of the configuration are modified, they can still be considered part of the present invention, as long as the effects are achieved. Figure 1 in the drawings is a side view showing the configuration of the inner boot according to the embodiment.

[0014] [composition] As shown in Figure 1, the inner boot 10 according to this embodiment is configured to cover the area below the knee and has a foot portion 12 that covers the instep of the foot and a leg portion 14 that covers the area from the upper part of the heel to the shin. The boot body of such a configuration is basically made mainly of an elastic cushioning material such as urethane or EVA. The inner boot 10 according to this embodiment has bag-like bodies (first bag-like body 22, second bag-like body 32: see Figures 4 and 5) placed near the boundary between the foot portion 12 and the leg portion 14, in an ankle region 20 where the ankle bone makes contact and in an Achilles tendon region 30 where the Achilles tendon is located.

[0015] The bag-like bodies (first bag-like body 22, second bag-like body 32) are elements intended to support and enclose the corresponding area, and are configured to suppress the generation of reaction force even when the corresponding area is pressed down. Specifically, they consist of bags 24, 34 made of stretchable fabric and foamed particles 26, 36 filled in an amount corresponding to the volume of the bags 24, 34.

[0016] Even when the first bag-like body 22 and the second bag-like body 32 are filled with foamed particles 26 and 36 in amounts corresponding to their respective volumes, gaps exist between the particles because the foamed particles 26 and 36 are granular. As a result, the foamed particles 26 and 36 can move relatively freely inside the bag-like bodies (first bag-like body 22 and second bag-like body 32). In bag-like bodies with this configuration (first bag-like body 22 and second bag-like body 32), when an external force is applied, the foamed particles 26 and 36 escape, causing the bags 24 and 34 to stretch, and moving in a way that creates a bulge in areas without external force.

[0017] A specific example will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. The bag-like body 42 shown in FIG. 2 has an open bag 44 formed of a cloth having elasticity only on the surface facing the sphere 48, and the other parts are in a state where their deformation is restricted. When the sphere 48 is pressed against the bag-like body 42 in such a state, the foam particles 46 in the portion receiving the pressing force move so as to avoid the sphere 48, and as shown in FIG. 3, a bulge is generated around the sphere 48. For this reason, the sphere 48 does not receive a reaction force from the foam particles 46. The size of the foam particles 46 is not particularly limited, but if it is sufficiently smaller than the size of the bag-like body 42, the effect can be easily obtained. For example, in the case of the foam particles 26 and 36 filled in the bag-like bodies (the first bag-like body 22 and the second bag-like body 32) arranged in the ankle region 20 and the Achilles tendon region 30 as in the present application, it is preferable that the average diameter is about 2.5 mm or less. Further, in order to improve the fluidity inside the bag-like bodies (the first bag-like body 22 and the second bag-like body 32), the foam particles 26 and 36 may be those having a low surface friction coefficient.

[0018] When arranging the first bag-like body 22, in the ankle region 20, a concave portion or a through hole (the through hole 16 in the examples shown in FIGS. 4 and 5) is provided in the main member of the inner boot 10 located in the arrangement range. By adopting such a configuration, a protruding portion due to the arrangement of the first bag-like body 22 does not occur inside the inner boot 10.

[0019] Further, the second bag-like body 32 arranged in the Achilles tendon region 30 preferably has a shape that conforms to the shape of the Achilles tendon and the shape of the foot around the lower part thereof. Specifically, it is preferable to have a shape that can continuously support the concave portions located on both sides of the Achilles tendon and the concave portion located below the ankle. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the Achilles tendon region is defined so as to form a substantially L shape, and the second bag-like body 32 is formed in accordance with this region shape. Further, unlike the first bag-like body 22, the second bag-like body 32 is arranged so as to protrude inside (inner wall) of the inner boot. This is because it becomes an element for supporting the concave portion around the Achilles tendon.

[0020] Here, since the position and size of the ankle vary slightly from person to person, the ranges of the recesses and through-holes 16 provided in the ankle region 20 are provided to be larger (wider range) than the general size of the ankle (the range that bulges when viewed from the front). As a result, the first bag-shaped body 22 can cover the convex part of the ankle and can also secure a region for the foamed particles 26 to escape.

[0021] [Function and Effect] Next, the case where the leg is inserted into the inner boot 10 having the above-described configuration and tightened will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIGS. 4 and 5 are both diagrams showing the A-A cross section in FIG. 1. In addition, although the first bag-shaped body 22 and the second bag-shaped body 32 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 are shown with less foamed particles 26, 36 filled therein, it is assumed that a sufficient amount of foamed particles 26, 36 are filled with respect to the capacity.

[0022] The A-A cross section of the inner boot 10 having the above-described configuration is in the state shown in FIG. 4 when the leg is not inserted and there is no tightening by an outer boot (not shown). That is, the first bag-shaped body 22 disposed in the ankle region 20 is in a form along the inner wall shape of the inner boot 10, and the second bag-shaped body 32 disposed in the Achilles tendon region 30 is disposed on the inner wall of the inner boot 10 while maintaining its initial form.

[0023] Next, FIG. 5 shows the A-A cross section when the leg is inserted into the inner boot 10 and tightened by an outer boot (not shown). First, in the ankle region 20, when the convex part of the ankle contacts and presses the first bag-shaped body 22, the internal foamed particles 26 move so as to avoid the convex part, push up the cloth of the bag 24 located around the ankle, and deform so as to be in close contact with the periphery of the ankle. Here, since the main material of the inner boot 10 is also a material that deforms by pressing, some deformation occurs in accordance with the movement of the foamed particles 26.

[0024] In this way, when the protruding part of the ankle is pressed against the first bag-like body 22, the foam particles 26 move, causing the bag to deform and bulge around the protruding part, creating a tight seal. The localized pressure on the surface of the ankle is only enough to stretch the fabric that makes up the bag 24, while the other pressure is evenly distributed, enveloping the entire ankle. Therefore, while the holding power of the leg is enhanced by the compressive force associated with tightening outer boots, the possibility of causing pain in the ankle area is reduced.

[0025] Next, in the Achilles tendon region 30, when the convex portion created by positioning the second bag-like body 32 comes into contact with the side of the Achilles tendon or the concave portion around the Achilles tendon, the foam particles 36 move and deform, causing the bag 34 to collapse. At this time, the foam particles 36 filling the inside of the bag 34 move to escape towards the area where the pressure applied to the second bag-like body 32 is weaker. As a result, deformation occurs to fill the gap between the leg (mainly the part around the Achilles tendon) and the inner boot 10, making it less likely for a gap to form between the leg and the inner wall of the inner boot 10, thereby improving the hold on the leg and reducing the likelihood of pain caused by compression.

[0026] Thus, according to the inner boot 10 of this embodiment, while improving the close fit with the leg, even when tightened by an outer boot or the like, the feeling of pressure due to the reaction force of the material can be reduced, and the risk of feeling pain due to pressure is low.

[0027] [Differentiation] In the above embodiment, the bag-like bodies (first bag-like body 22, second bag-like body 32) filled with foamed particles 26, 36 are described as being fixed to the ankle bone area 20 and the Achilles tendon area 30, but they may also be made detachable. For example, by changing the stiffness of the fabric that makes up the bags 24, 34 of the bag-like bodies (first bag-like body 22, second bag-like body 32), the amount of foamed particles 26, 36 filled in, or the particle size, it is possible to adjust the leg hold and the feeling of pressure when tightened.

[0028] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, both the first bag-like body 22 and the second bag-like body 32 are described as containing the foamed particles 26, 36 as a single cell. However, the bags 24, 34 that make up the first bag-like body 22 and the second bag-like body 32 may have partitions inside. If partitions are provided inside the bags 24, 34, the fluidity of the foamed particles 26, 36 will decrease, but the uneven distribution of the foamed particles 26, 36 inside the bags 24, 34 can be suppressed. For this reason, such a configuration may be used when the bags 24, 34 are large. Note that the number of partitions provided inside the bags 24, 34 is not limited; there may be one or multiple partitions, but it is desirable to arrange them with an interval that ensures a certain degree of fluidity of the foamed particles 26, 36. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0029] 10...Inner boot, 12...Foot part, 14...Leg part, 16...Through hole, 20...Ankle area, 22...First sac-like body, 24...Bag, 26...Foam particles, 30...Achilles tendon area, 32...Second sac-like body, 34...Bag, 36...Foam particles, 42...Sac-like body, 44...Bag, 46...Foam particles, 48...Sphere.

Claims

1. An inner boot primarily made of cushioning material, designed to cover the area below the knee, and secured to the leg by being tightened from the outer boot. A recess or through hole is provided in the area of ​​the cushioning material corresponding to the ankle. An inner boot characterized in that a first bag-like body made of an elastic fabric and filled with foam particles is placed in the recess or through hole.

2. The inner boot according to claim 1, characterized in that a second bag-like body made of an elastic fabric and filled with foam particles is placed in the inner wall of the inner boot, in the region located on both sides of the Achilles tendon.

3. The inner boot according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first bag-like body and the second bag-like body are configured to be changeable, with variations in the elasticity of the fabric and the amount and size of the foamed particles.

4. The inner boot according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first bag-like body and the second bag-like body are provided with one or more partitions inside.

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