Vibration insoles and vibration shoes

Abstract

We offer comfortable, vibration-activated insoles and shoes equipped with vibration-activated insoles that provide a massage function. [Solution] The vibrating insole 12 consists of an insole body 13, a vibrating element 17 that vibrates with electricity and is provided inside the insole body 13, and a power supply unit 14 that is connected to the vibrating element 17 by a connecting wire 16 and is located outside the insole body 13. The power supply unit 14 includes a rechargeable battery 22, an operation switch 23 for turning the vibrating element 17 ON and OFF, a control unit 24 that drives the vibrating element 17 by controlling the power of the battery 22 based on the operation state of the operation switch 23, and a case 21 that houses the battery 22, the operation switch 23, and the control unit 24.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vibration insole to be worn on shoes and a vibration shoe provided with the vibration insole.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a sole assembly provided with a vibration component having a plurality of eccentric vibration rotors, a battery, and a switch. The sole is relatively thick and houses the eccentric vibration rotors and a plate-shaped battery inside. And a large number of protrusions are formed on the upper surface where the sole of the foot contacts.

[0003] Patent Document 2 discloses an insole (inner sole) incorporating a plurality of eccentric vibrators, a rechargeable battery, and an IC control board. On the upper surface of the insole, bumps composed of convex grains for instep massage are provided.

[0004] Patent Document 3 discloses an insole with a heater that houses a heating element in which heating wires are wired in a zigzag pattern. The insole with a heater in this Patent Document 3 does not vibrate, but teaches that a battery case is arranged on the upper part of the shoe that houses the insole and fixed with a shoelace, and a power connection part is arranged at a position corresponding to the instep of the insole.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] The sole assembly described in Patent Document 1 has its main components concentrated in the sole, so no wiring is visible externally. Therefore, the shoe has a desirable appearance. However, because the battery is placed in the sole, the comfort of wearing the shoe is compromised. The vibration-massaging shoe described in Patent Document 2 has a high massage effect because it is equipped with many vibration components. However, because the battery is housed in the insole or sole, the comfort of wearing the shoe is compromised.

[0007] The heated insole described in Patent Document 3 has the battery case placed on top of the shoe's instep, resulting in a more comfortable fit than if the battery were housed in the sole or insole. However, because a large battery is placed on top of the shoe to supply power to the heater, there is a risk of damaging the battery case, such as by stepping on it with the other foot.

[0008] The objective of this invention is to provide a vibration insole and vibration shoes that are lightweight, comfortable to wear, and provide a massage function through vibration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The vibrating insole 12 of this invention comprises an insole body 13, a vibrating element 17 that vibrates with electricity and is provided inside the insole body 13, and a power supply unit 14 connected to the vibrating element 17 by a connecting wire 16 and positioned at the upper front end of the shoe upper. The power supply unit 14 is characterized by comprising a rechargeable battery 22, an operation switch 23 for turning the vibrating element 17 ON and OFF, a control unit 24 that drives the vibrating element 17 by controlling the power of the battery 22 based on the operation state of the operation switch 23, and a case 21 that houses the battery 22, the operation switch 23, and the control unit 24.

[0010] In such a vibrating insole, it is preferable that the vibrating element 17 is embedded in the part 13g of the insole body 13 that corresponds to the arch of the foot. It is also preferable that a plurality of massage protrusions 13d, 13e are formed on the upper surface of the insole body 13. In that case, it is preferable that some of the protrusions 13d located in the center of the protrusions 13d, 13e have their upper surfaces protruding due to the formation of a plurality of pressing parts 13f on the lower surface of the insole body 13, and that they are hardened to provide strong stimulation.

[0011] Furthermore, it is preferable that the case 21 of the power supply unit 14 comprises a cylindrical lower part 19d and a frustoconical upper part 19u, with the top wall 19a of the upper part 19u being flexible, and the top wall 19a being provided with a push part 19a1 for pressing and operating the operation switch 23, and a display part 19a2 for displaying the control status of the control unit 24. It is also preferable that the case 21 comprises a case body 19 that opens at the bottom and a sheet-like lid 20 that tightly closes a portion somewhat above the lower end of the case body 19.

[0012] The vibration shoe 10 of the present invention comprises a shoe 11 and one of the aforementioned vibration insoles 12, wherein the insole body 13 of the vibration insole 12 is housed inside the shoe 11, and the power supply unit 14 is mounted on the front upper end of the upper 11b of the shoe 11. In such a vibration shoe 10, it is preferable that the upper 11b of the shoe 11 has a U-shaped cutout portion 11d, a tongue 11e that covers the cutout portion 11d from the lower side, and a power supply unit mounting piece 15 that extends downwards towards the front with a gap S for passing shoelaces 11f between the upper end of the tongue 11e and the upper surface of the tongue 11e, and the tip of which is fixed to the tongue 11e, and the power supply unit 14 is attached to the power supply unit mounting piece 15. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] The vibrating insole of this invention is worn in a shoe, the power unit's battery is charged, and it is used by operating the control switch. This transmits vibrations to the soles of the user's feet, providing a massage effect. The power unit, which contains the battery, is separated from the insole body, and the power unit and the insole body are connected by a connecting wire, so it is easy to turn the power on and off and charge the battery even when the insole body is worn in a shoe. Also, since the battery is the power source for the vibration, it can be made relatively small. And because the power unit is housed in a case located at the upper front of the shoe's upper, the shoe is light and comfortable to wear.

[0014] In such a vibrating insole, if the vibrating element is embedded in the part of the insole body corresponding to the arch of the foot, even if the vibrating element is three-dimensional, it will not press strongly against the sole of the foot. Therefore, it is comfortable to wear. Furthermore, if multiple massage protrusions are formed on the upper surface of the insole body, the massage effect is increased by the combined action of the protrusions and vibrations. If some of the protrusions located in the center of the protrusions have their upper surfaces protruding due to the formation of multiple indentations on the lower surface of the insole body, and are hardened to provide strong stimulation, the stimulation from the vibrations can be made even stronger, and the insole body is easy to manufacture.

[0015] If the power supply unit's case comprises a cylindrical lower part and a truncated cone upper part, and the top wall of the upper part is flexible, and a push part for operating an operation switch and a display part for displaying the control status of the control unit are provided on the top wall, the power supply unit can be made compact, and there is less risk of damage from the other legs or other parts.

[0016] If the case has a case body that opens at the bottom and a sheet-like lid that tightly closes a portion somewhat above the lower end of the case body, then its waterproofness against rainwater is enhanced.

[0017] The vibrating shoe of the present invention includes any of the above vibrating insoles. Since the insole body of the vibrating insole is housed inside the shoe and the power supply unit is placed on the upper front end of the shoe upper, it provides a comfortable wearing experience and is easy to charge. The shoe upper has a notch portion cut out in a U shape, a tongue covering the notch portion from the lower surface side, and a power supply unit attachment piece that extends downward and forward with a gap for passing a shoelace between the upper end of the tongue and the upper surface of the tongue, and the vicinity of the tip is fixed to the tongue. When the power supply unit is attached to the power supply unit attachment piece, the power supply unit can be stably attached to the shoe while avoiding interference with the shoelace.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the vibrating shoe of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the vibrating insole of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a bottom view of the vibrating insole of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] It is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 3. [Figure 5] It is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the power supply unit. [Figure 6] It is a schematic cross-sectional view of the power supply unit.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Next, embodiments of the vibrating insole and vibrating shoe of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The vibrating shoe 10 shown in FIG. 1 consists of a shoe 11 and a vibrating insole 12. The shoe 11 has a planar shape corresponding to the shape of a human foot and has a certain thickness. It includes a sole 11a made of rubber or synthetic resin and an upper 11b made of leather, fabric, or the like, which is placed on top of the sole 11a. As the shoe 11, various forms such as sports types like sneakers, business types, high heels, and low heels can be adopted.

[0020] The upper 11b has a U-shaped cutout 11d on the front side of the instep 11c and a tongue 11e that covers the cutout 11d from the bottom side, and eyelets 11e1 and loop-shaped lace eyelets 11e2 for passing shoelaces 11f are provided along the inner edge of the cutout 11d.

[0021] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a gap S is left between the upper end of the tongue 11e and the upper surface of the tongue 11e for passing the shoelace 11f, and a power supply mounting piece 15 for attaching the power supply unit 14 extends downwards towards the front, with the tip of the power supply mounting piece 15 fixed to the tongue 11e. The power supply unit 14 may be detachably attached to the power supply mounting piece 15, or it may be fixed. If it is detachable, battery replacement, USB connector replacement, and repairs are easy.

[0022] As shown in Figure 2, the vibration insole 12 consists of an insole body 13 housed in the insole of the shoe 11, a power supply unit 14 attached to a power supply unit mounting piece 15 on the upper 11b, and a connecting wire 16 connecting the insole body 13 and the power supply unit 14. The insole body 13 is preferably detachable from the shoe 11. As shown in Figure 3, the insole body 13 has the shape of the sole of a foot in plan view, and as shown in Figure 4, an inclined portion 13a that widens diagonally upward is provided on the peripheral edge of the rear half. The insole body 13 can be obtained by cutting a laminated sheet into a shoe mold and molding it into a predetermined three-dimensional shape. The laminated sheet comprises a base portion 13b of a predetermined thickness made of foamed resin, a surface layer 13c laminated on the upper surface of the base portion 13b, and a surface layer 13h laminated on the lower surface of the base portion 13b.

[0023] The base 13b is made of a thermoplastic polymer material, particularly a thermoplastic resin such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene, or polypropylene, or a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) or thermoplastic rubber (TPR) such as polystyrene, polyolefin, polyvinyl chloride, or polyurethane, which has cushioning properties. For the upper surface layer 13c, a synthetic resin sheet such as a graphene sheet or a woven fabric is used, and for the lower surface layer 13h, a thin cloth is used. The base 13b and the surface layers 13c and 13h are joined together by heat pressing or other means.

[0024] As shown in Figures 2 and 4, numerous massage protrusions 13d and 13e are formed on the upper surface of the insole body 13. Of the protrusions 13d and 13e, some protrusions 13d that extend approximately to the center have protruding upper surfaces due to the formation of multiple indentations (deep holes) 13f on the lower surface of the insole body 13 during the molding process, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. These protrusions 13d are hard and provide a strong massage effect on the soles of the feet when the insole body 13 vibrates.

[0025] The hard protrusions 13d are divided and arranged in areas such as R1 corresponding to the base of the toes, R2 corresponding to the ball of the foot, R3 parallel to R2, R4 parallel to the part 13g corresponding to the arch of the foot, and R5 near the heel. The indentation part 13f consists of a central round, deep pinhole 13f1 and a roughly conical, retracted part 13f2 around it. Therefore, when the indentation parts 13f are close together, the retracted parts 13f2 are continuous, forming a linear groove 13f3. The groove 13f3 can be seen in the area R2 corresponding to the ball of the foot, the area R3 parallel to it, and the area R4 parallel to the part 13g corresponding to the arch of the foot.

[0026] On the other hand, the heel area R5 is arranged in three rows that are close together vertically, so as shown in Figure 4, the entire area R5 is gently concave in an arc on the bottom side and gently protrudes in an arc on the surface side. In addition, of the numerous protrusions 13d and 13e shown on the surface side in Figure 2, the protrusions 13e located in the peripheral area were molded together with the insole body 13 when it was three-dimensionally molded by press molding, and have the same flexibility and elasticity as the base. These soft protrusions 13e also provide a certain degree of massage effect through vibration, but do not provide the strong stimulation of the hard protrusions 13d.

[0027] As shown in Figure 3, a vibrating element 17 that vibrates with electricity is housed inside the insole body 13. In this embodiment, the vibrating element 17 is a thin cylindrical shape and is embedded in the part 13g of the insole body 13 that corresponds to the arch of the foot. Specifically, it is positioned between the base 13b and the surface layer 13c, which will be described later, that make up the insole body 13. The vibrating element 17 is a known device consisting of a motor M and an eccentric rotor (eccentric mass) 17b fixed to the rotation axis 17a of the motor M, as shown in Figure 3.

[0028] In addition to this type of rotating vibrator 17, smaller or thinner vibrators 17 are also preferably used, such as linear resonant actuators (LRAs) that generate vibrations by applying a force generated by an electric current to a spring and releasing the force stored in the spring, or those that generate vibrations using a piezoelectric element. Thin and flat vibrators 17 are preferable because they cause less discomfort to the sole of the foot even when placed in areas other than the area corresponding to the arch of the foot 13g.

[0029] The charging cable set 18 in Figure 3 consists of a power connector 18a, such as a USB-A connector, which can be connected to a commercial power source such as 100V and an AC / DC converter / pressure reducer, and a pair of USB cable connectors (male) 18c connected to the power connector 18a by a cord 18b. The reason there is a pair of USB cable connectors (male) 18c is to charge the power units 14 of the left and right shoes simultaneously.

[0030] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the power supply unit 14 comprises a case 21 having a case body 19 that opens at its lower end and a lid 20 that tightly closes a portion somewhat above the lower end of the case body 19. Inside the case 21 are a rechargeable battery 22, an operation switch 23 for turning the vibrator 17 ON and OFF, and a control unit 24 that drives the vibrator 17 using the power of the battery 22 based on the operation state of the operation switch 23. The top wall 19a of the upper part 19u of the case body 19 is flexible, and a push part 19a1 for pressing the operation switch 23 and a display part 19a2 for displaying the control state of the control unit 24 are provided on the top wall 19a.

[0031] The case body 19 and lid 20 are basically made of rigid synthetic resin. The top wall 19a is elastic or flexible and may be molded from a polymer material such as rubber or thermoplastic elastomer. The case body 19 and lid 20 are preferably made of a polymer material such as synthetic resin that has high water resistance, durability, and strength. The battery 22 is preferably a rechargeable secondary battery such as a lithium-ion battery that is lightweight and has a large charging capacity. The shape of the battery 22 is a thin disc, but other shapes can also be used.

[0032] The operation switch 23 can be a conventionally known type and is located on the back side of the top wall 19a. On the back side of the display unit 19a2, light-emitting material such as an LED that emits light or changes color in response to a signal from the control unit 24 is arranged. As the operation switch 23, a light-emitting switch in which the operating surface itself emits light can also be used. The display unit 19a2 can also be composed of transparent or semi-transparent lines or symbols formed on the top wall 19a. Figure 5 shows a symbol indicating power displayed transparently.

[0033] The upper part 19u of the case body 19 is provided with a protruding portion 19a3 extending radially, on which a connector (female) 25 consisting of a USB terminal is located. This USB terminal (female) 25 is used to connect the power connector (male) 18c, which consists of a USB terminal of the charging cable set 18, when charging the battery 22 from an external power source. On the other hand, when power is sent from the battery 22 to the vibrating body 17 to cause vibration, the USB connector (male) 16a at the end of the connection wire 16 of the vibrating insole 12 is connected.

[0034] In this embodiment, the case body 19 comprises a lower part 19d consisting of a cylindrical peripheral wall rising perpendicularly from the bottom surface, an upper part 19u with numerous inclined surfaces arranged in a conical or pyramidal shape, a horizontal top wall 19a at the upper end, and a protruding part 19a3 projecting laterally from the top. The upper part 19u is formed in a frustoconical or pyramidal shape with numerous inclined surfaces for design reasons and to mitigate the appearance of protrusion. In the embodiment shown in Figure 5, seven inclined surfaces are provided around approximately one circumference, excluding the protruding part 19a3. This conical or pyramidal shape, combined with the low height of the power supply unit 14, makes it less likely for the power supply unit to be damaged even if it is struck by a shoe 11 worn on the opposite foot from the one housing the power supply unit 14. The case body 19 preferably has a diameter of 20 to 40 mm and a height of 10 to 20 mm.

[0035] The protruding portion 19a3 is equipped with a connector (male) 16a for the USB cable, which is the connecting wire 16, and a connector (female) 14a for the USB cable, which is connected to the USB cable. The battery 22 is fixed to a control board 27 which is provided on the lid 20 of the case 21. The battery 22 is preferably a battery with a large charging capacity and small volume, such as a lithium-ion battery.

[0036] The control unit 24 consists of a control board 27, an operation switch 23 mounted on the control board 27 for turning the vibrating body 17 ON and OFF, a light-emitting unit 29 consisting of a light-emitting element such as a light-emitting diode, and a control circuit formed on the control board 27. The operation switch 23 is preferably a push-button switch that can be operated by pressing the center of the top wall 19a of the case 21 and causing elastic deformation. The center of the top wall 19a is the pressing part 19a1 and is partially transparent or translucent to allow light from the light-emitting unit 29 to pass through. However, it does not have to be transparent or translucent. The control circuit controls the power supplied to the vibrating body 17 so that the vibration intensity of the vibrating body 17 switches in the order of strong, medium, weak, and OFF each time the operation switch 23 is pressed.

[0037] The light-emitting unit 29 is equipped with light-emitting diodes that emit light in three colors: red, green, and light blue. The control circuit controls the operation switch 23 so that each time it is pressed, for example, strong vibrations cause it to emit red light, moderate vibrations cause it to emit light in light blue, and minute vibrations cause it to emit green light, and when pressed again it turns OFF and the light-emitting unit 29 turns off. It is preferable that the light-emitting unit 29 emits three colors with a single unit, but three single-color light-emitting elements may also be used.

[0038] As described above, the vibrating insole 12 is used by housing the insole body 13 in the insole of the shoe 11 and fixing the power supply unit 14 to a power supply unit mounting piece 15 provided on the tongue 11e of the shoe 11, as shown in Figure 4. The power supply unit 14 is installed so that the connector (female) 14a faces forward. A cover may be provided to cover the connector 16a of the connecting wire 16 if necessary. Although a waterproof cover may be provided to cover the entire power supply unit 14, it is not preferable to cover the entire unit with a waterproof cover because it will make it difficult for the battery 22 to dissipate heat.

[0039] The shoelace 11f is threaded through a loop-shaped lacing hole 11e2 attached to the upper 11b of the shoe 11, and the left and right sections are laced in a crisscross pattern upwards. The left and right laces 11f are then threaded through eyelets 11e1 from below, and the ends are joined together with metal fittings 11e3. The shoelace 11f may be elastic. In that case, there is no need to tie or untie the shoelace 11f.

[0040] After installation in this manner, connect the female connector 14a of the power supply unit 14 to the male power connector 18c of the charging cable set 18 and charge the battery 22. Normally, the power supply unit 14 charges two batteries simultaneously for the left and right shoes. After sufficient charging, disconnect the male power connector 18c and connect the male connectors 16a of each connection wire 16. Figure 1 shows this state. In this state, press the operation switch 23 through the top wall 19a of the case 21 to send electricity to the vibrating body 17 and cause it to vibrate. The user presses the operation switch 23 several times to select the appropriate vibration intensity. As a result, the vibrating body 17 vibrates at the appropriate intensity, and the user receives appropriate stimulation to the soles of their feet, especially the acupressure points, providing treatment such as fatigue recovery and alleviation of internal organ symptoms.

[0041] The vibration may be set to stop after a certain period of time, for example 5 minutes, and then restart after an interval of a certain period or longer, for example 10 minutes or more. By alternating between ON and OFF in this way, the remaining charge of the battery 22 can be conserved, and the interval before recharging can be extended. When vibration massage is no longer needed, the operation switch 23 is turned OFF. This timer control is performed by a program stored in the memory of the control unit 24. The power supply unit 14 may be charged before attaching the power supply unit 14 to the shoe 11.

[0042] Although preferred embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and can be modified in various ways. For example, in the embodiment of the vibrating shoe 10, a shoe 11 with shoelaces 11f is used, but in the case of a shoe 11 without shoelaces 11f, the power supply unit 14 may be directly attached to the tongue 11e. In the above embodiment, the lower part 19d of the case 21 of the power supply unit 14 is cylindrical, but it may be in other shapes such as a rectangular parallelepiped, in which case the upper part 19u is pyramidal. Also, the entire case body 19 can be made into a flattened rectangular prism.

[0043] Furthermore, tongue-shaped pieces extending in all four directions from the lower end of the case 21 can be provided, and the power supply unit 14 can be secured with shoelaces using the holes formed in the tongue-shaped pieces. Also, although a lithium-ion battery is mentioned as the battery 22, other rechargeable batteries such as nickel-metal hydride batteries may also be used. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0044] 10 Vibration Shoes 11 shoes 11a sole 11b Upper 11c instep S Gap 11d Notch 11e Tan 11e1 Eyelet 11e2 Threading the laces 11e3 Hardware 11f Shoelaces 12 Vibration Insoles 13 Insole 13a Slope 13b base 13c surface layer 13d (hard) protrusion 13e (flexible) protrusion 13f Push-in section 13f1 pinhole 13f2 The part that was pulled in 13f3 groove 13g (part corresponding to the arch of the foot) 13h Bottom surface R1: Area corresponding to the base of the toes R2: The range corresponding to the thenar eminence. R3: The area parallel to the area corresponding to the thenar eminence. R4: The area parallel to the part corresponding to the arch of the foot. R5 Area near the heel 14 Power supply section 14a Power supply connector (female) 15 Power supply mounting piece 16 connecting wires 16a USB connector (male) for connection cable 17. Vibrating Body M Motor 17a Rotation axis 17b Eccentric rotor 18 Charging Cable Set 18a Power connector (male) 18b Code 18c power connector (male) 19 Case body 19a Ceiling wall 19a1 Pressing part 19a2 Display section 19a3 Protrusion Top of the 19u case 19d Bottom of the case 20 Lid 21 cases 22 Batteries 23 Operation switches 24 Control Unit 27 Control board 29 Light-emitting part

Claims

1. The insole itself, The insole contains a vibrating element that vibrates using electricity, It consists of a vibrating element connected by a connecting wire and a power supply unit located at the upper front end of the shoe's upper, The power supply unit comprises a rechargeable battery, an operating switch for turning the vibrating body ON and OFF, a control unit that controls the battery power to drive the vibrating body based on the operating state of the operating switch, and a case that houses the battery, the operating switch, and the control unit. Vibration insoles.

2. The vibrating element is embedded in the part of the insole body corresponding to the arch of the foot. The vibration insole according to claim 1.

3. Multiple massage protrusions are formed on the upper surface of the insole body. The vibration insole according to claim 1.

4. Some of the aforementioned protrusions, particularly those located in the central part, have protruding upper surfaces due to the formation of multiple indentations on the underside of the insole body, and are hardened to provide a strong stimulus. The vibration insole according to claim 3.

5. The power supply unit's case comprises a cylindrical lower section and a truncated cone-shaped upper section, with the upper section having a flexible top wall. The top wall is provided with a push section for operating an operation switch and a display section for displaying the control status of the control unit. The vibration insole according to claim 1.

6. The case comprises a case body that opens downwards and a sheet-like lid that tightly closes a portion of the case body somewhat above its lower end. The vibration insole according to claim 1.

7. A vibrating shoe comprising a shoe and a vibrating insole according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the insole body of the vibrating insole is housed inside the shoe and the power supply unit is mounted on the front upper end of the shoe's upper.

8. The upper of the shoe has a U-shaped notch, a tongue that covers the notch from the bottom, and a power supply mounting piece that extends downwards from the top of the tongue, leaving a gap for shoelaces between the top of the tongue and the top of the tongue, with the tip of the piece fixed to the tongue, and the power supply is attached to the power supply mounting piece. The vibration-resistant shoe according to claim 7.

Images