Sports storage belt and cushioning pad for use therein

Abstract

This product provides an exercise storage belt that alleviates localized irritation to the body caused by the stiffness of poles or the corners of bottles during trail running and other activities, while ensuring breathability and excellent conformity to the waist. [Solution] An exercise storage belt 1 comprises a belt body 2 that can be worn around the waist, a storage compartment provided in the belt body for storing items, and a cushioning pad 6 positioned within the storage compartment on the body side of the belt body or on the body side of the stored items. The cushioning pad positioned in the storage compartment is made of a plate-shaped member made of a foamed resin material such as EVA foam. The cushioning pad has multiple hexagonal holes that penetrate in the thickness direction arranged in a honeycomb pattern. By making the thickness of the pad 3 mm to 6 mm (preferably 4 mm), bending rigidity is suppressed to improve conformability to the waist, while the honeycomb structure achieves both lightness and pressure distribution.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a sports storage belt worn around the waist for storing carry-on items such as poles and bottles during running, trail running, etc., and a buffer pad disposed inside thereof to reduce the burden on the body.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in trail running, etc., a waist belt (running belt) made of an elastic material has been widely used to store foldable poles and water bottles. These belts are structured to prevent shaking by closely attaching the stored items to the body.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] However, the conventional sports storage belt has the following problems. First, it is local compression on the body caused by the stored items. Since the corners of the poles and bottles for trail running are hard, due to the vibration during running, these repeatedly collide with the lumbar spine and around the pelvis, causing problems of pain and discomfort to the runner.

[0004] Second, it is a problem of the cushioning material. When inserting a thick sponge or the like to reduce the above pain, the bulk (volume) in the belt increases, and the wearing feeling deteriorates. In particular, a thick pad has a high bending rigidity (is hard), so it does not follow the curvature of the waist, and conversely, the pad itself becomes a factor to compress the body as a foreign object.

[0005] Third, it is a problem of stuffiness. The combination of a highly adhesive belt and a cushioning material inhibits the breathability of the waist, inducing unpleasant stuffiness due to sweating.

[0006] This invention was made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an exercise storage belt and cushioning pad that absorbs impact from hard stored items, conforms well to the waist, and has excellent breathability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the sports storage belt according to the present invention employs a plate-shaped member made of foamed resin material (e.g., EVA foam) as a cushioning pad placed inside the storage compartment, and is characterized in that a plurality of holes penetrating in the thickness direction are regularly arranged in this plate-shaped member (preferably in a hexagonal honeycomb structure). [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] This invention provides the following effects. First, it offers impact dispersion. The structure with multiple holes allows the entire pad to receive and disperse point or line pressure from stored items as a surface. Second, it offers conformability and stability. The presence of holes makes the plate-like member more flexible and deformable in three dimensions. This allows the pad to conform to the movement of the waist and body shape during running, suppressing belt slippage and the shaking of stored items. Third, it improves breathability. The perforated holes act as air passages, efficiently dissipating heat and moisture during exercise. Fourth, it achieves both lightness and strength. In particular, by adopting a hexagonal honeycomb structure, it is possible to reduce weight by removing material while maintaining high resistance to compressive loads in the thickness direction. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a front view of an exercise storage belt according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a rear view of an exercise storage belt according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a plan view of the cushioning pad. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view and a diagram illustrating the function of the cushioning pad. [Figure 5]This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the difference in mounting condition depending on the thickness of the cushioning pad, with (a) being the case with a thickness of 8 mm and (b) being the case with a thickness of 4 mm (the present invention). [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that these embodiments are examples, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0011] Figures 1 and 2 are external views of an exercise storage belt according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 shows a front view located on the abdominal side of the body, and Figure 2 shows a rear view located on the back side. The exercise storage belt 1 of the present invention comprises an annular (or band-shaped) belt body 2 that is worn around the wearer's waist. This belt body 2 is formed to fit snugly against the body using an elastic base material, and a mesh fabric or the like is arranged on its surface (outer surface) to form a storage compartment.

[0012] The main component of this invention, the cushioning pad 6 (see Figure 3), will now be described. This cushioning pad 6 is a plate-shaped member that is placed inside the belt body 2, particularly inside the back side where the storage item holding mechanism described later is provided (the dashed line in Figure 2).

[0013] The cushioning pad 6 is made of a foamed resin such as EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer resin) foam, which has excellent shock absorption properties. As shown in Figure 3, multiple holes that penetrate in the thickness direction are regularly arranged across the entire surface of the pad. In this embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which the regular hexagonal holes are arranged in a honeycomb pattern.

[0014] As shown in Figure 4, this honeycomb structure provides the following effects: Firstly, it significantly reduces the weight of the pad and ensures breathability. Secondly, the partitions between adjacent holes function like a truss structure, allowing it to exhibit high compressive load capacity despite its thin profile. Thirdly, the continuous holes allow the pad itself to deform flexibly in three dimensions, conforming seamlessly to the complex curves of the waist. As an example of specific dimensions, the distance between opposite sides of the holes is 10 mm, and the width of the partition is 5 mm.

[0015] The thickness setting of the cushioning pad 6 will be explained using Figure 5. The inventor has found that a thickness of 3 mm to 6 mm, and especially 4 mm, is optimal. Generally, the bending stiffness (resistance to bending) of a plate-shaped member is proportional to the cube of its thickness. For example, a pad with a thickness of 8 mm has approximately 8 times the bending stiffness of a 4 mm pad, as (8 × 8 × 8) ÷ (4 × 4 × 4) = 8. As shown in Figure 5(a), if the thickness is excessive (for example, 8 mm), the stiffness is too high and it does not conform to the curve of the waist, causing both ends of the pad to lift away from the body (creating a gap), and resulting in strong pressure only in the center. This is the cause of the feeling of a foreign object when worn. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 5(b), when the thickness is 4 mm as in the present invention, the bending stiffness is kept low, so the pad deforms flexibly along the curve of the waist and the entire thing adheres uniformly. Furthermore, if the thickness is too small (for example, less than 3mm), it will not be able to absorb the impact when hard stored items hit it, resulting in a feeling of bottoming out. However, this invention has a thickness of 4mm and employs a honeycomb structure, achieving both "impact resistance that prevents bottoming out" and "flexibility that clings to the body," which are seemingly contradictory characteristics.

[0016] As shown in Figure 2, the back side of the belt body 2 is provided with a retaining band 3 for attaching heavy objects such as trekking poles and bottles, and an adjuster member 4 (such as a ladder lock type adjuster) for adjusting the tightening length of the band.

[0017] Unlike conventional rubber materials, this retaining band 3 is made of a non-stretchable material (such as a nylon belt) that does not have elasticity. When the wearer pulls the end of the band 5, the adjuster member 4 is locked, and the stored items are firmly secured. This completely prevents shaking and rattling while riding. In addition, the lock can be released and the band can be easily loosened by lifting the knob (tab) of the adjuster member 4.

[0018] The important point here is that, as shown by the dashed lines in Figure 2, the aforementioned cushioning pad 6 is positioned on the back side (body side) of the location where the adjuster member 4 and retaining band 3 are positioned. The strong tightening from the non-elastic band and the presence of the rigid adjuster member 4 would normally cause localized pressure pain on the body. However, in this invention, the honeycomb-structured cushioning pad 6 positioned on the back side distributes and absorbs that strong pressure across the entire surface. This achieves both "complete fixation (locking)" and "painless comfort" simultaneously.

[0019] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, a drawstring-type size adjustment mechanism is provided on both sides of the belt body 2. If the belt loosens while riding, the wearer can immediately tighten the fit by pulling the cord. In this case as well, the cushioning pad 6 on the inner circumference of the belt distributes the tightening pressure, preventing it from digging into the abdomen.

[0020] As shown in Figure 1 (and Figure 2), the front and back sides of the belt body 2 are made of stretchable mesh fabric, forming wide mesh pockets. Furthermore, an inner pocket made of a water-repellent or waterproof material is located inside (towards the body) of these mesh pockets. This double-layered structure allows for the storage of frequently accessed items such as energy bars in the mesh pockets, and electronic devices such as smartphones in the inner pocket, protecting them from moisture caused by sweat and rain. In addition, a bib fastener is provided on the outside of the belt, allowing for the attachment of a bib without making holes in the clothing. [Explanation of symbols]

[0021] 1 Sports storage belt (whole) 2 Belt body 3 Holding band (non - stretchable) 4 Adjuster member (ladder lock, etc.) 5 Band end (handle) 6 Buffer pad ※Shown by dashed line in Figure 2

Claims

1. An exercise storage belt comprising a belt body that can be worn around the waist, a storage section provided on the belt body capable of storing articles, and a cushioning pad positioned within the storage section on the body side of the belt body or on the body side of the stored items, wherein the cushioning pad is made of a plate-shaped member made of a flexible foamed resin material, and a plurality of holes penetrating the thickness direction of the plate-shaped member are regularly arranged along the surface direction of the plate-shaped member.

2. The sports storage belt according to claim 1, characterized in that the holes have a regular hexagonal or approximately hexagonal shape, and the holes are arranged in a honeycomb pattern.

3. The sports storage belt according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the thickness of the cushioning pad is within the range of 3 mm to 6 mm.

4. The sports storage belt according to claim 2, characterized in that the thickness of the cushioning pad is 4 mm, the distance between opposite sides of the holes is 10 mm, and the width of the partition wall between adjacent holes is 5 mm.

5. The storage compartment has a band member made of a non-stretchable material for holding articles, and an adjuster member for adjusting the tightening force of the band member, and the cushioning pad is positioned to distribute the pressure that is pressed against the body by the band member. An exercise storage belt according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by the above.

6. A cushioning pad used in the storage compartment of an exercise storage belt, characterized in that it is composed of a plate-shaped member made of a flexible foamed resin material, a plurality of hexagonal holes penetrating the plate-shaped member in the thickness direction are arranged in a honeycomb pattern, and the thickness is in the range of 3 mm to 6 mm.

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