Heel retention member and shoe

Abstract

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a heel retaining member that is easy to put on and can further improve comfort. [Solution] A heel retaining member according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises an inner layer, a core material and an outer layer, and the core material has a first curved portion that curves convexly inward at a position corresponding to the top of the user's calcaneus or above the calcaneus, a second curved portion that is located below the first curved portion and curves convexly outward, and a flange portion that is located at the lower end of the second curved portion and protrudes outward.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a heel retention member and a shoe. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, from the viewpoint of convenience, it is desirable for casual shoes to be easy to put on and difficult to take off. In addition, it is desirable for casual shoes not to cause blisters.

[0003] From the viewpoint of convenience, Patent Document 1 describes a footwear component that makes it easier for a user to insert his / her foot into the shoe. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2024-535159 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Patent document 1 describes how the heel cup deforms under the load of the user's foot when the user puts on the footwear, and returns to its pre-deformed state after the load of the user's foot is removed, thereby making it easier for the user to insert their foot.

[0006] On the other hand, the footwear member described in Patent Document 1 is likely to cause the heel of the user to rub against the inner surface of the shoe when the shoe is worn, which may result in poor foot comfort and increased risk of blisters.

[0007] The present disclosure has been made in light of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide a heel retaining member that is easy to wear and further improves comfort. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A heel retaining member according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises an inner layer, a core material and an outer layer, the core material having a first curved portion that curves convexly inwardly at a position corresponding to the top of the user's calcaneus or above the calcaneus, a second curved portion that is located below the first curved portion and curves convexly outwardly, and a flange portion that is located at the lower end of the second curved portion and protrudes outwardly. Effect of the Invention

[0009] The heel retaining member according to one aspect of the present disclosure is easy to put on and can further improve comfort. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a heel retaining member according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the heel retaining member of FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic rear view of the heel retaining member of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of the heel retaining member of FIG. [Diagram 5] 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a cross section of the heel retaining member taken along line VV of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing a core material in the heel retaining member of FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the core material of FIG. 6, corresponding to FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view showing a shoe according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which a user wears the shoe of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] [Description of the embodiments of the present disclosure] First, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described.

[0012] (1) A heel retaining member according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes an inner layer, a core material, and an outer layer, The core material has a first curved portion that curves inwardly and convexly at a position corresponding to the top of the user's calcaneus or above the calcaneus, a second curved portion that is located below the first curved portion and curves outwardly and a flange portion that is located at the lower end of the second curved portion and protrudes outward.

[0013] The heel retaining member is easy to wear because the core material has a first curved portion that curves inwardly convexly at a position corresponding to the upper part of the user's calcaneus or above the calcaneus, and a second curved portion that is provided below the first curved portion and curves outwardly convexly. That is, when the heel retaining member is attached to a shoe and the user puts on the shoe, the first curved portion is pressed downward by the user's foot, widening the opening to make it easier for the user to put the foot in. Furthermore, the applicant has pursued comfort in such an easy-to-wear configuration. As a result, the applicant has come up with the idea that by providing a flange that protrudes outward at the lower end of the second curved portion of the core material, the inner diameter of the lower end of the heel retaining portion can be easily expanded, and the foot can be made to feel better. In this respect, the heel retaining member can improve comfort by having the core material disposed at the lower end of the second curved portion and having a flange that protrudes outward.

[0014] (2) In the above (1), the flange may be inclined downward from the base end to the tip end. This makes it easier for the foot of the user to come into contact with the shoe more comfortably.

[0015] (3) In the above (1) or (2), the core material may be made up of the first curved portion, the second curved portion, and the flange portion. According to this embodiment, it is possible to easily and reliably achieve both ease of putting on and comfort.

[0016] (4) In any one of (1) to (3) above, the inner layer may be elastic and have a maximum thickness in a region covering the first curved portion. According to this aspect, it is possible to easily and reliably achieve both ease of putting on and comfort.

[0017] (5) In any one of the above (1) to (4), the outer layer may be made of leather. This embodiment makes it easier to achieve a significantly better wearing comfort.

[0018] (6) In any of the above (1) to (5), the flange is covered on both sides with the inner layer and the outer layer, and the flange, together with the inner layer and the outer layer covering the flange, constitutes a connecting piece that is sewn to the sole. According to this embodiment, the desired strength and shape can be easily maintained when the sole is attached to the shoe. As a result, it is easy to easily and reliably improve the ease and comfort of wearing the sole.

[0019] (7) A shoe according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes the heel retaining member described in (6) above and a sole sewn to the connecting piece.

[0020] The shoe includes the heel retaining member, making it easy to put on and more comfortable to wear.

[0021] (8) In the above item (7), a gap may be provided between the base end of the connecting piece and the upper surface of the sole. This configuration makes it easier to further improve comfort.

[0022] [Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure] The embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below. It should be noted that the numerical values ​​described in this specification can be arbitrarily combined with the upper and lower limit values ​​described. In this specification, all numerical ranges from the upper limit value to the lower limit value that can be combined are described as suitable ranges. In addition, each figure is a schematic diagram and may not match the actual dimensions, ratios, etc. In this disclosure, the descriptions "first" and "second" are intended to distinguish the components to which they are attached, and do not limit the number, order, priority, etc.

[0023] <Heel retention component> 1 to 5 show a heel retaining member 1 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 5, the heel retaining member 1 includes an inner layer 11, a core material 12, and an outer layer 13. The inner layer 11, the core material 12, and the outer layer 13 are arranged in this order from the inside to the outside. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the core material 12 has a first curved portion 12a that curves inwardly and convexly at a position corresponding to the upper part of the calcaneus of the user or above the calcaneus, a second curved portion 12b that is provided below the first curved portion 12a and curves outwardly and convexly, and a flange portion 12c that is located at the lower end of the second curved portion 12b and protrudes outward.

[0024] The heel retaining member 1 may be configured as a functional member that allows the user to put on the shoe without using the hands.

[0025] The heel retaining member 1 is easy to wear because the core material 12 has a first curved portion 12a that curves inwardly convexly at a position corresponding to the upper part of the user's calcaneus or above the calcaneus, and a second curved portion 12b that is provided below the first curved portion 12a and curves outwardly convexly. That is, when the heel retaining member 1 is attached to a shoe and the user puts on the shoe, the first curved portion 12a is pressed downward by the user's foot, widening the opening and making it easier for the user to put the foot in. Furthermore, the applicant has pursued comfort in such an easy-to-wear configuration. As a result, the applicant has come up with the idea that by providing a flange portion 12c that protrudes outward at the lower end of the second curved portion 12b in the core material 12, the inner diameter of the lower end of the heel retaining member 1 can be easily widened, thereby improving the foot contact. In this respect, the heel retaining member 1 can improve the comfort of wearing the shoe by having the core material 12 disposed at the lower end of the second curved portion 12b and having the flange portion 12c that protrudes outward.

[0026] (Core material) The core material 12 has flexibility. The material from which the core material 12 is formed is not particularly limited as long as the core material 12 has the desired flexibility and strength. The core material 12 is mainly composed of, for example, a synthetic resin. The main component of the core material 12 may be, for example, a thermoplastic elastomer or a thermoplastic polyester elastomer. The core material 12 may have a plurality of holes from the viewpoint of increasing flexibility. The term "main component" refers to the component with the largest content in terms of mass conversion, for example, a component with a content of 50 mass% or more.

[0027] The core material 12 is formed so as to cover the periphery of the heel of the user (more specifically, the rear and both sides of the heel). The core material 12 is, for example, substantially arc-shaped in plan view, and may be substantially elliptical arc-shaped in plan view. The core material 12 is, for example, thin plate-shaped. The core material 12 is compressed when loaded from above by the user's foot. The core material 12 returns to its original state when the load is released. In this embodiment, the core material 12 makes it easier for the user to put on the shoes by widening the opening when the user puts on the shoes, and when the user has put on the shoes, the core material 12 returns to its original state to prevent the shoes from coming off unintentionally.

[0028] As described above, the core material 12 has the first curved portion 12a, the second curved portion 12b, and the flange portion 12c. The core material 12 may have other portions, for example, between the first curved portion 12a and the second curved portion 12b, or between the second curved portion 12b and the flange portion 12c. The core material 12 may also have other portions, for example, above the first curved portion 12a. However, the core material 12 is preferably composed of the first curved portion 12a, the second curved portion 12b, and the flange portion 12c. That is, it is preferable that the core material 12 has the second curved portion 12b directly connected to the lower side of the first curved portion 12a, and the second curved portion 12b and the flange portion 12c directly connected. According to this embodiment, it is possible to easily and reliably achieve both ease of wearing and comfort.

[0029] (First curved section) The first curved portion 12a is disposed at a position including the rear side of the user's foot (more specifically, the heel) so that it can be compressed in the up-down direction when a load is applied from above by the user's foot. As described above, the first curved portion 12a is curved inwardly convexly at a position corresponding to the upper part of the user's calcaneus or above the calcaneus. As described above, the first curved portion 12a may be curved inwardly convexly at a position corresponding to the upper part of the user's calcaneus. However, in the heel retaining member 1, it is preferable that the first curved portion 12a is curved inwardly convexly at a position corresponding to the upper part of the user's calcaneus.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 7, the first curved portion 12a has a first protruding portion 21 protruding inward, a first upper inclined portion 22 located above the first protruding portion 21 and extending in a curved manner while inclining backward toward the upper side, and a first lower inclined portion 23 located below the first protruding portion 21 and extending in a curved manner while inclining backward toward the lower side. The apex of the first protruding portion 21 extends in the circumferential direction (around the ankle) at a position including the rear of the foot. When the first curved portion 12a receives a load from above from the user's foot, the first protruding portion 21 moves forward, and the first upper inclined portion 22 and the first lower inclined portion 23 are pressed against each other, thereby widening the opening of the shoe to make it easier for the user's foot to enter. At this time, the user's foot can slide into the shoe along the first upper inclined portion 22. The inclination angles of the first upper inclined portion 22 and the first lower inclined portion 23 can be set according to the specifications of the shoe, etc. Furthermore, the thickness of the first curved portion 12a can be set, for example, from the viewpoint of compression performance. For example, the thickness of the first upper inclined portion 22 or the first lower inclined portion 23 can be partially reduced.

[0031] (Second curved section) As shown in FIG. 7, the second curved portion 12b has a second protruding portion 24 protruding outward, a second upper inclined portion 25 located above the second protruding portion 24 and extending in a curved manner while inclining forward toward the upper side, and a second lower inclined portion 26 located below the second protruding portion 24 and extending in a curved manner while inclining forward toward the lower side. The top of the second protruding portion 24 extends in the circumferential direction (around the ankle) at a position including the rear of the foot. When the second curved portion 12b receives a load from the foot of the user, it assists the bending of the first curved portion 12a while compressing itself, thereby widening the opening. The first lower inclined portion 23 of the first curved portion 12a and the second upper inclined portion 25 of the second curved portion 12b are continuous. The first curved portion 12a and the second curved portion 12b may meander in a substantially S-shape as a whole. The inclination angles of the second upper inclined portion 25 and the second lower inclined portion 26 can be set according to the specifications of the shoe, etc. The thickness of the second curved portion 12b can be set, for example, from the viewpoint of compression performance, and for example, the thickness of the second upper inclined portion 25 or the second lower inclined portion 26 can be partially reduced.

[0032] (Flange) The flange 12c is connected to the lower end surface of the second curved portion 12b. The flange 12c may be connected to the entire lower end surface of the second curved portion 12b. The flange 12c is, for example, a plate-like member having a uniform thickness. The flange 12c may extend, for example, in the horizontal direction. However, it is preferable that the flange 12c is inclined downward from the base end portion (the portion connected to the lower end surface of the second curved portion 12b) to the tip portion. This embodiment makes it easier to improve the foot contact of the user.

[0033] (Inner layer) The inner layer 11 covers the inner surface of the core material 12, thereby improving the fit of the heel retaining member 1 to the user's foot. Also, the inner layer 11 deforms to fit the core material 12, making it easier for the user to put the foot into the shoe.

[0034] The inner layer 11 has elasticity. The inner layer 11 may be, for example, a foamed layer containing a foamed resin as a main component. The foamed resin is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a foamed urethane resin. The inner layer 11 may be a single layer of the foamed layer, or a laminate of the foamed layer and another layer.

[0035] The inner layer 11 may have a maximum thickness in the region covering the first curved portion 12a. In other words, the inner layer 11 may have a maximum thickness at a position corresponding to the upper part of the user's calcaneus or above the calcaneus. In particular, the inner layer 11 is preferably configured to have a maximum thickness in the region covering the first protruding portion 21 in the first curved portion 12a. According to this embodiment, it is possible to easily and reliably achieve both ease of wearing and comfort. That is, in the heel retaining member 1, the first curved portion 12a is curved convexly inwardly at a position corresponding to the upper part of the user's calcaneus or above the calcaneus, and the inner layer 11 has a maximum thickness in the region covering the first curved portion 12a, so that the user's foot can easily apply a load to the first curved portion 12a, and the width of the opening can be easily increased by compressing the first curved portion 12a and the inner layer 11 covering the first curved portion 12a. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the inner layer 11 covers the ankle of the user while the shoe is being worn, and the user's foot can be appropriately fixed.

[0036] (outer layer) The outer layer 13 protects the outside of the core material 12 and constitutes the outer surface of the shoe. The outer layer 13 may be made of leather, for example. That is, the heel retaining member 1 may be for leather shoes, and more specifically, for leather casual shoes. The heel retaining member 1 is configured for leather shoes, which makes it easier to achieve a remarkable level of comfort. That is, in leather shoes, if the shoe is in close contact with the user's foot, there is a risk of blisters. In this regard, for example, if the heel retaining member does not have a flange, the heel retaining member is fixed to the sole by pulling the lower end inward. However, with this configuration, it is difficult to form an appropriate space between the user's heel and the inner surface of the shoe, and the risk of blisters increases. In contrast, with the heel retaining member 1, it is only necessary to fix the flange 12c to the sole, so that it is easy to form an appropriate space between the user's heel and the inner surface of the shoe, and as a result, it is easy to improve the comfort of the shoe.

[0037] The outer layer 13 may be a single layer or a multi-layer body. When the outer layer 13 is a multi-layer body, "the outer layer is made of leather" means that the outermost layer of the outer layer 13 is made of leather.

[0038] (Connection piece) The flange 12c is covered from both sides by the inner layer 11 and the outer layer 13. The flange 12c, together with the inner layer 11 and the outer layer 13 covering the flange 12c, constitutes a connecting piece 31 that is sewn to the sole. According to this embodiment, the heel retaining member 1 can easily maintain a desired shape and strength when attached to a shoe. As a result, it is easy and reliable to improve the ease and comfort of wearing the shoes.

[0039] The thickness of the heel retaining member 1 is not particularly limited. For example, the heel retaining member 1 has a maximum thickness T1 (see FIG. 5) at the portion where the inner layer 11 is thickest. The lower limit of the maximum thickness T1 may be 10 mm or 12 mm from the viewpoint of easily achieving both ease of wearing and comfort. On the other hand, the upper limit of the maximum thickness T1 may be 20 mm or 16 mm from the same viewpoint as above.

[0040] The lower limit of the thickness T2 (see FIG. 5) of the connection piece 31 in the heel retaining member 1 may be 1 mm or 1.5 mm from the viewpoint of maintaining the necessary strength, while the upper limit of the thickness T2 may be 5 mm or 3 mm from the viewpoint of facilitating sewing.

[0041] The lower limit of the length L (length of the flange portion 12c) (see FIG. 5) of the connection piece 31 in the heel retaining member 1 may be 4 mm or 6 mm from the viewpoint of facilitating sewing. On the other hand, the upper limit of the length L may be 15 mm or 10 mm from the viewpoint of preventing the connection piece 31 from becoming unnecessarily long.

[0042] <Shoes> 8 and 9 includes the heel retaining member 1 and a sole 51 sewn to a connecting piece 31 of the heel retaining member 1. The type of the shoe 100 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a leather shoe or a leather casual shoe.

[0043] The shoe 100 is easy to put on and more comfortable to wear because it includes the heel retaining member 1. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the shoe 100 includes the heel retaining member 1, which makes it easier to expand the inner diameter of the lower end of the heel retaining member 1, improving the fit. Specifically, the shoe 100 can form an appropriate space S behind the heel of the user's foot 110 on the sole 51, providing more room behind the heel. As a result, friction between the user's foot and the heel retaining member 1 can be reduced, improving the fit.

[0044] The shoe 100 may include the heel retaining member 1 as a part of an upper 101. The upper 101 has an opening 102 for a user to put his / her foot into. A part of the opening edge of the opening 102 is defined by the heel retaining member 1. The heel retaining member 1 defines at least the rear opening edge of the opening 102.

[0045] The specific configuration of the upper 101 is not particularly limited as long as it has the heel retaining member 1. The upper 101 may have, for example, an elastic member 103 that defines a part of the opening 102. When the upper 101 has the elastic member 103, combined with the heel retaining member 1 being compressively deformed, the user can easily put the foot into the shoe through the opening 102. The upper 101 can also have a configuration in which a part of the opening 102 has a notch.

[0046] As described above, in the shoe 100, the connecting piece 31 of the heel retaining member 1 and the sole 51 are sewn together. The shoe 100 may be sewn by, for example, a stitch-down method. This embodiment makes it easier to put on the shoes and improves their comfort.

[0047] In the shoe 100, the connecting piece 31 is sewn to the sole 51 with, for example, a part of the lower surface being adhered to the upper surface of the sole 51. As shown in Fig. 9, the shoe 100 may have a gap S1 between the base end of the connecting piece 31 and the upper surface of the sole 51. In a configuration in which the brim 12c is inclined downward from the base end to the tip end of the shoe 100, for example, the gap S1 can be formed by not fixing the base end of the connecting piece 31 to the sole 51. By having the gap S1, the shoe 100 is more likely to be more comfortable to wear.

[0048] [Other embodiments] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, but is indicated by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0049] As described above, in the heel retaining member, the inner layer preferably has a maximum thickness in the region covering the first curved portion, but the thickness of the inner layer can be changed depending on the specifications of the shoe, etc.

[0050] As described above, the heel retaining member is suitable for use in leather shoes. However, the heel retaining member can also be used in shoes other than leather shoes. In this case, the outer layer may be made of a material appropriate for the type of shoe.

[0051] In the above embodiment, a configuration in which a gap is provided between the base end of the connecting piece and the upper surface of the sole has been described. However, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to a configuration in which a gap is provided between the base end of the connecting piece and the upper surface of the sole. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 1 Heel retaining member 11 Inner layer 12 Core material 12a First curved section 12b Second curved section 12c Tsubabe 13 Outer layer 21 1st protrusion 22 1st upward slope 23 1st downward slope section 24 Second protrusion 25 2nd upward slope 26 2nd downward slope 31 Connection piece 51 Sole 100 shoes 101 Upper 102 Opening 103 Elastic member 110 Feet L Length of the connecting piece S space S1 Gap T1 Maximum thickness of heel retaining member T2 Thickness of the connection piece

Claims

1. It has an inner layer, a core material and an outer layer, The core material has a first curved portion that is curved inwardly and convexly at a position corresponding to the upper part of the calcaneus of the user or above the calcaneus, a second curved portion that is provided below the first curved portion and curved outwardly and a flange that is disposed at a lower end of the second curved portion and protrudes outward. Heel retention member.

2. 2. The heel retaining member according to claim 1, wherein the flange is inclined downward from the base end to the tip end.

3. 2. The heel retaining member according to claim 1, wherein said core material comprises said first curved portion, said second curved portion and said flange portion.

4. The inner layer has elasticity, The heel retaining member according to claim 1 , wherein the inner layer has a maximum thickness in a region covering the first curved portion.

5. 2. The heel retainer of claim 1, wherein said outer layer is made of leather.

6. the flange portion is covered on both sides with the inner layer and the outer layer, 6. The heel retaining member according to claim 1, wherein the flange, together with the inner layer and the outer layer covering the flange, constitute a connecting piece that is sewn to a sole.

7. A heel retaining member according to claim 6, A sole sewn to the connecting piece; Shoes equipped with.

8. 8. The shoe according to claim 7, further comprising a gap between the base end of said connecting piece and the upper surface of said sole.

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