Insoles for footwear

Abstract

To provide a shoe insole made of knitted fabric having water absorbing function and moderate tension. [Solution] The insole of the present invention is an insole that can be attached and detached to footwear, and comprises a knitted fabric 2 knitted using a first yarn x containing absorbent fibers and a second yarn y containing heat-fusible fibers, and an anti-slip portion formed using a polymer material on the back surface of the knitted fabric 2 that faces the footwear, and the surface 21 side of the knitted fabric 2 is knitted by aligning the first yarn x and the second yarn y so that the first yarn x is located on the surface 21 side of the surface 50 and the second yarn y is located on the back surface 22 side of the surface 50, and the second yarn y is fused to at least a portion of the first yarn x.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a removable knitted insole for footwear such as shoes. [Background technology]

[0002] A typical insole used in footwear is formed in a sheet shape from, for example, polyurethane resin, and the inside of the footwear is prone to become steamy due to foot sweat. Compared to such polyurethane resin sheets, knitted fabrics made of yarn have excellent water absorption and breathability. Patent Document 1 discloses a knitted fabric for footwear that is suitable as an interior material for footwear from the viewpoint of absorbing steam caused by foot sweat with the knitted fabric.

[0003] The applicant of the present application developed an insole using a knitted fabric based on the reverse idea of ​​attaching the knitted fabric worn on the feet as socks to footwear instead of the foot (Patent Document 2). While the knitted fabric for footwear in Patent Document 1 constitutes part of the footwear as an interior material, the insole in Patent Document 2 is detachable from the footwear and can be repeatedly washed like socks in order to keep the knitted fabric on which the foot rests clean. The insole includes a knitted fabric and a resin layer that supports the knitted fabric, and the resin layer is made of a thermoplastic elastomer. The knitting yarn is fixed by fusing the resin layer to the back side of the knitted fabric, thereby preventing fraying from the end (cutting point) of the knitted fabric that is cut to the shape of the foot. When the resin layer and the knitted fabric are pressed together by applying heat and pressure, the overall thickness of the insole is, for example, 2.0 mm, which is thinner than conventional insoles that use polyurethane resin sheets or cotton-blend pile fabric, and therefore does not affect the fit (fit, etc.) of the footwear. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-148422 A [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 7144107 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The insole described in Patent Document 2 adopts a knitted fabric from the viewpoint of water absorption, etc., and the knitted fabric is supported by a thin resin layer formed from a thermoplastic elastomer, so that the insole as a whole is formed flexibly. Therefore, when inserting the insole inside the footwear, the tip side bends under its own weight, so it may be difficult to insert it into the toe part of the footwear unless the insole is held in a devised way. If a hard support layer necessary for maintaining the shape of the insole is bonded to the knitted fabric, which is difficult to maintain its shape by itself, and the resin layer that prevents the knitted fabric from fraying, the insole will become thick, which may cause the inside of the footwear to become cramped and make it difficult to wear the footwear.

[0006] In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide an insole that is removable from footwear, which improves ease of attachment to footwear while ensuring water absorbency and reducing thickness. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention provides an insole that is removable for footwear, comprising a knitted fabric knitted using a first yarn including a water-absorbent fiber and a second yarn including a heat-fusible fiber, and an anti-slip portion formed using a polymeric material on the back surface of the knitted fabric that faces the footwear, wherein the front surface side of the knitted fabric is knitted by aligning the first yarn with the second yarn so that the first yarn is located on the front surface side in the knitted fabric and the second yarn is located on the back surface side in the knitted fabric, and the second yarn is fused to at least a portion of the first yarn. In this specification, the first yarn means the "front yarn" among the yarns used to knit the knitted fabric, and the second yarn means the "back yarn" among the yarns used to knit the knitted fabric. According to this configuration, the knitted fabric is knitted by aligning the second yarn over the entire length of the first yarn, and the melted and solidified second yarn is fused to at least a part of the first yarn. As a result, the second yarn that can support the first yarn is attached to the entire first yarn. This gives the knitted fabric sufficient firmness to maintain the shape when the insole is attached to the footwear. In addition, the knitted fabric has a sweat absorption function due to the first yarn, and also has a shape retention function due to the fusion of the second yarn, so there is no need to add a support layer to the insole for maintaining the shape. Therefore, it is possible to easily attach a thin but firm insole to the footwear. In addition, the fusion of the second yarn to the first yarn makes it easier to prevent the cut knitted fabric from fraying (or coming undone), and the back surface of the knitted fabric is covered with the anti-slip part, which also prevents the knitted fabric from fraying.

[0008] The water-absorbent fibers of the insole of the present invention are preferably short fibers. When cotton or the like is used as the absorbent fiber contained in the first thread, the absorbent fiber appears on the surface of the outer knit, effectively providing a soft feel and sweat absorbency not found in conventional insoles.

[0009] In the insole of the present invention, the ratio of the absorbent fiber to the weight of the entire knitted fabric is preferably 20% or more and 80% or less, and the ratio of the heat-fusible fiber contained in the second yarn to the weight of the entire knitted fabric is preferably 20% or more and 80% or less. This configuration provides the insole with suitable water absorbency (also known as sweat absorbency) and tension. Also, the second thread fused to the surface side of the insole can be made less likely to be visible.

[0010] In the knitted fabric of the present invention, there are knit stitches and purl stitches on the same course and the same wale, and one knit stitch or two or more consecutive knit stitches form a convex portion, and one purl stitch or two or more consecutive purl stitches form a concave portion. According to this configuration, convex and concave portions are distributed in the knitted fabric, and the concave portions reduce the contact area with the sole of the foot, so that the sole of the foot can be kept in a comfortable state without stickiness. Also, since the first yarn appears on the upper surface side of the front stitch (i.e., the side that contacts the sole of the foot) and the second yarn is on the upper surface side of the back stitch, the first yarn made of short fibers and having a water absorbing function comes into contact with the sole of the foot, and the fused and solidified second yarn is unlikely to come into contact with the sole of the foot.

[0011] The knitted fabric of the present invention is knitted in either a jacquard knit or a links jacquard knit, and the surface of the knitted fabric is knitted so that the composition ratio of the first yarn is higher than that of the second yarn, and the back of the knitted fabric is knitted so that the composition ratio of the second yarn is higher than that of the first yarn compared to the surface. Such a knitted fabric can be formed by knitting with jacquard knitting or links jacquard knitting, and by having a higher composition ratio of a first yarn supplied from at least one of a plurality of yarn feeders than a second yarn supplied from the same yarn feeder, and having a lower composition ratio of the first yarn in the yarn supplied from the other yarn feeders than the composition ratio of the first yarn in the yarn supplied from the one yarn feeder, and by knitting a pattern in which the stitches of the yarn supplied from the one yarn feeder are more exposed on the surface. With this configuration, it is possible to increase the ratio of the first thread on the surface and increase the ratio of the second thread on the back surface more than on the surface, thereby increasing the water absorbency of the first thread on the surface and increasing the shape retention of the second thread on the back surface. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the insole of the present invention, it is possible to improve ease of attachment to footwear while ensuring water absorbency. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a top view of an insole (for the left foot only) according to one embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the surface. [Diagram 2] 2 is a bottom view showing a schematic view of the back side of the insole shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. [Figure 4] 1(a) and 1(b) are both top views that diagrammatically show an example of the surface of a knitted fabric. [Diagram 5] 1(a) and 1(b) are both top views that diagrammatically show an example of the surface of a knitted fabric. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an enlarged top view showing a schematic diagram of plating knitting, which is a knitting method of an insole according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic diagram showing jacquard stitches that can be applied to an insole according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, an insole according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The dimensions of each part in the drawings used in the following description are not necessarily the same as the actual dimensions and can be changed as appropriate.

[0015] The insole 1 shown in Fig. 1 to Fig. 3 is detachably attached to the insole (upper bottom surface) of footwear such as shoes or sandals (not shown) or to a receiving part (interior material, insole, etc.) fixed to the insole. The insole 1 includes a knitted fabric 2 and an anti-slip part 3, and a back surface 3B of the anti-slip part 3 is placed on the receiving part of the footwear. A front surface 21 of the knitted fabric 2 is the surface that comes into contact with or faces the sole of the foot of the footwear wearer.

[0016] In this specification, the front side of the insole 1 or knitted fabric 2 when worn in footwear (the side facing the sole of the foot, in other words, the upper side) is referred to as the "front side", and the back side of the insole 1 or knitted fabric 2 (the side facing the footwear, in other words, the lower side) is referred to as the "back side". However, the definitions of "front" and "back" do not apply to the knit and back of the knitted fabric 2. The knit and back are not related to the front and back sides of the insole 1.

[0017] 1, the insole 1 of this embodiment includes a portion T corresponding to the toe side of the foot and a portion H corresponding to the heel, and is given the planar shape of the foot. The longitudinal direction dL of the insole 1 corresponds to the direction connecting the toe and the heel (the front-rear direction when walking forward). When using the insole 1, the outer peripheral end 2E of the insole 1 can be cut at any position according to the length and width of the foot. The back surface 3B of the non-slip part 3 may be provided with a release paper (not shown) on which the cutting position can be marked.

[0018] The knitted fabric 2 is knitted by plating using a yarn including a first yarn and a second yarn. In this embodiment, the first yarn includes staple fibers. The second yarn includes only a heat-sealing yarn.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 3, the cross section of the insole 1 is typically shown, the knitted fabric 2 has a front surface 21 facing the front side (i.e., the sole side) 2A and a back surface 22 facing the back side (i.e., the sole side) 2B. The knitted fabric 2 can be knitted by flat knitting or circular knitting. A large amount of the first yarn is exposed on the surface 21 of the knitted fabric 2.

[0020] Specifically, as an example, as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 6 using a pique knit, the knitted fabric 2 is knitted with the first yarn x and the second yarn y together (i.e., aligned) so that at least on the front surface 21, the first yarn x always appears on the front surface 21 side of the face stitch 50 (i.e., the upper surface side that contacts the foot, the front side of the page) and the second yarn y always appears on the back surface 22 side of the face stitch 50 (i.e., the lower surface side that contacts the insole of the shoe, the back side of the page). In this case, the second yarn y appears on the front surface 21 side of the back stitch 60, and the first yarn x appears on the back surface 22 side of the back stitch 60.

[0021] When the knitted fabric 2 is flat knitted, one side 21 of the knitted fabric 2 (referred to as the front side 21 in this invention) will only have face stitches 50, so only the first yarn x will appear (i.e. be located) on the front side 21 of the knitted fabric 2, and the other side 22 of the knitted fabric 2 (referred to as the back side 22 in this invention) will only have purl stitches 60, so only the second yarn y will appear on the back side 22 of the knitted fabric 2.

[0022] In knitting other than flat knitting, such as pique knitting, uneven knitting, links knitting, and rib knitting, at least the first yarn x always appears on the convex side of the convex knit stitch 50 and at least the second yarn y always appears on the concave side of the concave purl stitch 60 on both sides 21 and 22 of the knitted fabric 2. In other words, when the knitted fabric 2 is placed with either side (i.e., the flat surface) facing up, the first yarn x always appears on the front side 21 of the knit stitch 50 and the second yarn y always appears on the back side 22 of the purl stitch 60, and the second yarn y always appears on the front side 22 of the purl stitch 60 and the first yarn x always appears on the back side 22 of the purl stitch 60. Depending on the weight ratio of the first and second threads, the second thread may be visible on the front stitch and the first thread may be visible on the back stitch. When there is more second thread than first thread, the second thread, which is thicker than the first thread, will be seen sticking out from the width of the first thread on the front stitch, but since the second thread is behind the first thread (below when viewed from the front stitch), it is unlikely to come into contact with the skin.

[0023] In knitting other than flat knitting, such as pique knitting, uneven knitting, links knitting, and rib knitting, the knitted fabric 2 has a front-back relationship with the purl stitches 50 and the back stitches 60 on both sides. Therefore, in the above-mentioned cases, when placed as described above, the first yarn x always appears on the back surface 22 side of the knitted fabric 2 in the convex knitting 50, and the second yarn y always appears on the back surface 22 side of the knitted fabric 2 in the concave purl stitches 60.

[0024] Therefore, in the case of flat knitting, the surface on which the face stitches 50 are located is designated as the surface 21 of the knitted fabric 2, and in the case of knitting other than flat knitting, whichever surface of the knitted fabric 2 is designated as the surface 21, the first yarn x always appears on the surface 21 side (i.e., the upper surface side) of the face stitches 50 that come into contact or are likely to come into contact with the sole of the foot, and the second yarn always appears on the surface 21 side of the back stitches 60 that do not come into contact or are unlikely to come into contact with the sole of the foot. In the case of links jacquard knitting, the surface on which the first yarn x appears most is set as the surface 21.

[0025] The second yarn y is melted and solidified as a whole, and is fused to at least a part of the first yarn x, and in this embodiment, to substantially the entirety of the first yarn x. Even if there is a portion of the first yarn x that is not fused, the second yarn y is fused alone along the first yarn x at that portion.

[0026] The first yarn x contains short fibers and / or long fibers having water absorbency. As the water absorbent fiber, a spun yarn spun from either or both of natural fibers such as cotton and chemical fibers such as rayon, nylon with water absorption function, and polyester is preferably used.

[0027] In consideration of water absorbency, texture, durability against friction with the soles, etc., the first threads x can be made of, for example, cotton fiber, or a blend of cotton fiber and chemical fibers such as polyamide (hereinafter referred to as nylon) or polyester. With this configuration, the surface 21 has the function of absorbing sweat from the soles of the feet, especially through the first threads x. The first yarn x may contain fibers such as polyester that are not provided with water-absorbent properties, in addition to the above-mentioned water-absorbent fibers.

[0028] The knitted fabric 2 may have an uneven structure (uneven knitting) in which convex portions formed by the face stitches 50 and concave portions formed by the back stitches 60 appear on the surface 21 side, mainly to reduce stickiness or ensure water absorbency. An example of a preferred uneven structure of the knitted fabric 2 is shown. In the example of Fig. 4(a) and Fig. 4(b), the knitted fabric is pique knit, and the knitted stitches (knit stitches) and the purl stitches (purl stitches) are arranged in a checkered pattern. In Fig. 5(a) and Fig. 5(b), the knitted stitches and the purl stitches are arranged in a herringbone pattern. In each figure, the white squares indicate the knitted stitches, and the grey squares indicate the purl stitches. From the viewpoint of sweat absorption, as well as from the viewpoint of slip resistance on the sole of the foot and aesthetics, it is advisable that the front and back stitches are arranged, for example, in a checkered or herringbone pattern.

[0029] In Figure 4(a), one knit stitch and one purl stitch are arranged alternately in the course direction (the direction of the arrow indicated by "course"), and one knit stitch and one purl stitch are also arranged alternately in the wale direction (the direction of the arrow indicated by "wale"), and the convex parts made of knit stitches are arranged in a checkerboard pattern.

[0030] In Fig. 4(b), two consecutive face stitches and two consecutive purl stitches are arranged alternately in the course direction. Similarly, two consecutive face stitches and two consecutive purl stitches are arranged alternately in the wale direction. A convex portion is formed by four consecutive face stitches in both the course direction and the wale direction, and is arranged in a checkerboard pattern.

[0031] In Figure 5(a), two consecutive stitches and purl stitches alternate in the wale direction and are arranged in a zigzag pattern, offset by one stitch per course, to create a herringbone pattern. In Figure 5(b), four consecutive stitches alternate in the wale direction, shifted by one stitch per course, in a zigzag pattern to create a herringbone pattern.

[0032] In all of the surfaces 21 in Figures 4(a), 4(b), 5(a) and 5(b), a knit stitch and a purl stitch are always present on the same course and on the same wale. One knit stitch or two or more consecutive knit stitches form a convex portion, and one purl stitch or two or more consecutive purl stitches form a concave portion. It is preferable that at least two convex portions are formed per 2.54 cm (i.e., per inch) per course.

[0033] Furthermore, the number of consecutive stitches and purl stitches in the same course and in the same wale is preferably 8 or less. This also applies to the back surface 22.

[0034] On the back surface 22 side, the second yarn appears more than the first yarn, compared to the front surface 21, and the second yarn using heat-fusible fiber is fused (welded) to substantially the entirety of the first yarn. The main role of the back surface 22 is to prevent fraying of the knitted fabric 2 by fusing the second yarn to almost the entire first yarn, and to provide the entire longitudinal direction (i.e., extension direction) of the first yarn, and thereby the insole 1, with the hardness and tension necessary to maintain its shape when worn in footwear. The knitted fabric 2 does not have piping or the like applied to the end 2E to prevent fraying. The insole 1 may be formed flat with a constant thickness over the entire area including the end 2E of the knitted fabric 2.

[0035] The heat-sealed yarn as the second yarn corresponds to a yarn in which a heat-sealed fiber made of a thermoplastic resin such as nylon, polypropylene, polyethylene, or polyester is provided in a sheath shape or wound spirally around a filament serving as a core material having a higher melting point than the heat-sealed fiber, or a yarn made only from the heat-sealed fiber. The second yarn is in a flexible state before being fused and can be knitted.

[0036] In the knitted fabric 2, after the heat-fusible fibers of the second yarn are melted by heating, the second yarn solidifies at least alone or at least partially or almost entirely attached to the first yarn, creating firm tension in almost the entire longitudinal direction of the first yarn, and ultimately throughout the entire mesh.

[0037] The more the heat-fusible fibers are, the more the amount of solidified resin can be increased, and accordingly the harder or firmer the knitted fabric 2 is. The harder or firmer the knitted fabric 2 can generally be adjusted by the fineness of the second yarn, which is the heat-fusible yarn.

[0038] In consideration of the balance between the absorbency or feel of the first yarn and the tension of the second yarn, the weight ratio of the second yarn in the entire knitted fabric 2 should be approximately 20% or more and 80% or less of the entire knitted fabric 2, preferably 20% or more and 60% or less of the entire knitted fabric 2, and more preferably 20% or more and 50% or less.

[0039] In addition, the weight ratio of the absorbent fibers contained in the first yarn in the entire knitted fabric 2 may be approximately 20% or more and 80% or less of the entire knitted fabric 2, preferably 20% or more and 60% or less of the entire knitted fabric 2, and more preferably 20% or more and 50% or less.

[0040] That is, the water-absorbent fiber contained in the first yarn and the heat-fusible yarn contained in the second yarn each preferably account for 20% or more and 80% or less of the weight of the entire knitted fabric 2. If the proportion of the heat-fused yarn contained in the second yarn in the entire knitted fabric 2 is 20% or less, the knitted fabric 2 will not be able to achieve tension, and if it is 80% or more, the proportion of the heat-fused yarn will be too high, making the sweat absorption function of the first yarn insufficient and making it more likely that the molten heat-fused yarn will appear on the surface 21 of the knitted fabric 2, increasing the likelihood of a poor feel when the sole of the foot comes into contact with it. From the viewpoint of the water absorption function of the knitted fabric 2, the first yarn is preferably 20% or more.

[0041] When the second yarn is composed only of heat-sealed yarn and the first yarn is composed only of absorbent fibers, the thickness (denier) of the second yarn is set to 0.25 to 4 times the thickness (denier) of the first yarn, preferably 0.25 to 1.5 times, and more preferably 0.25 to 1 time.

[0042] As an example, the first yarn can be given a fineness equivalent to 300 to 600 denier, and the second yarn can be given a fineness equivalent to 100 to 200 denier. In this case, the overall thickness of the knitted fabric 2 after the second yarn is fused is, for example, about 1.0 to 2.5 mm. Not limited to the above, the fineness of the second yarn may be the same as that of the first yarn.

[0043] A single-feed machine having one yarn feeder (also called a "feeder"), a two-feed machine having two yarn feeders, or a three-feed machine having three yarn feeders can be used to knit the knitted fabric. The one-way machine knits the fabric 2 by supplying yarns including a first yarn and a second yarn through one yarn feeder. When using multiple yarns in which the first and second yarns have different finenesses or composition ratios, and / or when using yarns of different colors, it is recommended to use a two-hole machine with two yarn feed ports (a three-hole machine that also functions as a two-hole machine is also possible) or a three-hole machine with three yarn feed ports.

[0044] A two-mouth machine supplies yarn of predetermined specifications (such as the composition ratio of the first yarn to the second yarn or the yarn color) from one of two yarn feeders which have different yarn feed positions in the wale direction but the same yarn feed position in the course direction, and supplies yarn of different specifications from the yarn supplied from the other yarn feeder to knit fabric 2.

[0045] In this embodiment, float knitting can be used as the knitted fabric 2 in which the above-mentioned uneven structure appears favorably on the front surface 21 and the back surface 22. Float knitting is performed by using a two-hole machine (or a three-hole machine) to create stitches with one yarn at a certain position using a needle, while the other yarn is not placed on the needle and is floated to the back side as a floating yarn. For example, by skipping the yarn on the two-hole side, it is possible to expose more of the first yarn on the front surface 21, for example.

[0046] 2 and 3, the anti-slip portion 3 is provided on the back surface 22 of the knitted fabric 2 using a polymer material, and exerts an anti-slip effect by frictional force against the part of the footwear to which the knitted fabric 2 is attached when walking. In addition, by covering the back surface 22 with the anti-slip portion 3, the anti-slip portion 3 can fix the outer peripheral edge (so-called edge) of the knitted fabric 2 shown in FIG. 1, and the effect of preventing the knitted fabric 2 from fraying is enhanced.

[0047] During the process of applying the anti-slip portion 3, a portion of the liquid polymeric material penetrates at least into the back surface 22 of the knitted fabric 2, and as the polymeric material hardens in this state, at least a portion of the anti-slip portion 3 penetrates into the back surface 22 and is sufficiently fixed. The anti-slip portion 3 in this embodiment is formed from silicone rubber from the standpoints of anti-slip, shock absorption, durability, etc., and is provided on the back surface 22 after the second thread is fused, with a thickness of, for example, approximately 0.4 to 0.5 mm.

[0048] The insole 1 can be manufactured, for example, by the following procedure. (Organization Step) Using an automatic knitting machine called a so-called double cylinder equipped with a knitting bed for knitting the face and a knitting bed for knitting the back, a knitted fabric 2 with a so-called uneven knitting pattern is knitted by adding yarn knitting (also called plating knitting), where the front surface 21 and the back surface 22 have an uneven structure.

[0049] (Fusing Step) Next, the second yarn is heated from the back surface 22 side of the knitted fabric 2, and after melting and then solidifying the heat-fusible fibers of the second yarn over the entire area of the knitted fabric 2, the second yarn is fused to substantially the entire longitudinal direction of the first yarn. After fusing, due to the solidified resin of the second yarn along the first yarn, the positions of the second yarn and the first yarn are substantially fixed over the entire longitudinal direction of the first yarn and thus over the entire area of the knitted fabric 2. Therefore, even if the knitted fabric 2 is cut at an arbitrary position, it hardly frays from the end 2E, and moreover, an appropriate stiffness is imparted to the first yarn and thus to the knitted fabric 2.

[0050] Note that since the first yarn does not have heat-fusible fibers, it is difficult for the first yarns to be fused together by the melt of the heat-fusible fibers of the second yarn. Even if a part of the melt of the heat-fusible fibers adheres to the first yarn on the front surface 21 side, it is acceptable because it does not have a significant impact on the water absorption of the first yarn.

[0051] (Anti-Slip Formation Step) By means of screen printing, after supplying silicone ink, which is a liquid polymer material containing at least a part of silicone, to the pattern formation position on the back surface 22 of the knitted fabric 2 through a plate, the silicone ink is dried and cured by heating. Since a part of the silicone ink penetrates at least to the back surface 22 side, an anti-slip portion 3 is formed from the silicone rubber that has partially penetrated and adhered to at least the back surface 22 side through the cross-linking reaction of silicone in the drying and curing process.

[0052] (Cutting Step) An inner lining 1 cut into left and right foot shapes by punching is obtained from the laminated sheet. The overall thickness of the inner lining 1 is, for example, about 1.4 to 3.0 mm.

[0053] The above manufacturing procedure is just an example. For example, before the knitting step is performed, one or both of the first yarn and the second yarn may be subjected to various treatments such as antibacterial treatment or deodorizing treatment.

[0054] A user of the insole 1 handles the insole 1, for example, as follows. The insole 1 is cut to fit the size of the user's shoe. The insole 1 is inserted inside the footwear and attached to the inner sole of the footwear or to a part that is integrated with the insole. The insole 1 has enough stiffness that the toe side of the insole 1 does not bend under its own weight when the heel side of the insole 1 is held in the hand when attaching the insole, so that the insole 1 can be easily attached by inserting it inside the footwear from the toe side. If the insole 1 becomes soiled during use, the insole 1 is removed from the footwear and washed in a washing machine or the like.

[0055] According to the present embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained. (1) The insole 1 includes a knitted fabric 2 including a first yarn made of short fibers and a second yarn made of thermally fused fibers, and a non-slip portion 3 formed on the back surface 22 of the knitted fabric 2 using a polymer material. The second yarn is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the first yarn (i.e., aligned), and the second yarn is fused to substantially the entirety of the first yarn. Therefore, substantially the entirety of the longitudinal direction of the first yarn is supported by the melted and solidified second yarn on the back side of the outer surface, so that the first yarn and, in turn, the knitted fabric 2 are given the hardness (i.e., tension) necessary for maintaining the shape. This knitted fabric 2 has a sweat absorption function due to the first yarn, as well as a shape retention function due to the fusion of the second yarn, so there is no need to add a support layer to the insole 1 for maintaining the shape. Therefore, the insole 1, which is thin but firm, can be easily attached to the footwear. The insole 1 is thin and can be easily bent, so that the insole 1 can be easily attached following the surface shape of the part of the footwear to which it is attached. Therefore, the insole 1 does not easily affect the wearing comfort of the footwear.

[0056] (2) Since the second yarn is fused to almost the entire first yarn over the entire area of ​​the knitted fabric 2, even if the insole 1 is thin, it can obtain a firmness that allows comfortable wearing in footwear. Also, the insole 1 can be cut at any position to fit the size of the foot or shoe, and the knitted fabric 2 can be prevented from fraying from the end 2E after cutting. After cutting, the insole 1 does not need to be subjected to anti-fraying treatment, such as sewing piping fabric around the entire circumference of the end 2E of the knitted fabric 2.

[0057] (3) Since the insole 1 is formed to a constant thickness over its entire area, including the end 2E of the knitted fabric 2, the entire insole 1, including the end 2E, can be formed thin, so that the insole 1 has almost no effect on the wearing comfort of the footwear.

[0058] (4) The knitted fabric 2 has a face stitch and a back stitch on the same course and the same wale, and one face stitch or two or more consecutive face stitches form a convex portion, and one back stitch or two or more consecutive back stitches form a concave portion. Since the convex portion and the concave portion are distributed in the knitted fabric 2 in this manner, the concave portion of the knitted fabric 2 is unlikely to come into contact with the sole of the foot, and the contact surface with the sole of the foot can be kept in a comfortable, non-sticky state. In addition, since the first yarn appears on the side where the face stitch protrudes, i.e., on the surface 21 side of the insole 1, and the second yarn appears on the surface 21 side of the back stitch, the first yarn is brought into contact with the sole of the foot on the surface 21 side of the insole 1, and the second yarn is unlikely to come into contact with the sole of the foot. Therefore, the water absorption function of the sole of the foot is more easily exhibited, and the discomfort caused by the melted and solidified second yarn touching the sole of the foot can be reduced as much as possible.

[0059] (5) By knitting the knitted fabric 2 with float knitting, it is possible to obtain a knitted fabric 2 in which convex portions and concave portions are distributed on the surface 21. Therefore, it is easy to ensure water absorption and moisture release properties on the surface 21. In addition, by using float knitting, it is possible to knit a knitted fabric 2 in which the convex portions of the first yarn are raised on the surface 21 and a predetermined gap is provided between the convex portions (concave portions), thereby improving water absorption and moisture release properties.

[0060] (6) Since a portion of the non-slip portion 3 of the insole 1 penetrates into the knitted fabric 2 and is fixed to the knitted fabric 2 by being entangled with the yarn, the anchor effect prevents the knitted fabric 2 and the non-slip portion 3 from peeling off, improving the durability of the non-slip portion 3.

[0061] (7) Since the non-slip portion 3 is made of silicone rubber, it is possible to obtain a good non-slip effect while improving durability compared to the case where a thermoplastic elastomer is used.

[0062] (8) Since the absorbent fiber contained in the first yarn and the heat-sealed yarn contained in the second yarn each account for 20% or more and 80% or less by weight of the entire knitted fabric 2, a good balance can be achieved between the absorbency of the first yarn and the shape retention of the second yarn.

[0063] (9) At least two convex portions are formed every 2.54 cm per course of the knitted fabric 2, so that the sole of the foot is less likely to slip in the longitudinal direction dL of the insole 1 as well as in the width direction perpendicular thereto.

[0064] (10) On the same course and wale of the knitted fabric 2, the number of consecutive knit stitches and purl stitches is 8 or less, i.e., the convex and concave portions are arranged at a fine pitch, so that the arrangement of the convex and concave portions is uniform, improving shock absorption during walking, and the uniform water absorption improves comfort. In addition, by restricting the number of consecutive knit stitches in the knitted fabric 2, deformation (curling) of the knitted fabric due to expansion and contraction in one direction can be suppressed, so that the fusion process after knitting and the process of forming the non-slip part 3 can be performed reliably without hindrance.

[0065] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible. For example, the polymer material of the non-slip portion 3 may be vinyl chloride-based or polystyrene-based.

[0066] Examples of knitted fabrics that can be used are Heman knitting, jacquard knitting, and links jacquard knitting, in which a yarn including a first yarn and a second yarn is supplied from two or three yarn feeders to give at least the surface 21 a textured structure.

[0067] In Heman knitting, the yarn appearing on one side of the knitted fabric 2 is switched between the first yarn and the second yarn for each course (the same applies on the other side). Jacquard knitting is a combination of Heman knitting and float knitting. Links jacquard knitting is a jacquard knitting that alternates between knit and purl stitches for each course to create an uneven texture.

[0068] In jacquard knitting and links jacquard knitting, for example, when yarn is fed from two yarn feeders, the floating yarn technique can be used to make the yarn from one yarn feeder appear relatively more on the front surface 22 side of the knitted fabric 2, and the yarn from the other yarn feeder appear relatively more on the back surface 22 side of the knitted fabric 2. As an example, by making the composition ratio of the first yarn in the total yarn supplied from one of the yarn feeders larger than that of the second yarn, the knitted fabric 2 can be knitted so that the proportion of the first yarn is relatively higher on the front surface 21 of the knitted fabric 2 and the proportion of the second yarn is relatively higher on the back surface 22 of the knitted fabric 2.

[0069] As another example of two-port knitting, as shown in FIG. 7, it is also effective to use a yarn S1, in which the composition ratio of the first yarn in the entire yarn is higher than that of the second yarn, and a yarn S2, in which the composition ratio of the first yarn in the entire yarn is lower than that of yarn S1, supplied from one of the yarn feeders, and to knit a fabric by float knitting in which yarn S1 is floated for two courses, preferably three courses, consecutively on the surface 21 side (three courses are flowed consecutively in FIG. 7).

[0070] The composition ratio of the first yarn and the second yarn in each of yarn S1 and yarn S2 is determined appropriately depending on the stitch size, knitting method, and other conditions of the knitted fabric 2. For example, yarns S1 and S2 can be configured such that the composition ratio of the first yarn in the entire yarn is more than 50%, the composition ratio of the first yarn in yarn S1 is 60% to 80%, and the composition ratio of the first yarn in yarn S2 is in the range of more than 50% to 70% or less, and is lower than the composition ratio of the first yarn in yarn S1. Specifically, for example, the composition ratio of the first yarn in the yarn S1 can be 70%, and the composition ratio of the first yarn in the yarn S2 can be 60%, etc. Incidentally, the composition ratio of the first yarn in the yarn used in the knitted fabric 2 is thought to be more than 50% in many cases, but it is not essential that it is more than 50%.

[0071] According to the knitted fabric 2 of the above example or other examples, the yarn S1, which contains more of the first yarn than the second yarn, is exposed more on the surface 21 side, thereby allowing the surface 21 side to have greater water absorbency, and the yarn S2, which contains more of the second yarn than the yarn S1, is exposed more on the back surface 22 side, thereby allowing the fabric to have good shape retention.

[0072] The knitted fabric 2 may be knitted by three-knitting using a three-knitting machine. Even when the knitted fabric is knitted by three-knitting, it is preferable to knit a pattern in which the first yarn is appropriately exposed on the front surface 21 side and the second yarn is appropriately exposed on the back surface 22 side using yarn S1 or yarn S2 or another yarn S3 (not shown) having a different composition ratio of the first yarn and the second yarn from each yarn feeder.

[0073] In the case of 3-way knitting, a concave-convex structure can also be imparted to at least the front surface 21 of the knitted fabric 2 by Heman knitting, jacquard knitting, and links jacquard knitting, etc. In addition, in jacquard knitting and links jacquard knitting, the knitted fabric 2 can be knitted so that the ratio of the first yarn to the second yarn is greater on the front surface 21 of the knitted fabric 2, and the ratio of the second yarn to the first yarn is greater on the back surface 22 of the knitted fabric 2.

[0074] The uneven structure of the knitted fabric 2 is not limited to the checkered or herringbone pattern described above, and may be formed, for example, in a border pattern with knit and purl stitches switched for each course. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1 Insole 2 Knitted fabric 2E End 3 Anti-slip part 21 Surface 22 Back side 50th table 60 Backfire dL Longitudinal direction d1 1st direction d2 2nd direction e1 First pattern element e2 Second pattern element G Gap P1 First pattern P2 2nd pattern x 1st Thread y 2nd thread

Claims

1. A removable insole for footwear, A knitted fabric knitted using a first yarn containing a water-absorbent fiber and a second yarn containing a heat-fusible fiber; and a non-slip portion formed of a polymer material on a back surface of the knitted fabric facing the footwear, When viewed from the front side of the knitted fabric, the knitted fabric has a stitch such that the first yarn is located on the front side of the stitch and the second yarn is located on the back side of the stitch, and the second yarn is arranged alongside the first yarn so as to support the entirety of the first yarn, and the second yarn is fused to almost the entirety of the first yarn to form an insole.

2. 2. The insole according to claim 1, wherein the water-absorbent fibers are short fibers.

3. The ratio of the water-absorbent fiber to the weight of the entire knitted fabric is 20% or more and 80% or less, 3. The insole according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the heat-fusible fibers contained in the second yarn to the weight of the entire knitted fabric is 20% or more and 80% or less.

4. The insole according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the knitted fabric has a face stitch and a purl stitch on the same course and the same wale, and one of the face stitches or two or more consecutive face stitches forms a convex portion, and one of the purl stitches or two or more consecutive purl stitches forms a concave portion.

5. The knitted fabric is knitted in either a jacquard knit or a links jacquard knit, The surface of the knitted fabric has a higher composition ratio of the first yarn than the second yarn, The insole according to claim 4 , wherein a composition ratio of the second yarns is higher than that of the first yarns on the back surface of the knitted fabric compared to that on the front surface.

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