Counter for sandals and sandals incorporating said counter

Abstract

To provide a counter for sandals which can be put on without using hands, can realize sandals with good wearing comfort, and has a firm strength, and sandals with the counter built in. [Solution] A counter 10 for sandals which is integrally formed with a back portion 11, a pair of side portions 12, and a connecting protrusion 13, and in a cross section cut vertically, the back portion 11 and the side portions 12 have an inner surface formed by an arc surface in which the central portion in the vertical direction protrudes furthest inward and is thickest, and the thickness gradually decreases from the central portion toward the upper end and lower end, and the connecting protrusion 13 is formed so that the amount of protrusion from the lower end of the pair of side portions 12 gradually increases from the rear end to the front end, and has notches K1 and K2 on its inner edge.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] To provide a counter for sandals, which enables a person to easily put on sandals by inserting his / her foot into the sandal and putting his / her weight on the heel, so that the foot can slide into the sandal without using a shoehorn or hands, and a sandal with the counter built in. [Background technology]

[0002] In the past, when putting on footwear, it was common to open the opening, insert the foot, place a shoehorn in the heel part, and place the heel of the foot against the shoehorn to put the foot into the footwear. Also, when putting on sandals, it was common to put the foot into the sandal and fasten the heel by holding the strap arranged in the heel part with one hand, or to manually operate the fastener attached to the strap arranged in the heel part to fasten it. However, such conventional footwear and sandals require bending over or using hands, making it difficult to put on the footwear or sandals smoothly. In order to solve this problem, various types of footwear that can be put on without using the hands have been developed in recent years. Conventional footwear that can be put on without using the hands is disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 1 below. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3238534 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The conventional technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 has the advantage that shoes can be easily put on without the need for a separate shoehorn and without damaging the leather part of the shoe. However, the footwear shown in Patent Document 1 has a structure that connects the heel guide portion 400 to the insole 300, which means that the footwear tends to cause a foreign body sensation when and after putting on the footwear, resulting in a poor wearing comfort. Furthermore, among footwear, there are still very few sandals that can be put on without using the hands, and the development of such sandals is desired.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention aims to solve the problems of the conventional technology described above, and to provide a counter for sandals that can be put on without using hands, that is comfortable to wear, and that has sufficient strength, and sandals that have such a counter built in. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the counter for a sandal of the present invention is a counter for a sandal that is built into the heel portion of the upper of the sandal, and that can assist the foot to slide into the sandal by inserting the foot into the sandal and putting weight on the heel portion, and that is a counter for a sandal that is integrally formed with a back portion that faces the back side of the foot and is made of a band-shaped member having a semicircular cross section when cut horizontally, a pair of side portions that face the side sides of the foot and are made of band-shaped members that hang down obliquely forward from the left and right front ends of the back portion, and connecting protrusions that are made of band-shaped members and protrude inward by a predetermined length from the lower ends of the pair of side portions, and the back portion is integrally formed with a diagonally rearward and the side surface portions have an inner surface formed by an arcuate surface in which, in a cross section cut in the vertical direction, the central portion in the vertical direction protrudes most inward and is thickest, and the thickness gradually decreases from the central portion toward each of the upper and lower ends; the side surface portions have an inner surface formed by an arcuate surface in which, in a cross section cut in the vertical direction, the central portion in the vertical direction protrudes most inward and is thickest, and the thickness gradually decreases from the central portion toward each of the upper and lower ends; the joining protrusions are formed so that the amount of protrusion from the lower ends of the pair of side surface portions gradually increases from the rear end to the front end, and the joining protrusions are formed on the inner sides. Two triangles With a notch The size of the notch provided on the front end side of the connecting protrusion is larger than the size of the notch provided on the rear end side of the connecting protrusion, and in side view, the center part of the counter in the front-rear direction is curved inward on both the upper and lower sides and recessed, and the width is narrowest. This is the first characteristic. In addition to the first feature, the counter for sandals of the present invention has the following features: When viewed from the side, the angle of inclination of the straight line connecting the front end of the side part and the rear end of the back part relative to the horizontal line is 30 to 40 degrees This is the second characteristic. The counter for sandals of the present invention is 1 of In addition to the features, The support projection is formed of a strip-shaped member and protrudes obliquely upward toward the front, on the front side of the center position of the side surface in the front-rear direction. This is the third characteristic. In addition, the present invention Sandals teeth, The counter for sandals according to claim 1 or 3 is built into the heel part of the upper. This is the fourth characteristic. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the counter for sandals described in claim 1, the inclined portion inclined diagonally backward is provided at the upper rear end of the back portion, so that when the counter is attached to the sandal, the sandal can be easily put on by placing weight on the heel portion and sliding the foot into the sandal via the inclined portion without using hands. Furthermore, the counter can be made to be less likely to break even when weight is applied to the heel portion of the sandal. Furthermore, by configuring the back and side sections so that, in a vertical cross section, the central portion in the vertical direction protrudes most inward and is thickest, with the inner surface formed by an arcuate surface that gradually becomes thinner from the central portion toward the upper and lower ends, the strength of the counter can be effectively reinforced, resulting in a counter with solid strength and high durability.In addition, when attached to sandals, the central portion that protrudes most inward aligns with the Achilles tendon of the foot, firmly securing the foot and making the sandals difficult to slip off. Furthermore, by configuring the connecting protrusions so that the amount of protrusion from the lower ends of the pair of side sections gradually increases from the rear end to the front end and by providing notches on the inner edges, when the upper incorporating the counter is inserted between the sole and the midsole and glued, the adhesive surface of the connecting protrusions can be gradually increased from the rear end to the front end, and adhesive can seep out from the notches to the upper surfaces of the connecting protrusions. This increases the adhesive strength of the entire counter, and also further increases the adhesive strength of the front end of the connecting protrusions, which bears the greatest load when weight is placed on the heel of the sandal. This results in a counter for sandals that is less likely to peel off during use and has excellent durability.

[0008] According to the counter for sandals described in claim 2, In addition to the advantageous effects of the configuration described in claim 1, when the counter for sandals is attached to sandals, the counter can be made to be gently inclined backward in a side view, making it easy to put on the sandals. It can be a sandal.

[0009] According to the counter for sandals described in claim 3, 1 to In addition to the effects of the described configuration, By providing a support protrusion formed of a strip-shaped member that protrudes obliquely upward toward the front, located forward of the center position in the front-rear direction of the side surface, when the counter for sandals is attached to the sandals, the foot inserted into the sandals can be more firmly fixed, resulting in an even more comfortable fit. It can be a sandal.

[0010] Also, the method according to claim 4 Sandals According to the above claim 1 or 3 Described in By incorporating a counter for the sandals into the heel of the upper, you can easily put on the sandals by placing your weight on the heel and sliding your foot into the sandals via the slope without using your hands. It can be a sandal.

[0011] Ma Furthermore, the sandals can firmly secure the feet, are difficult to slip off, and are comfortable to wear. Furthermore, the sandals can be made to be highly durable. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a counter for a sandal according to an embodiment of the present invention and a sandal with the counter built into the heel portion of the upper, where (a) is an oblique view of the sandal, (b) is a side view of the sandal, and (c) is an oblique view of the counter. [Figure 2] 1A to 1C are diagrams showing a counter for a sandal according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a side view, (b) is a rear view, and (c) is a bottom view. [Figure 3] 2(a) and 2(b) are cross-sectional views taken along line BB in FIG. 2(a), and FIG. 2(c) are cross-sectional views taken along line CC in FIG. 2(b). [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a modified example of a counter for a sandal according to an embodiment of the present invention and a sandal with the counter built into the heel portion of the upper, where (a) is a side view of the sandal, (b) is a side view of the counter, and (c) is an oblique view of the counter from above. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, a counter for a sandal according to an embodiment of the present invention and a sandal having the counter built into the heel portion of the upper will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings to help understand the present invention. However, the following description does not limit the present invention as defined in the claims.

[0014] First, a counter 10 for a sandal according to an embodiment of the present invention and a sandal 1 having the counter 10 for a sandal built into the heel portion 2a of the upper 2 will be described with reference to Figs. 1(a) and 1(b), a sandal 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a sandal including an upper 2, a sole 3, a midsole 4, and shoelaces 5. In addition, in this embodiment, the upper 2 is configured to be formed of two members: a heel portion 2a that wraps around the heel of the foot, and an instep portion 2b that wraps around the instep of the foot. A counter 10 is built into the heel portion 2a, and the length of the shoelace 5, which is formed of a rubber string inserted through the heel portion 2a and instep portion 2b, can be adjusted with a single touch. Since the upper 2, sole 3, midsole 4, and shoelaces 5 are similar to the upper, sole, midsole, and shoelaces that make up a commonly used sandal, detailed explanations will be omitted below, and only the counter 10, which is an important component of the present invention, will be explained in detail below.

[0015] 1 to 3, the counter 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a component that is built into the heel portion 2a of the sandal 1 and that assists in sliding the foot into the sandal 1 by inserting the foot into the sandal 1 and placing weight on the heel portion 2a. This counter 10 is composed of a back portion 11, a side portion 12, and a connecting protrusion 13.

[0016] The back portion 11 constitutes a portion of the counter 10 that faces the back side of the foot (that wraps around the back side of the foot). In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2(c), the back surface portion 11 is formed of a strip-shaped member made of resin, the cross section of which when cut horizontally is semicircular. 1(c), 2(a), 2(c), and 3(c), the rear upper end is provided with an inclined portion 11a that is inclined obliquely rearward, and in a vertical cross section, the central portion in the vertical direction protrudes most inward, has a thickness H that is the greatest, and has an inner surface N formed by an arcuate surface that gradually becomes thinner from the central portion toward the upper end and the lower end. Note that in FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b), the thickest portion of the back surface portion 11 is indicated by a dashed line.

[0017] The side surface portion 12 is connected to the front end of the back surface portion 11 and constitutes a portion of the counter 10 that faces the side surface of the foot (that wraps around the side surface of the foot). In this embodiment, the side portions 12 are formed by a pair of resin strips that hang diagonally forward from the left and right front ends of the back portion 11. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3(a), the upper edges of the side portions 12 are formed by a generally S-shaped strip, forming a curved line that is slightly concave downward from the front end of the back portion 11 and then a curved line that bulges upward. The lower edges of the side portions 12 are formed by strips that also form a curved line that bulges upward from the front end of the back portion 11. In other words, as shown in FIG. 3(a), the center portion of the counter 10 in the front-to-rear direction is configured to be narrowest in width, with both the upper and lower edges recessed inward in a side view. With this configuration, as shown in FIGS. 1(c), 2(a), and 2(b), when the connecting protrusions 13 are in contact with the ground, hollow portions 12a are formed below the back portion 11 and the side portions 12, resulting in the counter 10 being positioned so that the back portion 11 appears to be floating in mid-air. 1(c), 2(a), 2(b), and 3(b), in a vertical cross section, the central portion in the vertical direction protrudes most inward and has the greatest thickness G, and the inner surface N is formed by an arcuate surface whose thickness gradually decreases from the central portion toward the upper end and the lower end. In FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b), the thickest portions of the side surface portion 12 are indicated by dashed lines.

[0018] 3(a), in this embodiment, the length D from the front end to the rear end of the side portion 12 in a side view is configured to be twice the length E from the front end to the rear end of the back portion 11 in a side view. Specifically, the length D from the front end to the rear end of the side portion 12 in a side view is 6 cm, and the length E from the front end to the rear end of the back portion 11 in a side view is 3 cm. Of course, the lengths D and E are not limited to the lengths in this embodiment and can be changed appropriately depending on the size of the heel portion 2a of the upper 2, etc. However, it is preferable that the length D from the front end to the rear end of the side portion 11 in a side view be at least twice the length from the front end to the rear end of the back portion 12 in a side view, and more preferably, the length D from the front end to the rear end of the side portion 12 in a side view is approximately 6 cm, and the length E from the front end to the rear end of the back portion 11 in a side view is approximately 3 cm.

[0019] Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 3(a), the angle of inclination F of the straight line (shown by a two-dot chain line in Fig. 3(a)) connecting the front end of the side portion 12 and the rear end of the back portion 11 in side view with respect to the horizontal line (shown by a two-dot chain line in Fig. 3(a)) is set to 36 degrees. Note that the angle of inclination F of the straight line (shown by a two-dot chain line in Fig. 3(a)) connecting the front end of the side portion 12 and the rear end of the back portion 11 in side view with respect to the horizontal line is not limited to that in this embodiment and can be changed as appropriate, but is preferably set to 30 to 40 degrees. This is because if the angle is less than 30 degrees, the function of holding and fixing the heel of the foot when wearing the sandal 1 will be weakened, and if the angle is more than 40 degrees, the sandal 1 will be difficult to wear.

[0020] The joining projection 13 functions as a glue margin when the end of the upper 2 incorporating the counter 10 is caught between the sole 3 and the midsole 4 and bonded. In this embodiment, the joining protrusions 13 are formed by strip-shaped resin members that protrude a predetermined length inward from the lower ends of the pair of side surface portions 12. More specifically, the joining protrusions 13 gradually increase in the amount that they protrude from the lower ends of the pair of side surface portions 12 from the rear end to the front end, and are provided with two notches, notches K1 and K2, on the inner side. 2(c), in this embodiment, both the notches K1 and K2 are formed in a triangular shape, and the size of the notch K1 provided on the front end side of the joining protrusion 13 is larger than the size of the notch K2 provided on the rear end side of the joining protrusion 13. Of course, the shape, size, and number of the notches are not limited to the configuration of this embodiment, and can be changed as appropriate.

[0021] The inclined portion 11, the side portion 12, and the joint projection 13 configured as described above can be formed by molding them integrally using a resin by applying heat. The resin may be a thermoplastic resin or a thermosetting resin.

[0022] The counter 10 in the embodiment of the present invention having such a configuration and the sandal 1 having the counter 10 built into the heel portion 2a of the upper 2 have the following effects.

[0023] The back portion 11 is configured to have an inclined portion 11a that is inclined diagonally backward at the upper rear end of the back portion 11, so that when worn with the sandal 1, the sandal 1 can be easily put on by placing weight on the heel portion 2a and sliding the foot into the sandal 1 via the inclined portion 11a without using the hands. Furthermore, even when weight is applied to the heel portion 2a of the sandal 1, the inclined portion 11a can bear the load, making the counter 10 less likely to break. Furthermore, by configuring the back portion 11 and the side portion 12 so that, in a cross section cut in the vertical direction, the central portion in the vertical direction protrudes most inward and is thickest, and has an inner surface N formed of an arcuate surface that gradually becomes thinner from the central portion toward the upper end and the lower end, the strength of the counter 10 can be effectively reinforced, resulting in a highly durable counter 10 with solid strength. In addition, when attached to the sandal 1, the central portion that protrudes most protrudes along the Achilles tendon of the foot when the sandal 1 is worn, thereby firmly securing the foot, and the sandal 1 can be made to be difficult to slip off. Furthermore, by configuring the joining projection 13 so that the amount of protrusion from the lower ends of the pair of side surface portions 12 gradually increases from the rear end to the front end and by providing the joining projection 13 with the notches K1 and K2 on its inner side, when the upper 2 incorporating the counter 10 is pulled into and bonded to the midsole 4, the adhesive surface of the joining projection 13 can be gradually increased from the rear end side to the front end side, and adhesive can be allowed to seep out from the notches K1 and K2 onto the upper surface of the joining projection 13. In addition, by configuring the size of the notch K1 provided on the front end side of the joining projection 13 to be larger than the size of the notch K2 provided on the rear end side of the joining projection 13, the amount of adhesive that seeps out onto the upper surface of the joining projection 13 can be increased toward the front end of the joining projection 13. This increases the adhesive strength of the entire counter 10, and also further increases the adhesive strength of the front end side (shown by the black dot in Figure 2(a)) of the joining protrusion 13, which bears the greatest load when weight is placed on the heel portion 2a of the sandal 1 (shown by the black arrow in Figure 1(b)). Therefore, it is possible to obtain a highly durable counter 10 for sandals and a highly durable sandal 1 that are less likely to peel off during use.

[0024] Furthermore, by configuring the length D from the front end to the rear end of the side portion 12 in a side view to be twice the length E from the front end to the rear end of the back portion 11 in a side view, when the sandal counter 10 is attached to the sandal 1, the side portion 12 acts like a spring when the weight is placed on the heel portion 2a of the sandal 1, allowing the back portion 11 to slowly sink in, and after the foot has been placed inside the sandal 1, allowing the back portion 11 to slowly return to its original position. Therefore, the sandal 1 can be made easy to put on and has an excellent fit.

[0025] Furthermore, by setting the angle of inclination of the straight line connecting the front end of the side portion 12 and the rear end of the back portion 11 relative to the horizontal line to 36 degrees when viewed from the side, when the counter 10 for sandals is attached to the sandal 1, the counter 10 as a whole can be made to incline gently backward when viewed from the side, making it possible to make the sandal 1 easy to put on.

[0026] Next, a counter 20, which is a modified example of the counter 10 for sandals according to the embodiment of the present invention, and a sandal 6 incorporating the counter 20 will be described with reference to FIG. This modified example is a partial modification of the structure of the counter 10 described above. Therefore, in the counter 20, the same components and parts that perform the same functions as the counter 10 described above will be designated by the same numbers and letters, and detailed explanations will be omitted below. Similarly, in the sandals 6, the same components and parts that perform the same functions as the sandals 1 described above will be designated by the same numbers and letters, and detailed explanations will be omitted below.

[0027] As shown in Figure 4, the counter 20 of this modified example is configured to have one support protrusion 12b formed of a resin strip-shaped member that protrudes a predetermined amount diagonally upward toward the front, located forward of the center position in the front-to-back direction of the pair of side portions 12. In this modified example, the support protrusions 12b are configured so that the tip portions thereof are curved in an arc shape when viewed from the side. In this modification, the angle of inclination J of the support projection 12b relative to the horizontal line (shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 4(b)) in the side view shown in FIG. 4(b) is set to 30 degrees. The angle of inclination J of the support projection 12b relative to the horizontal line (shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 4(b)) in the side view is not limited to that in this embodiment and can be changed as appropriate, but is preferably set to 30 to 40 degrees. This is because if the angle is set to less than 30 degrees or more than 40 degrees, the function of holding and fixing the rear side of the foot when the sandal 6 is worn will be weakened. The supporting projection 12b having the above-described configuration can be formed by molding the inclined portion 11, the side surface portion 12, and the joining projection 13 integrally with a resin by applying heat thereto. The resin may be a thermoplastic resin or a thermosetting resin.

[0028] By configuring the counter 20 to include such a support protrusion 12b, when the counter 20 for the sandal is attached to the sandal 6, the rear side of the foot inserted into the sandal 6 can be more firmly supported and fixed, resulting in a sandal 6 that is even more comfortable to wear. Furthermore, by forming the tip of the support protrusion 12b into an arc-shaped curve, it is possible to effectively prevent the tip of the support protrusion 12b from tearing the upper 2 when the counter 20 is built into the sandal 6 and the sandal 6 is worn. Therefore, it is possible to provide a sandal 6 that is highly safe and durable.

[0029] The configurations of the upper 2, sole 3, midsole 4, and shoelace 5 constituting the sandal 1 according to the embodiment described above are not limited to those of the present embodiment, and any other configuration may be used as long as it functions as a sandal and can incorporate counter 10 or counter 20 in the heel portion. [Industrial Applicability]

[0030] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a counter for sandals that can be put on without using hands, that are comfortable to wear, and that also have sufficient strength, and therefore it is useful in the footwear-related industrial field and has great industrial applicability. [Explanation of symbols]

[0031] 1. Sandals 2 Upper 2a Heel 2b Instep 3 Sole 4 Insole 5. Shoelaces 6. Sandals 10 Counters 11 Back part 11a Slope 12 Side view 12a Cavity 12b Supporting protrusion 13 Joint protrusion 20 Counters D Length E Length F Tilt angle G Thickness H Thickness J Tilt angle N inner surface

Claims

1. A counter for a sandal is built into the heel portion of a sandal upper, and is capable of assisting a user in sliding a foot into the sandal by inserting the foot into the sandal and placing weight on the heel portion, the counter comprising: a back portion facing the back side of the foot and formed of a band-shaped member having a semicircular cross section when cut horizontally; a pair of side portions facing the side sides of the foot and formed of band-shaped members hanging diagonally forward from the left and right front ends of the back portion; and joint projections formed of band-shaped members protruding inward by a predetermined length from the lower ends of the pair of side portions, which are integrally formed; the back portion has an inclined portion at its upper rear end that is inclined diagonally backward; and in a cross section cut vertically, a central portion in the vertical direction protrudes most inward and is thickest, and the upper and lower ends are formed integrally from the central portion. a counter for a sandal having an inner surface formed by an arcuate surface whose thickness gradually decreases toward the top and bottom ends, and the side portions, in a cross section cut vertically, have an inner surface formed by an arcuate surface whose central portion in the vertical direction protrudes most inward and is thickest, and whose thickness gradually decreases from the central portion toward each of the upper and lower ends; the joining protrusions are formed so that the amount of protrusion from the lower ends of the pair of side portions gradually increases from the rear end to the front end, and have two triangular notches on the inner sides, and the size of the notch on the front end side of the joining protrusions is larger than the size of the notch on the rear end side of the joining protrusions; and when viewed from the side, the central portion of the counter in the fore-and-aft direction is curved inward and concave on both the upper and lower edges, making it narrowest in width.

2. A counter for sandals as described in Claim 1, characterized in that the angle of inclination of the straight line connecting the front end of the side portion and the rear end of the back portion relative to the horizontal line in a side view is 30 to 40 degrees.

3. A counter for sandals as described in Claim 1, characterized in that it is provided with a support protrusion formed of a strip-shaped member that protrudes diagonally upward toward the front, forward of the center position in the fore-and-aft direction of the side portion.

4. A sandal characterized in that a counter for a sandal as described in claim 1 or 3 is built into the heel portion of the upper.

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