Heel supports, shoes, and how to use them

Abstract

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a heel support that can be easily put on shoes and maintains a comfortable fit even when the support is attached to the shoes and used during exercise. [Solution] A heel support according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a heel support attached to the heel portion of a shoe, and comprises a contact portion whose front surface contacts the heel of the wearer, a clip portion that clamps the heel portion of the shoe between the contact portion and the contact portion, and a spatula portion that extends obliquely upward and rearward from the upper end of the contact portion, and the contact portion is formed in the shape of a spherical crown or spherical band.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates to heel supports, shoes, and methods of using heel supports. [Background technology]

[0002] Shoehorns are widely used to make it easier to put on shoes. Generally, shoehorns are held in the hand, but a shoehorn that can be attached to a shoe has been proposed (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2011-194049). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-194049 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The shoehorn described in Patent Document 1 includes a spatula and a clip that clips onto the heel of the shoe. By clipping the shoehorn onto the heel of the shoe, it is said that the user can easily put on shoes without holding the shoehorn in their hand. Since the shoehorn must be attached and detached each time shoes are put on, it must be carried when going out, for example, which can be cumbersome. Attaching the shoehorn to a shoe while walking or engaging in other exercise can impair the comfort of the shoe and can lead to blisters.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, the present disclosure aims to provide a heel support that can be easily put on with shoes and that maintains a comfortable fit even when worn with shoes while exercising. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A heel support device according to one aspect of the present disclosure, which has been made to solve the above problems, is a heel support device that is attached to the heel portion of a shoe, and includes a contact portion whose front surface contacts the heel of the wearer, a clip portion that clamps the heel portion of the shoe between the contact portion and the contact portion, and a spatula portion that extends obliquely upward and rearward from the upper end of the contact portion, and the contact portion is formed in the shape of a spherical crown or spherical band. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] A heel support according to one aspect of the present disclosure allows the user to easily put on shoes and maintains a comfortable fit even when exercising while wearing the support in shoes. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing a heel support according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing the heel support of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic rear view showing the heel support of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] [Description of the embodiments of the present disclosure] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described.

[0010] (1) A heel support according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a heel support attached to the heel of a shoe, and includes a contact portion whose front surface contacts the heel of the wearer, a clip portion that clamps the heel of the shoe between the contact portion and the contact portion, and a spatula portion that extends obliquely upward and rearward from the upper end portion of the contact portion, and the contact portion is formed in a spherical crown shape or a spherical band shape.

[0011] The heel support has a contact portion that contacts the wearer's heel and is formed in a spherical crown or spherical band shape, so it can maintain a comfortable fit even when walking or other exercise while attached to a shoe. The heel support also has a spatula that extends obliquely upward and backward from the contact portion, making it easy for the user to put on shoes. The heel support also has a clip that clamps the heel of the shoe between the contact portion and the spatula, so the user can easily put on shoes without having to hold it in their hands.

[0012] (2) In (1) above, the contact portion may have a convex portion on the rear surface. By having the contact portion have a convex portion on the rear surface, the heel support can be stably attached to the heel portion of the shoe, improving the ease of putting on shoes with the heel support and the ease of walking and other exercises with the heel support attached to the shoe.

[0013] (3) In the above (1) or (2), the upper end portion may be curved so as to be positioned forward of the lower end portion of the contact portion. By positioning the upper end portion of the contact portion forward of the lower end portion, it is possible to further improve the ease of putting on shoes using the heel support and the ease of walking and other exercises while wearing the heel support in shoes.

[0014] (4) In any of (1) to (3) above, the heel support may further comprise a cushioning material disposed on the front surface of the contact portion. By further comprising a cushioning material disposed on the front surface of the contact portion, it is possible to improve the reliability of maintaining a comfortable fit of the shoe.

[0015] (5) A shoe according to one aspect of the present disclosure is fitted with a heel support according to any one of (1) to (4) above.

[0016] The shoes are fitted with the heel support, so they are easy to put on and allow the wearer to walk and perform other exercises while maintaining a comfortable fit.

[0017] (6) A method of using a heel support according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes the steps of attaching any one of the heel support devices (1) to (4) to a shoe, wearing the shoe with the heel support attached, and exercising in the shoe.

[0018] According to the method of using the heel support, shoes can be easily put on, and exercise such as walking can be performed with the heel support attached to the shoes.

[0019] [Details of the Mode for Carrying Out the Invention] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the terms "front and back," "up and down," and "left and right" refer to directions from the perspective of a person wearing the shoe.

[0020] <Heel support> The heel support is attached to the heel of a shoe. As shown in Figure 1, the heel support 1 comprises a contact portion 10 whose front surface contacts the wearer's heel (not shown), a clip portion 20 that clamps the heel portion (not shown) of the shoe between the contact portion 10 and the contact portion 10, and a spatula portion 30 that extends obliquely upward and rearward from the upper end of the contact portion 10. The contact portion 10 is formed in a substantially spherical crown shape or a substantially spherical band shape. In other words, the contact portion 10 is curved in the left-right and up-down directions. At least the end portion of the contact portion 10 is formed with a curved surface, and the remaining portion may have a flat surface.

[0021] Contact portion 10 is generally plate-shaped and is placed inside the shoe when heel support 1 is attached to the shoe. Contact portion 10 is formed in a spherical crown or spherical band shape so that its front surface 11 (the surface facing forward when worn in the shoe) fits along the dorsal surface (rear surface) of the wearer's heel and its rear surface 12 (the surface facing rear when worn in the shoe) fits along the inner surface (front surface) of the heel part of the shoe. Specifically, front surface 11 of contact portion 10 is formed to fit along the insertion part of the Achilles tendon on the calcaneus and the rear part of the calcaneal eminence, or the vicinity thereof.

[0022] The contact portion 10 is formed in a generally spherical crown or spherical band shape, which allows the wearer to walk and perform other physical activities with the heel support portion 1 attached to the shoe (hereinafter referred to as mobility), and prevents the shoe's wearing comfort from being impaired, thereby preventing blisters and other problems. Furthermore, deformation of the heel portion due to stress applied to the heel portion of the shoe when the shoe is worn can be prevented. In other words, the heel support 1 has the function of assisting in putting on the shoe and the function of supporting (reinforcing) the shoe.

[0023] The contact portion 10 may have a cushioning material (not shown) on the front surface 11. By having the cushioning material on the front surface 11, the contact portion 10 does not come into direct contact with the wearer's heel, thereby further improving the wearing comfort. The cushioning material is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a sheet of known urethane or EVA (Ethylen-Vinyl Acetate: ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer resin). The cushioning material may extend in the left-right direction of the contact portion 10. In other words, the contact portion 10 may have the cushioning material formed so as to cover the side surface of the calcaneal tuberosity.

[0024] The spatula portion 30 extends obliquely upward and backward from the upper end portion of the contact portion 10. In a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the contact portion 10, the upper end portion is preferably curved so as to be positioned forward of the lower end portion of the contact portion 10. Positioning the upper end portion forward of the lower end portion improves ease of putting on shoes. Furthermore, since the upper end portion protrudes forward, the heel holder 1 can more reliably hold the calcaneal prominence, improving the wearing comfort and the mobility.

[0025] The clip portion 20 sandwiches the heel portion of the shoe between itself and the abutment portion 10. Specifically, the front surface 21 of the clip portion 20 faces the rear surface 12 of the abutment portion 10, and the heel portion of the shoe is inserted between the front surface 21 of the clip portion 20 and the rear surface 12 of the abutment portion 10.

[0026] The upper end portion of the clip portion 20 is joined to at least one of the rear surface 12 of the upper end portion of the contact portion 10 and the rear surface 32 of the spatula portion 30. The clip portion 20, contact portion 10, and spatula portion 30 are preferably formed integrally. The clip portion may be formed separately and attached to the contact portion 10 or spatula portion 30 using a torsion spring or the like so as to be openable and closable.

[0027] The front surface 21 of the clip portion 20 is preferably curved in cross section. In other words, the front surface 21 of the clip portion 20 is preferably formed so as to fit along the rear surface of the heel of the shoe. The front surface 21 of the clip portion 20 may be formed with substantially the same curved surface as the rear surface 12 of the abutment portion 10. By forming the front surface 21 of the clip portion 20 so as to fit along the rear surface of the heel of the shoe, it is possible to prevent the heel support 1 from unintentionally detaching from the shoe.

[0028] The distance (spacing) between the front surface 21 of the clip portion 20 and the rear surface 11 of the contact portion 10 may be large (wide) at the top and small (narrow) at the bottom. This distance may gradually decrease from the top to the bottom. By decreasing this distance at the bottom, the heel support 1 can be prevented from tipping forward (toward the inside of the shoe) when wearing shoes using the heel support 1. The front surface 21 of the clip portion 20 and the rear surface 11 of the contact portion 10 may be in contact at the bottom. In other words, the distance may be 0 mm at the bottom of the contact portion 10. Also, some types of shoes have a heel that is thicker at the top and thinner at the bottom. By making this distance larger at the top and smaller at the bottom, the heel support 1 can be easily worn regardless of the type of shoe.

[0029] The contact portion 10 preferably has a protrusion 13 on the rear surface 12. The protrusion 13 is preferably formed below the rear surface 12 of the contact portion 10. The shape of the protrusion 13 is not particularly limited, and it may be, for example, a rib that has a triangular or semicircular cross section, extends in the left-right direction, and is formed so that its apex faces the front surface 21 of the clip portion 20. By forming the protrusion 13 below the rear surface 12 of the contact portion 10, the distance from the clip portion 20 can be easily reduced, and the stability of the attached heel support 1 can be improved when putting on and taking off shoes.

[0030] The lower end of clip portion 20 preferably extends downward beyond the lower end of contact portion 10. By having the lower end of clip portion 20 extend downward beyond the lower end of contact portion 10, the heel support 1 can be more effectively prevented from tipping forward when putting on shoes. Specifically, this can prevent contact portion 10 from tilting forward when the heel is placed on spatula portion 30 to put on shoes.

[0031] It is also preferable that the lower end of clip portion 20 bends backward. That is, the portion of the lower end of clip portion 20 below contact portion 10 is curved so as to move away from contact portion 10. By having the lower end of clip portion 20 bend backward, heel support 1 can be easily inserted into the heel portion of a shoe, improving ease of wearing.

[0032] Clip portion 20 may have a reinforcing portion formed by a rib 23 or the like extending in the vertical direction on rear surface 22. By having the reinforcing portion, damage to clip portion 20 due to load being applied to heel support 1 can be prevented.

[0033] The spatula part 30 extends obliquely upward and backward from the upper end of the contact part 30 so as to function as a shoehorn when putting on shoes. In other words, the lower end of the spatula part 30 and the upper end of the contact part 10 are joined, and the upper end of the spatula part 30 is located above and behind the upper end of the contact part 10. The part where the lower end of the spatula part 30 and the upper end of the contact part 10 are joined is preferably curved in the front-to-rear direction.

[0034] The front surface 31 of the spatula part 30 is preferably curved in the left-right direction. By curving the front surface 31 of the spatula part 30, the heel of the wearer can be stabilized and guided into the shoe, improving the ease of putting on the shoe. The front surface of the spatula part may be formed approximately flat. The spatula part 30 may have the above-mentioned cushioning material on the front surface 31.

[0035] The heel support 1 may be made of metal or wood, but is preferably made of a resin material, which allows the contact portion 10, clip portion 20, and spatula portion 30 to be easily integrated into one piece.

[0036] <How to use> A method of using the heel support 1 includes the steps of attaching the heel support 1 to a shoe, wearing the shoe with the heel support 1 attached, and exercising in the shoe.

[0037] Specifically, the heel support 1 is attached to the shoe by inserting the heel of the shoe between the contact portion 10 and the clip portion 20. The wearer puts on the shoe by placing their heel on the spatula portion 30 and sliding it, and then walks or performs other exercises. That is, the heel support 1 can be used while attached to the shoe. The shoe may be stored with the heel support 1 attached. Furthermore, when changing to a different shoe, the heel support 1 can be detached from the shoe and easily attached to the new shoe. That is, the heel support 1 can be attached to any shoe selected, improving the ease of wearing, comfort, and mobility of the attached shoe. The attachment process may be performed by someone other than the wearer of the shoe.

[0038] <Shoes> The shoe fitted with the heel support 1 can be easily put on thanks to the heel support 1, improving the wearer's sense of oneness with the shoe (fit) and the mobility. Furthermore, the heel support 1 prevents the heel from being subjected to stress when the shoe is put on, thereby preventing deformation of the heel.

[0039] [Other embodiments] The above-described embodiments do not limit the configuration of the present invention. Therefore, the above-described embodiments may include omissions, substitutions, or additions of components based on the description in this specification and common general technical knowledge, and all of these should be construed as belonging to the scope of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0040] The heel support of the present disclosure can be attached to a shoe to make it easier to put on the shoe and can reinforce the heel portion of the shoe, so it is suitable for use as a shoe support. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1 Heel support 10 Contact part 11 Front 12 Rear 13 Convex part 20 Clip part 21 Front 22 Rear 23 Ribs 30 Spatula 31 Front 32 Rear

Claims

1. A heel support device attached to the heel of a shoe, a contact portion whose front surface contacts the heel of the wearer; a clip portion that clamps the heel portion of the shoe between the clip portion and the contact portion; a spatula portion extending upward and rearward from the upper end portion of the abutment portion; Equipped with The contact portion is formed in a spherical crown shape or a spherical band shape, The heel support has a reinforcing portion on the rear surface of the clip portion.

2. 2. The heel support according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion has a convex portion on the rear surface.

3. 2. The heel support according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion is curved so that the upper end portion is located forward of the lower end portion of the contact portion in a vertical cross-sectional view.

4. 2. The heel support according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion has a cushioning material on the front surface.

5. A shoe equipped with the heel support according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. A step of attaching the heel support according to any one of claims 1 to 4 to a shoe; A step of wearing shoes equipped with the heel support; A step of exercising in the shoes. A method for using a heel support device comprising:

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