US20220408881A1

Movatterモバイル変換

Info

Publication number: US20220408881A1
Application number: US17/356,312
Authority: US
Inventors: Yi-Chun Chen; Po-Hsiang HSIEH; Chin-Yuan Tsai
Original assignee: Pro Arch International Development Enterprise Inc
Current assignee: Pro Arch International Development Enterprise Inc
Priority date: 2021-06-23
Filing date: 2021-06-23
Publication date: 2022-12-29

Abstract

A shoe accessory of a shoe adaptive for activating a bottom of a foot wearing the shoe is provided. The bottom of the foot has a forefoot, a heel, and an arch between the forefoot and the heel. The shoe accessory includes a main body and a plurality of stimulating elements mounted to the main body. Each of the stimulating elements is movable universally on the main body and is adapted to exert a pressing force on a non-fixed point of the bottom of the foot to stimulate the arch.

Description

FIELD

The disclosure relates to a shoe accessory, more particularly to a shoe accessory of a shoe for activating a bottom of a foot wearing the shoe.

BACKGROUND

A conventional massage insole, e.g., a massage insole disclosed in U.S. patent Ser. No. 10/188,172, generally includes a main body and a plurality of protrusions formed on the main body. The protrusions have different diameters and heights and contact a bottom of a foot to stimulate plantar reflex areas to promote blood circulation of the foot. However, the protrusions are densely formed on the main body and contact some regions of the foot that are subjected to a relatively high foot plantar pressure when walking. Consequently, tight muscle and fascia tension are caused, which may even incur pain and inflammation of soft tissues of the foot such as muscle and fascia.

SUMMARY

Therefore, an object of the disclosure is to provide a shoe accessory of a shoe capable of alleviating the drawbacks of the conventional massage insole.

According to an aspect of the disclosure, a shoe accessory of a shoe adaptive for activating a bottom of a foot wearing the shoe is provided. The bottom of the foot has a forefoot, a heel, and an arch between the forefoot and the heel. The shoe accessory includes a main body and a plurality of stimulating elements mounted to the main body. Each of the stimulating elements is movable universally on the main body and is adapted to exert a pressing force on a non-fixed point of the bottom of the foot to stimulate the arch.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent in the following detailed description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG.1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the shoe accessory according to the present disclosure;

FIG.2 is a schematic sectional view of the first embodiment, illustrating a bottom of a foot being stimulated by a plurality of stimulating elements of the shoe accessory of the first embodiment;

FIG.3 is a schematic sectional view similar toFIG.2, but illustrating the stimulating elements being deformed;

FIG.4 is a schematic sectional view taken along line IV-IV inFIG.3;

FIG.5 is a schematic sectional view similar toFIG.4, but illustrating the stimulating elements being compressed by the bottom of the foot;

FIG.6 is a schematic sectional view of the first embodiment, illustrating that a main body of the shoe accessory is bent so that the stimulating elements move universally therewith;

FIG.7 is a schematic sectional view illustrating a modification of the stimulating elements of the first embodiment;

FIG.8 is a schematic sectional view of a second embodiment of the shoe accessory according to the present disclosure;

FIG.9 is a schematic sectional view of a third embodiment of the shoe accessory according to the present disclosure;

FIG.10 is a schematic sectional view of a fourth embodiment of the shoe accessory according to the present disclosure;

FIG.11 is a schematic sectional view of a fifth embodiment of the shoe accessory according to the present disclosure, illustrating a plurality of flexible elements interconnecting the stimulating elements in series;

FIG.12 is a schematic sectional view of a modification of the flexible elements of fifth embodiment;

FIG.13 is a schematic perspective view of a sixth embodiment of the shoe accessory according to the present disclosure; and

FIG.14 is a schematic sectional view of a seventh embodiment of the shoe accessory according to the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before the present disclosure is described in greater detail, it should be noted herein that like elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the disclosure.

Referring toFIGS.1 and2, a shoe accessory of a shoe adaptive for activating abottom1 of a foot wearing the shoe is shown. Thebottom1 of the foot has aforefoot11, aheel12, and anarch13 between theforefoot11 and theheel12. The shoe accessory includes amain body2, a plurality ofstimulating elements3 and aflexible unit4.

In this embodiment, themain body2 is an insole of the shoe. Thestimulating elements3 are mounted to themain body2. Each of thestimulating elements3 is movable universally on themain body2, is adapted to exert a pressing force on thebottom1 of the foot to stimulate thearch13, and is shaped as one of a sphere, a triangle, a polygon, and an irregular shape.

In this embodiment, thestimulating elements3 correspond in position to thearch13, which includes a transverse arch portion, a medial arch portion and a lateral arch portion. Each of thestimulating elements3 includes abag wall31 defining achamber30 therein and including a connectingportion311 and astimulating portion312.

For each of thestimulating elements3, thechamber30 is deformable to change a contact point between thebottom1 of the foot and a corresponding one of saidstimulating elements3, and thestimulating portion312 is adapted to contact thebottom1 of the foot and to stimulate thebottom1 of the foot. It should be noted that thechamber30 may be omitted, so that eachstimulating element3 is configured as a solid sphere shown inFIG.8.

Theflexible unit4 includes asoft layer41 fixed on themain body2, interconnecting themain body2 and the connectingportion311 of each of thestimulating elements3, and being flexible. In this embodiment, thesoft layer41 is made of a deformable material similar to gel, e.g., thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU). In this embodiment, thestimulating elements3 are formed integrally with thesoft layer4.

Further referring toFIGS.3 to5, when thebottom1 of the foot is stepped on the shoe accessory, thestimulating elements3 are deformed due to the fluidity of thesoft layer41 and thus move universally relative to themain body2 to stimulate thearch13. The movement of the stimulating elements includes but not limited to moving downwardly, returning to the original position after moving downwardly, shifting along a front-rear direction and a left-right direction transverse to the front-rear direction, and returning to the original position after shifting along the front-rear direction and the left-right direction.

In this way, when thebottom1 of the foot is stepped on the shoe accessory, thestimulating portion312 of each of thestimulation elements3 stimulates thearch13 to exert a pressing force on muscles of thearch13 so as to activate the muscles and drive relative movement of toes of theforefoot11. Thus, the muscles of the foot can be relieved, and blood circulation of the muscles of the foot can be enhanced. In the case that the shoe accessory is used for a long time, discomfort would not be caused to the foot wearing the shoe. Some deep muscles of the foot, small muscles of the calf and thebottom1 of the foot that are rarely used can be activated by the shoe accessory so as to strengthen the abilities of thearch13 to absorb shock from ground and to balance. Further, for people having muscle soreness after high-intensity exercise and wearing the shoe accessory of the present disclosure may reduce time for recovery.

It should be noted that thestimulating elements3 can be moved universally in manners other than flexing and deforming thesoft layer41. For example, as shown inFIG.6, thestimulating elements3 are moved universally due to deformation of themain body2. Additionally, thestimulating elements3 are moved due to compression by thebottom1 of the foot in different directions such that thestimulating portions312 move universally.

Further, thebag wall31 of each of thestimulating elements3 may include more than onestimulating portions312. For example, as shown inFIG.7, thestimulating elements3 are modified such that thebag wall31 of each of thestimulating elements3 includes a plurality ofstimulating portions312 disposed along a periphery thereof and connected to thesoft layer41 of theflexible unit4 through the connectingportion311.

Referring toFIG.8, a second embodiment of the shoe accessory of the present disclosure is similar to the first embodiment and the difference therebetween resides in the following. In the second embodiment, each of thestimulating elements3 includes a connectingportion311′ configured as a bendable pillar and astimulating portion312′ connected to the connectingportion311′ and shaped as a sphere.

Theflexible unit4 includes asoft layer41′ interconnecting the connectingportion311′ of each of thestimulating elements3 and themain body2, and cooperating with themain body2 to define aspace40 therebetween. In this embodiment, thesoft layer41′ is a soft plastic sheet that is flexibly deformable through thespace40. In this way, when thebottom1 of the foot is stepped on the shoe accessory, thestimulating elements3 are moved universally due to the deformation of thesoft layer41′ and bending of the connectingportions311′ caused by the force exerted by thebottom1 of the foot in different positions and directions. Thus, thestimulating portions312′ of thestimulating elements3 stimulate the arch13 (seeFIG.2) at different positions.

Referring toFIG.9, a third embodiment of the shoe accessory of the present disclosure is shown. In the third embodiment, each of thestimulating elements3 also includes a connectingportion311 and astimulating portion312. Theflexible unit4 includes a plurality offlexible elements43 connected respectively to thestimulating elements3, and connected to themain body2. In this embodiment, each of theflexible elements43 is a resilient member such as a compression spring. Thus, when thebottom1 of the foot (seeFIG.2) is stepped on the shoe accessory, since theflexible elements43 are deformed by the force exerted by thebottom1 of the foot in different positions and directions, the stimulatingportions312 of thestimulating elements3 are moved universally to stimulate and activate the muscles of the arch13 at different positions.

Referring toFIG.10, a fourth embodiment of the shoe accessory of the present disclosure is shown. In the fourth embodiment, theflexible unit4 further includes a plated-shapedflexible plate44 for supporting thestimulating elements3 thereon, and aflexible element45 disposed under and connected to theflexible plate44, and the stimulatingportion312″ of each of thestimulating elements3 is shaped as a triangle. In this embodiment, theflexible element45 is a resilient element such as a compression spring, and is connected between theflexible plate44 and themain body2.

Theflexible plate44 of theflexible unit4 interconnects thestimulating elements3 and theflexible element45, and is deformable. Thus, when thebottom1 of the foot (seeFIG.2) is stepped on the shoe accessory, since theflexible element45 is deformed by the force exerted by thebottom1 of the foot in different positions and directions, the stimulatingportions312″ of thestimulating elements3 are moved universally to stimulate and activate the muscles of the arch13 at different positions.

Referring toFIG.11, a fifth embodiment of the shoe accessory of the present disclosure is similar to the first embodiment and the difference therebetween reside in the following. Theflexible unit4 includes a plurality offlexible elements46 connected to themain body2 and connecting thestimulating elements3 in series. In this embodiment, each of theflexible elements46 is a string element. Thus, when thebottom1 of the foot (seeFIG.2) is stepped on the shoe accessory, since theflexible elements46 are deformed by the force exerted by thebottom1 of the foot in different positions and directions, thestimulating elements3 connected to theflexible elements46 are moved universally to stimulate and activate the muscles of the arch13 (seeFIG.2) at different positions. Note that theflexible elements46 may connect thestimulating elements3 together in other manners, for example, a plurality of additionalstimulating elements3 are rotatably and respectively sleeved on corresponding ones of theflexible elements46.

Referring toFIG.12, a modification of the fifth embodiment is shown. In this modification, two pairs offlexible elements46 are connected respectively to two opposite sides of astimulating element3, and thus thestimulating element3 is movable relative to themain body2 through the deformation theflexible elements46.

Referring toFIG.13, a sixth embodiment of the shoe accessory of the present disclosure is similar to the first embodiment and the difference therebetween reside in the following. In this embodiment, thestimulating elements3 and theflexible unit4 are integrally formed by a deformable and flexible material such as TPU, in a wavy configuration. The peak portions that are adjacent to thebottom1 of the foot wearing the shoe constitute thestimulating elements3, and the valley portions constitute theflexible unit4. The sixth embodiment possesses the advantages of the first to fifth embodiments.

Referring toFIG.14, a seventh embodiment of the shoe accessory of the present disclosure is similar to the first embodiment and the difference therebetween reside in the following. In this embodiment, themain body2 defines anaccommodation space21 adapted to open toward thebottom1 of the foot and accommodating thestimulating elements3 therein. Thestimulating elements3 are movably mounted in theaccommodation space21. Thus, the seventh embodiment possesses the advantage of the first to sixth embodiments.

Additionally, in other embodiments, themain body2 can be one of a midsole, an outsole, and a portion of an upper of the shoe extending toward the outsole of the shoe. For example, when themain body2 is the outsole of the shoe, an insole and a midsole of the shoe can be modified to have a relatively thin thickness to ensure that thestimulating elements3 are able to stimulate thebottom1 of the foot. A person having ordinary skill in the pertinent art is able to make some modifications to the shoe accessory of the present disclosure and further examples are omitted for the sake of brevity.

To sum up, the advantages of the present disclosure are described in the following. By virtue of thestimulating elements3 that are adapted to stimulate the muscles of the arch13, theforefoot11 of thebottom1 of the foot is activated. Further, since thestimulating elements3 are movable universally when being stepped on by thebottom1 of the foot, contact points between the arch13 and thestimulating elements3 are frequently changed. That is to say, each of thestimulating elements3 is movable universally on the main body to exert a pressing force on a non-fixed point of thebottom1 of the foot to stimulate the arch13. In this way, the stimulated points of the arch13 are changed continuously, so that each of the stimulated points would not be continuously subjected to a pressing force exerted by a corresponding one of thestimulating elements3 for a long time and the effect and comfort of massage to the muscle of the arch13 can be improved.

In the description above, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details have been set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that one or more other embodiments may be practiced without some of these specific details. It should also be appreciated that reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” an embodiment with an indication of an ordinal number and so forth means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic may be included in the practice of the disclosure. It should be further appreciated that in the description, various features are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of various inventive aspects, and that one or more features or specific details from one embodiment may be practiced together with one or more features or specific details from another embodiment, where appropriate, in the practice of the disclosure.

While the disclosure has been described in connection with what are considered the exemplary embodiments, it is understood that this disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.

Claims

1. A shoe accessory of a shoe adaptive for activating a bottom of a foot wearing the shoe, the bottom of the foot having a forefoot, a heel, and an arch between the forefoot and the heel, said shoe accessory comprising:

a main body; and

a plurality of stimulating elements mounted to said main body, each of said stimulating elements being movable universally on said main body and adapted to exert a pressing force on a non-fixed point of the bottom of the foot to stimulate the arch.

2. The shoe accessory as claimed inclaim 1, wherein each of said stimulating elements includes a bag wall defining a chamber therein that is deformable to change a contact point between the bottom of the foot and a corresponding one of said stimulating elements.

3. The shoe accessory as claimed inclaim 1, wherein each of said stimulating elements is shaped as one of a sphere, a triangle, and a polygon.

4. The shoe accessory as claimed inclaim 1, further comprising a flexible unit that includes a soft layer interconnecting said main body and said stimulating elements and being flexible and deformable, each of said stimulating elements including a connecting portion connected to said soft layer and a stimulating portion adapted to contact the bottom of the foot so as to stimulate the bottom of the foot.

5. The shoe accessory as claimed inclaim 1, further comprising a flexible unit that includes at least one flexible element connecting said stimulating elements to said main body.

6. The shoe accessory as claimed inclaim 5, wherein said flexible element is one of a string element and a resilient element.

7. The shoe accessory as claimed inclaim 6, wherein said flexible unit includes a plurality of said flexible elements, each of said flexible elements being connected respectively to said stimulating elements and being connected to said main body, and being a compression spring.

8. The shoe accessory as claimed inclaim 5, wherein said flexible unit further includes a flexible plate supporting said stimulating elements thereon and disposed directly above and connected to said flexible element.

9. The shoe accessory as claimed inclaim 1, wherein said main body defines an accommodation space adapted to open toward the arc portion of the bottom of the foot and accommodating said stimulating elements therein.

10. The shoe accessory as claimed inclaim 1, wherein said main body is one of an insole, a midsole, and an outsole.