US20240074536A1

US20240074536A1 - Foot Protection Pad

Info

Publication number: US20240074536A1
Application number: US17/930,301
Authority: US
Inventors: Chen-Yu Tsai
Original assignee: Fusco Ind Corp
Current assignee: Fusco Ind Corp
Priority date: 2022-09-07
Filing date: 2022-09-07
Publication date: 2024-03-07

Abstract

A foot protection pad is provided, comprising: a body, a midfoot elastic body and a heel elastic body; wherein, the body is formed with a first elastic material to form a front plantar area, a midfoot area and a heel area; the bottom surface of the midfoot area is formed with a midfoot arch, and opposite sides are formed with a concave arc surface of the inner arch and the concave arc surface of the outer arch; a recession is formed on the body of the heel area, and the opposite two sides of the recession are formed with a concave arc surface of the inner arch and a concave arc surface of the outer arch, and the rear end is formed with a heel concave arc surface; the midfoot elastic body and the heel elastic body are formed with a second elastic material and respectively combined with the body.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

1. Field of the Present Invention

The present invention relates generally to a foot protection pad for placing inside a shoe, and more particularly, to a shoe pad with shock absorption, impact resistance, more ergonomic and comfortable wearing, and providing the effect of protecting the foot and preventing fasciitis.

2. The Prior Arts

In walking, a person's foot will bear 0.8 to 1.2 times the body weight, and generate corresponding reaction force, especially the reaction force directly impacts the sole plate, knee, and spine, and therefore it is best to absorb the impact by the insole in the shoe, otherwise in the long run, the impact will cause many foot lesions.
The traditional flat insole made of leather only provides the function of padding in the shoe, and is not effective in absorbing shock and impact force. The colloidal insole disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,140,126 provides an option that can improve the problem of traditional flat insole. It can be placed in the shoe at will, and the elasticity and softness of the colloidal material, such as silicone, can be used to absorb the shock and impacts generated when the body moves, so as to achieve the effect of protecting the foot and obtain comfort. The reason why colloidal insoles are popular is that they can be made thin enough to be placed in shoes; for further comfortable wearing, a layer of moisture-absorbing and breathable cloth is usually combined on the upper surface of the colloidal insole.
However, because the colloidal insole has damping properties, it takes more effort to walk, which leads to muscle fatigue; in addition, the colloidal insole is often too soft, so that the elastic effect is poor, and the impact resistance is also low.
Furthermore, the inner side of the midfoot area of the human sole is a concave and has a radian arch, and when the sole walks on the ground, there is a height difference between the arch and the insole. The conventional insole fails to provide the structure that supports the arch of the foot, therefore, is prone to fatigue when walking.
On the other hand, the heel portion of the conventional insole is in a flat shape, so that it cannot provide a better support effect on the inner and outer arches of the heel, and is also less comfortable when walking.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,060,563 provides an in-shoe cushion that addresses the aforementioned shortcomings of conventional insoles.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a foot protection pad that is more ergonomic and has better impact resistance and elasticity, so as to achieve more comfortable wearing when walking, and can produce better elasticity and propulsion.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a foot protection pad that can reduce the fatigue of the foot when walking, and at the same time has the effect of protecting the foot and preventing fasciitis.
The present invention provides a foot protection pad, comprising: a body, formed with a first elastic material into a shape corresponding to a bottom surface of a shoe, and the body comprising: a front plantar area, and a plurality of protrusions being formed on bottom surface of the body at locations corresponding to the front plantar area; a midfoot area, a midfoot arch that is arched upward into an arc surface being formed in the midfoot area, and the opposite sides of the midfoot arch being respectively formed with a concave arc surface of inner arch of the midfoot and a concave arc surface of outer arch of the midfoot, wherein the radius of curvature of arched top surface of the midfoot being in a range of 130-135 mm, the radius of curvature of the concave arc surface of the inner arch of the midfoot being in a range of 100-105 mm, and the radius of the concave arc surface of the outer arch of the midfoot being in the range of 54-58 mm; a heel area, a recession being formed on upper surface of the body at a location corresponding to the heel area, and opposite sides of the recession being respectively formed with a heel inner arch concave arc surface and a heel outer arch concave arc surface, and rear end of the recession formed with a heel concave arc surface, wherein the radius of curvature of the concave arc surface of the inner arch of the heel being in a range of 86-94 mm, and the radius of curvature of the concave arc surface of the outer arch of the heel is 35-39 mm, and the radius of curvature of the heel concave arc surface is 50-55 mm; a midfoot elastic body, formed with a second elastic material and bonded to the bottom surface of the body at a location corresponding to the midfoot area; and a heel elastic body, formed with the second elastic material and bonded to the bottom surface of the body at a location corresponding to the heel area. As such, when the foot protection pad is arranged in a shoe, it can provide more ergonomic and comfortable wearing, and has the effect of protecting the foot and preventing fasciitis.
Preferably, the thickness of the front plantar area of the body is in a range of 3.8-4.5 mm.
Preferably, the thickness of the midfoot elastic body is in the range of 0.5-1.5 mm, and in the midfoot area, the total thickness of the body and the midfoot elastic body is in a range of 8-9 mm.
Preferably, the thickness of the heel elastic body is in a range of 0.3-1 mm, and in the heel area, the total thickness of the body and the heel elastic body is in a range of 8-12 mm.
Preferably, the vertical height between the top surface of the midfoot arch and the bottom surface of the front plantar area is in a range of 12-15 mm.
Preferably, the bottom surface of the midfoot elastic body and the heel elastic body are formed with patterns with anti-slip function. Thereby, when the protective pad is arranged in the shoe, it is not easy to slide.
Preferably, the first elastic material is one of PU, TPR, TPE, or EVA material, and the second elastic material is one of TPU, PE, PP or ABS material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the foot protection pad of the present invention from a first angle;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the embodiment of the foot protection pad of the present invention from a second angle;

FIG. 3 is a schematic side planar view showing an embodiment of the foot protection pad of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic bottom planar view showing an embodiment of the foot protection pad of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a planar cross-sectional view showing the foot protection pad of the present invention along the direction V-V of FIG. 4 ;

FIG. 6 is a planar cross-sectional view showing the foot protection pad of the present invention along the VI-VI direction of FIG. 4 ;

FIG. 7 is a planar cross-sectional view showing the foot protection pad of the present invention along the direction VII-VII of FIG. 4 ;

FIG. 8 is a planar cross-sectional view showing the foot protection pad of the present invention along the direction VIII-VIII of FIG. 4 ; and

FIG. 9 is a planar cross-sectional view showing the foot protection pad of the present invention along the direction IX-IX of FIG. 4 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present invention.
Since the foot protection pad for the left foot and the foot protection pad for the right foot are symmetrically designed, the following embodiments only take the foot protection pad for the right foot as an example. The structure of the right foot protection pad is also applicable to the left foot protection pad; in addition, the structure descriptions described below are suitable for different foot sizes of male and female users. Accordingly, FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the foot protection pad of the present invention from a first angle; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the embodiment of the foot protection pad of the present invention from a second angle; FIG. 3 is a schematic side planar view showing an embodiment of the foot protection pad of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a schematic bottom planar view showing an embodiment of the foot protection pad of the present invention; FIG. 5 is a planar cross-sectional view showing the foot protection pad of the present invention along the direction V-V of FIG. 4 ; FIG. 6 is a planar cross-sectional view showing the foot protection pad of the present invention along the VI-VI direction of FIG. 4 ; FIG. 7 is a planar cross-sectional view showing the foot protection pad of the present invention along the direction VII-VII of FIG. 4 ; FIG. 8 is a planar cross-sectional view showing the foot protection pad of the present invention along the direction VIII-VIII of FIG. 4 ; and FIG. 9 is a planar cross-sectional view showing the foot protection pad of the present invention along the direction IX-IX of FIG. 4 .
Referring to FIGS. 1-4 , a preferred embodiment of the foot protection pad of the present invention includes a body 10, a midfoot elastic body 12, and a heel elastic body 14 arranged below the body 10; wherein, the body 10 is shaped to correspond to the shape of the inner bottom surface of the shoe, and is disposed on the inner bottom surface of the shoe for contact with the sole of the foot that is inserted into the shoe. The body 10 includes a front plantar area A, a midfoot area B, and a heel area C; wherein the front plantar area A refers to the area where the forefoot palm part of the sole of the foot is stepped on, the midfoot area B refers to the area where the middle part of the sole of the foot that contacts the foot protection pad including the arch of the foot, and the heel area C refers to the area for the sole of the foot where the heel treads.
Wherein, the body 10 can use polyurethane (Polyurethane, referred to as PU), thermoplastic rubber (Thermoplastic Rubber, referred to as TPR), thermoplastic elastomer (Thermoplastic Elastomer, referred to as TPE), rubber foam material (EVA), silicone (Silicone)), microcellular polymer material (Porn), sponge (SPONGE), rubber (RUBBER), etc., as the first elastic material, and use an injection-molding process to form the first elastic material into a shape corresponding to the inner bottom surface of the shoe. The edge of the front plantar area A of the body 10 is designed according to the arc curve with the toes close together, and the entire foot protection pad is gradually thickened along the direction from the rear side edges of the front plantar area A to the edge of the heel area C, so that the foot protection pad is fitted and fixed in the shoe by this thickness. As shown in FIG. 2 , FIG. 6 , and FIG. 7 , the bottom surface of the body 10 corresponding to the front plantar area A is formed with a plurality of protrusions 101. These protrusions 101 can be designed in various geometric shapes, such as circle, rectangle, prism, polygon, etc. according to actual needs. By these protrusions 101, when the body 10 is arranged in the shoe, the front plantar area A has a good anti-slip effect. As shown in FIG. 4 , the surface of the front end of the front plantar area A can also form a plurality of cutting mark lines 18 according to the size of each person's sole, and these cutting mark lines 18 are based on the arc curve formed by the contour shape of the sole of the foot of different sizes when the toes are together. As such, the cutting mark lines 18 allow the user to cut the corresponding size of the protective pad according to the inner size of the shoe they are wearing. In addition, the thicknesses of the midfoot area B and the heel area C are set to be greater than the thickness of the front plantar area A, and the midfoot area B is formed to have a midfoot arch 102 that is arched upwardly to make the midfoot area B and heel area C have good elasticity. This is because when a person walks or runs, the heel and the middle of the sole will bear a larger impact force from the ground, so the thickness of the midfoot area B and heel area C should be greater than the thickness of the front plantar area A. Also, the formation of the midfoot area B into a midfoot arch 102 with an upward arched surface can make the midfoot area B and the heel area C have a better effect of absorbing the shock and impact, preventing most of the external force impacting the shoe from being transmitted to the foot to cause injury.
Based on the aforementioned effect of making the foot protection pad more excellent in absorbing impact, the inventor of the present case has undergone continuous experiments and tests, and the thickness of the relevant parts of the structure of the body 10 of the foot protection pad of the present invention has the following dimensions of the preferred embodiment:
The thickness T1 of the front plantar area A ranges from 3.8 mm to 4.5 mm.
The total thickness T2 of the midfoot area B ranges from 8 to 9 mm.
The total thickness range T3 of the heel area C is 8-12 mm.
The vertical height H between the top surface of the midfoot arch 102 and the bottom surface of the front plantar area A ranges from 12 to 15 mm.
In addition, in order to make the user's feet fit more comfortably with the foot protection pad when the user's feet are inserted into the shoes, the present invention is further provide with a recession 103 formed on the upper surface of the body 1 of the heel area C for the heel insertion of the foot. As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 9 , the opposite sides of the recession 103 are respectively formed with a heel inner arch concave arc surface 105 and a heel outer arch concave arc surface 104, and a rear end is formed with a heel concave arc surface 106. As shown in FIG. 8 , a midfoot inner arch concave arc surface 107 and a midfoot outer arch concave arc surface 108 are respectively formed on opposite sides of the midfoot arch 102; thereby, when the foot steps into the shoe and the sole of the foot contacts the upper surface of the foot protection pad, the heel inner arch concave arc surface 105, the heel outer arch concave arc surface 104, and the heel concave arc surface 106 are in contact with each other at the same time. Both sides and rear end of the heel, and the concave arc surface 107 of the inner arch of the midfoot and the concave arc surface 108 of the outer arch of the midfoot are attached to the opposite sides of the arch (i.e., the inner side of the foot arch and the outer side of the foot arch).
Based on the above-mentioned more excellent fit effect between the foot and the foot protection pad, through continuous experiments and tests by the inventor of the present invention, the radius of curvature of the relevant concave arc surface of the structure of the body 10 of the foot protection pad of the present invention has the following dimensions of the preferred embodiment:
The radius of curvature R1 of the heel outer arch concave arc surface 104 ranges from 35 mm to 39 mm.
The radius of curvature R2 of the heel inner arch concave arc surface 105 ranges from 86 mm to 94 mm.
The radius of curvature R3 of the heel concave arc surface 106 ranges from 50 to 55 mm.
The radius of curvature R4 of the top surface of the midfoot arch 102 ranges from 130 to 135 mm.
The radius of curvature R5 of the concave arc surface 108 of the outer arch of the midfoot ranges from 54 to 58 mm.
The radius of curvature R6 of the concave arc surface 107 of the inner arch of the midfoot ranges from 100 to 105 mm.
Furthermore, based on the consideration of the comfort of wearing shoes, an upper surface layer 16 can be combined with the upper surface of the body 10. For example, the upper surface layer 16 can be made of cloth or plastic material with fluff, and the upper surface layer 16 can also be provided with patterns, logos, or trademarks according to design requirements.
Since the body 1 is relatively soft, in order to improve the strength and elasticity of the entire foot protection pad, the present invention further combines the midfoot elastic body 12 and the heel elastic body 14 below the body 1 with a relative hardness higher than that of the body 1. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the midfoot elastic body 12 and the heel elastic body 14 can be made of thermoplastic polymer materials (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, referred to as ABS), polypropylene (Polypropylene, referred to as PP), polyethylene (Polyethylene (PE for short), thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer rubber (TPU) and other materials, and are respectively injection molded to substantially match the shape of the bottom surface of the midfoot area B and the bottom surface of the heel area C of the body 10. That is, the midfoot elastic body 12 is formed into an arch shape that protrudes upward and has a proper arch curvature radius, and the midfoot elastic body 12 and the heel elastic body 14 are put into the mold at the same time as the body 10 is formed. As such, when the molded body 10 is formed, it is fitted with the midfoot elastic body 12 and the heel elastic body 14, so that the bottom surface of the midfoot elastic body 12 and the heel elastic body 14 is flush with the bottom surface of the body 10. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the thickness t1 of the midfoot elastic body is set in the range of 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm, and after the midfoot elastic body 12 is combined with the bottom surface of the body of the midfoot area B, the total thickness T2, including the body 10 and the thickness t1 of the midfoot elastic body 12, is in the range of 8-9 mm. In addition, the thickness t2 of the heel elastic body 14 is preferably set in the range of 0.3-1 mm, and after the heel elastic body 14 is combined with the bottom surface of the body 10 in the heel area C, the total thickness T3, including the body 10 and the thickness t2 of the heel elastic body 14 ranges from 8 to 12 mm.
Since the midfoot elastic body 12 and the heel elastic body 14 using the second elastic material that has higher hardness than the body 10 using the first elastic material, the midfoot elastic body 12 and the heel elastic body 14 are stronger to provide support for the bottom of the body 10, thereby improving ergonomic structure, so that the foot slips into the shoe to obtain the best comfort. In addition, the bottom surfaces of the midfoot elastic body 12 and the heel elastic body 14 can also be formed with anti-slip patterns 121 and 141 as required, so that the foot protection pad can effectively avoid sliding when placed in the shoe.
With the aforementioned foot protection pad structure of the present invention, when installed in a shoe and worn, the arch portion of the sole of the foot can be elastically supported by the arch shape of the midfoot area B to avoid fatigue from walking. In addition, with the opposite sides of the midfoot area B, the opposite sides and the rear end of the recession 103 of the heel area C covering the circumference of the heel snugly, the present invention provides a more ergonomic foot protection pad structure, in addition to effectively cushioning the impact of the heel landing, the present invention also provides a more comfortable feeling for the wearer, and can effectively prevent fasciitis of the foot.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that a variety of modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention which is intended to be defined by the appended claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A foot protection pad, comprising:

a body, formed with a first elastic material into a shape corresponding to a bottom surface of a shoe, and the body comprising:

a front plantar area, and a plurality of protrusions being formed on bottom surface of the body at locations corresponding to the front plantar area;

a midfoot area, a midfoot arch that is arched upward into an arc surface being formed in the midfoot area, and the opposite sides of the midfoot arch being respectively formed with a concave arc surface of inner arch of the midfoot and a concave arc surface of outer arch of the midfoot, wherein the radius of curvature of arched top surface of the midfoot being in a range of 130-135 mm, the radius of curvature of the concave arc surface of the inner arch of the midfoot being in a range of 100-105 mm, and the radius of the concave arc surface of the outer arch of the midfoot being in the range of 54-58 mm; and

a heel area, a recession being formed on upper surface of the body at a location corresponding to the heel area, and opposite sides of the recession being respectively formed with a heel inner arch concave arc surface and a heel outer arch concave arc surface, and rear end of the recession formed with a heel concave arc surface, wherein the radius of curvature of the concave arc surface of the inner arch of the heel being in a range of 86-94 mm, and the radius of curvature of the concave arc surface of the outer arch of the heel is 35-39 mm, and the radius of curvature of the heel concave arc surface is 50-55 mm;

a midfoot elastic body, formed with a second elastic material and bonded to the bottom surface of the body at a location corresponding to the midfoot area; and

a heel elastic body, formed with the second elastic material and bonded to the bottom surface of the body at a location corresponding to the heel area;

wherein the second elastic material has a higher hardness than the first elastic material.

2. The foot protection pad according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the front plantar area of the body is in a range of 3.8-4.5 mm.

3. The foot protection pad according to claim 2, wherein the thickness of the midfoot elastic body is in the range of 0.5-1.5 mm, and in the midfoot area, the total thickness of the body and the midfoot elastic body is in a range of 8-9 mm.

4. The foot protection pad according to claim 3, wherein the thickness of the heel elastic body is in a range of 0.3-1 mm, and in the heel area, the total thickness of the body and the heel elastic body is in a range of 8-12 mm.

5. The foot protection pad according to claim 1, wherein the vertical height between the top surface of the midfoot arch and the bottom surface of the front plantar area is in a range of 12-15 mm.

6. The foot protection pad according to claim 1, wherein the bottom surface of the midfoot elastic body and the heel elastic body are formed with patterns with anti-slip function.

7. The foot protection pad according to claim 1, wherein the first elastic material is one of PU, TPR, TPE, or EVA material, and the second elastic material is one of TPU, PE, PP or ABS material.