WO2007037581A1

WO2007037581A1 - Arch support for shoes and insole employing the same

Info

Publication number: WO2007037581A1
Application number: PCT/KR2006/000940
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kwi Yeol Back
Original assignee: Segun Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2005-09-27
Filing date: 2006-03-15
Publication date: 2007-04-05

Abstract

An arch support for shoes and an insole employing the same are provided. In the arch support having a convex profile in conformity with an arch region of the midsole of a foot so as to be mounted in a shoe and fixedly supporting the arch region of the foot, the arch support comprises a support having a convex profile with a thick center portion and a thin edge portion, so that it conforms to the arch region of the foot; and an insert connected to the support so as to project on a top surface of the support and formed of a magnetic material producing a magnetic force. The arch support for shoes and an insole employing the same provide for a massaging effect of the arch region of a foot, and promote metabolism using the magnetic flux to facilitate blood circulation of the foot, thereby ultimately assisting users in recovering from their fatigue and promoting their health, and providing for an increased cushioning effect on the heel portion of the foot.

Description

ARCH SUPPORT FOR SHOES AND INSOLE EMPLOYING THE

SAME

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to an arch support for shoes and an insole employing the same, and more particularly, to an arch support for shoes configured to stimulate and support an arch region of the sole of a foot and an insole employing the same. Background Art

[2] A human foot has a sole shaped of a long arch extending from aft portions of a proximal hallux of the foot to a base region of a first metatarsal. In the arch-shaped foot sole, a midfoot has a dome-shaped, curved arch region such that metatarsal heads are slightly curved along a ball of the foot, which is generally called an "arch region". As a wearer walks or runs, the arch-shaped construction deforms to flatten under the wearer's weight-bearing loads, thereby providing optimal shock absorption. However, a person with a potential foot pathology such as flatfeet, overweight, strenuous exercise, or long walk, needs an orthotic foot device capable of supporting an arch region of a foot to restrain fatigue accumulation of the foot while relieving the pain.

[3] To solve such requirements, there have been known various arch supports that are designed for supporting an arch region of a foot, as disclosed in Korean Patent Published Application No. 2004-0048777, Korean Utility Model No. 0308061, and so on.

[4] While conventional arch supports are constructed to provide for odor-removing, sterilizing, or ventilating properties, there remains a need for a new arch support capable of achieving blood circulation through indirect stimuli of particular body portions and metabolic promotion. Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[5] In view of the foregoing, it is an objective of the present invention to provide an arch support for shoes, which can promote metabolism more smoothly through an arch region of a foot, and an insole employing the arch support. Technical Solution

[6] It is another objective of the present invention to provide an arch support for shoes, which can suppress deformation while facilitating shock absorption when loaded, and an insole employing the arch support.

[7] To accomplish the above objectives of the present invention, there is provided an arch support arch support having a convex profile in conformity with an arch region of the midsole of a foot so as to be mounted in a shoe and fixedly supporting the arch region of the foot, the arch support comprising: a support having a convex profile with a thick center portion and a thin edge portion, so that it conforms to the arch region of the foot; and an insert connected to the support so as to project on a top surface of the support and formed of a magnetic material producing a magnetic force.

[8] Preferably, the insert is formed of a mixture prepared from the magnetic material and supplemental materials mixed in a mixture ratio by weight of 7:3, the supplemental materials being at least one selected from the group consisting of germanium, charcoal, yellow soil, elvan, and active carbon.

[9] In addition, the support may be formed of a molding formed by coating a synthetic resin material having elasticity with nano-silver.

[10] In an aspect of the present invention, the support may comprises: a main body into which the insert is inserted; an adhesive layer having an adhesive agent coated thereon to attach a bottom of the main body to the shoe; and a separator pad, which is adhered to the bottom of the adhesive layer, formed of a material that can be easily separated from the adhesive agent of the adhesive layer.

[11] To accomplish the above objectives of the present invention, there is provided a shoe insole used for a shoe in an insertion type comprising: an arch support including a support having a convex profile with a thick center portion and a thin edge portion, so that it conforms to the arch region of a foot, and an insert connected to the support so as to project on a top surface of the support and formed of a magnetic material producing a magnetic force; and a main insole, configured such that conformity with the contour of the sole of the foot, having a connectable portion formed along the periphery so as to be adhered with an adhesion portion of the arch support, and adhered the adhesion portion of the arch support by applying an adhesive agent onto either the connectable portion or the adhesion portion.

[12] Preferably, the main insole further comprises a cushion member for absorbing shocks applied from the heel portion having an accommodating cavity inwardly recessed at a location on the reverse side of the main insole, the location a predetermined distance spaced apart from the arch region to the heel portion, and the cushion member formed of an elastic material having a higher modulus of elasticity than the main insole.

[13] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the shoe insole may further comprise a reinforcement member configured to cover the foot from the reverse side of the main insole ranging from the heel portion of the main insole to outer portions of the foot when viewed from the midsole of the foot, corresponding to the arch support, having a throughhole formed at a corresponding location where the cushion member is formed so that the cushion member is exposed, and formed of a synthetic resin material having a lower modulus of elasticity than the main insole to be adhered to the bottom surface of the main insole to suppress distortion of the main insole. Brief Description of the Drawings

[14] FIG. 1 is a side view illustrating an arch support according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention; [15] FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating an arch support according to a second embodiment of the present invention; [16] FIG. 3 is a side view illustrating a state in which a shoe having the arch support shown in FIG. 2 is worn by a wearer; [17] FIG. 4 is a partly perspective view illustrating a shoe insole having an arch support according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

[18] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the arch support shown in FIG. 4;

[19] FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the shoe insole shown in

FIG. 4 is combined with the arch support; [20] FIG. 7 is a partly perspective view illustrating a shoe insole according to a second embodiment of the present invention; and [21] FIG. 8 is a rear view illustrating a state in which the shoe insole shown in FIG. 7 is combined with the arch support.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention [22] Hereinafter, an arch support for shoes according to the present invention and a shoe insole employing the same will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. [23] FIG. 1 is a side view illustrating an arch support 10 according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[24] Referring to FIG. 1, the arch support 10 comprises a support 11 and inserts 18.

[25] The support 11 includes a main body 12, an adhesive layer 15 and a separator pad

17. [26] The main body 12 has a convex profile with a thick center portion and a thin edge portion, so that it conforms to an arch region of a foot. [27] The main body 12 is formed of a synthetic resin material having good elasticity and resilience such as ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) or urethane. [28] More preferably, the main body 12 is formed of a molding formed by coating the synthetic resin material with nano-silver or applying germanium, charcoal, elvan, or active carbon to the synthetic resin material. In the latter case, germanium, charcoal, elvan, or active carbon are applied to the synthetic resin material in a powder form to be impregnated into the synthetic resin material. [29] The main body 12 has a surface having a plurality of projections 13 for acupressure and a plurality of fitting holes 14 for inserting the inserts 18. [30] The adhesive layer 15 has an adhesive agent coated thereon and is used to attach a bottom of the main body 12 to the shoe. [31] The separator pad 17, which is adhered to a bottom of the adhesive layer 15, is formed of a material that can be easily separated from the adhesive agent of the adhesive layer 15. [32] Here, a both-sided tape may be adhered to the bottom of the main body 12 instead of the adhesive layer 15 and the separator pad 17. [33] In the illustrated embodiment, there are provided a plurality of inserts, as labeled

18, fitted into the main body 12, each of the plurality of inserts having a head portion

18a projecting on the top surface of the main body 12. The head portion 18a of each of the plurality of inserts 18 has a hemispherical shape. [34] The plurality of inserts 18 are shaped such that each of the head portion 18a and a leg portion 18c is longer than the body portion 18b. The plurality of inserts 18 may have the same size with or different sizes from one another. [35] The aforementioned inserts 18 are fittingly engaged with the fitting holes 14 of the main body 12 by applying an appropriate force to the fitting holes 14. The inserts 18 have only to be disengaged from the fitting holes 14 for the purpose of replacing the same with new ones.

[36] The inserts 18 may be formed of a magnetic material.

[37] Preferably, the inserts 18 may be formed of a mixture prepared from the magnetic material producing a magnetic force and supplemental materials mixed in a mixture ratio by weight of 7:3. Here, the supplemental materials are preferably at least one selected from the group consisting of germanium, charcoal, yellow soil, elvan, and active carbon. [38] Here, the magnetic material may a well-known material capable of making a permanent magnet. [39] Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 2, unlike in the illustrated example, the inserts 18 may be configured to be inserted into the fitting holes 14a passing through the main body 12. Here, it is preferable that the leg portion 18c of each of the inserts 18 not project outward a portion where the adhesive layer 15 is formed in a state in which the inserts are inserted into the fitting holes 14a. [40] In addition, the adhesive layer 15 may be entirely formed on the reverse side of the main body 12. Alternatively, the adhesive layer 15 may be formed by coating an adhesive agent on the main body 12 by a predetermined width along edges of the main body 12. [41] The arch support 10 can be readily used after being separated from the separator pad 17 to then be attached to a portion of the shoe 35 corresponding to an arch region of a foot 31, as shown in FIG. 3.

[42] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in a state in which the lower surface the arch support 10 is bent like a bow, after the separator pad 17 is separated from the arch support 10, the arch support 10 is gradually attached to the shoe 35 from its forefoot portion of the arch support 10 and the main body 12 is pressed downward, thereby attaching the arch support 10 to a proper position of the shoe 35.

[43] While it has been described and illustrated that the arch support 10 is singly attached to the shoe 35, the arch support 10 may also be integrally formed with the shoe insole.

[44] FIG. 4 is a partly perspective view illustrating a shoe insole having an arch support according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the arch support shown in FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the shoe insole shown in FIG. 4 is combined with the arch support. Components each having the same function for describing shown above are respectively identified by the same reference numerals.

[45] Referring to FIGS. 4 through 6, the shoe insole 40, which is shaped in conformity with the contour of the sole of a foot, comprises a main insole 41, and an arch support 50. Here, a portion to which the arch support 50 is connected is not provided in the main insole 41. The arch support 50 is connected with a connectable portion 43 provided on the bottom of the main insole 41.

[46] The arch support 50 is constructed such that inserts 18 are inserted into a support

51.

[47] An adhesion portion 53 is formed along the periphery of the arch support 50 for being adhered with the connectable portion 43 of the main insole 41.

[48] The support 51 may be formed of the same material as the main body 12 as described above.

[49] In the illustrated embodiment, the inserts 18 include a middle insert 18, labeled N, disposed at the inner mid portion of the foot, and 4 inserts 18, labeled S, disposed at the vicinity of the middle insert 18. Here, reference characters N and S are used to indicate polarities of the inserts 18. Unlike in the example illustrated in the drawing, the inserts 18 may be arranged such that the inserts labeled N have S polarity and the inserts labeled S have N polarity. In such a manner, polarities of the inserts 18 may be made different from the polarity of the middle insert 18 to make the magnetic flux concentrate on the middle insert 18, thereby promoting a foot stimulation effect.

[50] The shoe insole 40 having the aforementioned configuration is adhered to the connectable portion 43 of the main insole 41 by applying an adhesive agent on the top surface of the adhesion portion 53 of the support 51 or the lower surface of the connectable portion 43 of the main insole 41. [51] Of course, the main insole 41 may also be made of the same material as the main body 12 or 52, or other various known materials. [52] Unlike in the example illustrated in the drawing, the main insole 41 and the support

51 having fitting holes and projections may be integrally formed using the same material described above, followed by inserting the inserts 18 into the fitting holes. [53] Meanwhile, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, a main insole 141 may have a structure in which a reinforcement member 145 and a cushion member 148 are connected on a reverse side of the main insole 141. [54] The main insole 141 includes an accommodating cavity 141a inwardly recessed at a location on the reverse side of the main insole 141, the location a predetermined distance spaced apart from the arch region to the heel portion. [55] The cushion member 148 is inserted into the accommodating cavity 141a of the main insole 141 for sealing. [56] The cushion member 148 is formed of an elastic material having a higher modulus of elasticity than the main insole 141 such as a silicon material, or a synthetic resin material for use in porous sponges, and sealed inside the accommodating cavity 141a. [57] The cushion member 148 provides for an increased cushioning effect, which is quite an advantageous feature when considering that a load due to over 50% a wearer's weight is applied to the wearer's heel portion. [58] The reinforcement member 145 is formed so as to cover the foot from the reverse side of the main insole 141 ranging from the heel portion of the main insole 141 to outer portions of the foot when viewed from the midsole of the foot, corresponding to the arch support 50.

[59] In addition, the reinforcement member 145 has a throughhole 146 formed at a corresponding location where the cushion member 148 is formed so that the cushion member 148 is exposed downward. [60] The reinforcement member 145 is adhered to the bottom surface of the main insole

141 to suppress distortion of the main insole 141. To this end, the reinforcement member 145 may be formed of a synthetic resin material having a lower modulus of elasticity than the main insole 141. [61] Reference numeral 141b denotes a ventilation hole formed to pass through up and down to make the main insole 141 more porous. [62] The shoe insole employing the arch support 10 or 50 exhibits the following advantages, which will now be described. [63] First, the arch support 10, 50 is capable of stimulating the arch region of the foot, thereby rendering a massaging effect to the sole of the foot, which will known well in the art, and a detailed explanation thereof will not be given. [64] Next, the inserts 18 inserted into the arch support 10, 50 promote blood circulation by means of magnetic materials used as main components thereof, thereby relieving the foot pain.

[65] In addition, supplemental materials including elvan, germanium, yellow soil, and so on, emit far-infrared light, thereby promoting metabolism and increasing an immunizing effect.

[66] Further, silver, charcoal and active carbon used as supplemental materials also exert advantageous functions, including sweat absorption, sterilizing and deodorizing effects, and so on. Industrial Applicability

[67] As described above, the arch support for shoes according to the present invention and an insole employing the same provide at least the following advantages. That is to say, the present invention renders a massaging effect of the arch region of a foot, and promotes metabolism using the magnetic flux to facilitate blood circulation of the foot, thereby ultimately assisting users in recovering from their fatigue and promoting their health, and providing for an increased cushioning effect on the heel portion of the foot.

Claims

[1] An arch support having a convex profile in conformity with an arch region of the midsole of a foot so as to be mounted in a shoe and fixedly supporting the arch region of the foot, the arch support comprising: a support having a convex profile with a thick center portion and a thin edge portion, so that it conforms to the arch region of the foot; and an insert connected to the support so as to project on a top surface of the support and formed of a magnetic material producing a magnetic force.

[2] The arch support of claim 1, wherein the insert is formed of a mixture prepared from the magnetic material and supplemental materials mixed in a mixture ratio by weight of 7:3, the supplemental materials being at least one selected from the group consisting of germanium, charcoal, yellow soil, elvan, and active carbon.

[3] The arch support of claim 1, wherein the support is formed of a molding formed by coating a synthetic resin material having elasticity with nano-silver.

[4] The arch support of claim 1, wherein the support comprises: a main body into which the insert is inserted; an adhesive layer having an adhesive agent coated thereon to attach a bottom of the main body to the shoe; and a separator pad, which is adhered to the bottom of the adhesive layer, formed of a material that can be easily separated from the adhesive agent of the adhesive layer.

[5] A shoe insole used for a shoe in an insertion type comprising: an arch support including a support having a convex profile with a thick center portion and a thin edge portion, so that it conforms to the arch region of a foot, and an insert connected to the support so as to project on a top surface of the support and formed of a magnetic material producing a magnetic force; and a main insole, configured such that conformity with the contour of the sole of the foot, having a connectable portion formed along the periphery so as to be adhered with an adhesion portion of the arch support, and adhered the adhesion portion of the arch support by applying an adhesive agent onto either the connectable portion or the adhesion portion.

[6] The shoe insole of claim 5, wherein the main insole further comprises a cushion member for absorbing shocks applied from the heel portion having an accommodating cavity inwardly recessed at a location on the reverse side of the main insole, the location a predetermined distance spaced apart from the arch region to the heel portion, and the cushion member formed of an elastic material having a higher modulus of elasticity than the main insole. [7] The shoe insole of claim 6, further comprising a reinforcement member configured to cover the foot from the reverse side of the main insole ranging from the heel portion of the main insole to outer portions of the foot when viewed from the midsole of the foot, corresponding to the arch support, having a throughhole formed at a corresponding location where the cushion member is formed so that the cushion member is exposed, and formed of a synthetic resin material having a lower modulus of elasticity than the main insole to be adhered to the bottom surface of the main insole to suppress distortion of the main insole.