Shock-absorbing structure formed by plastic material

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6749187
  • Patent Number
    6,749,187
  • Date Filed
    Wednesday, November 27, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, June 15, 2004
    21 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Rodriguez; Pam
    Agents
    • Baxley; Charles E.
Abstract
A shock-absorbing structure includes an elastic helical body, and an elastic helical curved tube. The elastic helical body is formed with a plurality of loops and a plurality of buffer spaces each defined between any two adjacent loops. The elastic helical curved tube is formed with a plurality of curved convex portions each inserted into a respective buffer space and urged between any two adjacent loops. Thus, the buffer spaces of the elastic helical body provide a cushioning effect. In addition, the elastic helical body and the elastic helical curved tube produce an elastic restoring force, so as to damp and reduce the stress applied on the shoe sole, thereby providing a shock-absorbing effect.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




The present invention relates to a shock-absorbing structure formed by plastic material, and more particularly to a shock-absorbing structure having a shock-absorbing effect and a cushioning effect.




2. Description of the Related Art




A conventional shock-absorbing structure in accordance with the prior art shown in

FIG. 1

is mounted in a shoe sole


10


, and comprises a plurality of air chambers


11


and a plurality of rubber columns


12


. Thus, the conventional shock-absorbing structure provides a shock-absorbing effect. However, the restoring effect of the rubber columns


12


is limited, and the deformable space of the air chambers


11


is also limited. In addition, the stress is excessively concentrated on the rubber columns


12


, so that the rubber columns


12


are easily deformed or broken. Further, when the air chambers


11


are worn out, the shock-absorbing effect of the conventional shock-absorbing structure fails.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the disadvantage of the conventional shock-absorbing structure.




The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a shock-absorbing structure having a shock-absorbing effect and a cushioning effect.




Another objective of the present invention is to provide a shock-absorbing structure formed by plastic material, wherein the buffer spaces of the elastic helical body provide a deformable and compressible space efficiently, so as to damp and reduce the stress applied on the shoe sole, thereby providing a cushioning effect.




A further objective of the present invention is to provide a shock-absorbing structure formed by plastic material, wherein the plurality of loops of the elastic helical body produce an elastic restoring force, and the curved convex portions and curved concave portions of the elastic helical curved tube also produce an elastic restoring force, so as to damp and reduce the stress applied on the shoe sole, thereby providing a shock-absorbing effect.




A further objective of the present invention is to provide a shock-absorbing structure formed by plastic material, wherein the softer elastic helical curved tube balances and buffers the compression stress efficiently, so as to protect the harder elastic helical body.




A further objective of the present invention is to provide a shock-absorbing structure formed by plastic material, wherein the curved convex portions and curved concave portions of the elastic helical curved tube distribute and reduce the compression stress on the loops at the compressed side of the elastic helical body, thereby preventing the loops at the compressed side of the elastic helical body from being torn and broken.




In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a shock-absorbing structure formed by plastic material, comprising an elastic helical body, and an elastic helical curved tube combined with the helical body, wherein:




the elastic helical body is formed with a plurality of loops, and a plurality of buffer spaces each defined between any two adjacent loops; and




the elastic helical curved tube is formed with a plurality of curved convex portions each inserted into a respective one of the buffer spaces of the elastic helical body and urged between any two adjacent loops of the elastic helical body.




Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a plan cross-sectional view of a conventional shock-absorbing structure in accordance with the prior art;





FIG. 2

is a partially cut-away perspective cross-sectional view of a shock-absorbing structure formed by plastic material in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;





FIG. 3

is a perspective view of the shock-absorbing structure formed by plastic material in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;





FIG. 4

is a partially plan cross-sectional assembly view showing the shock-absorbing structure being mounted in a shoe sole; and





FIG. 5

is a schematic operational view of the shock-absorbing structure as shown in

FIG. 4

in compression.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION




Referring to the drawings and initially to

FIGS. 2-4

, a shock-absorbing structure formed by plastic material in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises an elastic helical body


20


, and an elastic helical curved tube


30


combined with the helical body


20


.




The elastic helical body


20


is made of a harder elastic plastic material. The elastic helical body


20


has a shape of a curved helical spring, and is formed with a plurality of loops


200


which are connected and arranged in a helical manner. The elastic helical body


20


is formed with a plurality of buffer spaces


23


each defined between any two adjacent loops


200


. The elastic helical body


20


has a flattened upper end face


21


and a flattened lower end face


22


.




The elastic helical curved tube


30


is made of a softer elastic plastic material. The elastic helical curved tube


30


is mounted in an inner periphery of the elastic helical body


20


. Preferably, the elastic helical curved tube


30


is combined with the elastic helical body


20


integrally by a plastic injection molding process. The elastic helical curved tube


30


is formed with a plurality of curved convex portions


31


each inserted into a respective one of the buffer spaces


23


of the elastic helical body


20


and urged between any two adjacent loops


200


of the elastic helical body


20


. The elastic helical curved tube


30


is formed with a plurality of curved concave portions


310


each encompassing a respective one of the loops


200


of the elastic helical body


20


. Each of the curved concave portions


310


is located between any two adjacent curved convex portions


31


of the elastic helical curved tube


30


. The curved convex portions


31


and the curved concave portions


310


of the elastic helical curved tube


30


are connected and arranged in a helical manner. The elastic helical curved tube


30


has a flattened upper end face


32


flush with the flattened upper end face


21


of the elastic helical body


20


and a flattened lower end face flush with the flattened lower end face


22


of the elastic helical body


20


.




In application, the shock-absorbing structure of the present invention is mounted in a shoe sole


40


as shown in FIG.


4


. When the shoe sole


40


is subjected to a compression stress, the flattened upper end face


21


of the elastic helical body


20


and the flattened upper end face


32


of the elastic helical curved tube


30


withstand the stress simultaneously. Thus, the buffer spaces


23


of the elastic helical body


20


provide a deformable and compressible space efficiently, so as to damp and reduce the stress applied on the shoe sole


40


, thereby providing a cushioning effect.




At the same time, the plurality of loops


200


of the elastic helical body produce an elastic restoring force, and the curved convex portions


31


and curved concave portions


310


of the elastic helical curved tube


30


also produce an elastic restoring force, so as to damp and reduce the stress applied on the shoe sole


40


, thereby providing a shock-absorbing effect.




Referring to

FIG. 5

, when the shoe sole


40


is subjected to an unevenly distributed compression stress, the elastic helical body


20


and the elastic helical curved tube


30


withstand the unevenly distributed compression stress simultaneously. At this time, the buffer spaces


23


at one side of the elastic helical body


20


are compressed and shortened, while the buffer spaces


23


at the other side of the elastic helical body


20


are stretched and lengthened. Similarly, the curved convex portions


31


and curved concave portions


310


at one side of the elastic helical curved tube


30


are compressed and deformed, the curved convex portions


31


and curved concave portions


310


at the other side of the elastic helical curved tube


30


are stretched and deformed.




In such a manner, the elastic helical body


20


and the elastic helical curved tube


30


at the compressed side withstand the compression stress simultaneously, while the curved convex portions


31


and curved concave portions


310


at the other side of the elastic helical curved tube


30


produce a support pulling force on the loops


200


at the other side of the elastic helical body


20


, thereby distributing and reducing the compression stress of the compressed side.




Accordingly, the softer elastic helical curved tube


30


balances and buffers the compression stress efficiently, so as to protect the harder elastic helical body


20


. In addition, the curved convex portions


31


and curved concave portions


310


of the elastic helical curved tube


30


distribute and reduce the compression stress on the loops


200


at the compressed side of the elastic helical body


20


, thereby preventing the loops


200


at the compressed side of the elastic helical body


20


from being torn and broken.




While the preferred embodiment(s) of the present invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made in the embodiment(s) without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Such modifications are all within the scope of the present invention.



Claims
  • 1. A shock-absorbing structure formed by plastic material, comprising an elastic helical body, and an elastic helical curved tube combined with the helical body, wherein:the elastic helical body is formed with a plurality of loops, and a plurality of buffer spaces each defined between any two adjacent loops; and the elastic helical curved tube is formed with a plurality of curved convex portions each inserted into a respective one of the buffer spaces of the elastic helical body and urged between any two adjacent loops of the elastic helical body; the elastic helical curved tube formed with a plurality of curved concave portions each encompassing a respective one of the loops of the elastic helical body.
  • 2. The shock-absorbing structure formed by plastic material in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of the curved concave portions is located between any two adjacent curved convex portions of the elastic helical curved tube.
  • 3. The shock-absorbing structure formed by plastic material in accordance with claim 1, wherein the curved convex portions and the curved concave portions of the elastic helical curved tube are connected and arranged in a helical manner.
Priority Claims (1)
Number Date Country Kind
91218489 U Nov 2002 TW
US Referenced Citations (10)
Number Name Date Kind
4235427 Bialobrzeski Nov 1980 A
4535553 Derderian et al. Aug 1985 A
4817921 Stevenson Apr 1989 A
5239737 Balsells Aug 1993 A
5364086 Paton Nov 1994 A
5868384 Anderson Feb 1999 A
6006449 Orlowski et al. Dec 1999 A
6237901 Bianchi May 2001 B1
6457261 Crary Oct 2002 B1
D476474 McDowell Jul 2003 S
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number Date Country
61290245 Dec 1986 JP