Patent Grant
12178282
This nonprovisional application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-215682 filed on Dec. 24, 2020 with the Japan Patent Office, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
The present invention relates to a shoe sole comprising a shock absorber for absorbing shock, and a shoe comprising the shoe sole.
Conventionally, various types of shock absorbers for absorbing shock have been known, and these various types of shock absorbers have been used depending on the application. For example, a shoe may have a shoe sole provided with a shock absorber in order to absorb shock caused upon landing. The shock absorber provided to the shoe sole is typically composed of a member made of resin or rubber.
In recent years, there have also been developed shoes having a shoe sole provided with a part having a lattice structure, a web structure or the like so that not only a material but also a structure provides an enhanced shock absorbing function. A shoe comprising a shoe sole provided with a part having a lattice structure is disclosed for example in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2018/0049514.
Japanese National Patent Publication No. 2017-527637 describes that a three-dimensional object which is manufactured in a three-dimensional additive manufacturing method can be manufactured by adding thickness to a geometrical surface structure, such as an internally hollowed polyhedron or a triply periodic minimal surface, and discloses that composing the three-dimensional object of an elastic material allows the object to be applied for example to a shoe sole.
When it is assumed that, in order to reduce an amount of an adhesive used, a shock absorber is not covered with an outsole and configures the entirety or a portion a tread of a shoe sole, and a portion of the shock absorber that defines the tread has an exposed surface with a hole, a recess or the like, there is a concern that a small stone or a similar foreign matter may enter the hole, recess or the like. When such a foreign matter enters the shock absorber, the foreign matter moves deep inside the shock absorber and may impair its shock absorbing function or damage the shock absorber per se.
While this may be prevented by configuring the exposed surface of the portion of the shock absorber that defines the tread to be a flat surface or a smooth curved surface, such a configuration is often inapplicable for reasons for manufacture. For example, when the shock absorber is manufactured in a three-dimensional additive manufacturing method, it is necessary to provide a surface of the shock absorber with a port for ejecting uncured resin, and to do so, the tread would be provided with a hole.
Accordingly, the present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a shoe sole which is less likely to induce damage to and deterioration in performance of a shock absorber due to intrusion of foreign matters even when the shock absorber forms a tread entirely or partially, and a shoe comprising the shoe sole.
A shoe sole according to a first aspect of the present invention at least partially comprises a shock absorber and is also provided with a tread. The shock absorber includes a shock absorbing portion composed of a three-dimensional structure composed of a unit structure repeatedly, regularly and successively disposed in at least one direction, the unit structure having a three-dimensional shape formed by a wall having an external shape defined by a pair of parallel planes or curved surfaces. The shock absorbing portion is provided with a plurality of pass-through portions passing through the shock absorbing portion as viewed in a direction of a normal to the tread. The shock absorber, as viewed in the direction of the normal to the tread, is provided with a cover portion that corresponds to at least one of the plurality of pass-through portions included in the shock absorbing portion and covers that pass-through portion. The shock absorber is formed of a single member formed with the shock absorbing portion and the cover portion continuously connected together. The tread is defined by a main surface of the cover portion that is located on a side opposite to a side where the shock absorbing portion is located, and the cover portion is provided with a communication path having one end open to the pass-through portion and the other end open at the tread. The sole according to the first aspect of the present invention satisfies a condition of R<L, where R represents a diameter of a largest virtual incircle of a contour line of an opening of the communication path located closer to the tread, and L represents a length of the communication path in a direction in which the communication path extends.
A shoe sole according to a second aspect of the present invention at least partially comprises a shock absorber and is also provided with a tread. The shock absorber includes a shock absorbing portion composed of a three-dimensional structure composed of a unit structure repeatedly, regularly and successively disposed in at least one direction, the unit structure having a three-dimensional shape formed by a wall having an external shape defined by a pair of parallel planes or curved surfaces. The shock absorbing portion is provided with a plurality of pass-through portions passing through the shock absorbing portion as viewed in a direction of a normal to the tread. The shock absorber, as viewed in the direction of the normal to the tread, is provided with a cover portion that corresponds to at least one of the plurality of pass-through portions included in the shock absorbing portion and covers that pass-through portion, and a columnar portion that interconnects the shock absorbing portion and the cover portion. The shock absorber is formed of a single member formed with the shock absorbing portion, the columnar portion, and the cover portion continuously connected together. The tread is defined by a main surface of the cover portion that is located on a side opposite to a side where the columnar portion is located. The sole according to the second aspect of the present invention has the pass-through portion in external communication via a gap formed by providing the columnar portion and the cover portion.
A shoe based on the present invention comprises the shoe sole according to the first or second aspect of the present invention described above, and an upper provided above the shoe sole.
The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following embodiments, identical or common portions are identically denoted in the figures, and will not be described repeatedly.
As shown in
The upper 120 includes an upper body 121, a tongue 122, and a shoelace 123. Of these, the tongue 122 and the shoelace 123 are both fixed to or attached to the upper body 121.
The upper body 121 has an upper portion provided with an upper opening for exposing an upper portion of an ankle and a portion of the bridge of a foot. The upper body 121 has a lower portion provided with a lower opening covered with the shoe sole 110 as an example and has a lower end French-seamed or the like to form a bottom portion as another example.
The tongue 122 is fixed to the upper body 121 by sewing, welding, bonding, or a combination thereof so as to cover a portion of the upper opening provided in the upper body 121 that exposes a portion of the bridge of a foot. For the upper body 121 and the tongue 122, woven fabric, knitted fabric, nonwoven fabric, synthetic leather, resin, or the like is used for example, and for a shoe required to be air permeable and lightweight, in particular, a double raschel warp knitted fabric with a polyester yarn knitted therein is used.
The shoelace 123 is composed of a member in the form of a string for drawing portions of a peripheral edge of the upper opening provided to the upper body 121 and exposing a portion of the bridge of a foot together in the direction of the width of the foot, and the shoelace 123 is passed through a plurality of hole provided through the peripheral edge of the upper opening. When a foot is inserted in the upper body 121 and the shoelace 123 is tightened, the upper body 121 can be brought into close contact with the foot.
As shown in
As shown in
Thus, the outsole 112 and the shock absorber 1A are positioned adjacent to each other in the fore-aft direction, and the shoe sole 110 has a tread composed of the outsole 112 and the shock absorber 1A. That is, the outsole 112 has a lower end with a tread 112a, and the tread 112a defines a tread of the shoe sole 110 extending from the forefoot portion A1 to reach a generally center portion of the midfoot portion A2. In contrast, the shock absorber 1A has a lower end with a tread 22, and the tread 22 defines a tread of the shoe sole 110 extending from the generally center portion of the midfoot portion A2 to reach the rearfoot portion A3.
The midsole 111 preferably has an appropriate strength and also excellently absorbs shock, and from this viewpoint, the midsole 111 can be a member for example of resin or rubber, and suitably composed of a foam material or a non-foam material such polyolefin resin, an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), polyamide-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPA, TPAE), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polyester-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPEE), and the like, in particular.
The outsole 112 preferably provides excellent abrasion resistance and excellent grip, and from this viewpoint, the outsole 112 can be made of rubber, for example. A tread pattern may be provided on a lower surface of the outsole 112, or the tread 112a, from the viewpoint of providing enhanced grip.
While the shock absorber 1A is not particularly limited to any particular material, it can be formed for example of a resin material or a rubber material, and particularly suitably composed of polyolefin resin, an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), a polyamide-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPA, TPAE), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), a polyester-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPEE), butadiene rubber, and the like. It can also be a polymer composition such as an olefin-based polymer, an amide-based polymer, an ester-based polymer, a urethane-based polymer, a styrene-based polymer, an acrylic polymer or the like.
Herein, the shoe 100 according to the present embodiment has the midsole 111 with a notch having a prescribed shape, and the shock absorber 1A is accommodated in the notch and thus incorporated in the shoe sole 110. The shock absorber 1A can be bonded to the midsole 111 by adhesion or the like. The outsole 112 is assembled so as to partially or entirely cover a portion of the lower surface of the midsole 111 other than the portion provided with the notch. The outsole 112 can be bonded to the midsole 111 for example by adhesion or the like.
As shown in
Herein, while the shock absorber 1A may be manufactured in any method, it can be additively manufactured using a three dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus for example. When the shock absorber 1A is additively manufactured using the three dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus, the shock absorbing portion 10 and the cover portion 20 will be identical in material. Note, however, that when a three dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus of a fused deposition modelling (FDM) system is used, it is also possible to form the shock absorbing portion 10 of a material and form the cover portion 20 of a different material.
While the shock absorber 1A (that is, the shock absorbing portion 10 and the cover portion 20) may basically be formed of any material having a large elastic force, it is preferably formed of a resin material or a rubber material, as has been discussed above. More specifically, when the shock absorber 1A is formed of resin, the shock absorber 1A can be formed for example of polyolefin resin, an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), a polyamide-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPA, TPAE), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), a polyester-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPEE), or the like. When the shock absorber 1A is formed of rubber, it can be formed for example of butadiene rubber.
The shock absorber 1A may be composed of a polymer composition. In that case, examples of a polymer to be contained in the polymer composition include olefinic polymers such as olefinic elastomers and olefinic resins. The olefinic polymers for example include polyolefins of polyethylene (e.g., linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), high density polyethylene (HDPE), and the like), polypropylene, an ethylene-propylene copolymer, a propylene-1-hexene copolymer, a propylene-4-methyl-1-pentene copolymer, a propylene-1-butene copolymer, an ethylene-1-hexene copolymer, an ethylene-4-methyl-pentene copolymer, an ethylene-1-butene copolymer, a 1-butene-1-hexene copolymer, 1-butene-4-methyl-pentene, an ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymer, an ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer, an ethylene-ethyl methacrylate copolymer, an ethylene-butyl methacrylate copolymer, an ethylene-methyl acrylate copolymer, an ethylene-ethyl acrylate copolymer, an ethylene-butyl acrylate copolymer, a propylene-methacrylic acid copolymer, a propylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer, a propylene-ethyl methacrylate copolymer, a propylene-butyl methacrylate copolymer, a propylene-methyl acrylate copolymer, a propylene-ethyl acrylate copolymer, a propylene-butyl acrylate copolymer, an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), a propylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, and the like.
The polymer may be an amide-based polymer such as an amide-based elastomer and an amide-based resin. Examples of the amide-based polymer include polyamide 6, polyamide 11, polyamide 12, polyamide 66, and polyamide 610.
The polymer may be an ester-based polymer such as an ester-based elastomer and an ester-based resin. Examples of the ester-based polymer include polyethylene terephthalate and polybutylene terephthalate.
The polymer may be a urethane-based polymer such as a urethane-based elastomer and a urethane-based resin. Examples of the urethane-based polymer include polyester-based polyurethane and polyether-based polyurethane.
The polymer may be a styrene-based polymer such as a styrene-based elastomer and a styrene-based resin. Examples of the styrene-based elastomer include styrene-ethylene-butylene copolymer (SEB), styrene-butadiene-styrene copolymer (SBS), a hydrogenated product of SBS (styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene copolymer (SEBS)), styrene-isoprene-styrene copolymer (SIS), a hydrogenated product of SIS (styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene copolymer (SEPS)), styrene-isobutylene-styrene copolymer (SIBS), styrene-butadiene-styrene-butadiene (SBSB), styrene-butadiene-styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBSBS), and the like. Examples of the styrene-based resin include polystyrene, acrylonitrile styrene resin (AS), and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene resin (ABS).
Examples of the polymer include acrylic polymers such as polymethylmethacrylate, urethane-based acrylic polymers, polyester-based acrylic polymers, polyether-based acrylic polymers, polycarbonate-based acrylic polymers, epoxy-based acrylic polymers, conjugated diene polymer-based acrylic polymers and hydrogenated products thereof, urethane-based methacrylic polymers, polyester-based methacrylic polymers, polyether-based methacrylic polymers, polycarbonate-based methacrylic polymers, epoxy-based methacrylic polymers, conjugated diene polymer-based methacrylic polymers and hydrogenated products thereof, polyvinyl chloride-based resins, silicone-based elastomers, butadiene rubber (BR), isoprene rubber (IR), chloroprene rubber (CR), natural rubber (NR), styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR), butyl rubber (IIR), and the like.
As shown in
Note that
The plurality of unit structures U are repeatedly, regularly and successively disposed in each of widthwise, depthwise and heightwise directions. As shown in
The shock absorber 1A according to the present embodiment is intended to exhibit a shock absorbing function in the heightwise direction (the Z direction shown in the figure). Accordingly, when the shock absorber 1A receives a load, the shock absorber 1A will exhibit the shock absorbing function in a direction that matches the heightwise direction described above. The heightwise direction is the same as the direction of the normal to the tread 22 of the cover portion 20.
As has been described above, the plurality of unit structures U each have a three-dimensional shape formed by wall 11. Therefore, as the plurality of unit structures U are successively interconnected, the three-dimensional structure S is also composed of a set of walls 11.
Herein, the three-dimensional structure S included in the shock absorber 1A has a structure which is a geometrical surface structure with thickness added thereto. In the shock absorber 1A according to the present embodiment, the surface structure is a Schwarz' P structure, which is a type of mathematically defined triply periodic minimal surface. Note that a minimal surface is defined as a curved surface of those having a given closed curve as a boundary that is minimal in area.
As shown in
While for the plurality of pass-through portions there will be six types of pass-through portions in total in view of the structure of the three-dimensional structure S: two types extending in the widthwise direction; two types extending in the depthwise direction; and two types extending in the heightwise direction, herein, a first pass-through portion 12 and a second pass-through portion 13 which appear in the cross section shown in
As shown in
That is, while the first pass-through portion 12 and the second pass-through portion 13 have a common feature in that they pass through the shock absorbing portion 10 when viewed in the direction of the normal to the tread 22, they are distinguished in where they are formed and in what shape the wall 11 that defines them is formed.
Herein, as shown in
As shown in
As shown in
When there is no consideration made for the fact that the plurality of communication paths 23 are exposed at the tread 22, however, there is a possibility that a foreign matter such as a small stone may enter the communication paths 23 and can cause a problem such as impairing the shock absorbing function of the shock absorber, damaging the shock absorber per se, and the like. That is, while the second open end has its area entirely covered with the cover portion 20, the first open end 12a described above is not completely covered with the cover portion 20, and accordingly, it is necessary to address the above problem.
In this regard, the shock absorber 1A according to the present embodiment addresses this issue by devising the plurality of communication paths 23 in shape. Hereinafter, this point will be described with reference to
As shown in
Therefore, even a foreign matter smaller in size than the first open end 12a can be effectively prevented from entering insofar as the foreign matter is larger in size than the communication path 23. In this respect, the communication path 23 is preferably 0.8 mm or more and 4.5 mm or less, more preferably 1.4 mm or more and 4.0 mm or less in diameter from the viewpoint of reliably ejecting uncured resin in manufacturing the shock absorber and the viewpoint of the fact that a sufficiently fine foreign matter is unlikely to lead to deterioration in performance or to damage as described above if it should enter the shock absorber 1A.
However, even such a configuration cannot prevent intrusion of a foreign matter smaller than the diameter of the communication path 23, and in some cases, the foreign matter may lead to deterioration in performance or to damage.
In this regard, as shown in
With this structure, considering that a fine sand grain assumed as a foreign matter 200 is basically substantially spherical, even when the foreign matter 200 enters the communication path 23, the foreign matter 200 will stay in the vicinity of the opening 23b of the communication path 23 closer to the tread, and the foreign matter 200 can be prevented from immediately moving toward the opening 23a on the side of the shock absorbing portion and thus reaching inside the shock absorbing portion 10.
The shoe sole 110 comprising the shock absorber 1A thus configured and the shoe 100 comprising the shoe sole 110 can prevent the foreign matter 200 entering the same from inviting damage to the shock absorber 1A or deterioration thereof in performance.
Note that the diameter R of the opening 23b on the side of the tread and the length L of the communication path 23 described above preferably satisfy a condition of 1.0<L/R<10.0, more preferably a condition of 1.1<L/R<2.5. This is because, although depending on the material of the cover portion 20, when L/R exceeds 10.0, the shock absorber 1A increases in weight, and the shoe 100 would be heavy.
(First to Seventh Variations)
While in the first embodiment described above the communication path 23 provided in the cover portion 20 is in the form of a columnar through hole extending in the direction of the normal to the tread 22 by way of example, the communication path 23 is variable in shape. The first to seventh variations described below exemplify a case in which the shock absorber 1A is thus modified. As well as in first embodiment, the shock absorbers 1A1 to 1A7 according to the first to seventh variations are also configured such that the diameter R of the opening 23b on the side of the tread and the length L of the communication path 23 satisfy the condition of R<L.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
Herein, when the communication path 23 is bent as in the shock absorber 1A5 according to the fifth variation, the length of the locus connecting center portions of the communication path 23 in cross sections orthogonal to the direction in which the communication path 23 extends will be the length L of the communication path 23 as described above. That is, a sum of lengths L1 and L2 shown in
As shown in
Herein, the communication path 23 bent a plurality of times as in the shock absorber 1A6 according to the sixth variation is also such that the length of the locus connecting center portions of the communication path 23 in cross sections orthogonal to the direction in which the communication path 23 extends will be the length L of the communication path 23 as described above. That is, a sum of lengths L1, L2 and L3 shown in
Further, in the shock absorber 1A6 according to the sixth variation, by bending the communication path 23 a plurality of times as described above, the opening 23a on the side of the shock absorbing portion and the opening 23b on the side of the tread are positioned such that they do not overlap each other as viewed in the direction of the normal to the tread 22. This configuration allows the communication path 23 to be a labyrinth to effectively prevent a foreign matter from reaching inside the shock absorbing portion 10.
As shown in
The communication path 23 curved as in the shock absorber 1A7 according to the seventh variation is also such that the length of the locus connecting center portions of the communication path 23 in cross sections orthogonal to the direction in which the communication path 23 extends (i.e., the length of a portion indicated by a dashed line in the figure) will be the length L of the communication path 23 as described above.
(Eighth to Twelfth Variations)
While in the first embodiment described above the communication path 23 provided in the cover portion 20 is in the form of a through hole in the form of a circle in plan view by way of example, the communication path 23 has an opening variable in shape in plan view. The eighth to twelfth variations described below exemplify a case in which the shock absorber 1A is thus modified.
As has been discussed above, from the viewpoint of reliably ejecting uncured resin in manufacturing the shock absorber, it is better that the communication path 23 has a larger opening area. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of preventing intrusion of foreign matters, it is better that the communication path 23 has a smaller widthwise dimension, considering that fine gravel assumed to be the foreign matter is basically generally spherical, as has been discussed above. In order to coestablish these, in the eighth to twelfth variations described below, the communication path 23 in plan view has an opening having a shape which is not round.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
Herein, in the shock absorbers 1A8 to 1A11 according to the eighth to twelfth variations described above, when a largest virtual circle VC is inscribed inside a contour line of the communication path 23 in a cross section orthogonal to the direction in which the communication path 23 extends (in the figure, the virtual circle VC is indicated by a two-dot chain line), the diameter R of the virtual circle and the length L of the communication path 23 satisfy a condition of R<L.
Thus, when the eighth to twelfth variations are applied, while the communication path 23 can have a large opening area, the communication path 23 can have a narrow, small widthwise dimension at least in one direction in the cross section orthogonal to the direction in which the communication path 23 extends. This configuration can provide a shock absorber capable of suppressing intrusion of foreign matters into the shock absorbing portion 10 while reliably ejecting uncured resin in manufacturing the shock absorber.
Note that in the shock absorber 1A according to the first embodiment described above, the communication path 23 has an opening in the form of a circle, and in that case, the virtual circle VC will completely overlap the contour line of the communication path 23 in the form of that circle. Thus, the shock absorber 1A according to the first embodiment described above will also satisfy a condition similar to the above-described condition satisfied by the shock absorbers 1A8 to 1A12 according to the eighth to twelfth variations described above.
(Thirteenth Variation)
While in the first and eighth to twelfth variations described above is described an example in which the cover portion 20 is provided with a communication path 23 that has the opening 23a on the side of the shock absorbing portion and the opening 23b on the side of the tread identically in shape and that, in a cross section orthogonal to the direction in which the communication path 23 extends, also has an opening identical in shape to the opening 23a on the side of the shock absorbing portion and the like, these openings can be configured to be variable in shape. A thirteenth variation described below exemplifies a case in which the shock absorber 1A is thus modified.
As shown in
When intrusion of a foreign matter through the opening 23b on the side of the tread of the communication path 23 is considered, and the communication path 23 has a widthwise dimension narrowed and reduced while having an opening increased in area, at least the diameter R of a largest virtual circle VC inscribed inside the contour line of the opening 23b on the side of the tread (in
This configuration can effectively suppress intrusion of foreign matters into the shock absorbing portion 10 while reliably ejecting uncured resin in manufacturing the shock absorber.
(Fourteenth Variation)
As shown in
Herein, the plurality of communication paths 23 described above have the opening 23b on the side of the tread inside the plurality of grooves 24 such that the plurality of communication paths 23 are externally exposed at a portion provided with the plurality of grooves 24. More specifically, in the fourteenth variation, the plurality of grooves 24 are laid out generally in the form a lattice, and the communication path 23 is positioned at an intersection of the plurality of grooves 24.
In such a configuration, the communication path 23 will have the opening 23b on the side of the tread at a position deeper than the tread 22. This increases a distance from the tread 22 to the opening 23b on the side of the tread, and can thus further suppress intrusion of foreign matters. In providing the tread 22 of the cover portion 20 with a tread pattern, the tread pattern can be changed variously.
When the cover portion has a tread provided with a groove, a recess or the like and a communication path is provided in a bottom surface of the groove, recess or the like, the groove, recess or the like is also a part of a path allowing a foreign matter to reach the shock absorbing portion from the tread. Therefore, when such a configuration is introduced, the diameter R of the virtual circle is defined with reference to the opening on the side of the tread that is provided in the bottom surface of the groove, recess or the like, whereas the length L of the communication path is defined as the sum of the depth of the groove, recess or the like and the actual length of the communication path.
(Fifteenth Variation)
As shown in
The auxiliary attachment portion 25 is disposed at a position opposite to the cover portion 20 when viewed at the shock absorbing portion 10, and is stacked on the shock absorbing portion 10 in the direction of the normal to the tread 22 provided on the cover portion 20. Thus, the shock absorbing portion 10 has a top surface covered with the auxiliary attachment portion 25, and the shock absorbing portion 10 is located under the auxiliary attachment portion 25. The shock absorber 1A is a single member formed of the shock absorbing portion 10, the cover portion 20 and the auxiliary attachment portion 25 continuously connected together.
The auxiliary attachment portion 25 is a portion for fixing the shock absorber 1A14 to the midsole 111 by adhesion or the like, and is provided so as to cover the top surface of the shock absorbing portion 10 in view of increasing an area for bonding it. Providing the auxiliary attachment portion 25 having a portion in the form of a plurality of through holes enables larger bonding strength than not providing such a portion. Further, providing the midsole 111 with a projection corresponding to each portion in the form of the through hole facilitates positioning the shock absorber 1A14 with respect to the midsole 111 in fixing the shock absorber 1A14 to the midsole 111.
(Sixteenth Variation)
As shown in
Accordingly, when the shock absorber 1A16 according to the sixteenth variation is provided with a cover portion 20 having a configuration similar to that in the case of the first embodiment as described above, the shock absorber 1A16 can prevent a foreign matter from entering and thus inviting damage to the shock absorber 1A16 or deterioration thereof in performance.
As shown in
The shock absorbing portion 10 composed of the three-dimensional structure S that is a gyroid structure with a thickness added thereto will also be provided with a pass-through portion passing through the shock absorbing portion 10 due to its structure when viewed in the direction of the normal to the tread 22. The shock absorber 1B as shown has three unit structures aligned in each of the widthwise direction or the X direction and the depthwise direction or the Y direction, and has one unit structure disposed in the heightwise direction or the Z direction.
Thus, providing the cover portion 20 so as to cover the bottom surface of the shock absorbing portion 10 and providing a communication path 23 similar in configuration to that for the shock absorber 1A according to the first embodiment at a portion of the cover portion 20 corresponding to the pass-through portion described above, as in the shock absorber 1B according to the present embodiment, can suppress intrusion of foreign matters into the shock absorbing portion 10 while reliably ejecting uncured resin in manufacturing the shock absorber.
As shown in
The shock absorbing portion 10 composed of the three-dimensional structure S that is a Schwarz' D structure with a thickness added thereto will also be provided with a pass-through portion passing through the shock absorbing portion 10 due to its structure when viewed in the direction of the normal to the tread 22. The shock absorber 1C as shown has three unit structures aligned in each of the widthwise direction or the X direction and the depthwise direction or the Y direction, and has one unit structure disposed in the heightwise direction or the Z direction.
Thus, providing the cover portion 20 so as to cover the bottom surface of the shock absorbing portion 10 and providing a communication path 23 similar in configuration to that for the shock absorber 1A according to the first embodiment at a portion of the cover portion 20 corresponding to the pass-through portion described above, as in the shock absorber 1C according to the present embodiment, can suppress intrusion of foreign matters into the shock absorbing portion 10 while reliably ejecting uncured resin in manufacturing the shock absorber.
As shown in
The shock absorbing portion 10 composed of the three-dimensional structure S that is an octet structure with a thickness added thereto requires providing the wall 11 with a hole passing through the wall 11 to eject uncured resin in manufacturing the shock absorber. Accordingly, the shock absorbing portion 10 will be provided with a pass-through portion passing through the shock absorbing portion 10 as viewed in the direction of the normal to the tread 22. The shock absorber 1D as shown has three unit structures aligned in each of the widthwise direction or the X direction and the depthwise direction or the Y direction, and has one unit structure disposed in the heightwise direction or the Z direction.
Thus, providing the cover portion 20 so as to cover the bottom surface of the shock absorbing portion 10 and providing a communication path 23 similar in configuration to that for the shock absorber 1A according to the first embodiment at a portion of the cover portion 20 corresponding to the pass-through portion described above, as in the shock absorber 1D according to the present embodiment, can suppress intrusion of foreign matters into the shock absorbing portion 10 while reliably ejecting uncured resin in manufacturing the shock absorber.
As shown in
As shown in
In the present embodiment, a single cover portion 20 is provided to correspond to each of unit structures U included in the shock absorbing portion 10, and a plurality of columnar portions 30 are provided so as to each connect the corresponding set of the unit structure U and the cover portion 20. Accordingly, a plurality of cover portions 20 will be disposed in a matrix so as to cover a plurality of first open ends 12a provided in the bottom surface of the shock absorbing portion 10.
The plurality of cover portions 20 are each in the form of a disc, and each have an upper surface configured as the connected surface 21 (see
The plurality of columnar portions 30 each extend downward independently from a peripheral edge of a lower end of the unit structure U, and have an end connected to a peripheral edge of the cover portion 20. In the present embodiment, the plurality of columnar portions 30 are each configured to be generally in the form of a plate.
In the shock absorber 1E configured as described above, while the plurality of cover portions 20 and the plurality of columnar portions 30 are disposed under the shock absorbing portion 10, a gap G is formed between the shock absorbing portion 10 and the plurality of cover portions 20 and the plurality of columnar portions 30. Accordingly, the gap G configures a path for ejecting uncured resin in manufacturing the shock absorber.
Meanwhile, as has been discussed above, the plurality of cover portions 20 are each located under the corresponding unit structure U and covers the first open end 12a located at the bottom surface of the corresponding unit structure U. Accordingly, when the shock absorber 1E is viewed in the direction of the normal to the tread 22, the plurality of first pass-through portions 12 included in the shock absorbing portion 10 are all covered with the corresponding cover portions 20. Therefore, the plurality of first pass-through portions 12 are not directly, externally exposed in the direction of the normal to the tread 22, and a foreign matter immediately reaching inside the shock absorbing portion 10 will be avoided.
In view of reliably ejecting uncured resin in manufacturing the shock absorber and that a sufficiently fine foreign matter is unlikely to lead to deterioration in performance or to damage as described above if it should enter the shock absorber 1E, with reference to
Thus a shoe sole comprising the shock absorber 1E according to the present embodiment and a shoe comprising the shoe sole can prevent a foreign matter from entering and inviting damage to the shock absorber 1E or deterioration thereof in performance.
As shown in
In the shock absorber 1F according to the present embodiment, the plurality of cover portions 20 are configured to be in the form of a rectangular plate in plan view, and the plurality of columnar portions 30 are formed to extend upward from a peripheral edge of each of the plurality of cover portions 20 and each have an end connected to a lower end of one of the plurality of unit structures U. Further, the plurality of columnar portions 30 are each generally in the form of a triangular pyramid.
When such a configuration is introduced, then, as shown in
Thus a shoe sole comprising the shock absorber 1F according to the present embodiment and a shoe comprising the shoe sole can prevent a foreign matter from entering and inviting damage to the shock absorber 1F or deterioration thereof in performance.
As shown in
As shown in
In the present embodiment, a single cover portion 20′ is provided to correspond to four mutually adjacent unit structures U included in the shock absorbing portion 10 (including two unit structures adjacent to each other in the widthwise direction (i.e., the X direction) and two unit structures adjacent to each other in the depthwise direction (i.e., the Y direction), and four additional columnar portions 30′ are provided to connect the corresponding set of the four unit structures U and the single cover portion 20′. Accordingly, a plurality of additional cover portions 20′ will be disposed in a matrix so as to cover the plurality of second pass-through portions 13 provided at the bottom surface of the shock absorbing portion 10.
The plurality of additional cover portions 20′ are each in the form of a disc, and each have an upper surface configured as the connected surface 21 (see
The plurality of additional columnar portions 30′ each extend downward from a peripheral edge of a lower end of each of the four unit structures U, and each have an end connected to a peripheral edge of the additional cover portion 20′. In the present embodiment, the plurality of additional columnar portions 30′ are each configured to be generally in the form of a cylinder.
When the shock absorber 1G thus configured is viewed in the direction of the normal to the tread 22, the plurality of first pass-through portions 12 and the plurality of second pass-through portions 13 included in the shock absorbing portion 10 are all covered with the corresponding cover portions 20 and additional cover portions 20′, respectively. Therefore, the plurality of first pass-through portions 12 and the plurality of second pass-through portions 13 are not directly, externally exposed in the direction of the normal to the tread 22, and a foreign matter immediately reaching inside the shock absorbing portion 10 will be avoided.
Thus a shoe sole comprising the shock absorber 1G according to the present embodiment and a shoe comprising the shoe sole can prevent a foreign matter from entering and inviting damage to the shock absorber 1G or deterioration thereof in performance.
As shown in
The shock absorbing portion 10 composed of the three-dimensional structure S that is a gyroid structure with a thickness added thereto will also be provided with a pass-through portion passing through the shock absorbing portion 10 due to its structure when viewed in the direction of the normal to the tread 22. The shock absorber 1H as shown has two unit structures aligned in each of the widthwise direction or the X direction and the depthwise direction or the Y direction, and has one unit structure disposed in the heightwise direction or the Z direction.
Thus, providing a plurality of cover portions 20 and a plurality of columnar portions 30 under the shock absorbing portion 10 and also causing the plurality of cover portions 20 to cover the above-described pass-through portions, as in the shock absorber 1H according to the present embodiment, can suppress intrusion of foreign matters into the shock absorbing portion 10 while reliably ejecting uncured resin in manufacturing the shock absorber.
As shown in
The shock absorbing portion 10 composed of the three-dimensional structure S that is a Schwarz' D structure with a thickness added thereto will also be provided with a pass-through portion passing through the shock absorbing portion 10 due to its structure when viewed in the direction of the normal to the tread 22. The shock absorber 1I as shown has two unit structures aligned in each of the widthwise direction or the X direction and the depthwise direction or the Y direction, and has two unit structures disposed in the heightwise direction or the Z direction.
Thus, providing a plurality of cover portions 20 and a plurality of columnar portions 30 under the shock absorbing portion 10 and also causing the plurality of cover portions 20 to cover the above-described pass-through portions, as in the shock absorber 1I according to the present embodiment, can suppress intrusion of foreign matters into the shock absorbing portion 10 while reliably ejecting uncured resin in manufacturing the shock absorber.
As shown in
The shock absorbing portion 10 composed of the three-dimensional structure S that is an octet structure with a thickness added thereto requires providing the wall 11 with a hole passing through the wall 11 to eject uncured resin in manufacturing the shock absorber. Accordingly, the shock absorbing portion 10 will be provided with a pass-through portion passing through the shock absorbing portion 10 as viewed in the direction of the normal to the tread 22. The shock absorber 1J as shown has two unit structures disposed in each of the widthwise direction or the X direction, the depthwise direction or the Y direction, and the heightwise direction or the Z direction.
Thus, providing a plurality of cover portions 20 and a plurality of columnar portions 30 under the shock absorbing portion 10 and also causing the plurality of cover portions 20 to cover the above-described pass-through portions, as in the shock absorber 1J according to the present embodiment, can suppress intrusion of foreign matters into the shock absorbing portion 10 while reliably ejecting uncured resin in manufacturing the shock absorber.
The first to tenth embodiments and their variations disclose characteristic configurations, as summarized below:
A shoe sole according to an embodiment of the present disclosure at least partially comprises a shock absorber and is also provided with a tread. The shock absorber includes a shock absorbing portion composed of a three-dimensional structure composed of a unit structure repeatedly, regularly and successively disposed in at least one direction, the unit structure having a three-dimensional shape formed by a wall having an external shape defined by a pair of parallel planes or curved surfaces. The shock absorbing portion is provided with a plurality of pass-through portions passing through the shock absorbing portion as viewed in a direction of a normal to the tread. The shock absorber, as viewed in the direction of the normal to the tread, is provided with a cover portion that corresponds to at least one of the plurality of pass-through portions included in the shock absorbing portion and covers that pass-through portion. The shock absorber is formed of a single member formed with the shock absorbing portion and the cover portion continuously connected together. The tread is defined by a main surface of the cover portion that is located on a side opposite to a side where the shock absorbing portion is located, and the cover portion is provided with a communication path having one end open to the pass-through portion and the other end open at the tread. A shoe sole according to an embodiment of the present disclosure satisfies a condition of R<L, where R represents a diameter of a largest virtual incircle of a contour line of an opening of the communication path located closer to the tread, and L represents a length of the communication path in the direction in which the communication path extends.
In a shoe sole according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the opening of the communication path located closer to the tread may have a shape which is not round.
In a shoe sole according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the communication path may include a portion having a cross-sectional area decreasing from the side of the tread toward the side of the pass-through portion.
In a shoe sole according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the communication path may include a portion having a cross-sectional area decreasing from the side of the pass-through portion toward the side of the tread.
In a shoe sole according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the communication path may include a portion extending in a direction intersecting the direction of the normal to the tread.
In a shoe sole according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the communication path may have the opening closer to the tread and that closer to the pass-through portion positioned such that they do not overlap each other as viewed in the direction of the normal to the tread.
A shoe sole according to another embodiment of the present disclosure at least partially comprises a shock absorber and is also provided with a tread. The shock absorber includes a shock absorbing portion composed of a three-dimensional structure composed of a unit structure repeatedly, regularly and successively disposed in at least one direction, the unit structure having a three-dimensional shape formed by a wall having an external shape defined by a pair of parallel planes or curved surfaces. The shock absorbing portion is provided with a plurality of pass-through portions passing through the shock absorbing portion as viewed in a direction of a normal to the tread. The shock absorber, as viewed in the direction of the normal to the tread, is provided with a cover portion that corresponds to at least one of the plurality of pass-through portions included in the shock absorbing portion and covers that pass-through portion, and a columnar portion that interconnects the shock absorbing portion and the cover portion. The shock absorber is formed of a single member formed with the shock absorbing portion, the columnar portion, and the cover portion continuously connected together. The tread is defined by a main surface of the cover portion that is located on a side opposite to a side where the columnar portion is located. A shoe sole according to another embodiment of the present disclosure has the pass-through portion in external communication via a gap formed by providing the columnar portion and the cover portion.
In a shoe sole according to an embodiment of the present disclosure and another aspect of the present disclosure, the three-dimensional structure may be configured by a triply periodic minimal surface with a thickness added thereto.
In a shoe sole according to an embodiment of the present disclosure and another aspect of the present disclosure, the three-dimensional structure may be composed of a plurality of planes disposed to intersect with one another and provided with thickness such that the three-dimensional structure is internally hollowed.
A shoe according to an embodiment of the present disclosure comprises the shoe sole according to an embodiment of the present disclosure as described above or another embodiment of the present disclosure as described above, and an upper provided above the shoe sole.
While in the first to tenth embodiments and their variations described above a shock absorber is disposed at a specific portion of a shoe sole in plan view for the sake of illustration, where the shock absorber is provided is not limited thereto. For example, depending on the type of the competition in which the shoe is used, how it is used, and the like, the shock absorber may be applied to a portion of the shoe sole on either one of the medial or lateral side or may be applied only at a partial region along an edge of the shoe sole (the partial region may be a plurality of such regions provided independently of one another). Alternatively, the shoe sole may not be provided with a midsole, and may instead entirely be composed of the shock absorber.
Furthermore, while in the first to tenth embodiments and their variations described above a shock absorber is composed of a three-dimensional structure that is a Schwarz' P structure, a gyroid structure, a Schwarz' D structure or an octet structure with a thickness added thereto by way of example, the present invention may be applied to a shock absorbing portion composed of any other three-dimensional structure.
Furthermore, while in the first to tenth embodiments and their variations described above the present invention is applied to a shoe comprising a tongue and a shoelace by way of example, the present invention may be applied to a shoe without these components (such as a shoe comprising a sock-shaped upper) and a shoe sole comprised by the shoe.
The characteristic configurations disclosed in the first to tenth embodiments and their variations can be combined with one another in a range that does not depart from the gist of the present invention.
Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in detail, it is clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only and is not to be taken by way of limitation, the scope of the present invention being interpreted by the terms of the appended claims.
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| 2020-215682 | Dec 2020 | JP | national |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
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| 20220202135 A1 | Jun 2022 | US |
