The present application claims priority to and incorporates by reference the entire contents of Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-144445 filed in Japan on Sep. 6, 2021.
The present invention relates to an upper and a shoe including the upper.
Conventionally, shoe including an upper is known. During a motion of a wearer of the shoe, bending, contraction, twisting, and the like partially occur in a foot. Therefore, a technique of partially changing stretchability of the upper has been developed in order to enhance followability of the upper to the bending, contraction, twisting, and the like of the foot at the time of the motion.
For example, JP 5442170 B2 discloses an upper in which a plurality of reinforcing materials formed by a resin is fixed to a base material formed by a knitted fabric or a woven fabric. In the upper disclosed in JP 5442170 B2, stretchability of the upper can be partially changed by using a plurality of reinforcing materials having different stretchability.
Unfortunately, as in JP 5442170 B2, when a plurality of reinforcing materials formed by a resin is fixed to a base material formed by a knitted fabric or a woven fabric, or a plurality of reinforcing materials having different stretchability are used, the number of types of materials used for the upper increases. Therefore, in the upper disclosed in JP 5442170 B2, there is a problem that the number of processes of manufacturing, cutting, and sewing of materials increases, and an amount of waste materials and an amount of electricity consumed increase, leading to a decrease in productivity and an increase in environmental load and the like.
In order to solve the above problem and achieve the object, an upper according to this invention includes: an upper main body configured to cover an instep of a foot. A first region and a second region adjacent to the first region are formed in the upper main body, the upper main body includes: a first linear body provided across the first region and the second region or provided only in the second region; and a second linear body provided in the first region while avoiding the second region and having an end located at a boundary portion between the first region and the second region, and the first linear body and the second linear body have mutually different stretchability.
Hereinafter, examples of an upper and a shoe according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited by the examples. In the following description, identical portions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will be omitted.
Further, a direction in the fore-rear direction from a terminal end on a side where a portion that supports a hindfoot portion of the foot is located in the shoe 1 toward a terminal end on a side where a portion that supports a forefoot portion of the foot is located in the shoe 1 is referred to as forward, and a direction in the fore-rear direction from the terminal end on the side where the portion that supports the forefoot portion of the foot is located in the shoe 1 toward the terminal end on the side where the portion that supports the hindfoot portion of the foot is located in the shoe 1 is referred to as rearward.
In addition, a median side of a foot in the anatomical position is referred to as a medial foot side, and a side opposite to the median side of the foot in the anatomical position is referred to as a lateral foot side. That is, a side closer to the median line in the anatomical position is referred to as the medial foot side, and a side farther from the median line in the anatomical position is referred to as the lateral foot side.
In addition, an up-down direction means a direction orthogonal to both the fore-rear direction and the foot width direction unless otherwise specified.
An upper 2 includes: an upper forefoot portion R1 that covers a forefoot portion of a foot of a wearer of a standard body shape; an upper midfoot portion R2 that covers a midfoot portion of a foot of a wearer having a standard body shape; and an upper rearfoot portion R3 that covers a hindfoot portion of a foot of a wearer having a standard body shape. The upper forefoot portion R1, the upper midfoot portion R2, and the upper rearfoot portion R3 are connected in this order in the fore-rear direction from forward of the upper 2.
A line being along the foot width direction and passing a position corresponding to approximately 25% of a dimension from a front end of the upper 2 in the fore-rear direction of the upper 2 is defined as a first boundary line S1, and a line being along the foot width direction and passing a position corresponding to approximately 80% of a dimension from the front end of the upper 2 in the fore-rear direction of the upper 2 is defined as a second boundary line S2. The first boundary line S1 is a line substantially along an MP joint of a wearer having a standard body shape. The second boundary line S2 is a line substantially along the Chopart’s joint of a wearer having a standard body shape. The upper forefoot portion R1 is a portion located forward of the first boundary line S1. The upper midfoot portion R2 is a portion located between the first boundary line S1 and the second boundary line S2. The upper rearfoot portion R3 is a portion located rearward of the second boundary line S2.
The upper 2 is located above the sole 3. The upper 2 includes an upper main body 20, a shoe tongue 21, and a shoelace 22.
The upper main body 20 covers a portion on an instep side of a foot. In an upper portion of the upper main body 20, a foot insertion opening 20a for insertion of a foot of a wearer, and a throat portion 20b communicating with the foot insertion opening 20a and extending forward from the foot insertion opening 20a are formed. On side edges of the throat portion 20b on both sides in the foot width direction, string passing portions 20c spaced apart from each other in the fore-rear direction are provided. A configuration of the string passing portion 20c is not particularly limited as long as the shoelace 22 can pass through, but the string passing portion 20c is a through hole penetrating the upper main body 20 in the up-down direction, in the present embodiment. In the upper main body 20, a first region 23 and a second region 24 adjacent to the first region 23 are formed. Details of the first region 23 and the second region 24 will be described later. In the individual figures including
The shoe tongue 21 is a member for protection of the instep of the foot of the wearer. The shoe tongue 21 covers the throat portion 20b inside the upper main body 20. The shoe tongue 21 is fixed to the upper main body 20 by stitching, welding, bonding, or a combination thereof. The material of the upper main body 20 and the shoe tongue 21 is woven fabric or knitted fabric. In particular, in the shoe 1 required to have air permeability and lightweight property, the material of the upper main body 20 and the shoe tongue 21 is preferably a double raschel warp knitted fabric knitted with polyester yarn. Note that the material of the shoe tongue 21 is not limited to the exemplified material.
The shoelace 22 is a string-shaped member that is alternately passed through the string passing portion 20c provided at one side edge in the foot width direction of the throat portion 20b and the string passing portion 20c provided at another side edge in the foot width direction of the throat portion 20b. The shoelace 22 is detachably attached to the upper main body 20.
In the present embodiment, the upper 2 including the shoe tongue 21 and the shoelace 22 will be described as an example, but the upper 2 may have a monosock structure in which a portion corresponding to the shoe tongue 21 is integrated with an ankle portion of the upper main body 20. In addition, a hook-and-loop fastener may be used instead of the shoelace 22 to bring the upper main body 20 into close contact with the foot. When the hook-and-loop fastener is used to bring the upper main body 20 into close contact with the foot, the string passing portion 20c is not formed in the upper main body 20.
The sole 3 is located below the upper 2. The sole 3 covers the sole of a wearer. The sole 3 includes an outsole 30 and a midsole 31. The sole 3 is fixed to the upper main body 20 by stitching, welding, bonding, or a combination thereof. A lower surface of the outsole 30 serves as a ground contact surface 30a to be in contact with the ground. The midsole 31 is located on an upper surface of the outsole 30, and has a cushioning property. Alternatively, the outsole 30 may be integrated with the midsole 31. The outsole 30 integrated with the midsole 31 is also referred to as a “unisole”.
The sole 3 includes an insole (not illustrated) that covers a lower opening of the upper main body 20. The insole is fixed to a lower edge of the upper main body 20 by stitching. Further, the insole is fixed to an upper surface of the midsole 31 by bonding or welding. The shoe 1 may also include a footbed. When the shoe 1 includes a footbed, the footbed is placed on the sole 3 inside the upper 2. Alternatively, the sole 3 may have a structure in which the insole is omitted.
Next, with reference to
The number of the second regions 24 is not particularly limited. However, in the present embodiment, four second regions 24 are provided on each of both sides in the foot width direction across the throat portion 20b. The four second regions 24 are provided at intervals in the fore-rear direction. Each of the second regions 24 extends in the foot width direction of the upper main body 20 in the upper midfoot portion R2. Each second region 24 extends from an edge of the throat portion 20b to a lower edge of the upper main body 20. A plan view shape of each second regions 24 is not particularly limited, but is a band shape longer in the foot width direction than in the fore-rear direction, in the present embodiment. Between the second regions 24 adjacent in the fore-rear direction, one string passing portion 20c is arranged. Furthermore, one string passing portion 20c is also arranged in forward of the second region 24 located at the foremost position. In the following description, a portion of the first region 23 between the adjacent second regions 24 where the string passing portion 20c is arranged is referred to as a tension acting portion 20d.
The plurality of high-stretchability linear bodies 26 are provided at intervals in the foot width direction. The plurality of low-stretchability linear bodies 27 are provided at intervals in the foot width direction. The high-stretchability linear bodies 26 and the low-stretchability linear bodies 27 are provided at intervals in the foot width direction. In the present embodiment, one high-stretchability linear body 26 and one low-stretchability linear body 27 are alternately provided in the foot width direction. However, it is not intended to limit the arrangement of the high-stretchability linear bodies 26 and the low-stretchability linear bodies 27. The plurality of reference linear bodies 28 intersect the high-stretchability linear bodies 26 and the low-stretchability linear bodies 27, and are provided at intervals in the fore-rear direction. In the present embodiment, the high-stretchability linear body 26 is a first linear body, and the low-stretchability linear body 27 is a second linear body.
The high-stretchability linear body 26 is provided across the first region 23 and the second region 24. The high-stretchability linear body 26 has stretchability to stretch and contract in a stretching direction.
As illustrated in
Stretchability of the high-stretchability linear body 26 illustrated in
The first region 23 is a region where the high-stretchability linear body 26, the low-stretchability linear body 27, and the reference linear body 28 are provided. The second region 24 is a region where the high-stretchability linear body 26 and the reference linear body 28 are provided and the low-stretchability linear body 27 is not provided. Since the low-stretchability linear body 27 that is difficult to stretch and contract is provided in the first region 23 and is not provided in the second region 24, stretchability of the second region 24 is higher than stretchability of the first region 23. That is, the first region 23 and the second region 24 have mutually different stretchability.
Next, with reference to
As illustrated in
Note that the low-stretchability linear body 27 may be partially removed by partially melting the low-stretchability linear body 27. For example, it is possible to partially melt and remove the low-stretchability linear body 27 by using a yarn that melts with a solvent, water, or heat, as the material of the low-stretchability linear body 27. When the low-stretchability linear body 27 is partially melted, a portion corresponding to the second region 24 in the low-stretchability linear body 27 may or may not be floated with respect to the reference linear body 28.
Next, effects of the shoe 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.
In the present embodiment, as illustrated in
In the present embodiment, as illustrated in
In the present embodiment, as illustrated in
In the present embodiment, as illustrated in
In the present embodiment, as illustrated in
When the wearer of the shoe 1 illustrated in
In the present embodiment, as illustrated in
When the low-stretchability linear body 27 is partially removed as illustrated in
In the present embodiment, as illustrated in
In the present embodiment, as illustrated in
In the present embodiment, the number of the second regions 24 illustrated in
Although one high-stretchability linear body 26 and one low-stretchability linear body 27 illustrated in
In the present embodiment, the high-stretchability linear body 26 is a first linear body provided only in the second region 24. Further, a low-stretchability linear body 27 is a second linear body provided in a first region 23 while avoiding the second region 24. A portion corresponding to the first region 23 in the high-stretchability linear body 26 is removed, and a portion corresponding to the second region 24 in the low-stretchability linear body 27 is removed. Floating the high-stretchability linear body 26 with respect to a reference linear body 28 when the portion corresponding to the first region 23 of the high-stretchability linear body 26 is removed by floating with respect to the reference linear body 28 means that the high-stretchability linear body 26 alternately passing the front side and the back side of the reference linear body 28 in the second region 24 is allowed to pass one side alone of the front side or the back side of the reference linear body 28 in the first region 23, and a separation distance between the high-stretchability linear body 26 and the reference linear body 28 in the front-back direction is made longer in the first region 23 than in the second region 24. Floating the low-stretchability linear body 27 with respect to the reference linear body 28 when the portion corresponding to the second region 24 in the low-stretchability linear body 27 is removed by floating with respect to the reference linear body 28 has meaning similar to that in the first embodiment described above.
The present embodiment can achieve effects similar to those of the first embodiment described above. That is, since the high-stretchability linear body 26 is provided only in the second region 24 and the low-stretchability linear body 27 is provided only in the first region 23, stretchability of the first region 23 and the second region 24 can be made different from each other. In the present embodiment, since the low-stretchability linear body 27 that is difficult to stretch and contract is provided in the first region 23 and is not provided in the second region 24, the stretchability of the second region 24 is higher than the stretchability of the first region 23.
Note that the high-stretchability linear bodies 26 may be provided only in the first region 23, and the low-stretchability linear bodies 27 may be provided only in the second region 24. In this case, the low-stretchability linear body 27 is a first linear body provided only in the second region 24. Further, the high-stretchability linear body 26 is a second linear body provided in the first region 23 while avoiding the second region 24 and having an end located at a boundary portion 25 between the first region 23 and the second region 24. That is, a portion corresponding to the second region 24 in the high-stretchability linear body 26 is removed, and a portion corresponding to the first region 23 in the low-stretchability linear body 27 is removed. By doing in this way, since the low-stretchability linear body 27 that is difficult to stretch and contract is provided in the second region 24 and is not provided in the first region 23, the stretchability of the first region 23 is higher than the stretchability of the second region 24. Floating the low-stretchability linear body 27 with respect to the reference linear body 28 when the portion corresponding to the first region 23 of the low-stretchability linear body 27 is removed by floating with respect to the reference linear body 28 means that the low-stretchability linear body 27 alternately passing the front side and the back side of the reference linear body 28 in the second region 24 is allowed to pass one side alone of the front side or the back side of the reference linear body 28 in the first region 23, and a separation distance between the low-stretchability linear body 27 and the reference linear body 28 in the front-back direction is made longer in the first region 23 than in the second region 24. Floating the high-stretchability linear body 26 with respect to the reference linear body 28 when the portion corresponding to the second region 24 in the high-stretchability linear body 26 is removed by floating with respect to the reference linear body 28 has meaning similar to that in the first embodiment described above.
The second region 24 is formed in an upper forefoot portion R1 and an upper midfoot portion R2 in the present embodiment. The second region 24 includes a front region 24a provided adjacent to a throat portion 20b in forward of the throat portion 20b and a side region 24b provided only on one side in the foot width direction across the throat portion 20b. The front region 24a is provided across the upper forefoot portion R1 and the upper midfoot portion R2. A plan view shape of the front region 24a is not particularly limited, but is substantially circular in the present embodiment.
A position of the side region 24b may be on a medial foot side of the throat portion 20b, but is on a lateral foot side of the throat portion 20b in the present embodiment. The number of the side regions 24b is not particularly limited, but is two in the present embodiment. The two side regions 24b are provided at intervals in the fore-rear direction. Each side region 24b extends in the foot width direction of the upper main body 20 in the upper midfoot portion R2. Each side region 24b extends from an edge of the throat portion 20b to a lower edge of the upper main body 20. A plan view shape of each side region 24b is not particularly limited, but is a band shape longer in the foot width direction than in the fore-rear direction, in the present embodiment. Between the side regions 24b adjacent in the fore-rear direction, one string passing portion 20c is arranged.
The present embodiment can achieve effects similar to those of the first embodiment described above. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the second region 24 includes the side region 24b provided only on one side in the foot width direction across the throat portion 20b, so that the second region 24 is arranged laterally asymmetrically. Therefore, the structure is suitable for a case of performing a sport or the like where it is desired to easily stretch and contract one side of the upper main body 20 in the foot width direction across the throat portion 20b and to make it difficult to stretch and contract another side in the foot width direction. Note that the front region 24a and each of the side regions 24b are formed in one piece in the present embodiment, but may be divided into a plurality of pieces in the fore-rear direction or the foot width direction, or may be divided into a plurality of pieces in the fore-rear direction and the foot width direction.
As illustrated in
The present embodiment can achieve effects similar to those of the first embodiment described above. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the second region 24 is formed adjacent to the foot insertion opening 20a in forward of the foot insertion opening 20a, so that the second region 24 is a portion corresponding to the shoe tongue 21, and thus a monosock structure can be realized by one material which is a linear body. Moreover, the second region 24 is formed in one piece in the present embodiment, but may be divided into a plurality of pieces in the fore-rear direction or the foot width direction, or may be divided into a plurality of pieces in the fore-rear direction and the foot width direction. Furthermore, the second region 24 may be formed to be laterally asymmetric.
The second region 24 is formed in an upper midfoot portion R2 and an upper rearfoot portion R3 in the present embodiment. The second region 24 extends along an edge of a foot insertion opening 20a. In a state where the upper main body 20 illustrated in
The present embodiment can achieve effects similar to those of the first embodiment described above. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, since the second region 24 extends along the edge of the foot insertion opening 20a, the second region 24 deforms following a movement of the foot of the wearer, so that fitting between the foot and the edge of the foot insertion opening 20a can be enhanced. Moreover, the second region 24 is formed in one piece in the present embodiment, but may be divided into a plurality of pieces in the fore-rear direction or the foot width direction, or may be divided into a plurality of pieces in the fore-rear direction and the foot width direction. Furthermore, the second region 24 may be formed to be laterally asymmetric.
The second region 24 is formed in an upper forefoot portion R1 in the present embodiment. The second region 24 extends in the foot width direction of the upper main body 20 in the upper forefoot portion R1. The second region 24 is formed from a lower edge on a lateral foot side of the upper forefoot portion R1 to a lower edge on a medial foot side of the upper forefoot portion R1 through forward of a throat portion 20b.
The present embodiment can achieve effects similar to those of the first embodiment described above. When a motion of floating an upper rearfoot portion R3 from the ground is performed with the upper forefoot portion R1 illustrated in
The second region 24 of the shoe 1F according to the present embodiment has a configuration in which the second region 24 of the shoe 1C according to the fourth embodiment and the second region 24 of the shoe 1D according to the fifth embodiment are combined. An upper 2 has a monosock structure in which a portion corresponding to the shoe tongue 21 of the first embodiment is integrated with an ankle portion of the upper main body 20. The second region 24 is formed adjacent to a foot insertion opening 20a in forward of the foot insertion opening 20a. Furthermore, the second region 24 extends along an edge of the foot insertion opening 20a.
The present embodiment can achieve effects similar to those of the first, fourth, and fifth embodiments described above. In the present embodiment, the second region 24 is configured by combining the second regions 24 of the fourth and fifth embodiments, but may be configured by combining two or more of the second regions 24 of the first and third to sixth embodiments.
As illustrated in
The additional linear body 29 is provided across the first region 23 and the second region 24. Note that a material of the additional linear body 29 may be the same as a material of the high-stretchability linear body 26 or the low-stretchability linear body 27, or may be different from the materials of the high-stretchability linear body 26 and the low-stretchability linear body 27. Stretchability of the additional linear body 29 in the stretching direction may be the same as the stretchability of the high-stretchability linear body 26 or the low-stretchability linear body 27 in the stretching direction, or may be different from the stretchability of the high-stretchability linear body 26 and the low-stretchability linear body 27 in the stretching direction. The additional linear body 29 is provided so as to alternately pass the front side and the back side of the reference linear bodies 28 adjacent to each other in the first region 23 and the second region 24. The high-stretchability linear body 26 is provided so as to repeatedly pass the front side of one of the adjacent reference linear bodies 28, between the adjacent reference linear bodies 28, and the back side of another adjacent reference linear body 28 in this order.
The first region 23 is a region where the high-stretchability linear body 26, the low-stretchability linear body 27, the additional linear body 29, and the reference linear body 28 are provided. The second region 24 is a region where the high-stretchability linear body 26, the additional linear body 29, and the reference linear body 28 are provided and the low-stretchability linear body 27 is not provided. Note that the additional linear body 29 may be removed in the second region 24 similarly to the low-stretchability linear body 27. In this case, the additional linear body 29 is provided in the first region 23 while avoiding the second region 24, and has an end located at the boundary portion 25 between the first region 23 and the second region 24.
The present embodiment can achieve effects similar to those of the first embodiment described above. When the number of linear bodies overlapping in the up-down direction is set to three at maximum as in the present embodiment, stretchability of the upper main body 20 can be changed in multiple stages of three or more stages, by changing the arrangement of the linear bodies. For example, by providing: a region where the low-stretchability linear body 27 and the additional linear body 29 are partially removed and the high-stretchability linear body 26 and the reference linear body 28 are present; a region where the additional linear body 29 is partially removed and the high-stretchability linear body 26, the low-stretchability linear body 27, and the reference linear body 28 are present; and a region where the high-stretchability linear body 26, the low-stretchability linear body 27, the additional linear body 29, and the reference linear body 28 are present, the stretchability of the upper main body 20 can be changed in three stages. In the present embodiment, the maximum number of linear bodies overlapping in the up-down direction is three, but may be four or more. By doing in this way, the stretchability of the upper main body 20 can be changed in multiple stages of four or more stages.
In the upper according to the present invention, there is an effect of being able to partially change stretchability of the upper with less materials than before.
The configuration illustrated in the above embodiment illustrates one example of the contents of the present invention and can be combined with another known technique, and it is also possible to omit and change a part of the configuration without departing from the subject matter of the present invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2021-144445 | Sep 2021 | JP | national |