U.S. patent application number 10/303776 was filed with the patent office on 2004-05-27 for airbag buffer for footwear.
Invention is credited to Tuan, Wei-Jei.
Application Number | 20040098882 10/303776 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32325070 |
Filed Date | 2004-05-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040098882 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Tuan, Wei-Jei |
May 27, 2004 |
Airbag buffer for footwear
Abstract
An airbag buffer for footwear includes a sole and an airbag. The
sole has a plurality of air passageways. The airbag is arranged in
the sole and has an air flowing section between the airbag and the
sole and communicating to the air passageways. The air within the
sole is forced to flow into the air flowing section through the air
passageways when the sole is pressed. The air flowed into the air
flowing section can flow back to the sole through the air
passageways when the pressure exerted to the sole is relieved.
Therefore, the air within the footwear can uniformly flow along
front-and-back and left-and-right directions as the user walks. The
uniform and omni-directional flow of air makes a comfortable
feeling to user.
Inventors: |
Tuan, Wei-Jei; (Hsintien
City, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BROWDY AND NEIMARK, P.L.L.C.
624 NINTH STREET, NW
SUITE 300
WASHINGTON
DC
20001-5303
US
|
Family ID: |
32325070 |
Appl. No.: |
10/303776 |
Filed: |
November 26, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
36/29 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B 13/20 20130101;
A43B 7/1445 20130101; A43B 17/03 20130101; A43B 7/144 20130101;
A43B 13/125 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
036/029 |
International
Class: |
A43B 013/20 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An airbag buffer for footwear, comprising a sole having a
plurality of air passageways; and an airbag arranged in the sole
and having an air flowing section between the airbag and the sole
and communicating to the air passageways.
2. The airbag buffer for footwear as in claim 1, wherein the sole
has an accommodating chamber, the airbag is placed within the
accommodating chamber and integrally formed with the sole.
3. The airbag buffer for footwear as in claim 1, wherein the sole
comprises an outer base having the accommodating chamber, a middle
base atop the outer base and having a plurality of air passageways,
a padding atop the middle base and having a plurality of air
passageways communicating with the plurality of air passageways of
the middle base.
4. The airbag buffer for footwear as in claim 1, wherein the airbag
comprises a paw section and a heel section, the air flowing section
being provided among the paw section, the heel section and the
sole.
5. The airbag buffer for footwear as in claim 1, wherein the airbag
extends in an area corresponding to a distribution of the air
passageways.
6. The airbag buffer for footwear as in claim 1, wherein the sole
has an accommodating chamber, the airbag comprises a paw section
and a heel section and is assembled into the accommodating chamber
of the sole, the airbag is surrounded by an annulus air ring, the
air flowing section is arranged among the sole, the paw section,
the heel section and the annulus air ring.
7. The airbag buffer for footwear as in claim 6, wherein the sole
has a packing layer to shield the air flowing section.
8. The airbag buffer for footwear as in claim 7, wherein the
packing layer is made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
9. The airbag buffer for footwear as in claim 1, wherein the airbag
has an air flowing section, the air flowing section communicated to
the air passageways through a top portion thereof and communicated
to an external air through a bottom portion thereof.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to an airbag buffer for
footwear, especially to an airbag buffer arranged on bottom of
footwear to cushion shock from counteraction of ground.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Most people wear footwear at almost all times, except during
sleep, in their everyday lives. Therefore, the footwear is always
under extensive research to provide comfortable feeling to user.
More particularly, the footwear is provided with airbag buffer to
cushion shock from counteraction of ground.
[0003] FIG. 1 shows a prior art airbag buffer for footwear, which
includes a sole 1 and an airbag 2. The sole 1 comprises an outer
base 10, a middle base 11 atop the outer base 10 and a padding 12
atop the middle base 11. An accommodating chamber 13 is provided in
the outer base 10 and comprises a forepaw room 14 and a heel room
15. The airbag 2 is placed within the accommodating chamber 13 and
mainly distributed in the forepaw room 14 and the heel room 15.
[0004] FIG. 2 shows another prior art airbag buffer for footwear,
there are two airbags 2 arranged in a forepaw room 14 and a heel
room 15.
[0005] In above-mentioned airbag buffers, the deformable ability of
the airbag is exploited to cushion shock from counteraction of
ground. In the airbag buffer shown in FIG. 1, the airbag is
deformed along one dimension connecting the forepaw room 14 and the
heel room 15. In the airbag buffer shown in FIG. 2, the airbags are
deformed separately in the forepaw room 14 and the heel room 15. In
both cases, the restoring ability is limited and the effect to
cushion the shock is not satisfactory.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide an
airbag buffer for footwear, which can provide uniform buffering and
fast restoring effect.
[0007] It is another object of the present invention to provide an
airbag buffer for footwear, which can provide better circulating
effect for air in the footwear.
[0008] It is still another object of the present invention to
provide an airbag buffer for footwear, which can provide better
protecting effect for user's foot.
[0009] To achieve the above objects, the present invention provides
an airbag buffer for footwear, which includes a sole and an airbag.
The sole has a plurality of air passageways. The airbag is arranged
in the sole and has an air flowing section between the airbag and
the sole and communicating to the air passageways.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] The various objects and advantages of the present invention
will be more readily understood from the following detailed
description when read in conjunction with the appended drawing, in
which:
[0011] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a conventional airbag buffer
for footwear;
[0012] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of another conventional airbag
buffer for footwear;
[0013] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of an airbag buffer for footwear
of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0014] FIG. 4 is a sectional view of an airbag buffer for footwear
of the second preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 5 is a top view of an airbag buffer for footwear of the
second preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 6 is a bottom view of an airbag buffer for footwear of
the second preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0017] FIG. 7 is an exploded view of an airbag buffer for footwear
of the third preferred embodiment of the present invention; and
[0018] FIG. 8 is a sectional view of an airbag buffer for footwear
of the third preferred embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0019] As shown in FIG. 3, the present invention provides an airbag
buffer for footwear, which comprises a sole 1 and an airbag 2. The
sole 1 comprises an outer base 10 having an accommodating chamber
13, a middle base 11 atop the outer base 10 and having a plurality
of air passageways 16, a padding 12 atop the middle base 11 and
having a plurality of air passageways 17 communicating with the
plurality of air passageways 16.
[0020] The airbag 2 is formed in the accommodating chamber 13 and
integrally formed with the sole 1. The airbag 2 comprises a paw
section 20, a heel section 21 and an air flowing section 22 among
the paw section 20, the heel section 21 and the sole 1. The airbag
2 extends in an area corresponding to the distribution of the air
passageways 16 and the air passageways 17, wherein the air flowing
section 22 is communicated with the air passageways 16 and the air
passageways 17. Therefore, the air within the sole 1 is forced to
flow into the air flowing section 22 through the air passageways 16
and the air passageways 17 when the sole 1 is pressed. Moreover,
the air flowed into the air flowing section 22 can flow back to the
sole 1 through the air passageways 16 and the air passageways 17
when the pressure exerted to the sole 1 is relieved. Therefore, the
air within the footwear can uniformly flow along front-and-back and
left-and-right directions as the user walks. The uniform and
omni-directional flow of air make a comfortable feeling to
user.
[0021] With reference now to FIGS. 4 and 6, the airbag 2 comprises
the paw section 20 and the heel section 21 and is assembled into
the accommodating chamber 13 of the sole 1. The airbag 2 is
surrounded by an annulus air ring 23 and the air flowing section 22
is arranged among the sole 1, the paw section 20, the heel section
21 and the annulus air ring 23. The sole 1 has a packing layer 24
to shield the air flowing section 22 and is made of polyvinyl
chloride (PVC),
[0022] With reference now to FIGS. 7 and 8, the airbag 2 is
assembled to the sole 1 and has an air flowing section 22. The air
flowing section 22 is communicated to the air passageways 17
through top portion thereof and communicated to external air
through bottom portion thereof. Therefore, more fresh air can be
supplied to the footwear through the air flowing section 22.
[0023] To sum up, the airbag buffer for footwear of the present
invention has the following characteristics.
[0024] (1) The air flowing section provided between the airbag and
the air passageways can enhance the restoring ability of the airbag
and buffering function of the airbag.
[0025] (2) The air flowing section provided between the airbag and
the air passageways can circulate air flow in the footwear and make
user more comfortable.
[0026] (3) The air flowing section provided between the airbag and
the air passageways can provide smooth movement of foot wearing the
footwear.
[0027] Although the present invention has been described with
reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it will be
understood that the invention is not limited to the details
thereof. Various substitutions and modifications have been
suggested in the foregoing description, and other will occur to
those of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, all such
substitutions and modifications are intended to be embraced within
the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
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