Insole that functionally adjusts its supporting curvature according to the heel height

Abstract

An insole that functionally adjusts its supporting curvature according to the heel height is disclosed. A first supporting portion is disposed at the metatarsus. A second supporting portion is disposed between the front edge of the calcaneus and the back edge of the metatarsus. The bottom of the second supporting portion is formed with several grooves in the horizontal direction. The width of the grooves is inversely proportional to the heel height, thereby functionally adjusting the supporting curvature.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The invention relates to an insole and, in particular, to an insole designed for female high heels to functionally adjust the supporting curvature according to the heel height.

2. Related Art

According to the literatures, the design of female high heels usually emphasizes on the fashion and style instead of the comfort. This results in foot diseases for those who like wearing high heels. This is because the body weight is shifted toward the forefoot, putting larger tip pressure on the metatarsus of the forefoot and the foot back. The weight thus cannot be evenly distributed. Besides, the tight high heels also limit the natural spring function of the foot arch, thereby reducing the cushion effect.

To understand comfort and how shoes affect the comfort, the industry has to know about the anatomical structure of foot and biological mechanics. Only through true understanding of these principles and the burden imposed on the feet in daily life and some special activities is it possible to improve the comfort of consumers.

A human foot anatomically involves a complex yet stable structure constructed from 26 irregular bones, 30 synovial joints, and more than 100 ligaments. This structure can be typically divided into three portions, namely the forefoot, the midfoot, and the hindfoot.

In particular, the hindfoot comprises a calcaneus in contact with the ground and a talus positioned between the calcaneus and a tibia to form an ankle joint. Thereby, the impact experienced by the hindfoot from the ground is transmitted through the calcaneus to other body portions, especially to the knees.

The midfoot is composed of 5 small tarsuses, including a navicular bone, a cuboid bone and 3 sphenoid bones, which are closely linked by ligaments as a foundation of inner and outer arch portions. The function of the arch is to bear and distribute the entire body weight transmitted from the tibia to the foot. Moreover, the arch adapts the feet to different loads and contacting surfaces

The forefoot has 19 bones, which are 5 metatarsuses and 14 phalanxes composing toes.

While realizing the anatomical structure of the human foot, the inventor of the present invention believes that it is an objective worth attempts to provide a shoe insole in accordance with biomechanics so as to efficiently mitigate the load borne by a human foot

R.O.C. Pat. No. 093109141 discloses a device used in a high heel. The device has a first protruding area under the front edge of the calcaneus and a second protruding area under the metatarsus. These protruding areas provide extra support to mitigate the load borne by the foot. Nevertheless, the above-mentioned protruding areas cannot adapt according to the height of the shoes. Therefore, the supporting effect cannot adapt in accordance with the height.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing, the inventor of the present invention devotes to developing a shoe insole that functionally adjusts its supporting curvature according to the height of the heel. A first supporting portion is disposed at the metatarsus. A second supporting portion is disposed between the front edge of the calcaneus and the back edge of the metatarsus. The bottom of the second supporting portion is formed with several grooves in the horizontal direction. The width of the grooves is inversely proportional to the heel height, thereby functionally adjusting the supporting curvature. Consequently, the pressure imposed by the body weight on the foot is distributed, alleviating the discomfort of wearing high heels.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below illustration only, and thus is not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the disclosed insole that functionally adjusts its supporting curvature according to the height of a high heel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same references relate to the same elements.

Please refer to FIG. 1. The disclosed insole 1 is positioned on the show bottom 2. A first supporting portion 11 is disposed at the metatarsus. A second supporting portion 12 is disposed between the front edge of the calcaneus and the back edge of the metatarsus. The bottom of the second supporting portion 12 is formed with several grooves 121 in the horizontal direction. The width of the grooves 121 is inversely proportional to the height of the heel 3. That is, the higher the heel 3 is, the narrower the groove opening is.

As illustrated in FIG. 1A, when the height of the heel 3 is small, the curvatures of the second supporting portion 12 and the inner and outer arches 13, 14 are flatter. As the height of the heel 3 increases, as shown in FIGS. 1B and 1C, the second supporting portion 12 protrudes upwards so that the curvatures of the inner and outer arches 13, 14 become larger, enlarging the supporting curvature for the foot. In response to the protrusion of the second supporting portion 12, the grooves 121 at the bottom become narrower due to squeezing (as shown in FIG. 1C). The variation in the opening width of the grooves 121 functionally adjusts the supporting curvature for the foot. The pressure imposed by the body weight on the foot is thus evenly distributed, mitigating the discomfort of wearing high heels.

In summary, the invention uses an extremely simple structure to create an insole with significant effects. It can effectively provide bottom support and vibration cushion, helping users to wear high heels in a healthier way.

Although the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, this description is not meant to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications of the disclosed embodiments, as well as alternative embodiments, will be apparent to persons skilled in the art. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claims will cover all modifications that fall within the true scope of the invention.

Claims

1. An insole functionally adjusting its supporting curvature according to the height of heel, comprising a first supporting portion disposed at the metatarsus and a second supporting portion disposed between the front edge of the calcaneus and the back edge of the metatarsus, wherein the bottom of the second supporting portion is formed with several grooves.

2. The insole functionally adjusting its supporting curvature according to the height of heel as in claim 1, wherein the grooves are formed horizontally at the bottom of the second supporting portion.