INSOLE OR INNER SOLE WITH PRESSURE VENTILATION

Abstract

Insole or inner sole which is intended for an item of footwear and is designed in the form of a pressure-ventilation sole (40a-e) such that a flexurally elastic pressure-exerting plate (10, 20, 30) rests on a lower sole, said pressure-exerting plate being displaceable by the user's body weight, when the user is moving, into transverse profiling in the interspace between the pressure-exerting plate (10, 20, 30), which is in the vicinity of the sole of the foot, and the lower sole and displacing the contained air volume in the manner of ventilation, wherein the lower sole of the pressure-ventilation sole (40a-e) is configured in the form of a corrugated structured sole (1) from a spring steel or a comparable plastic material, the transverse profiling thereof being designed in the form of a corrugated profile and being stable, and resistant to deformation, in relation to a compressive force acting vertically on the structured sole (1), and that the pressure-exerting plate (10, 20, 30), which is in the vicinity of the sole of the foot, can be displaced into the dimensionally stable corrugation valleys (12) of the structured sole (1) in the manner of a pumping and/or compression plate.

Description

The invention relates to an insole or inner sole with pressure ventilation according to the preamble of claim 1.

With DE 1 872 338 U1, a footwear insert that causes the ventilation of the sole bed of the foot has become known, said sole being able to be both firmly incorporated into the sole material of footwear, but also to be used as a so-called “insole.”

According to the invention, the pressure-ventilation sole should act in such a way that an air circulation is created between the sole of an item of footwear and the sole of the foot by the changing pressure and relief processes when walking in a layer-like insert sheet, said air circulation on the one hand preventing the unpleasant formation of sweat and the unhealthy effects of the lack of ventilation of the sole skin of the foot and on the other hand allowing a pleasant cooling in hot weather.

Between the cover and under layer consisting of a tissue material, a film folded in zig-zag form is inserted, preferably made of plastic material, which is attached to the tissue cover layers, for example, at the edges of the toes, at the edge of the heel area and in the area of the arch of the foot. The ribs of the film run preferably transversely to the longitudinal direction of the sole. The film is smaller in its outline than the outline of an item of footwear insert, so that a duct running is created around the entire foot bed between the openings of the cavities and the cover and under layers connected to the edge.

If, for example, the zig-zag film is pressed into the area of the ball of the foot, the air present in the cavities in this area escapes sideways into the duct and passes through the fabric of the cover and underlayer to the edge of the footbed, where an air exchange occurs. Some of the compressed air reaches the sole of the foot through the pores of the fabric of the cover layer.

In addition to the arrangement of an insert consisting of a zig-zag-shaped folded plastic film, the publication also reveals two zigzag-shaped plastic films resting one on top of each other in a mirror image, wherein said films fold flat when pressed together and displace the air stored in the cavities between the folds in the direction of the perimeter edge of the insert. Likewise, air-filled, longitudinally connected hoses are described, which are installed transversely to the longitudinal axis of the insert and which are compressed when walking, wherein the air contained in the respective hose is pressed out.

The disadvantage of a compressible and zig-zag-shaped folded plastic film is that the film strips converging at an acute angle in a crease can break and split when compressing during the walking movement. The lifespan of such a film is therefore very limited. When breaking the crease, the broken up pieces penetrate through the cover layers consisting of fabric and can hurt the sole of the foot.

In addition, disturbing cracking and crackling noises are generated during the roll-off movement. Because of the flexibility (compressibility) of the sole construction during walking movement, no stable counterforce is generated on the sole of the foot by the ground, thereby leading to an unsafe rolling movement of the sole of the foot and the danger of lateral buckling of the foot arch. Therefore, the danger of Halux formation cannot be excluded.

In another exemplary embodiment, the above-mentioned document describes two zig-zag-shaped folded plastic films resting on top of each other in a mirror image, where the same risk of breakage and noise generation exists, and also the other problem that the upper zig-zag position can shift compared to the lower zig-zag position and the two layers engage into a mutual gearing engagement, whereby the ventilation effect disappears. Fastening both layers securely to avoid displacement is thus difficult, if not impossible.

Additionally, the air-filled hoses mentioned in the third embodiment, that were applied onto each other and connected to each other in the area of their contact lines, have not proven to be effective. In addition to the creation of undesirable noise, there is a danger that the hoses will break and be displaced relative to each other in the long term because of the strong forces caused by compressing.

The disadvantage with the known pressure-ventilation sole is therefore that a sole that is running-stable and counter-pressure independent relative to floor unevenness is not provided, because the lower and upper sole plates consist of a flexurally elastic textile material. There is therefore only a lower, flat sole plate on which the zigzag-folded film rests, said film being covered upwards by an equally flat, flexurally elastic pressure-exerting plate on which the sole of the foot rests. A stable support of the sole of the foot when running is not possible due to the flat sole plate. Rather, the (lower) flat sole plate adapts in an undesirable way to the ground and thus does not form a stable support of the sole of the foot during the rolling movement on an uneven surface.

The printing plate which is in the vicinity of the sole of the foot is also formed as a flexurally elastic flat plate, so that the known pressure-ventilation sole consists of two flexurally elastic flat plates, which have a mutual distance from each other, between which a zigzag-folded plastic film is arranged.

Thus, it can be determined that a pressure-ventilation sole according to this prior art having air-filled cavities in the area of a zigzag-folded plastic film that collapse upon a pressure load is disadvantageous in several respects, and neither provides sufficient support for the sole of the foot when walking, nor has a long service life, nor ensures adequate ventilation, additionally leading to possible injuries to the sole of the foot.

With U.S. Pat. No. 2,234,190 A, a multi-layer spring steel sole made of two separated zig-zag-shaped spring steel sheets has become known, between which a film bag filled with air is arranged. The zigzag profiles are arranged in a vertical direction to the longitudinal axis. The mentioned multi-layer spring steel sole has the purpose of providing a damping effect due to the air-filled film bag arranged between the spring steel layers. This means that the ventilation of the sole of the foot is thus not possible.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,334,719 A is a pressure-ventilation sole made of rubber or other compressible material in which grooves and web-like projections are arranged in a variety of row- and column-shaped ventilation points. These ventilation points are formed as short, rectangular ventilation points, the longitudinal axis of which is directed at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the pressure-ventilation sole. During walking, the grooves that are transversely directed to the longitudinal axis are compressed due to the buckling effect in the sole and squeeze the air contained therein through perforation holes in the direction of the sole of the foot.

Instead of the arrangement of compressible grooves, the document also describes an embodiment in which a corrugated intermediate layer is arranged in the interspace of the upper and underlayers made of rubber, said intermediate layer providing an improved suspension capacity and also consisting of an elastically compressible rubber material.

The insert that is corrugated and compressible forms air-filled cavities in the interspace of the corrugation crests and corrugation valleys, wherein the expanding air is displaced when walking.

The disadvantage of the above arrangement is that the ventilation points are only short and row-shaped and column-shaped at mutual distance to each other in the pressure-ventilation sole. This means that the ventilation effect is minimal.

Another disadvantage is that the ventilation effect is provided by the rubber-elastic compression of the corrugated insert, which results in the disadvantage that the insert is subject to severe wear and that the elasticity of the corrugated insert decreases with age. The corrugated structure therefore collapses and the ventilation effect is no longer achieved.

With the object of U.S. Pat. No. 4,910,882 B1, a further pressure-ventilation sole has become known, in which the air enclosed in the trapezoidally profiled grooves is to be pressed out in a sole consisting of transverse ribs during the walking movement. The ventilation effect is minimal. Forced pressure ventilation is not provided.

In DE 20 20 2008 018 366 U1, which belongs to the same applicant community, a perforated insole has been described as a structured sole made of a spring steel or a comparable plastic material having a rib-shaped cross-profiling at the angle to the longitudinal center line, wherein the cross-profiling in the forefoot area is different from that in the hind foot area. A ventilation effect had only been described in conjunction with a honeycomb or duct system installed below the insole in an item of footwear.

In addition to the low ventilation effect, the installation height of such a construction is also increased in an undesirable way.

The corrugation profile consists of a number of successively arranged corrugations, of which each consists of a corrugation crest and a subsequent corrugation valley.

With regard to the further characteristics of such a structured sole or an insole, reference is made to DE 100 15 240 A1 or DE 199 56 072 A1.

In these two documents, the structure and function of such an insole and/or inner sole are exactly described and the properties described therein of such a formed structured sole are also subject-matter of the present invention.

When using an insole or inner sole according to the subject-matter of DE 20 2008 018 366 U1, it was shown that the ventilation effect and moisture transport could be significantly increased.

The invention is therefore based on the object, starting from an insole or inner sole for an item of footwear, according to the subject-matter of DE 1 872 338 U1, to significantly improve the air and moisture transport from the insole and/or the inner sole, in particular to extend the life of such an insole or inner sole, to avoid a risk of injury and noise during rolling and to provide an improved support function for the sole of the foot.

In order to achieve the object set, the invention is characterized by the technical teaching of claim 1.

It is advantageous that pressure ventilation takes place using the special properties of the corrugated ribbed insole or inner sole because, according to the invention, an upper flexurally elastic pressure-exerting plate is arranged on the corrugation profile of such a structured sole, said pressure-exerting plate being displaceable into the corrugation valleys of the structured sole by the user's body weight when walking.

It is advantageous that the (below) corrugated structured sole of the pressure-ventilation sole is made of a spring steel or a comparable flexurally elastic plastic material, whose cross-profiling is formed as a corrugation profile with almost rounded corrugation crests and corrugation valleys and is stable and resistant to deformation compared to a pressure force acting vertically on the structured sole. The pressure-exerting plate which is in the vicinity of the sole can be pushed into the shape-stable corrugation valleys of the structured sole in the manner of a pumping and/or a compression plate and displaces the air in the range of the ventilation ducts formed in the interspace between the top of the structured sole and the underside of the pressure-exerting plate. In this case, the one corrugation structure having a plate-shaped pressure-exerting plate made of a flexurally elastic plastic with a preferred thickness in the range between 1 to 3 mm can be formed continuously over the entire sole length.

In another embodiment, the plate-shaped pressure-exerting plate may be connected to an elastomeric pressure body, which ensures an improved bedding of the sole of the foot on the pressure-exerting plate having the corrugation structure. Furthermore, the corrugation structure can also extend to the top of the elastomeric pressure body in the vicinity of the sole, so that a pressure of the sole of the foot acts directly on the corrugation structure of the pressure-exerting plate connected to the elastomeric pressure body.

In comparison to DE 1 872 338 U1, the well-known three-layer sole structure, consisting of a lower flat sole, a zig-zag film attached to it, and a further flat sole in the vicinity of the sole is avoided and a two-layer structure of two sole profiles is preferably—but not exclusively—proposed, wherein the lower sole can be formed as a corrugated, flexurally elastic deformation-stable structured sole, while the upper sole can be designed either as an at least partially complementary pressure-exerting sole or as a flat sole.

This makes the sole construction easier, flatter in its height and the previously necessary zig-zag-film is determined by the sole structure of two directly adjacent structured soles, namely the lower corrugated structured sole and the upper pressure-exerting plate that is either at least partially complementary corrugated or flat. Thus, with a simpler and flatter sole structure, a reinforced ventilation effect results with a structured sole construction supported against the ground, wherein the lower sole—because of its property as a corrugated structured sole—is not compressible, in contrast to the zig-zag-shaped plastic film of the prior art.

Thus, a pressure-ventilation sole is described as it was not previously known. The well-known rib structure of the structured sole (see DE 100 15 240 A1 or DE 199 56 072 A1) is now used for pressure and/or forced ventilation of the structured sole, which is due to the addition of a flexurally elastic pressure-exerting plate, which is placed on the rib structure of the structured sole.

It was recognized that the structured sole known from the above documents, preferably formed as a ribbed spring steel sole during the rolling of the sole of the foot in an item of footwear allows only a bend in the longitudinal direction to the rib structure. The respective bending line is therefore parallel to the respective longitudinal extension of the spring steel rib. For this reason, the structured sole allows a rolling movement in the longitudinal direction of the structured sole, but prevents a deflection in a vertical direction for this purpose.

Compared to DE 1 872 338 U1, the advantage is achieved in that a cross-stable support of the sole of the foot is provided and the pressure-ventilation sole is not compressed during the rolling movement, which resulted in the prior art in addition to an undesirable noise also in an insufficient support of the sole of the foot and an unsafe running feeling.

This leads to the realization that the corrugation crests and the complementary corrugation valleys of the structured sole are stable and resistant to deformation compared to a pressure force acting perpendicularly on the structured sole. They therefore do not bend over with such a pressure load and do not deform. They therefore act as a form-stable counter-bearing for a pressure-exerting plate placed on the corrugation crests, said plate being able to therefore deform into the shape-stable corrugation valleys and compress the air volume present there.

Thus, the pressure-exerting plate applied to the rib-shaped cross-profiling acts like a compression tool. The pressure-exerting plate must therefore be compared to a piston that penetrates into the deformation-stable cylinder spaces (corrugation valleys of the rib-shaped structure of the structured sole), thereby resulting in a pressure ventilation. However, it mirrors the bending movement of the structured sole during the rolling movement of the sole of the foot and deforms flexibly together with the structured sole.

This is an effect that was not yet known, because the addition of a flexurally elastic pressure-exerting plate covering the rib-shaped cross-profiling of the structural insole leads to increased pressure or forced ventilation of the insole or inner sole, which results from the body weight of the user who rolls his body weight on the pressure-exerting plate.

Thus, a new feature of the well-known spring-elastic structured sole is presented because it was recognized that the corrugation valleys and corrugation crests of the known structured sole that are not flexurally elastic when under a pressure load from above can now be used as a not deformable, groove- or gutter-shaped compression space, if a flexurally elastic pressure-exerting plate is applied on the rib-shaped cross-profiling of the structured sole, said pressure-exerting plate being suitable to be displaced by the body weight of the user into the corrugation valleys of the structured sole. The structured sole remains stable and is not compressible.

This results in increased forced ventilation of the corrugation valleys of the structured sole by means of the pressure-exerting plate placed on it, which should be fastened as secure as possible to avoid the displacement on the structured sole.

A displacement protection can be accomplished in different ways.

In a first embodiment it may be provided that the pressure-exerting plate is arranged in a space-filling manner in the interior of an item of footwear, so that it is attached on all sides to the inner sides of the upper material of an item of footwear.

In a different embodiment, it may be provided that the pressure-exerting plate is glued in a fixed manner on the corrugation crests of the structured sole arranged underneath.

In a third embodiment, it may be provided that the pressure-exerting plate is simply loosely placed on the structured sole.

The resulting pressure-ventilation sole can be used as an insole in a footwear or as an inner sole in the style of a sole chassis in an item of footwear.

In a preferred embodiment, the pressure-exerting plate is formed as a flat plate and can consist of any flexurally elastic material, such as also a plate-shaped spring steel material, which does not have ribs, or of a plastic plate with thickness of 0.1 to 2 mm, for example, or any other suitable plate-shaped and flexurally elastic materials.

In a first embodiment, the surface of the pressure-exerting plate can correspond approximately to the surface of the underlying structured sole. The structured sole can be developed either as a half sole or as a full sole—both as an insole and as an inner sole. Especially when used in women's pumps or other comparable footwear types, it is usually sufficient to arrange the insole or inner sole (structured sole) only in the forefoot area. In these cases, the pressure-exerting plate is also approximately the same as the structured sole.

In a second embodiment it may be provided that the pressure-exerting plate covers only one part of the surface of the structured sole. Forced pressure ventilation only occurs in this coverage area.

In order to dissipate the air streams forming in the corrugation valleys of the structured sole, which originate from the aforementioned forced ventilation, it is provided in a first embodiment that the air streams flow out at (in the lateral direction at the angle to the direction of travel) the end faces of the gutter-shaped compression spaces (these are the groove-shaped corrugation valleys of the structured sole) in the vicinity of the end face and thus enter an item of footwear interior on the inside of the upper material of an item of footwear.

In another embodiment it may be provided that the upper pressure-exerting plate covering the lower structured sole has multiple perforations, so that not only a compressed air flow in the longitudinal direction of the corrugation valleys of the structured sole is created, but the air flow is additionally (or alone) introduced by the holes or perforations in the pressure-exerting plate directly upwards into the interior of an item of footwear against the sole of the foot of the user.

This ensures that every time the pressure load is changed, said pressure load being acted upon the pressure-exerting plate during walking or during a change of position on the pressure-exerting plate by the user's foot, leading to pressure ventilation of the compression chamber. As stated at the beginning, the respective gutter-shaped compression space is formed by the corrugation valleys of the structured sole, the upper sealing of which is formed by the deforming pressure-exerting plate. The user is running on air, so to speak, because the air trapped by the ventilation ducts between the corrugation structure of the structured sole and the pressure-exerting plate on it forms an additional air cushion. which provides a particularly favorable and gentle bedding of the sole.

It may be provided in some areas of the pressure-ventilation sole that some or more of the ventilation ducts between the corrugation structure of the structured sole and the pressure-exerting plate lying on it are hermetically sealed in order to form air-filled compression spaces that provide a particularly pleasant running feeling. Such closed air volumes are preferably arranged in the heel area.

In another embodiment, it was recognized that a further increase in pressure or forced ventilation in the interior of an item of footwear is possible in that the pressure-exerting plate is no longer formed as a flat flexurally elastic plate, but also has a corrugation structure that is at least partially complementary to the corrugation structure of the underlying structured sole. The corrugation structure of this pressure-exerting plate is compressible, in contrast to the corrugation structure of the underlying structured sole. This means that the corrugation crests and corrugation valleys of the pressure-exerting plate are pressed flat at a pressure load by the sole of the foot and displace themselves into the corrugation structure of the structured sole and compress the air in the area of the ventilation ducts and eject it in a forced manner in the longitudinal direction of the ventilation duct.

This means that the corrugation valleys of the corrugation structure of the pressure-exerting plate on the corrugation crests of the structured sole and that the corrugation crests of the pressure-exerting plate are mirror-imaged against the corrugation valleys of the structured sole and thus a variety of gutter-shaped, pressure-ventilated compression spaces in the area of the thus formed ventilation ducts are formed.

Thus, on the one hand, the air volume of the compression space in the area of a ventilation duct is significantly increased, because a well crest of the pressure-exerting plate lies opposite the respective corrugation valley in the rib-shaped cross-section of the structured sole. Thus, the air volume in the compression chamber is doubled.

If the flexural elasticity of the corrugated pressure-exerting plate is formed in such a way that the corrugation crests of the pressure-exerting plate are displaced when walking or when the user's foot shifts by weight into the corrugation valleys of the structured sole, there is an increased pressure ventilation effect in the gutter-shaped compression spaces of the structured sole.

This significantly increases the forced ventilation effect.

In the use of such a corrugation structure having a pressure-exerting plate, it can be provided that such a corrugated pressure-exerting plate also consists of a flexurally elastic material, such as, for example, a plastic plate or a flexurally elastic metal plate which—in this case—preferably consists of a spring steel material.

It may also be provided that the corrugation structure of the pressure-exerting plate, whose surface is directed to the user's sole of the foot, is filled with an additional elastomeric coating, so that the surface of the corrugated pressure-exerting plate directed to the user's sole of the foot is completely flat, continuous and soft-elastic. This creates an elastomeric pressure body, which consists of, for example, a foamed, closed-cell plastic.

In all cases, it may be provided that the pressure-exerting plate (either as a flat plate or as a corrugated plate) has additional perforations, which provide an air flow through the surface of the pressure-exerting plate upwards towards the sole of the foot.

Even if an elastic cover of the pressure-exerting plate is carried out from the top, nevertheless, correspondingly profiled recesses, holes or perforations can be arranged in the pressure-exerting plate.

A special advantage has been found when the elastic coating of the corrugation structure or the flat structure of the pressure-exerting plate is carried out with a plastic material that forms a memory effect, because then the user's sole of the foot rolls in a particularly gentle and pressure-peak avoiding manner on the surface of the corrugated or planar pressure-exerting plate.

In the specified embodiment, a pure sine form of the corrugation structure is shown both for the structured sole and the pressure-exerting plate. However, the invention is not limited thereto.

Other corrugation forms can be used both in the structured sole preferably made of spring steel as well as in the flexurally elastic pressure-exerting plate.

In particular, it may be provided that the corrugated, rounded, continuous structures of the corrugation crests are now replaced by straight lines and that the—previously rounded—maximum of a well crest is replaced by a horizontal straight line.

Instead of such a sinusoidal corrugation form, therefore, all other corrugation forms are possible, in particular the previously described trapezoidal profile. Asymmetric profile shapes are also possible for both the structured sole and the pressure-exerting plate covering the structured sole at least partially.

In a preferred exemplary embodiment, it is provided that the lateral air outlets, which are present at the corrugation structure sideways, can be arranged only in the area of the forefoot, while in the back foot area such lateral air outlet openings are not provided. There, the ventilation ducts are hermetically tightly closed and thus form air-filled compression spaces with special spring properties.

There are several preferred embodiments of the insole or inner sole according to the invention.

If an inner sole is used in the embodiment, then it is necessary to provide the spring steel sole at the bottom towards the sole with a flexurally elastic full-surface cover or a partial edge frame in order to provide a lasting allowance on the upper material.

If, on the other hand, the spring steel sole is used as an insole, such a textile cover in the vicinity of the sole is not necessary.

Even if the textile membrane or textile cover of an underside of the spring steel sole in the vicinity of the sole is omitted, the installation as an inner sole in a footwear would still be possible if the flexurally elastic spring steel sole was laterally sprayed onto the upper material with an elastomeric plastic.

It is also possible to install it as an inner sole if the lasting allowance is glued to the underside of the spring steel sole.

It is also advantageous that the pressure-exerting plate, which covers the flexurally elastic spring steel sole as an elastic membrane, can now be equipped with a corrugation structure only over a part of the length of the insole or the inner sole.

In another embodiment, however, it can also extend over the entire length of the surface of the underlying spring-elastic sole. The pressure-exerting plate can therefore be shortened in length.

The corrugation structure of the pressure-exerting plate can therefore only extend over the sole or else over the entire area.

It is also possible to arrange the air outlet holes not only on the side, but also upwards. The corrugation structure of the pressure-exerting plate can be omitted in the rear area, where a heel wedge is provided, which can then form hollow ducts, but which have no ventilation function. Such hollow ducts, however, result in an additional suspension capacity of the entire sole structure, because the airtight hollow ducts existing in the closed compressible air inlets lead to an additional damping when walking.

In an advantageous further development of the invention, it may be provided that the pressure-exerting plate is formed in multilayer and preferably has two different Shore hardnesses.

On the corrugation structural side, with which said plate rests directly on the corrugated surface of the spring-elastic sole, it has a Shore hardness of 75, for example. This hardness is harder than the softer top layer facing the sole of the foot, for example with a Shore hardness of 40. This results in a bedding effect of the sole of the foot resting on the pressure-exerting plate, because the relatively hard underside of the pressure-exerting plate now lies directly with its hard surface on the corrugation structure of the spring steel sole and leads to the desired reinforced pumping effect, while the surface of the pressure-ventilation sole in the vicinity of the sole has a bedding effect for the sole of the foot of the user resting thereon.

Instead of the multi-layer, single-unit embodiment of the pressure-exerting plate with two different Shore hardnesses, it is also possible to provide an insert, which is directly connected to the underside of the pressure-exerting plate and acts upon the corrugation structure of the spring steel sole in the sense of a pumping structure in order to be used, so to speak, as a reinforcement sheet or as a pump effect plate to increase the ventilation effect on the spring steel sole below, while the remaining areas of the pressure-exerting plate now only form the soft surface of the pumping plate.

In a further development, it is provided that the cavities formed in the corrugation structure of the spring steel sole in combination with the pressure-exerting plate above are filled with an open-cell foam or the same space-filling and air-bearing elastomeric plastic. Similarly, substances enriched with activated carbon can be arranged in the air-bearing cavities.

It may also be provided to coat at least the air-bearing cavities of the pressure-exerting plate and/or the spring steel sole in an antibacterial and/or deodorizing manner.

For a spring steel sole made of metal, the antibacterial coating with a copper-II oxide coating is suitable.

If the pressure-exerting plate also consists of an easily bendable, elastic metal plate or an equivalent plastic plate, it can also be provided with a suitable antibacterial coating.

As the air-bearing cavities filling material, an air-permeable honeycomb structure may also be provided in the longitudinal direction of the cavities, which is compressible, whereby the air contained therein can escape at compression by the pressure-exerting plate above it. This honeycomb structure can also be coated in a deodorizing and/or antibacterial manner.

Incidentally, it is not necessary to solve the problem that the corrugation structure of the pressure-exerting plate is exactly complementary (mirror image) to the corrugation structure of the spring steel sole below. Such an embodiment is preferred because of the good efficiency of the ventilation, because with such a complementary structure each corrugation crest of the pressure-exerting plate forms a ventilation duct running approximately in the transverse direction with each corrugation valley of the structured sole. However, the invention is not limited thereto.

Rather, it may be provided in another embodiment that, for example, only every second or every third corrugation of the pressure-exerting plate forms a pressure ventilation duct with the underlying complementary corrugation of the spring steel sole, while the areas lying in between are flat and have no or only a reduced pressure ventilation function. This gives rise to the advantage that areas of the pressure-exerting plate are connected in a form-fitting manner to the corrugation structure of the structured sole and thus an improved displacement protection in the axial direction between the pressure-exerting plate and the structured sole is provided.

In a second embodiment it may be provided that certain changes are made to the pressure-exerting plate for fixing the pressure-exerting plate on the corrugation structure of the structured sole in an improved manner.

In such a first embodiment, it is provided that the corrugation valleys of the pressure-exerting plate are not formed continuously and arc-shaped, but as flat webs or are shaped as arch webs. This type of web formation ensures an improved attachment of the pressure-exerting plate on the corrugation crests of the underlying structured sole. For fastening in the area of the flat or arch webs of the pressure-exerting plate on the corrugation crests of the structured sole, a clamping connection or a welded joint or another form-fit connection can be used.

It may also be provided that the structured sole has recesses, holes or perforations in the area of the corrugation crests in which the material of the pressure-exerting plate itself or its adhesive engage in a form-fitting manner and are anchored there.

In another version, a mechanical connection between the pressure-exerting plate and the structured sole is provided. Advantageously, these can be mechanically acting snap-in or clamping connections. In this case, bumps, bolts or jacks are formed at the bottom of the pressure-exerting plate, which are formed in assigned, shape-adjusted recesses in the structured sole and are locked there. The kinematic inversion of such a compound is also possible, whereby bumps, bolts or jacks protruding from the surface of the structured sole engage into shape-adjusted recesses of the above-laying pressure-exerting plate.

In a further development of the invention, a novel structure of the structured sole in connection with the mounted pressure-exerting plate is provided.

It is a stabilization edge consisting of an elastomeric plastic, which encloses the structured sole on the side face with its corrugation structure and which encloses the structured sole with an additional corrugated edge of for example 8 mm. The edge frame covers the edge of the structured sole and is glued or foamed or sprayed thereon. With its outer area, it extends about 8 mm beyond the outline of the spring steel sole and sets the corrugation structure of the steel sole and thus also the ventilation structure of the pressure-ventilation sole.

The corrugated edge frame facilitates the attachment of the pressure-ventilation sole to the shaft of an item of footwear.

No tools or holding agents need to engage to the structured sole, but only at the surrounding stabilizing edge, and thus it is easier to fasten such a pressure-ventilation sole to the shaft of an item of footwear with a Strobel construction or a lasting allowance.

The specified dimensions for the surrounding stabilization edge with a width of for example 16 or 18 mm are only preferred, wherein 8 mm on the inside of the structured sole enclose the edge and 8 mm protrude from the outline of the structured sole. Other dimensions can also be used.

Similarly, instead of an edge frame, which covers the structured sole with preferably an edge of 8 mm laying on the inside, it is also possible to allow a full-surface covering of the structured sole by the stabilizing edge.

Furthermore, it is possible that the stabilizing edge with its ventilation structure does not continue the corrugation structure of the structured sole on each corrugation, but rather it may be provided in this embodiment that the stabilizing edge only continues every second or third corrugation of the structural corrugation and fills each corrugation lying in between completely in a flush-aligned manner in order to provide a modified bending stability of the structured sole and, in particular, in order to influence the bending behavior of the spring steel sole.

For all embodiments, it is preferable that the pressure-exerting plate continues the corrugation structure of the structured sole radially to the outside, said corrugation structure preferably consisting of a foamed plastic (polyurethane foam) and also protruding above the outline of the structured sole, for example, by a dimension of about 8 mm, for example, such that the corrugated stabilizing edge and the pressure-exerting plate lying there overlap in the area of the circumferential edge, cover each other and form their own ventilation structure, which continues the ventilation structure of the pressure-ventilation sole in an air-locking manner in the direction towards the inside of an item of footwear.

For better air flow, it may also be provided that the pressure-exerting plate has arc-shaped cutouts in the edge-side opening areas on the inside of an item of footwear.

The claimed subject matter of this invention follows not only from the subject of the individual claims, but also from the combination of the individual claims together.

All information and features disclosed in the documents, including the abstract, especially the spatial form presented in the drawings, are claimed as substantial to the invention, to the extent that they are new to the prior art, either individually or in combination. The use of the terms “substantial” or “according to the invention,” or “substantial to the invention” is subjective and does not imply that the features must necessarily form part of one or more claims.

In the following text, the invention will be explained in more detail based on drawings depicting only one of the possible embodiments.

Here, the drawings and their description reveal other features and advantages of the invention that are substantial to the invention, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a top view on an embodiment of a structured sole with a pressure-exerting plate covering the structured sole (indicated)

FIG. 2 shows a partial cross-section of the arrangement according to FIG. 1 in the direction of line II-II in the unloaded condition of the pressure-exerting plate

FIG. 3 shows the same representation according to FIG. 2 with loaded pressure-exerting plate

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment modified relative to FIG. 3, in which the pressure-exerting plate consists of an elastomeric deformable plate

FIG. 5 shows a cross-section according to the line V-V in FIG. 1

FIG. 6 shows a schematic representation of the plate-shaped pressure-exerting plate on the structured sole under the effect of a rib structure of FIG. 7

FIG. 7 shows a modified exemplary embodiment compared to FIG. 2 with a pressure-exerting plate having a corrugated structure

FIG. 8 shows a modified embodiment compared to FIG. 7, in which a multi-layer pressure-exerting plate is shown

FIG. 9 shows a modified version compared to FIGS. 7 and 8, in which the air-bearing compression spaces are filled with a suitable air-bearing material.

FIG. 10 shows a modified version from the above versions, which shows that the corrugation profile of the pressure-exerting plate may differ from the corrugation profile of the structured sole.

FIG. 11 shows a cross-section of an embodiment of a pressure-exerting plate with flat webs

FIG. 12 shows a cross-section of a connection between the pressure-exerting plate and the structured sole having a pressure-exerting plate with arch webs in a second embodiment

FIG. 13 shows a view of the pressure-ventilation sole from above with representation of the pressure-exerting plate which is in the vicinity of the sole

FIG. 14 shows a view of the pressure-ventilation sole from below

FIG. 15 shows an enlarged side view of the heel area of the pressure-ventilation sole in the direction of the XV arrow in FIG. 14

FIG. 16 shows an enlarged side view of the forefoot area of the pressure-ventilation sole in the direction of the arrow XVI in FIG. 14

FIG. 17 shows a side view of the pressure-ventilation sole

FIG. 17A shows a schematized partial cross-section through a pressure-ventilation sole

FIG. 18 shows a sub-view of the pressure-ventilation sole with a border frame represented in dashed lines.

FIG. 1 shows a structured sole 1 consisting of a spring material, which has been described in detail in the above-mentioned documents.

Reference is made to the relevant documents with regard to the function and structure of such a structured sole 1. The structured sole 1 allows a rolling movement in the longitudinal direction of the structured sole, but a deflection in a vertical direction for this purpose is prevented by the fact that it has a cross-stability and a longitudinal stability by means of the oblique arrangement of the corrugations 2 of the cross-profiling relative to the longitudinal axis.

This is achieved by the fact that the individual corrugations 2 of the cross-profiling extend at least in the forefoot area at an angle between 70 and 85 degrees, preferably 77 degrees, to the longitudinal center line.

Thus, the corrugations do not deform in the walking movement in the sense of compression, as it was recognized in the prior art as disadvantageous in several respects: they are instead stable.

As a result, the structured sole 1 consists of a spring steel or a comparable plastic material and has an angle to the rib-shaped cross-profiling running at an angle relative to the longitudinal center line 5, said cross-profiling being formed as a corrugation profile and consisting of a number of consecutive corrugations 7, 8 of which each corrugation consists of a corrugation crest 11 and a subsequent corrugation valley 12.

There are also holes 9 in the area of cross-profiling.

The cross-profiling in the heel area 3 has a different angle than comparatively the cross-profiling in the forefoot area 4.

The reference numeral 6 is also used to indicate the COP line, which results from the use of the structured sole 1 with the user's weight on the structured sole 1 and during the walking process.

According to the invention, the structured sole 1 is now covered by a plate-shaped, flexurally elastic pressure-exerting plate 10, whose outer outline is slightly larger than that of the structured sole.

According to the invention, since it is provided that the pressure-exerting plate 10 covers the corrugation crests from above (see FIG. 2) in an air-locking manner and as effectively as possible, it can be seen from the comparison between FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 that during the walking process the pressure-exerting plate 10 is now displaced due to its support on the stable corrugation crests 11 of the structured sole 1 in the area of the corrugation valleys 12 into the respective corrugation valley 12, as this is shown with the bending line 15′ in FIG. 2.

The previously flat and continuous bending line 15 of the unformed pressure-exerting plate 10 passes during the walking process into the deformed bend line 15′ and thus a compression effect occurs in the area of the corrugation valleys 12, such that this area is called compression space 17, in which in the longitudinal direction an air flow and a moisture transport takes place in the arrow direction 13.

This means that the air and moisture transport in the longitudinal direction of the compression space 17 is carried out, namely in the area of the corrugation valleys 12 of the structured sole 1, such that this air flow and moisture transport at the end faces of the gutter-shaped corrugation valleys 12 reaches outwards and is directed in the direction of arrow 14 through the lateral outlines of the pressure-exerting plate 10 upwards into the interior of an item of footwear.

It may also be provided that the pressure-exerting plate 10 has a variety of holes 16. such that the air flow that is generated in the gutter-shaped compression space 17, additionally flows upwards in the direction of the arrow 19 through the pressure-exerting plate 10 into the interior of an item of footwear and thus hits directly on the foot underside of the user.

Thus. the pressure-exerting plate 10 deforms approximately in a corrugated manner in the form of the pressure-exerting plate 10′ into the corrugation structure of the structured sole 1.

But because the corrugation crests 11 form a counter bearing for the pressure-exerting plate 10 and on the other hand the corrugation valleys 12 are supported on the underside by means of a footwear-side counter plate 18, it results in the described compression effect and compression space 17.

This is shown in FIG. 3. It can be seen that a strong volume reduction takes place in the compression space 17 due to the fact that the pressure-exerting plate 10 is deformed in its position 10′ into the corrugation valleys 12 of the structured sole 1. The gutter-shaped corrugation valleys of the structured sole can therefore also be called ventilation ducts 21, through which the air stream flows out in the vicinity of the face end from the ventilation ducts 21 in the direction of arrow 13 and also in the direction of arrow 19 through the pressure-exerting plate 10.

It may be provided that the support points (connection points 29) with which the plate-shaped pressure-exerting plate 10 rests on the corrugation valleys 12 of the structured sole 1, are additionally secured against longitudinal and/or transverse displacement. Here, a bonding can take place or the pressure-exerting plate may be held on the corrugation structure of the structured sole by mechanical fasteners such as rivets, screws, spot welding, mechanical locking agents, mechanical suspension connections or the like.

FIG. 4 shows that instead of a plate-shaped flexurally elastic pressure-exerting plate 10, a pressure-exerting plate consisting of a soft elastic material 20 can be used, which preferably consists of an elastomeric material, such as PU foam, natural or synthetic rubber, a PDMA plastic or a closed-cell foamed plastic.

In such a pressure-exerting plate consisting of an elastomeric material 20, 20′, it is only required that the material deforms back to its original plate-shaped state under pressure load (see FIG. 4), so that such a pressure-exerting plate is also made of a soft-elastic material which preferably consists of a closed-cell or open-cell PU foam or another suitable plastic material.

Otherwise, the same description applies to the same parts of FIG. 4 as was given on the basis of FIGS. 1 to 3.

FIG. 5 shows a cross-section through the structured sole with an applied pressure-exerting plate 10, 20, 30, wherein it becomes clear from the cross-section of FIG. 5 that the entire arrangement can now be called pressure-ventilation sole 40, because the structured sole 1 with the applied pressure-exerting plate 10, 20, 30 results in a group that is referred to in the following as pressure-ventilation sole 40. The pressure-ventilation sole can therefore be used as an insole or as a solidly integrated inner sole in a footwear structure.

From the sectional view from FIG. 5, it is clear that such a pressure-ventilation sole (consisting of the structured sole 1 and one of the embodiments of a pressure-exerting plate 10, 20, 30) now forms a unit, so that this unit can be inserted either as an insole on an existing inner sole in an item of footwear structure of a footwear or the entire unit of the pressure-ventilation sole 40 can also be directly integrated into an item of footwear structure as an inner sole.

As an example, in FIG. 5 the installation is shown as an insole, wherein it is recognizable that starting from a lower, bottom-side sole 27 an upper lasting allowance 25 is formed, which is formed sideways at a distance plate 26 arranged above the sole 27.

The upper material 22 of an item of footwear structure is held in this lasting allowance 25. The connection between the upper material 22 and the lasting allowance 25 can be done by a Strobel construction or by gluing.

In the structure shown according to FIG. 5, it can be seen that the inner sole 24 is formed directly by the structured sole 1 and from the cross-section (not to scale) it is further recognizable that a corrugation valley 12 of the structured sole 1 was cut through, thereby resulting in a corrugation crest in the longitudinal direction of the cross-profiling. In this interspace, the respective gutter-shaped compression space 10 is formed, through which an air transport in the arrow directions 13 and 16 takes place.

FIG. 5 therefore describes both the use of the pressure-ventilation sole 40 as insole 23, but also as inner sole 24, which is directly integrated into the footwear structure of an item of footwear. It can be any known footwear type, e.g. for work footwear, casual footwear, sneakers, sandals, moccasins, women's pumps and the like.

Likewise, the ventilation paths of the forced ventilation are shown, and it is recognizable in one embodiment that one part of the air stream flows at the inside of the upper material 22 into the interior of an item of footwear, while another part of the air stream flows through the holes 16 in the pressure-exerting plate 10, 20, 30 upwards into the interior of an item of footwear against the sole of the foot of the user.

FIG. 5 shows further ventilation options for the interior of an item of footwear, which can be used in a unique setting or in combination with the aforementioned embodiments of ventilation for all types of insole and/or inner sole.

Thus, the arrow in the direction of arrow 39 also shows the possibility that the forced air flow generated by the pressure-ventilation sole 40, 40A, 40B can also flow out sideways in the upper material by assigned recesses 22. It is preferred if, in the area of these recesses, a semipermeable membrane 27 is arranged, which allows air exchange to the outside, but prevents the penetration of moisture inwards.

Furthermore, as a further ventilation and venting option, it is indicated that starting from the pressure-ventilation sole 40, 40A, 40 B, which is used as an insole or as an inner sole, direct ventilation and venting can also be carried out through an item of footwear sole 27 of an item of footwear.

Again, in the range of recesses 38 in the vicinity of the sole, a semipermeable membrane 37 may be arranged to allow a forced air passage through the recesses 38 vicinity of the sole, without moisture being able to penetrate through the recesses 38 inwards into an item of footwear.

FIG. 6 shows schematized the function of a pressure-exerting plate, whereby only a plate-shaped pressure-exerting plate 10, 20 is shown for simplification. The same principle also applies to a corrugation structure with pressure-exerting plate 30, which will still be described on the basis of FIG. 7.

From FIG. 6, it is recognizable that by the user's body weight, which is exerted in the direction of arrow 28 from the foot sole to the top of the pressure-exerting plate 10, 20, 30, now a deformation force is applied on the pressure-exerting plate 10, 20, 30 perpendicular or approximately perpendicular to its plane, which thus deforms itself into the corrugation valleys 12 of the structured sole 1 due to the relatively not formable structure of the underlying structured sole 1 and therefore provides a forced ventilation in the direction of the arrow 13 of the compression space formed thereby in the compression space 17 formed in the corrugation valley 12.

To increase the ventilation effect and to increase the volume of the compression space 17, it is provided in a further development of the invention that according to FIG. 7 the pressure-exerting plate 30 can also have a corrugation structure 33, which is complementary to the corrugation structure 11, 12 of the structured sole 1 and is shifted in the longitudinal direction by a vibration (phase) relative to the corrugation structure of the structured sole.

This means that each corrugation crest 31 of the corrugated pressure-exerting plate 30 is opposite a corrugation valley 12 of the underlying structured sole 1 and that, analogously, each corrugation valley 32 of the corrugated pressure-exerting plate 30 rests in a sealing manner on a corrugation crest 11 of the underlying structured sole 1.

Thus, the displacement volume in the compression space 17 is doubled compared to a purely plate-shaped pressure-exerting plate 10, 20, wherein the bending line 15′ indicates the deformation of the corrugated pressure-exerting plate 30.

The bending elasticity of the corrugated pressure-exerting plate 30 should be chosen in such a way that a deformation of the corrugation structure 33 is possible, while such deformation of a corrugation structure 11, 12 at the underlying structured sole 1 is not necessary.

FIG. 7 shows in another exemplary embodiment that also the corrugation structure 33 of the pressure-exerting plate 30 can still carry an additional elastomeric coating 34, which is preferably made of a soft elastic, foam-like material.

This results in a flat surface at the top of the pressure-exerting plate 30 and results in a pleasant rolling feeling for the foot of a user.

In another embodiment it may be provided that the elastomeric coating 34 is significantly higher formed, i.e. that the corrugation crests 31 of the corrugated pressure-exerting plate 30 are still covered by the elastomeric coating 34 with a sufficient degree of coverage.

The material of the pressure-exerting plate 30 can preferably consist of a deformable plastic material, such as a 2 to 4 mm thick plastic plate, into which the corrugation structure is imprinted or otherwise molded.

In all embodiments described, there is the advantage that forced or pressure ventilation in the interior of an item of footwear is caused solely by a weight shift of the user's foot sole and it is a closed system which does not rely on the external supply of air by a semipermeable membrane.

In this known embodiment, it has shown that when using a semipermeable membrane there are sealing problems with regard to water penetration.

Such problems do not have the presented pressure ventilation, because it is a self-contained pressure ventilation system arranged in an item of footwear interior, which is not dependent on the supply of air from the outside via a semipermeable membrane.

There may also be a suction effect, in such a way that at a pressure load of the respective upper pressure-exerting plate 10, 20, 30, air from the interior of an item of footwear is sucked through the pressure-exerting plate into the corrugation valleys of the structured sole and, in the event of a different weight shift or walking movement, the suction from the interior is now displaced at its end face from the compression chamber to the inside of the upper material of an item of footwear.

Therefore, not only an air and moisture transport takes place vertically to the user's longitudinal axis, but also an air and moisture transport takes place in the plane of the structured sole and is deflected upwards at the inside of the upper material of an item of footwear.

FIG. 8 shows a pressure-exerting plate 30 consisting of 2 layers, the upper position 30a of which facing the sole of the foot of the user is designed in a soft manner, while the lower layer 30b, which lies directly on the corrugation structure of the structured sole 1, is formed in a harder manner. It is therefore a multilayer layer structure 41.

FIG. 9 shows as a new exemplary embodiment that the air-deflecting compression chambers 17 and the thus formed ventilation ducts 21 can be filled in a room-filling manner with an open-pored, air-deflecting and compressible filling material 42. It can be an open-celled foam or plastic foam impregnated with activated carbon or other deodorizing and/or antibacterial substances or a similar honeycomb structure.

FIG. 10 shows that it is not necessary to achieve the object of the invention that each corrugation of the structured sole 1 also corresponds to a corrugation of the pressure-exerting plate 30, 30a, 30b, 30c. Thus it may be provided in this exemplary embodiment that the pressure-exerting plate 30c has corrugation valleys, which at least partially engage in the corrugation valleys of the structured sole 1 in a form-fitting manner and thus secure the corrugated pressure-exerting plate 30c on the corrugation structure to avoid displacement of the structured sole 1 in the longitudinal direction. This allows the formation of compression spaces 17, 17′ with different volume. In another exemplary embodiment, the compression chamber 17′ can also be completely omitted, because, for example, every second or third corrugation structure of the pressure-exerting plate 30c adapts to and fills out the corrugation structure of the structured sole 1 completely and in a form-fitting manner.

In the exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 11 and 12, different formations of the pressure-exerting plate 30 are shown, however, these embodiments are also applicable on the embodiments shown in the previous drawings of the pressure-exerting plate 30a, 30b, 30c.

In order to achieve an improved connection between the pressure-exerting plate 30 and the underlying corrugation structure of the structured sole 1, it is provided in the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 11 that the corrugation valleys of the pressure-exerting plate 30 are formed as flat webs 43a. This results in an improved adaptation of the corrugation structure of the pressure-exerting plate 30 to the corrugation structure of the structured sole 1.

In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 12, it is shown that the flat webs 43a can also be formed as arch webs 43b to achieve an even more improved adjustment of the pressure-exerting plate 30 in the area of the corrugation crests of the structured sole 1.

As indicated in the general description, the connection between the structured sole 1 and the pressure-exerting plate 10, 10′, 30 above it can take place by means of different types of connection, wherein welding or adhesive joints and other fabric compounds were mentioned, as well as mechanical connections. Also any combination between mechanical connections and the above-mentioned weld or adhesive connections is possible.

FIG. 13 shows the top view on a pressure-ventilation sole 40, 40a-e with a view of the pressure-exerting plate 30d facing the sole of the foot in the design as insole. Under a textile fabric 48, the corrugation structure 33 of the pressure-exerting plate is easily recognizable and the foot sole rolling on the corrugation structure 33 transfers the pressure load to the corrugation structure 33 of the pressure-exerting plate 30d, which is thereby displaced into the stable corrugation structure 11, 12 of the structured sole 1. The corrugation structure 33 of the pressure-exerting plate 30d arranged in the heel area 3 is in this exemplary embodiment hermetically closed from the side and forms an air-filled compression space, which acts as an air cushion when walking.

FIG. 14 shows the 180-degree top view on the pressure-ventilation sole 40, 40a-e with a pressure-exerting plate with an elastomeric pressure body 53, which consists of a foamed, soft elastic plastic body.

The corrugation structure of the structured sole 1 continues on the edge side into the 30d pressure-exerting plate, which protrudes in a surrounding manner over the structured sole 1. Thus, it is ensured that the air streams flowing between the corrugation structure 11, 12 of the structured sole 1 and the complementary corrugation structure 33 of the pressure-exerting plate 30d in the direction of arrow 13 are located sideways from the ventilation ducts 21. A part of the air streams escapes through the holes 9 of the structured sole 1. Another part of the air streams can escape from the sole of the foot through perforations in the pressure-exerting plate 30d. It is shown that the ventilation structures extend only to part of the forefoot and to the heel area. The invention is not restricted thereto. As shown in FIG. 1, the ventilation structures can extend completely over the entire surface and meet in the connection area 58.

This applies to all exemplary embodiments, in particular also to FIG. 13, where only a part of the top of the pressure-ventilation sole is represented with the ventilation structure.

FIG. 15 shows the heel area 3 of the pressure-ventilation sole 30d, where it is recognizable that the elastomeric pressure body, which is part of the pressure-exerting plate 30d, is formed thickened in the heel area.

FIG. 16 shows the forefoot area 49, 50 of the pressure-ventilation sole 30d with the upward pointing structured sole 1, which in case of use is at the bottom of an item of footwear and is either part of an insole or part of the inner sole of an item of footwear.

In of this perspective representation, the lateral openings of the ventilation ducts 21 are shown. The corrugation structure 31, 32 of the pressure-exerting plate 30d is complementary to the corrugation structure 11, 12 of the structured sole 1. The embodiment according to FIGS. 13 to 18 corresponds to the exemplary embodiments according to FIGS. 3 to 10.

The ventilation ducts 21 formed by the complementary corrugation structures of the structured sole and pressure-exerting plate 30, 30a-d have a particularly large volume and cause an effective ventilation effect. In addition, the user has the feeling of “running on air.”

In the side view of FIG. 17, the same parts are marked with the same reference numerals. The corrugation structure of the structured sole 1 is arranged only in the forefoot area and in the heel area. The corrugation structure 33 of the pressure-exerting plate 30d is provided only in the forefoot area. The pressure-exerting plate 30d is structured in three layers and consists of the plate-shaped pressure-exerting plate 20, which forms the corrugation structure 33 complementary to the structured sole 1 in the forefoot area. The pressure-exerting plate is connected to the soft-elastic pressure body 53, which is thickened in the heel area and carries a textile fabric 48 as the top cover.

FIG. 17A shows schematized a partial cross-section through a pressure-ventilation sole, with the representation of the basic principle of the invention. The pressure-ventilation sole according to all described designs thus forms an air bed with pumping effect such that the human sole of the foot can roll on it.

Even if the air-conducting tube ducts (=compression ducts) are filled with an elastic, open or closed-pored material in a preferred exemplary embodiment, the cross-section of the respective tube duct should consist of at least 40% of its cross-section of air.

In the previous exemplary embodiments, it was assumed that the structured sole has the previously described corrugations 2 at the sole side (bottom). In order to allow better processing of such a structured sole 40a, b, c, d, e as insole or as inner sole in a footwear, it is provided in an advantageous further design that the corrugations arranged at the bottom of the structured sole 1 are filled with a filling material 57 in order to achieve a smooth, sole-side adhesive surface 56.

Such a filling material is also referred to in the technical language as “outpouring mass” and can consist, for example, of a pourable wax or an elastic plastic, e.g. a polyurethane foam.

This makes it easy to insert the pressure-ventilation sole onto an insole present in the vicinity of the footwear into an item of footwear. When used as a sole chassis for installation as an inner sole, the widened edge frame is attached to an item of footwear shaft (see the following FIG. 18) and the now smooth underside of the pressure-ventilation sole forms the opposite surface for the outsole of an item of footwear to be attached there, which can be glued, welded, injected or sewn there.

FIG. 18 shows such a modified example of an execution of a pressure-ventilation sole 40, for which all explanations of the above examples apply. A particularly good mechanical processing of the pressure-ventilation sole results when a flexurally elastic edge frame 44 is formed at the bottom of the corrugated structured sole 1. However, all other features of the pressure-ventilation sole remain the same.

With the dashed lines 54, 55 in FIG. 18, such a flexurally elastic edge frame 44 is indicated. In practice, the edge frame is considered to be thin plastic plate or film glued or injected at the bottom of the structured sole 1.

The edge frame 44 has preferably the same corrugation form as the structured sole 1 and continues the corrugation form of the structured sole 1 sideways to the outside. Thus, the compressible ventilation duct structure 46 formed from the edge frame 44 and the pressure-exerting plate 20, 20′ formed on it continues into the ventilation structure of the pressure-ventilation sole 40, 40a-40e.

The same image also applies to the formation as an inner sole. For the simpler description, the following description describes the use as an inner sole. In order to simplify the integration of the structured sole 1 with the mount of an item of footwear shaft by means of a Stroble construction or by a lasting allowance, it is provided that the structured sole 1 is connected to the plastic-made, elastomeric edge frame 44 from the edge side—preferably circumferentially. The tools necessary for the lasting allowance can then act upon the edge frame 44 and do not have to act directly upon the hard structured sole 1.

In order to achieve an improvement of the air outflow at the inside of an item of footwear, it may be provided that the mouths of the ventilation ducts 21 in the edge frame 44 are formed as arc-shaped cut-outs 47. This embodiment can be used for all exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 18.

For all exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 18, the corrugated structures of the structured sole and thus also the associated ventilation structures can be used either over the entire surface area of the pressure-ventilation sole 40 or even only over a smaller part of the surface. FIG. 1 shows only a part of the structures used that do not extend over the entire surface.

In this drawing, however, it is schematically shown that the drawn structures can extend to the connection area 58 between the forefoot area and the heel area, so that the structures arranged at different angles to each other of the front foot and heel area meet in the connection area 58.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

• • 1 Structured sole
  • 2 Corrugations
  • 3 Heel area
  • 4 Forefoot area
  • 5 Longitudinal center line
  • 6 COP line (barefoot)
  • 7 Corrugation (at 3)
  • 8 Corrugation (at 4)
  • 9 Holes
  • 10 Pressure-exerting plate 10′
  • 11 Corrugation crest
  • 12 Corrugation valley
  • 13 Arrow direction
  • 14 Arrow direction
  • 15 Bending line (of 10)
  • 15′ Bending line
  • 16 Hole (in 10)
  • 17 Compression space,
  • 18 Counter plate
  • 19 Arrow direction
  • 20 Pressure plate 20′
  • 21 Ventilation duct
  • 22 Upper material
  • 23 Insole
  • 24 Inner sole
  • 25 Lasting allowance
  • 26 Spacer plate
  • 27 Sole
  • 28 Arrow direction (pressure force)
  • 29 Connection point
  • 30 Pressure plate
  • 31 Corrugation crest (of 30) 30a, 30b, 30c
  • 32 Corrugation valley (of 30)
  • 33 Corrugation structure (of 30)
  • 34 Elastomeric coating
  • 35 Contact surface
  • 36 Arrow direction
  • 37 Semipermeable membrane
  • 38 Recess
  • 39 Arrow direction
  • 40a, b, c, d Pressure ventilation sole
  • 41 Layer structure
  • 42 Filler material
  • 43 Web
    • 43a Flat web
    • 43b Arch webs
  • 44 Edge frame
  • 45 Coverage area
  • 46 Ventilation duct structure (of 44)
  • 47 Arc-shaped cutout (optional)
  • 48 Textile fabric
  • 49 Area of the toes
  • 50 Area of the ball of the foot
  • 51 Area of the midfoot
  • 52 Heel area
  • 53 Elastomeric pressure body (30d)
  • 54 Inner delimitation
  • 55 Outer delimitation
  • 56 Adhesive surface
  • 57 Filling material
  • 58 Connection area

Claims

1. Insole or inner sole which is intended for an item of footwear and is designed in the form of a pressure-ventilation sole (40a-e) such that a flexurally elastic pressure-exerting plate (10, 20, 30) rests on a lower sole, said pressure-exerting plate being displaceable by the user's body weight, when the user is moving, into transverse profiling in the interspace between the pressure-exerting plate (10, 20, 30), which is in the vicinity of the sole of the foot, and the lower sole and displacing the contained air volume in the manner of ventilation, characterized in that the lower sole of the pressure-ventilation sole (40a-e) is configured in the form of a corrugated structured sole (1) from a spring steel or a comparable plastic material, the transverse profiling thereof being designed in the form of a corrugated profile and being stable, and resistant to deformation, in relation to a compressive force acting vertically on the structured sole (1), and that the pressure-exerting plate (10, 20, 30), which is in the vicinity of the sole of the foot, can be displaced into the dimensionally stable corrugation valleys (12) of the structured sole (1) in the manner of a pumping and/or compression plate.

2. Insole or inner sole according to claim 1, characterized in that the respective corrugation valley (12) of the structured sole (1) forms a gutter-shaped pressure ventilated compression space (17) with the pressure-exerting plate (10, 20, 30) covering the corrugation valley (12), wherein an air or moisture circulation is provided in the longitudinal extension of said pressure ventilated compression space.

3. Insole or inner sole according to claim 2, characterized in that the gutter-shaped compression space (17) is open on one side to the end side.

4. Insole or inner sole according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the gutter-shaped compression space (17) can be ventilated and vented by means of perforations (9) in the structured sole (1).

5. Insole or inner sole according to claim 2 or 4, characterized in that the gutter-shaped compression space (17) can be ventilated and vented by means of holes (16) in the pressure-exerting plate (10, 20, 30).

6. Insole or inner sole according to claim 1 or 5, characterized in that the pressure-exerting plate (10) consists of a flat flexurally elastic plate which is suitable to deform itself flexibly into the corrugation valleys (12) of the structured sole (1).

7. Insole or inner sole according any of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the pressure-exerting plate (20) consists of a flexurally elastic plate having a corrugation structure, and that the corrugation structure (33) of the pressure-exerting plate (30) is complementary or partly complementary to the corrugation structure (33) of the structured sole (1).

8. Insole or inner sole according to claim 7, characterized in that the corrugation valleys (32) of the corrugation structure (33) of the pressure-exerting plate (30) rests on the corrugation crests (11) of the structured sole (1), and that the corrugation crests (31) of the pressure-exerting plate (30) are opposite the corrugation valleys (12) of the structured sole (1) and form the gutter-shaped, pressure-ventilated compression space (17).

9. Insole or inner sole according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the corrugation crests (31) of the pressure-exerting plate (30) are suitable to form themselves flexibly into the corrugation valleys (12) of the structured sole (1).

10. Insole or inner sole according to claim 1 or 9, characterized in that an elastomeric coating (34) is arranged directed to the sole of the foot of the user on the top of the pressure-exerting plate (10, 20, 30), said coating being preferably formed from a memory-effect forming plastic material.

11. Insole or inner sole according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the pressure-exerting plate (10, 20, 30) has approximately the same area of the underlying structured sole (1).

12. Insole or inner sole according to any of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the pressure-ventilation sole (40,40a, 40b) consisting of structured sole (1) and pressure-exerting plate (10, 20, 30) is designed as a half sole or as a full sole.

13. Insole or inner sole according to any of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the pressure-ventilation sole (40, 40a, 40b) can be ventilated and vented via the upper material (22) and/or the sole of an item of footwear (27).

14. Insole or inner sole according to claim 13, characterized in that a semipermeable membrane (37) is arranged in the area of the ventilation and venting openings.

15. Insole or inner sole according to any of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the structured sole (1) allows a rolling movement in the longitudinal direction of the structured sole, but a deflection in a vertical direction for this purpose is prevented by the fact that it has a cross-stability and a longitudinal stability by means of the oblique arrangement of the corrugations (2) of the cross-profiling relative to the longitudinal axis.

16. Insole or inner sole according to claim 15, characterized in that the individual corrugations (2) of the cross-profiling extend at least in the forefoot area at an angle between 70 and 85 degrees, preferably 77 degrees, to the longitudinal center line.

17. Insole or inner sole according to one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that at least the structured sole (1) is connected on the edge side of an elastomeric edge frame (44).

18. Insole or inner sole according to claim 17, characterized in that the edge frame (44) in connection with the pressure-exerting plate (20, 20′) resting thereon forms a ventilation duct structure (46), which is connected in an air-tight manner with the ventilation ducts (21) of the pressure-ventilation sole (40, 40a-40e).