HEEL CUP AND SHOE

A heel cup applied in a shoe is provided. The heel cup includes an inner surface and an outer surface. Each of the inner surface and the outer surface is a curved surface. The heel cup includes a first part and a second part connected along a longitudinal direction. The heel cup has a cross-section along the longitudinal direction, each cross-section has a shape of an arc. Each cross-section includes an upper arc and a lower arc connected along the longitudinal direction. When viewed from a side where the inner surface of the heel cup is located, the inner surface of the first part is convex, and the inner surface of the second part is concave. The upper arc has a first bending amplitude, and the lower arc has a second bending amplitude, wherein the first bending amplitude is greater than or equal to the second bending amplitude.

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Description
FIELD

The subject matter herein generally relates to a heel cup and a shoe having the heel cup.

BACKGROUND

Conventional shoes, such as sports shoes, usually require the wearer to hold the opening of the shoe with hands to insert a foot into the shoe. When taking off the shoe, the wearer also need to hold the shoe by hands to facilitate removing the shoes. The conventional design of shoes may be inconvenient for wearers to put on and take off the shoes.

Therefore, there is room for improvement in the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Implementations of the present technology will now be described, by way of embodiments only, with reference to the attached figures.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a heel cup according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the heel cup shown in FIG. 1, viewed from another angle.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the heel cup of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a back view of the heel cup of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the heel cup of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a top view of the heel cup of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a view of the heel cup of FIG. 1, taken along a cross-sectional direction indicated by a dashed line in FIG. 1.

FIG. 8A, FIG. 8B, and FIG. 8C show three cross-sectional views of the heel cup of FIG. 1, respectively, along a longitudinal direction.

FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B are comparison views of the heel cup of FIG. 1, before and after compression, respectively.

FIG. 10A and FIG. 10B are comparison views of the heel cup of FIG. 1, viewed from another angle, before and after compression, respectively.

FIG. 11 is an isometric view of a heel cup according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 12 is a front view of the heel cup of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a view of the heel cup of FIG. 11, the heel cup is cut along a central axis of the heel cup.

FIG. 14 is an isometric view of a heel cup according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 15 is a front view of the heel cup of FIG. 14.

FIG. 16 is a view of the heel cup of FIG. 14, the heel cup is cut along a central axis of the heel cup.

FIG. 17 is a schematic view of a shoe according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 18 is a partial schematic view of a shoe according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

 DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the different figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described herein may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the related relevant feature being described. Also, the description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and the proportions of certain parts may be exaggerated to better illustrate details and features of the present disclosure.

The term “coupled” is defined as coupled, whether directly or indirectly through intervening components, and is not necessarily limited to physical connections. The connection can be such that the objects are permanently coupled or releasably coupled. The term “comprising” when utilized, means “including, but not necessarily limited to”; it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion or membership in the so-described combination, group, series, and the like.

It should be noted that all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of present disclosure are only used to explain the relative position relationship and motion of each component in a specific posture (as shown in the attached figure). If the specific posture changes, directional indication will also change accordingly.

When a component is referred to as “fixed to”, “installed on”, or “arranged on” another component, it can be directly on another component or there can also be a centered component. The term ‘and/or’ used in the present disclosure includes all and any combination of one or more related listed items.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are described with reference to cross-sectional views, which are schematic views of idealized embodiments (and intermediate structures) of the present disclosure. Therefore, it is foreseeable that the shape of the illustration may differ due to manufacturing processes and/or tolerances. Therefore, the embodiments of the present disclosure should not be interpreted as limited to the specific shapes of the regions illustrated herein, but should include deviations in shape such as those resulting from manufacturing. The areas shown in the figure are only illustrative and their shapes are not intended to illustrate the actual shape of the device, nor to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In non-conflicting situations, the following embodiments and their features can be combined with each other.

The present embodiment provides a heel cup and a shoe including the heel cup. The heel cup is used to be set in a shoe, making it convenient for users to put on and take off the shoe.

A shoe generally includes a sole and an upper connecting to a side of the sole. The sole and the upper cooperate to form a storage space to place a user's foot. The sole can include an outsole, a midsole, and/or an integrated outsole and midsole. The upper can include a toe box, a main body, a tongue, etc. The shoe includes a forefoot portion, a forefoot portion, an inner side, and an outer side. The upper may include an outer layer, an inner layer, and an internal structure and/or lining. The upper defines a shoe opening. When the user wears the shoe, the foot enters the storage space by the shoe opening. When the user takes off the shoe, the foot leaves the shoe from the shoe opening.

The heel cup is positioned at a back portion of the upper and close to the shoe opening, which makes it easier for the foot to insert into the shoe by the shoe opening and also easier for the foot to remove from the shoe. The heel cup can have an instant widening effect when the user puts on or takes off the shoe. The user applies a load on the back portion of the upper to widen the heel cup, the load can be applied by the user's foot without using their hands. The widening of the heel cup also causes the shoe opening to widen. In addition, the heel cup can be compressible when subjected to a sufficient load, and can return to an uncompressed state after the load is removed.

First Embodiment

Please refer to FIG. 1 to FIG. 6, a heel cup 100 of a first embodiment presents a shape that at least partially surrounds/wraps around a rear of the foot. As shown in FIG. 1, a three-dimensional coordinate axis including a Z-axis along a longitudinal direction, an X-axis and a Y-axis is set. Both the X-axis and the Y-axis are on a horizontal plane direction perpendicular to the Z-axis, and the X-axis is perpendicular to the Y-axis. The heel cup 100 has a certain height along the Z-axis, a certain length along the X-axis, and a certain width along the Y-axis. The longitudinal Z-axis direction of the heel cup 100 is consistent with a height/thickness direction of the shoe that ultimately applies the heel cup 100, a length direction of the heel cup 100 is consistent with a length direction of the shoe that ultimately applies the heel cup 100, and a width direction of the heel cup 100 is consistent with a width direction of the shoe that ultimately applies the heel cup 100.

As shown in FIG. 1, the heel cup 100 has a central axis M along the longitudinal direction, and the heel cup 100 is a symmetrical structure relative to the central axis M.

As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 6, the heel cup 100 includes an inner surface 101 and an outer surface 102. The inner surface 101 and the outer surface 102 are arranged along the X-axis direction. The outer surface 102 surrounds the inner surface 101. Both the inner surface 101 and the outer surface 102 are smooth curved surfaces. When using the heel cup 100, the inner surface 101 faces the user's foot, while the outer surface 102 faces away from the user's foot. The distance between the inner surface 101 and the outer surface 102 can be defined as a thickness of the heel cup 100.

FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 show a front view and a back view of the heel cup. It can be seen that the front shape and the back shape of the heel cup 100 are basically the same. The front view of FIG. 3 shows the inner surface 101 of the heel cup 100 and not the outer surface 102, while the back view of FIG. 4 only shows the outer surface 102 of the heel cup 100 and not the inner surface 101.

As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, a width of the heel cup 100 gradually changes along the longitudinal direction. Along the longitudinal downward direction, the width of the heel cup 100 gradually increases to a maximum width, and then gradually decreases slightly from a position of the maximum width. That is, the heel cup 100 has a tendency to expand outward and then slightly contract along opposite ends of the X-axis.

In some other embodiments, the width of the heel cup 100 gradually increases along the longitudinal downward direction. That is, the heel cup 100 has a tendency to expand outward along opposite ends of the X-axis.

As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 5, the heel cup 100 has at least one edge contour that defines a contour of each of the inner surface 101 and the outer surface 102. The edge contour includes a first contour line 151 in the horizontal plane direction and a second contour line 152 intersecting with the horizontal plane direction. In the present embodiment, both the first contour line 151 and the second contour line 152 are curves. The first contour line 151 is roughly in the shape of a circular arc or an elliptical arc. The first contour line 151 has opposite ends, and the second contour line 152 also has opposite ends. The opposite ends of the first contour line 151 are connected one-to-one with the opposite ends of the second contour line 152. As shown in FIG. 1, as the first contour line 151 is located in the horizontal plane direction, the heel cup 100 can be stably placed on a horizontal ground or a table with the first contour line 151 facing downwards, so that the heel cup 100 can be stably placed on the sole of a shoe.

FIG. 7 shows a half of the heel cup 100 after being cut along the central axis M shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 7, the heel cup 100 includes a first part 10 and a second part 20 connected along the longitudinal direction, and a cross-section of the heel cup 100 along the longitudinal direction is an arc. In the present embodiment, the cross-section of the heel cup 100 is a S-shaped arc. In the present embodiment, the first part 10 corresponds to an upper arc portion of the cross-section, and the second part 20 corresponds to a lower arc portion of the cross-section. It can be understood that each longitudinal cross-section of the heel cup 100 has an arc shape, some cross-sections of the heel cup 100 along the longitudinal direction are S-shaped, while some cross-sections of the heel cup 100 along the longitudinal direction are not S-shaped. The longitudinal cross-sections of the heel cup 100 taken along a position relatively close to the central axis M are also S-shaped, and the longitudinal cross-section taken along a position relatively far away from the central axis M is not S-shaped.

Both the first part 10 and the second part 20 are symmetrical structures relative to the central axis M. In the present embodiment, in the longitudinal downward direction along the Z-axis, the width of the first part 10 gradually increases, and the width of the second part 20 gradually increases to reach a maximum width, and then gradually decreases slightly from the position of the maximum width.

As shown in FIG. 8A to FIG. 8C, a turning point G can be defined on the heel cup 100, which can serve as a dividing point for dividing the first part 10 and the second part 20. A horizontal plane where the turning point G is located can serve as a boundary between the first part 10 and the second part 20, and this horizontal plane is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. In the present embodiment, the heel cup 100 is a one-piece formed structure. That is, the first part 10 and the second part 20 are integrally formed.

FIG. 8 A to FIG. 8C illustrate three different methods to define the turning point G.

As shown in FIG. 8A, the first method is that the turning point G is an intersection point between a line connecting two ends of the heel cup along the longitudinal direction and the heel cup.

As shown in FIG. 8B, the second method includes: determining a point of the upper arc portion with a maximum depth along the horizontal plane direction and a point of the lower arc portion with a maximum depth along the horizontal plane direction; drawing two horizontal planes each passing through one of the two points, and drawing a connecting line along the longitudinal direction perpendicular to the two horizontal planes; drawing a perpendicular bisector of the connecting line, and an intersection point between the perpendicular bisector and the heel cup is the turning point G.

As shown in FIG. 8C, the third method is to zoom in on the upper arc portion and the lower arc portion to identify the point where a direction of the arc changes. This point is the boundary between the upper arc portion and the lower arc portion, and is the turning point G.

The upper arc corresponding to the first part 10 has a first bending amplitude H1, and the lower arc corresponding to the second part 20 has a second bending amplitude H2. As shown in FIG. 8A to FIG. 8C, for the three methods of defining the interface between the first part 10 and the second part 20 mentioned above, the first bending amplitude H1 is greater than the second bending amplitude H2. In the present disclosure, the first bending amplitude H1 refers to a distance between a midpoint of a line connecting the two ends of the upper arc and a midpoint of the upper arc, and the second bending amplitude H2 refers to a distance between a midpoint of a line connecting the two ends of the lower arc and a midpoint of the lower arc. It can be understood that in some other embodiments, the first bending amplitude H1 can also be set to be equal to the second bending amplitude H2.

In addition, there are no specific requirements for a height of the first part 10 along the longitudinal direction and a height of the second part 20 along the longitudinal direction in the present disclosure. That is, the height of the first part 10 along the longitudinal direction can be equal to, greater than, or less than the height of the second part 20 along the longitudinal direction.

FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 show a side view and a top view of the heel cup 100, respectively. The first part 10 has a curved surface shape that protrudes forward towards the X-axis direction, while the second part 20 has a curved surface shape that protrudes backward towards the X-axis direction. A top portion of the inner surface 101 of the first part 10 away from the second part 20, is relatively inclined towards the second part 20. In summary, the second part 20 is designed to cover the heel bone area of the heel, while the first part 10 is designed to provide a force point for the foot, that is, to provide a force point for a load to compress the heel cup 100.

When viewed from a side where the inner surface 101 of the heel cup 100 is located, the inner surface 101 of the first part 10 is a convex surface, and the inner surface 101 of the second part 20 is a concave surface. When viewing the heel cup 100 from the side where the outer surface 102 of the heel cup 100 is located, the outer surface 102 of the first part 10 is a concave curved surface, and the outer surface 102 of the second part 20 is a convex curved surface.

In the present embodiment, the heel cup 100 has a certain degree of compressibility and deformability. The heel cup 100 is set in the shoe for easy put on and take off. The heel cup 100 has a first state and a second state. FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B show a comparison of the heel cup 100 in the first state and the second state. The heel cup 100 is switchable between the first state and the second state. The first state is a natural state of the heel cup 100, with no external force applied to the heel cup 100. The second state can be a state where a load of a foot is applied to the heel cup 100 and the heel cup 100 is compressed. From FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B, it can be seen that after compression, the first part 10 of the heel cup 100 descends longitudinally relative to the first state, while the second part 20 expands outward along Y-axis direction, increasing the width of the second part 20 along the Y-axis. That is, in the second state, the height of the heel cup 100 along the longitudinal direction (Z-axis direction) decreases, and the width of the heel cup 100 along the Y-axis direction increases. When the load on the heel cup 100 is removed, the heel cup 100 can quickly return from the second state to the first state.

Referring to FIG. 10A, in the heel cup 100, the inner surface 101 of the first part 10 has a convex curvature facing the user's foot to facilitate foot insertion and provide a force point for the foot to apply force. The inner surface 101 of the second part 20 has a concave curvature facing the user's foot to facilitate to receive the heel of the foot. The top portion of the inner surface 101 of the first part 10 away from the second part 20 is inclined longitudinally downward relative to the horizontal surface to facilitate guiding the foot downward into the shoe. In the first state, as shown in FIG. 10A, the top portion of the inner surface 101 of the first part 10 away from the second part 20 and the Z-axis form a first angle A1, which is an acute angle. In the second state, as shown in FIG. 10B, the top portion of the inner surface 101 of the first part 10 away from the second part 20 and the Z-axis form a second angle A2, which is an acute angle. The second angle A2 is greater than the first angle A1.

The S-shaped design of the heel cup in the present disclosure can facilitate the user to put on and take off the shoe more conveniently and easily. In addition, by setting the first bending amplitude H1 of the upper arc corresponding to the first part 10 to be greater than the second bending amplitude H2 of the lower arc corresponding to the second part 20, not only the design of the heel cup 100 is more in line with the human foot, reducing wear and tear on the ankle and other areas after wearing shoes, improving comfort of wearing shoes, and increasing a stability of the shoe on the foot, effectively preventing problems of shoes falling off the feet during doing exercise.

In some embodiments, the heel cup 100 is made of plastic material. The heel cup 100 can be injection molded in a mold. The heel cup 100 can be made of thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer (TPU), but it is not limited to this, and other plastic materials can also be used. The processing and production of the heel cup 100 in the present disclosure is simple.

In some embodiments, the thickness of an entirety of the heel cup 100 is constant. Due to an ability of the heel cup 100 to deform from its natural first state to the second state under a load of the user's foot. For example, the heel cup 100 can be partially compressed, so that the first part 10 of the heel cup 100 is fully descended to facilitate inserting of the user's foot. Once the user's foot is inserted into the shoe, the heel cup 100 can return to its uncompressed first state. Setting a uniform thickness of the heel cup 100 is beneficial for extending a service life of the heel cup 100 and avoiding fracture problems caused by frequent compression due to thin local thickness.

In other embodiments, except for edge position of the heel cup 100, other position of the heel cup 100 have a uniform thickness. In addition, a thickness of the edge position of the heel cup 100 is less than a thickness of other position of the heel cup 100. The heel cup 100 gradually decreases from a uniform thickness towards the edge position, making the edge position smoothly transition. For example, in one embodiment, the thickness of the edge portion of the heel cup 100 is 0.7 mm, and the thickness of other areas is 2.3 mm. The thickness of the edge position of the heel cup 100 is set to be relatively small, on the one hand, it is convenient to remove the heel cup 100 from the mold (demolding). On the other hand, the inner surface 101 and the outer surface 102 can be smoothly combined at the edge position.

Second Embodiment

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, the heel cup 200 of the second embodiment is basically the same as the heel cup 100 of the first embodiment.

The difference between the heel cup 200 of the second embodiment and the heel cup 100 of the first embodiment is that the heel cup 200 defines an opening 201. The opening 201 extends through both the inner surface 101 and the outer surface 102. The opening 201 locates in the second part 20. Alternatively, the opening 201 mainly locates in the second part 20 and extends slightly in the first part 10. In the present embodiment, the opening 201 extends from a side of the second part 20 away from the first part 10 towards the first part 10. As shown in FIG. 12, the opening 201 has a symmetrical structure relative to the central axis of the heel cup 200.

In the present embodiment, the opening 201 is in a shape of a circular arc or an elliptical arc, but the present disclosure does not limit these. There are no special requirements for the specific shape of opening 201 in this disclosure.

By setting the opening 201, an overall resilience of the heel cup 200 is better after being compressed. A weight of the heel cup 200 can be reduced, raw materials for making the heel cup 200 can be reduced to a certain extent and a preparation cost of the heel cup 200 may be lowered.

The opening 201 has a certain height along the longitudinal direction and a certain width along the Y direction. In some embodiments, the height of the opening 201 along the longitudinal direction is ⅓-½ of the height of the heel cup 200 along the longitudinal direction. The width of opening 201 along the Y direction is ⅓-½ of the width of heel cup 200 along the Y direction. By setting the height and the width of the opening 201, resilience of the heel cup 200 can be improved by optimizing the opening 201 without adversely affecting the strength of the heel cup 200.

As shown in FIG. 13, a cross section of the heel cup 200 taken along the central axis M along the longitudinal direction is arc-shaped. Due to setting of the opening 201, a cross section of the heel cup 200 is missing at the position of the opening 201 and is no longer an S-shaped arc of the first embodiment.

In summary, the heel cup 200 may be formed by defining the opening 201 in the heel cup 100 with a longitudinal cross-section of an S-shape (the first bending amplitude H1 of the upper arc of the S-shape is greater than or equal to the second bending amplitude H2 of the lower arc of the S-shape) as shown in first embodiment. Especially for the case where the opening 201 is located in the second part 20, if a portion of the lower arc of the arc is removed, the first bending amplitude H1 of the upper arc of the retained arc must be greater than the second bending amplitude H2 of the lower arc of the retained arc.

Third Embodiment

As shown in FIG. 14 and FIG. 15, the heel cup 300 of the third embodiment is basically the same as the heel cup 100 of the first embodiment. A difference between the heel cup 100 of the first embodiment and the heel cup 300 of the third embodiment is that the heel cup 300 defines a hollow pattern. The hollow pattern includes a plurality of through holes 310 spaced apart from each other, each through hole 310 extends through both the inner surface 101 and the outer surface 102.

By setting the hollow pattern, an overall resilience of the heel cup 300 may be better after being compressed. A weight of the heel cup 300 can be reduced, raw materials for making the heel cup 300 can be reduced to a certain extent and a preparation cost of the heel cup 300 may be lowered.

As shown in FIG. 15, a middle position of the heel cup 300 along the longitudinal direction includes a crossbeam part 320, which extends in an arc shape. Multiple through holes 310 are distributed above and below the crossbeam part 320 along the longitudinal direction, and the multiple through holes 310 are arranged spaced apart from each other along an arc extension direction of the crossbeam part 320. The crossbeam part 320 can effectively increase a longitudinal strength of the heel cup 300 and prevent the heel cup 300 from collapsing. The crossbeam part 320 can also be deemed as a solid portion of the heel cup 300 that is not perforated.

As shown in FIG. 15, the heel cup 300 has a top end 301 and a bottom end 302 opposite to the top end 301 along the Z axis direction. The crossbeam part 320 is arc convex towards the top end 301. The crossbeam part 320 locates in the second part 20. Alternatively, the crossbeam part 320 mainly locates in the second part 20 and extends slightly in the first part 10. Therefore, the crossbeam part 320 may support the second part 20 like an arched bridge, improving an overall strength of the heel cup 300.

In some embodiments, a width of the crossbeam part 320 along the Z-axis direction is constant. In other embodiments, the width of the crossbeam part 320 along the Z-axis direction is not constant, and thickness of the crossbeam part 320 is not constant. For portions of the crossbeam part 320 with greater thickness, the width is also greater, and for portions of the crossbeam part 320 with less thickness, the width is also less, thereby improving the deformability of the crossbeam part 320.

The material of the crossbeam part 320 and the material of the heel cup 300 can be the same or different. In some embodiments, a strength and an elasticity of the material of the crossbeam part 320 are greater than those of the material of the heel cup 300. In this way, the crossbeam part 320 can provide a stronger elastic recovery force and support force, improve a service life of the heel cup 300, and is not easy to collapse for long-term use. For example, the crossbeam part 320 can be made of a metal or an alloy, to provide stronger support. In other embodiments, the elasticity of the material of the crossbeam part 320 is less than that of the material of the heel cup 300.

Multiple through holes 310 are distributed on a side of the crossbeam part 320 adjacent to the bottom end 302. An arrangement and shapes of the through holes 310 on a side of the crossbeam part 320 adjacent to the bottom end 302 make area between the through holes 310 forms multiple first sub-crossbeam parts 330. The first sub-crossbeam part 330 can also be deemed as a solid portion of the heel cup 300. The first sub-crossbeam part 330 is arc convex towards the bottom end 302. The first sub-crossbeam part 330 can further enhance a support strength of the heel cup 300 while ensuring compressibility of the heel cup 300.

Multiple through holes 310 on a side of the crossbeam part 320 adjacent to the bottom end 302 and not in the middle position, have a tendency to point towards a middle position of the bottom end 302. In addition, the second part of the heel cup includes a solid portion adjacent to the bottom end 302. In this way, an overall design can provide better support.

There are two through holes 310 located on a side of the crossbeam part 320 adjacent to the top end 301 and in the middle position of heel cup 300, namely a first through hole 310a and a second through hole 310b. The first through hole 310a and the through holes 310b are arranged along the Z-axis direction, and have a same shape and a same size. Each of the first through hole 310a and the second through hole 310b have a shape with one end thicker and one end thinner along the Y-axis direction, and a thick end of the first through hole 310a is aligned with a thin end of the second through hole 310b along the Z-axis direction, while a thin end of the first through hole 310a is aligned with a thick end of the second through hole 310b along the Z-axis direction. In addition, the solid portion between the first through hole 310a and the second through hole 310b is formed as a second sub-crossbeam part 340. The second sub-crossbeam part 340 is an S-shaped arc along the Y-axis direction. The second sub-crossbeam part 340 may provide a better elastic recovery force, especially when the foot is biased against the heel cup 300, the elastic recovery force is better.

In the present embodiment, there is no limitation on shapes of the through hole 310. In some embodiments, a shape of the through-hole 310 may include a polygon, a closed shape connecting by at least one curved segment and at least one straight segment, and a closed shape connecting by at least one curved segment. The polygon can include at least one of quadrilateral (such as parallelogram, diamond), and triangle. The shape of a closed connection by a curved segment and a straight segment can be at least one of a semicircle, a circular ring smaller than a semicircle, or other irregular shapes.

In the present embodiment, in the hollow pattern, the overall shape is represented by a large proportion of strip-shaped through holes 310, which are mainly arranged at along the crossbeam part 320. The strip-shaped through holes 310 may have a shape of a parallelogram, diamond, ellipse, or other shape that facilitates resilience, or a strip shape formed by connecting by at least one curved segment and at least one straight segment, or a strip shape connecting by curved segments. The strip-shaped through-holes 310 and along opposite sides of the crossbeam part 320 can further enhance compression resilience of the heel cup 300.

Opening areas of the through holes 310 above the crossbeam part 320 gradually decreases from a middle of the heel cup 300 to opposite sides of the heel cup 300 along the Y axis direction. Opening areas of the through holes 310 below the crossbeam part 320 gradually decreases from a middle of the heel cup 300 to opposite sides of the heel cup 300 along the Y axis direction.

In addition, in the present embodiment, corners of the through hole 310 are set as rounded corners to avoid unnecessary scratching caused by sharp corners.

In some embodiments, the hollow pattern is also symmetrical relative to the central axis.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 16, due to the hollow pattern, the longitudinal cross section of the heel cup 300 cut along the central axis M is no longer a complete S-shaped arc. The arc will appear disconnected at positions of the through holes 310, but the overall bending trend of the upper arc and the lower arc of the arc can still be seen. The first bending amplitude H1 of the upper arc of the arc will be greater than or equal to the second bending amplitude H2 of the lower arc of the arc.

In summary, the heel cup 300 may be formed by defining through holes 310 in the heel cup 100 with a longitudinal cross-section of an S-shape (the first bending amplitude H1 of the upper arc of the S-shape is greater than or equal to the second bending amplitude H2 of the lower arc of the S-shape) as shown in first embodiment.

The empty through holes 310 may improve a deformability of the heel cup 300, making the heel cup 300 easier to compress when being stepped on, providing a better feel when wearing. In some embodiments, an additional material may be filled in at least one of the through holes 310. The additional material has a good elasticity, and the elasticity of the additional material is better than that of the material of the heel cup 300.

The additional material in the through holes 310 may also provide a stronger support and a rapid rebound/resilience of the heel cup 300.

As shown in FIG. 17, the present disclosure also provides a shoe 50 including any of the heel cup 100, the heel cup 200, and the heel cup 300. The shoe 50 includes a sole 51 and an upper 52, and the upper 52 defines a shoe opening 520. The heel cup 100 is located at a heel of the upper 52 and close to the shoe opening 520. The heel cup 100 can be attached to the upper 52 and extend from the sole 51 to a collar of the upper 52. The first part 10 of the heel cup 100 is relatively closer to the shoe opening 520, and the second part 20 is relatively closer to the sole 51. An appearance and style of the shoe 50 are not limited to those shown in FIG. 15, and can also be various styles of sports shoes, dad shoes, casual shoes, etc.

The heel cup 100 can be a part of upper 52, such as an internal component of upper 52, or a part of the inner lining of upper 52, or an attachment to the inner lining of upper 52, or a part of the outer layer of upper 52, or an attachment to the outer layer of upper 52. The heel cup 100 can provide some support for a back of the upper 52, avoiding collapse of the back of the upper 52. In some embodiments, the heel cup 100 is located inside the upper 52 and cannot be seen from the appearance of the shoe 50.

In some embodiments, the shoe 50 may be equipped with a heel stabilizer (not shown). The heel stabilizer is located at a rear of upper 52 and adjacent to the shoe opening 520. The heel cup 100 is an important component of the heel stabilizer. In this way, the heel stabilizer has an instantaneous widening effect when the user puts on or takes off the shoe.

When the user puts on the shoe 50, the foot exerts force on the first part 10 of the heel cup 100, and the top of the first part 10 is lowered along the longitudinal direction and extends backwards away from the foot to some extent. At this time, the heel cup 100 is compressed, as shown in FIG. 9B. This action allows the user's foot to be inserted into the shoe opening 520 while reducing plantar flexion. When the heel cup 100 is compressed, at least the second portion 20 of the heel cup 100 expands outward, causing the width of the heel cup 100 to increase, thereby widening the shoe opening 520 of the shoe 50. The widening of the shoe opening 520 allows for easier entry of the foot, such as easier insertion into the forefoot portion of the user's foot. A widening range of shoe 50 depends on factors such as the size of shoe 50 and the flexibility of heel cup 100. After the load of the foot is removed, the heel cup 100 returns to the first state (natural state), thereby driving the upper to return to its natural state.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 18, the inner surface 101 and/or the outer surface 102 of the heel cup 100 can be attached with a foam layer 55. The foam layer 55 may form a part of the collar of the shoe opening 520. The thick foam layer 55 can provide fixation for the user's foot after the foot is inserted into the shoe. Since the foam layer 55 is compressible, when the foot is inserted in or removed out, the foam layer 55 will be compressed by the foot and keep an ankle of the user's foot after the foot is inserted. In addition, the foam layer 55 can also provide necessary comfort to the user's heel.

The present disclosure provides the heel cup having a specific shape design, when the heel cup is applied to the shoe, it not only facilitates users to put on and take off shoe more conveniently and easily, but also fits the feet of human more closely, reducing wear on ankle after wearing shoes, improving a comfort of wearing shoes, and increasing a stability of the shoes to the feet, effectively preventing a problem of shoes falling off the feet during doing exercise.

It is to be understood, even though information and advantages of the present embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structures and functions of the present embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only; changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the present embodiments to the full extent indicated by the plain meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

Claims

1. A heel cup applied in a shoe, the heel cup comprising:

an inner surface and an outer surface, the outer surface surrounding the inner surface, each of the inner surface and the outer surface being a curved surface;
a first part and a second part connected along a longitudinal direction of the heel cup, cross sections of the heel cup along the longitudinal direction being arc shaped, one of the cross sections along a central axis M of the heel cup along the longitudinal direction comprising an upper arc and a lower arc connected along the longitudinal direction, the first part corresponding to the upper arc, and the second part corresponding to the lower arc, wherein
when viewed from a side where the inner surface of the heel cup is located, the inner surface of the first part is a convex surface, and the inner surface of the second part is a concave surface;
the upper arc of the first part has a first bending amplitude, and the lower arc of the second part has a second bending amplitude, the first bending amplitude is greater than or equal to the second bending amplitude, wherein
the first bending amplitude is a distance between a midpoint of a first line connecting two ends of the upper arc and a midpoint of the upper arc, and the second bending amplitude is a distance between a midpoint of a second line connecting two ends of the lower arc and a midpoint of the lower arc.

2. The heel cup of claim 1, wherein a top portion of the inner surface of the first part, away from the second part, is inclined towards the second part;

the heel cup is compressible, the heel cup is configured to be in a first state or in a second state, the heel cup is in the first state when the heel cup is not compressed, and the heel cup is in the second state when the heel cup is compressed and elastically deformed; the heel cup is switchable between the first state and the second state;
to the heel cup switches from the first state to the second state a height of the heel cup along the longitudinal direction decreases, and a width of the second part, in a horizontal plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, increases.

3. The heel cup of claim 2, wherein in the first state, a first angle is formed between a top portion of the inner surface of the first part, away from the second part, and an axis along the longitudinal direction, the first angle is an acute angle;

in the second state, a second angle is formed between the top portion of the inner surface of the first part, away from the second part, and the axis along the longitudinal direction, the second angle is an acute angle and is greater than the first angle.

4. The heel cup of claim 1, wherein the heel cup comprises at least one edge contour, the at least one edge contour defines a contour of the inner surface and a contour of the outer surface; the at least one edge contour comprises a first contour line in a horizontal plane direction and a second contour line intersecting with the horizontal plane direction, each of the first contour line and the second contour line is a curve;

a distance between the inner surface and the outer surface is defined as a thickness of the heel cup;
except for portions of the heel cup comprising the at least one edge contour, the thickness of other portions of the heel cup is constant, the thickness of the portions of the heel cup comprising the at least one edge contour is less than the thickness of other portions of the heel cup.

5. The heel cup of claim 1, wherein the heel cup further defines an opening, the opening extends through each of the inner surface and the outer surface;

the opening is located in the second part, or the opening is mainly located in the second part and partially extends in the first part; or
the opening further extends from a side of the second part away from the first part, towards the first part.

6. The heel cup of claim 5, wherein a height of the opening along the longitudinal direction is ⅓ to ½ of a height of the heel cup along the longitudinal direction; and a width of the opening along a horizontal plane direction is ⅓ to ½ of a width of heel cup along the horizontal plane direction, the horizontal plane direction is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

7. The heel cup of claim 1, wherein the heel cup further defines a hollow pattern, the hollow pattern comprises a plurality of through holes spaced apart from each other, each of the plurality of through holes extends through each of the inner surface and the outer surface;

each of the plurality of through holes is empty; or
at least one of plurality of through holes is filled with an additional material that is different from a material of the heel cup, the additional material has a better elasticity than that of the material of the heel cup.

8. The heel cup of claim 7, wherein the heel cup comprises a top end and a bottom end opposite to the top end along the longitudinal direction,

the heel cup further comprises a crossbeam part between the top end and the bottom end, the crossbeam part is an arc convex towards the top end, the plurality of through holes are distributed on opposite sides of the crossbeam part along the longitudinal direction;
the crossbeam part locates in the second part, or
the crossbeam part mainly locates in the second part and extends slightly in the first part.

9. The heel cup of claim 8, wherein the heel cup further comprises at least one first sub-crossbeam part, each of the at least one first sub-crossbeam part is a solid portion of the heel cup between some of the plurality of through holes on a side of the crossbeam part adjacent to the bottom end;

each of the at least one first sub-crossbeam part is arc convex towards the bottom end.

10. The heel cup of claim 8, wherein the plurality of through holes comprises a first through hole and a second through hole on a side the crossbeam part adjacent to the top end and in a middle position of heel cup;

the heel cup further comprises a second sub-crossbeam part, the second sub-crossbeam part is a solid portion between the first through hole and the second through hole;
the second sub-crossbeam part is an S-shaped arc along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

11. The heel cup of claim 8, wherein opening areas of the through holes on a side the crossbeam part adjacent to the top end gradually decreases from a middle of the heel cup to opposite sides of the heel cup;

opening areas of the through holes on a side the crossbeam part adjacent to the bottom end gradually decreases from a middle of the heel cup to opposite sides of the heel cup.

12. The heel cup of claim 8, wherein a material of the crossbeam part is different from a material of the heel cup, and a strength and an elasticity of the material of the crossbeam part are greater than those of the material of the heel cup.

13. A shoe comprising:

a sole,
an upper connected to the sole, the upper defining a shoe opening, and
a heel cup located at a back position of the upper, the heel cup comprising:
an inner surface and an outer surface, the outer surface surrounding the inner surface, and each of the inner surface and the outer surface being a curved surface;
a first part and a second part connected along a longitudinal direction of the heel cup, cross sections of the heel cup along the longitudinal direction being arc shaped, one of the cross sections along a central axis M of the heel cup along the longitudinal direction comprising an upper arc and a lower arc connected along the longitudinal direction, the first part corresponding to the upper arc, and the second part corresponding to the lower arc, wherein
when viewed from a side where the inner surface of the heel cup is located, the inner surface of the first part is a convex surface, and the inner surface of the second part is a concave surface;
the upper arc of the first part has a first bending amplitude, and the lower arc of the second part has a second bending amplitude, the first bending amplitude is greater than or equal to the second bending amplitude, wherein
the first bending amplitude is a distance between a midpoint of a first line connecting two ends of the upper arc and a midpoint of the upper arc, and the second bending amplitude is a distance between a midpoint of a second line connecting two ends of the lower arc and a midpoint of the lower arc.

14. The shoe of claim 13, wherein a top portion of the inner surface of the first part away from the second part is inclined towards the second part;

the heel cup is compressible, the heel cup is configured to be in a first state or in a second state, the heel cup is in the first state when the heel cup is not compressed, and the heel cup is in the second state when the heel cup is compressed and elastically deformed; the heel cup is switchable between the first state and the second state;
to the heel cup switches from the first state to the second state when the first part descends along the longitudinal direction, and a width of the second part, in a horizontal plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, increases to a preset amount.

15. The shoe of claim 13, wherein in the first state, a first angle is formed between a top portion of the inner surface of the first part, away from the second part, and an axis along the longitudinal direction, the first angle is an acute angle;

in the second state, a second angle is formed between the top portion of the inner surface of the first part, away from the second part, and the axis along the longitudinal direction, the second angle is an acute angle and is greater than the first angle.

16. The shoe of claim 13, wherein the heel cup further defines an opening, the opening extends through both each of the inner surface and the outer surface;

the opening is located in the second part, or the opening is mainly located in the second part and partially extends slightly in the first part.

17. The shoe of claim 13, wherein the heel cup further defines a hollow pattern, the hollow pattern comprises a plurality of through holes spaced apart from each other, each of the plurality of through holes extends through both each of the inner surface and the outer surface;

each of the plurality of through holes is empty; or
at least one of plurality of through holes is filled with an additional material that is different from a material of the heel cup, the additional material has a better elasticity than that of the material of the heel cup.

18. The heel cup of claim 17, wherein the heel cup comprises a top end and a bottom end opposite to the top end along the longitudinal direction,

the heel cup further comprises a crossbeam part between the top end and the bottom end, the crossbeam part is an arc convex towards the top end, the plurality of through holes are distributed on opposite sides of the crossbeam part along the longitudinal direction;
the crossbeam part locates in the second part, or
the crossbeam part mainly locates in the second part and extends slightly in the first part.

19. The shoe of claim 18, wherein the heel cup further comprises at least one first sub-crossbeam part, each of the at least one first sub-crossbeam part is a solid portion of the heel cup between some of the plurality of through holes on a side of the crossbeam part adjacent to the bottom end;

each of the at least one first sub-crossbeam part is arc convex towards the bottom end;
the plurality of through holes comprises a first through hole and a second through hole on a side the crossbeam part adjacent to the top end and in a middle position of heel cup;
the heel cup further comprises a second sub-crossbeam part, the second sub-crossbeam part is a solid portion between the first through hole and the second through hole;
the second sub-crossbeam part is an S-shaped arc along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

20. The shoe of claim 18, wherein, wherein opening areas of the through holes on a side the crossbeam part adjacent to the top end gradually decreases from a middle of the heel cup to opposite sides of the heel cup;

opening areas of the through holes on a side the crossbeam part adjacent to the bottom end gradually decreases from a middle of the heel cup to opposite sides of the heel cup; or
a material of the crossbeam part is different from a material of the heel cup, a strength and an elasticity of the material of the crossbeam part are greater than those of the material of the heel cup.
Patent History
Publication number: 20250151850
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 14, 2025
Publication Date: May 15, 2025
Inventors: Hao He (North Bergen, NJ), Changsheng Cao (North Bergen, NJ), Yang Lin (North Bergen, NJ), Hongwei Liu (North Bergen, NJ), Yong Yang (North Bergen, NJ), Jian Li (North Bergen, NJ), Zhengqiang Zhao (North Bergen, NJ)
Application Number: 19/019,902
Classifications
International Classification: A43B 21/26 (20060101);