WO2003063630A1

WO2003063630A1 - Double/sided insole for footwear

Info

Publication number: WO2003063630A1
Application number: PCT/KR2003/000202
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jun Hur
Original assignee: Jun Hur
Priority date: 2002-01-30
Filing date: 2003-01-29
Publication date: 2003-08-07
Also published as: KR200274123Y1

Abstract

The object of this invention is to provide a double-sided insole for footwear, which has a bumpy osteopathic massaging surface on one side (12) thereof and an antibiotic/antiodor surface on the other side (14) thereof. A groove (16) is formed on at least one of the two sides (12, 14) along a part of the outside edge (18) of the insole (10), so that the outside edge (18) is bent upward or downward along the groove (16) to form a curved collar of the insole (10). The double-sided insole (10) provides a massaging effect and an antibiotic/antiodor effect for a predetermined time period, without forcing a user to purchase two or more insoles or shoes separately having either a massaging effect or an antibiotic/antiodor effect.

Description

DESCRIPTION

DOUBLE-SIDED INSOLE FOR FOOTWEAR

Technical Field

The present invention relates, in general, ^' to double-sided insole for footwear and, more particularly, to a double-sided insole for footwear, which has two different health-promoting functions, one on each side thereof, and allows a user to selectively use the functions by turning the insole upside down, as desired.

Background Art

In recent years, many reliable theories postulating that the feet of the body have important connections with human health have been proposed, published, and gathered attention, so many people have been highly interested in their feet. Particularly in some cases, the authors have proposed theories stating that the feet have a plurality of meridian points having respective relationships with several internal organs of the human body, and the functions of the internal organs can be promoted and activated by stimulating the meridian points of the feet.

In accordance with the theories relating to the health of the feet and attracting interest of people, shoes and insoles have been actively studied to provide variously designed functional shoes and insoles capable of meeting the requirements of users who want to promote their health by using the functional shoes and insoles. For example, some functional shoes having a plurality of osteopathic massaging projections on the upper side of their integrated insoles have been proposed and marketed. In addition, separate functional insoles having osteopathic massaging projections or antibacterial/antiodor surfaces on their upper sides have been proposed for use as removable insoles of shoes. Different from typical insoles used as a means for protecting the feet and giving comfort to users, the functional insoles are designed to promote health of the users, in addition to performing their typical functions. Particularly, the insoles having the antibacterial/antiodor surfaces on their upper sides may be used to prevent athlete's foot of the users.

However, the conventional functional shoes and functional insoles have limitations in that the functional surfaces are formed on only the upper sides of the insoles, so that users use only the limited functions provided by the upper sides of the insoles. Most of the conventional osteopathic massaging shoes having the osteopathic massaging projections on the upper sides of their integrated insoles are designed in the form of slippers, so that the osteopathic massaging shoes are problematic in that users are forced to purchase them at considerable cost. In addition, the slipper-type osteopathic massaging shoes are not suitable for wearing outdoors, since the slippers are typically designed for casual wear in the home. Some users purchase separate functional insoles having osteopathic massaging projections on the upper sides thereof, and lay the insoles in their shoes to obtain the osteopathic massaging effect on their feet. However, the separate functional insoles, having the osteopathic massaging projections on only the upper sides thereof, are problematic in that it is impossible to use the insoles laid in shoes with the lower sides thereof facing upward, so that the users sometimes suffer from pain caused by the projections excessively stimulating the soles of the feet when the users continuously wear the shoes for a lengthy period of time, without changing the insoles. Even though the conventional separate functional insoles having the osteopathic massaging effect or the antibacterial/antiodor effect can be laid in shoes and removed from the shoes as users desire, the insoles are problematic in that the users must separately purchase the insoles, and the insoles must be stored separate from shoes when the insoles are not in use. The conventional functional insoles are thus inconvenient for users. Disclosure of the Invention

Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a double-sided insole for footwear, which has two different health- promoting functions, one on each side thereof, and allows a user to selectively use the functions by turning the insole upside down, as desired.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a double-sided insole for footwear, which does not force a user to purchase two or more insoles or shoes separately having health-promoting functions or to store the insoles separate from shoes when the insoles are not in use.

In order to accomplish the above objects, the present invention provides a double-sided insole for footwear, having different functions, one on each side thereof, and allowing a user to selectively use the functions by turning the insole upside down, said insole comprising a groove formed on at least one of both sides of the insole along an outside edge of the insole, so that the outside edge is bent upward or downward along said groove.

With the double-sided insole, a user is allowed to selectively use the different functions by turning the insole upside down; as desired, without degrading the comfort and fit of shoes. In an embodiment of the present invention, an osteopathic massaging surface is provided on one of the both sides of said double-sided insole.

The insole having the osteopathic massaging surface allows a user to obtain an osteopathic massaging effect for a desired period of time by wearing shoes with the insoles laid in the shoes such that the osteopathic massaging surfaces face the soles of the user's feet, without forcing the user to separately purchase osteopathic massaging shoes or other osteopathic massaging devices. When the user wears the shoes with the insoles laid in the shoes such that the osteopathic massaging surfaces face downward, a gap is defined between the insole and the sole of each shoe, so that air remains in the gap. The air inside the gap effectively absorbs impact, deodorizes the user's feet, and insulates the feet.

In another embodiment of the present invention, an antibacterial/antiodor surface is provided on one of the both sides of said insole. With the insole having the antibacterial/antiodor surface, a user obtains an antibacterial/antiodor effect by using the insoles after laying the insoles in the shoes with the antibacterial/antiodor surfaces facing upward. It is thus possible to prevent propagation of germs on the user's feet and remove odor from the feet even though the feet sweat when the user exercises.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a double-sided insole for footwear, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2a is a plan view of the double-sided insole for footwear according to the preferred embodiment of the invention, when the insole is laid in a shoe such that a bumpy osteopathic massaging surface of the insole faces the sole of a user's foot; FIG. 2b is a plan view of the double-sided insole for footwear according to the preferred embodiment of the invention, when the insole is laid in a shoe such that the bumpy osteopathic massaging surface of the insole faces downward;

FIG. 3a is a sectional view of the double-sided insole taken along the line A-A of FIG. 2a; and FIG. 3b is a sectional view of the double-sided insole taken along the line B-B of FIG. 2b. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

Reference should now be made to the drawings, in which the same reference numerals are used throughout the different drawings to designate the same or similar components. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a double-sided insole 10 for footwear according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2a is a plan view of the double-sided insole 10, when the insole is laid in a shoe such that a bumpy osteopathic massaging surface of the insole faces the sole of a user's foot. FIG. 2b is a plan view of the double-sided insole 10, when the insole is laid in a shoe such that the osteopathic massaging surface faces downward.

As shown in the drawings, the double-sided insole 10 for footwear according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention has a bumpy osteopathic massaging surface on an upper side 12 thereof. A plurality of osteopathic massaging projections 20 made of rubber are formed on the bumpy osteopathic massaging surface. The lower side 14 of the insole 10 is configured in the form of a smooth surface comprised of a rubber base with a cloth cover attached to the surface of the rubber base, in the same manner as a conventional insole.

Therefore, when a user wants to promote his/her health by stimulating the meridian points of the feet using the insoles, two insoles 10 are laid in shoes such that the sides of the insoles 10 having the osteopathic massaging projections 20 face the soles of the user's feet, respectively. When the user wants to use the insoles 10 without stimulating the meridian points of the feet by the osteopathic massaging projections 20, the insoles 10 are laid in the shoes such that the sides having the osteopathic massaging projections 20 face downward.

The user thus preferably uses the insoles 10 laid in his/her shoes such that the sides having the osteopathic massaging projections 20 face the soles of the user's feet, for only a desired time period, so that it is possible to prevent the soles of the feet from being excessively stimulated by the projections 20. Another advantage of the insoles 10 resides in that the user easily obtains a desired osteopathic massaging effect by walking on a surface while wearing shoes having the insoles 10, without being forced to separately purchase or carry another osteopathic massaging device. When a user walks on a hard surface while wearing shoes with the insoles 10 laid in the shoes such that the sides having the osteopathic massaging projections 20 face downward, the elastic rubber projections 20 effectively absorb impact applied from the hard surface to the user's legs while walking. The user is thus protected from possible joint injury. In addition, a gap is defined between the insole 10 and the sole of a shoe, so that air remains in the gap. The air inside the gap effectively absorbs impact, deodorizes the user's feet and insulates the feet.

When the osteopathic massaging projections 20 of the insole 10 have different heights, the soles of user's feet may fail to maintain horizontality inside shoes with the insoles 10 laid in the shoes such that the sides having the osteopathic massaging projections 20 face downward. In order to allow the soles of user's feet inside the shoes to maintain horizontality regardless of the different heights of the projections 20, the shoes may be designed such that a plurality of holes having different depths equal to the heights of the projections 20 are formed on the sole of each shoe at positions corresponding to the projections

20 facing downward inside the shoe.

The insole 10 may be designed such that the outside edge 18 around the rear portion of the insole 10 is bent upward to form a curved collar which surrounds the rear portion of the upper side 12 having the osteopathic massaging projections 20 to enhance comfort and fit of shoes, in the same manner as conventional insoles. However, the insole 10 having such a collar is problematic as follows. That is, when the insoles 10 are laid in shoes such that the upper sides 12 having the osteopathic massaging projections 20 face downward and the smooth lower sides 14 face upward after changing the left and right insoles 10 relative to the left and right shoes with each other, the collars formed by the bent outside edges 18 are directed downward in the shoes to be positioned like a skirt, so that a user wearing the shoes feels uncomfortable due to the skirt-shaped collars. In order to solve the problem, a groove 16 is formed on at least one of the two sides 12 and 14 along a part of the outside edge 18 of the insole 10, as shown in FIG. 1.

That is, as shown in FIG. 3a which is a sectional view taken along the line A-A of FIG. 2a, and FIG. 3b is a sectional view taken along the line B-B of FIG. 2b, the collar formed by the outside edge 18 can be bent upward or downward along the groove 16, so that the collar does not make a user uncomfortable when wearing shoes with the insole 10 laid in the shoes such that the smooth lower sides 14 face upward.

Of course, the groove 16 may be formed on each of the upper and lower sides 12 and 14 of the insole 10 along a part of the outside edge 18. In such a case, the collar formed by the outside edge 18 may be more easily bent upward or downward in accordance with the direction of the insole 10 inside a shoe.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the insole is designed such that the lower side of the insole acts as an antibacterial/antiodor surface, and the upper side acts as a bumpy osteopathic massaging surface. A user can primarily obtain an osteopathic massaging effect by using the insoles 10 laid in shoes such that the bumpy osteopathic massaging surfaces face upward, and, thereafter, the user can obtain an antibacterial/antiodor effect by using the insoles laid in the shoes such that the antibacterial/antiodor surfaces face upward. In such a case, the antibacterial/antiodor surfaces of the insoles prevent propagation of germs on the user's feet and remove odor from the feet even though the user's feet sweat when the user exercises while wearing the shoes with the insoles laid in the shoes such that the bumpy osteopathic massaging surfaces face upward.

The antibacterial/antiodor surface of the insole according to the present invention may be preferably produced by the use of a conventional antibacterial/antiodor technique for insoles, for example, the technique disclosed in Korean Utility Model Registration No. 0238240.

Industrial Applicability

As described above, the present invention provides a double-sided insole for footwear, which has two different health-promoting functions, one on each side thereof, and allows a user to selectively use the functions by turning the insole upside down as desired, without degrading the comfort and fit of shoes.

In an aspect, the insole of the present invention may be provided with a bumpy osteopathic massaging surface on one side thereof. This insole allows a user to obtain an osteopathic massaging effect for a desired period of time by wearing shoes with the insoles laid in the shoes such that the bumpy osteopathic massaging surfaces face the soles of the user's feet, without forcing the user to separately purchase osteopathic massaging shoes or other osteopathic massaging devices.

In another aspect, the insole of the present invention may be provided with a bumpy osteopathic massaging surface on one side thereof and an antibacterial/antiodor surface on the other side thereof. With these insoles, a user can primarily obtain an osteopathic massaging effect for a predetermined time period by using the insoles laid in shoes with the osteopathic massaging surfaces facing upward, and, thereafter, obtain an antibacterial/antiodor effect by using the insoles after laying the insoles in the shoes with the antibacterial/antiodor surfaces facing upward. The antibacterial/antiodor surfaces prevent propagation of germs on the user's feet and remove odor from the feet even though the feet sweat when the user exercises while wearing the shoes with the osteopathic massaging surfaces facing upward. Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.

For example, the shape of the osteopathic massaging surface of the double-sided insole may be changed from that described for the preferred embodiment. That is, the shape of the osteopathic massaging surface may be altered to a waved shape or other shapes, in place of the surface having the massaging projections, if the altered surfaces provide desired osteopathic massaging effects. In addition, the sides of the double-sided insole according to the present invention may be provided with various functional surfaces, in place of the bumpy osteopathic massaging surface or the antibacterial/antiodor surface, without affecting the functioning of the present invention. The double-sided insole of the present invention is preferably used in a variety of footwear, such as shoes, slippers, sports shoes, or boots.

Claims

1. A double-sided insole for footwear, having different functions, one on each side thereof, and allowing a user to selectively use the functions by turning the insole upside down, said insole comprising: a groove formed on at least one of both sides of the insole along an outside edge of the insole, so that the outside edge is bent upward or downward along said groove.

2. The double-sided insole according to claim 1, wherein an osteopathic massaging surface is provided on one of the both sides of said insole.

3. The double-sided insole according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an antibacterial/antiodor surface is provided on one of the both sides of said insole.