Patent Publication Number: US-2018042336-A1

Title: Cushion pad

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority from Taiwanese Application No. 105212213, titled “Cushion Pad,” filed on Aug. 11, 2016, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The application relates to a shoe liner, in particular, it is a cushion pad placed in shoes. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In earlier ages, in order to protect feet from being hurt by rough ground, people wore shoes to protect their feet. Later on, as people&#39;s living conditions improved, shoes became required to not only protect people&#39;s feet but also to have desirable shape, style and comfort. No matter how people are walking or standing, their feet are always their necessary support. Accordingly, feet bear the pressure of overall human body weight. In particular, when people are wearing flat shoes or low-heeled shoes, the location which bears the most body weight is the rear part of foot. As a result, in the case when the soles or insoles of the shoes are very thin, the pressure generated when people are walking on ground will be applied on their feet. After a long period of time, this may result in various foot diseases, such as plantar fasciitis, foot peripheral nerve pain, foot joint pain, foot swelling and inflammation, etc. 
     In order to address the issues mentioned above, the existing technologies in the art typically use a whole piece of insole to increase the thickness of the bottom of shoes, which can only create a certain comfort for a people who wear such shoes. However, it is noted that such flat insole is unable to provide a support to feet arches on the bottom of the foot. In addition, such flat insole may also result in a very stiff shoe bottom, which prevents the shoe bottom from closely supporting the structure of human foot bottom. Accordingly, such insole makes it difficult for feet to engage in flexible movements and activities. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In order to address the issues mentioned above, one aim of the present application is to provide a cushion pad to reduce the interaction between feet and the ground or between feet and a shoe bottom during walking. 
     For the foregoing purpose, the present application provides a cushion pad, which has flexibility. The cushion pad comprises an outer foot arch portion, an inner foot arch portion and a foot arch groove. The outer foot arch portion is formed by extending from one end of the cushion pad to the other end of the cushion pad, and the outer foot arch portion comprises a middle foot portion and a heel portion; the middle foot portion is disposed in on end of the outer foot arch portion; the heel portion is disposed in the other end of the outer foot arch portion that is opposing the middle foot portion and the heel portion is connected to the middle foot portion. Moreover, the inner foot arch portion is disposed on the cushion pad and is adjacent to the middle foot portion of the outer foot arch portion; the foot arch groove is disposed between the middle foot portion of the outer foot arch portion and the inner foot arch portion. 
     Preferably, each of the outer foot arch portion and the inner foot arch portion comprises an air pad, and the air pads have been disposed within the outer foot arch portion and the inner foot arch portion, respectively. More preferably, the cushion pad further comprises a connection path. The connection path has been disposed in the foot arch groove. The connection path functions to communicate the air pad within the outer foot arch portion with the air pad within the inner foot arch portion. 
     Preferably, the cushion pad is made from a material of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) elastomer. 
     In order to achieve the aim above provided, the present application further provides a cushion insole, which comprises the cushion pad described above, wherein the cushion pad may be disposed on the cushion insole in a protruding manner, disposed on the cushion insole in a recessing manner, disposed within the cushion insole, or disposed below the cushion insole. 
     For the cushion pad provided in the present application, the shape of the outer foot arch portion corresponds to a human foot&#39;s mid and rear parts, and the inner foot arch portion closely supports a human foot&#39;s inner foot arch, which helps to support the foot bottom, as well as disperse the pressure applied on the person&#39;s feet. Accordingly, it is able to reduce the incidence of plantar fasciitis. In addition, the air pad within the outer foot arch portion and the air pad within the inner foot arch portion are able to absorb the resilient force applied by the ground during walking. Therefore, the present application provides a cushion pad that is able to reduce the interaction between a walker&#39;s feet and the ground or between the walker&#39;s feet and a shoe bottom. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying figures where: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective external view of the first preferred embodiment of the present application. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective external view of the second preferred embodiment of the present application. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective exploded view of one state of the second preferred embodiment of the present application when it is in use. 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic view of another state of the second preferred embodiment of the present application when it is in use. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective exploded view of one state of the third preferred embodiment of the present application when it is in use. 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic view of a state of the third preferred embodiment of the present application when it is in use. 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic view of another state of the third preferred embodiment of the present application when it is in use. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       
     
       
         
           
               
             
               
                   
               
               
                 Description of element symbols: 
               
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
            
               
                 10 
                 cushion pad 
                 11 
                 outer foot arch portion 
               
               
                 111 
                 middle foot portion 
                 112 
                 heel portion 
               
               
                 113 
                 air pad 
                 12 
                 inner foot arch portion 
               
               
                 121 
                 air pad 
                 13 
                 foot arch groove 
               
               
                 14 
                 connection path 
                 20 
                 shoe lining 
               
               
                 30 
                 cushion insole 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     In reference to  FIG. 1 , for the cushion pad  10  according to the first preferred embodiment of the present application, the cushion pad  10  has flexibility. The cushion pad  10  comprises an outer foot arch portion  11 , an inner foot arch portion  12  and a foot arch groove  13 . The outer foot arch portion  11  is formed by extending from one end of the cushion pad  10  to the other end of the cushion pad, the shape of the outer foot arch portion  11  corresponds to human foot&#39;s mid and rear parts, the outer foot arch portion  11  comprises a middle foot portion  111  and a heel portion  112 ; the middle foot portion  111  is disposed in on end of the outer foot arch portion  11 ; the heel portion  112  is disposed in the other end of the outer foot arch portion that is opposing the middle foot portion  111 , and the heel portion  112  is connected to the middle foot portion  111 . In this specific embodiment, the width of the middle foot portion  111  is smaller than the width of the heel portion  112 . Moreover, the inner foot arch portion  12  is disposed on the cushion pad  10  and is adjacent to the middle foot portion  111  of the outer foot arch portion  11 , and the inner foot arch portion  12  closely supports a human foot&#39;s inner foot arch; the foot arch groove  13  is disposed between the middle foot portion  111  of the outer foot arch portion  11  and the inner foot arch portion  12 . The location of the foot arch groove  13  corresponds to the boundary between the human foot outer foot arch and inner foot arch. In the specific state of implementation, the cushion pad  10  is made from a material of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) elastomer. 
     In reference to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , the second preferred embodiment of the cushion pad  10  of the present application is similar to the first preferred embodiment described above. In addition, the outer foot arch portion  11  and the inner foot arch portion  12  comprise the air pad  113  and air pad  121 , respectively, in which the air pad  113  and the air pad  121  are respectively disposed within the outer foot arch portion  11  and the inner foot arch portion  12 . More specifically, the cushion pad  10  further comprises a connection path  14 , and the connection path  14  is disposed in the foot arch groove  13 , the air pad  113  of the outer foot arch portion  11  communicates to the air pad  121  of the inner foot arch portion  12  by way of the connection path  14 . In the specific state of implementation, the cushion pad  10  is made through a high frequency press-molding approach. In its implementation, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the cushion pad  10  may be placed on top of a shoe lining  20 . In this way, when a person is wearing the shoes, the person&#39;s foot bottom will be provided with a desirable supporting and buffering function. 
     In reference to  FIGS. 5 to 7 , the third embodiment of the present application further comprises a cushion insole  30 , which comprises the cushion pad  10  that may be disposed on the cushion insole  30  in a protruding manner, disposed on the cushion insole  30  in a recessing manner, disposed within the cushion insole  30  or disposed below the cushion insole  30 . 
     The above descriptions are just a few preferred examples of the present application, rather than limitations to the scope of the present application in any way. Without departing from the technical scope of the present application, a person of ordinary skill in the art may make any equivalent embodiments with local change or modification based on the technical contents disclosed in the present application, which should be within the scope of the present application as well.