Patent Publication Number: US-9839260-B1

Title: Pneumatic insole

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     The present invention relates to insoles and, more particularly, to a pneumatic insole. 
     2. Related Prior Art 
     Many pneumatic insoles have been devised. For example, Taiwanese Patent No. M380726 discloses a pneumatic insole assembly that includes airbags provided on an insole. Each of the airbags includes a valve. Air is pumped into the airbags via the valves. However, the pneumatic insole assembly does not include any built-in pump so that the airbags are inflated by an external device such as a pump, and this is inconvenient. Moreover, the insole does not include any valve for releasing air when the airbags are excessively inflated so that the extent to which the airbags is inflated is not adjustable, and this is not desirable. 
     Taiwanese Patent No. M503777 discloses an insole assembly that includes an airbag and a pump provided on an insole. The airbag and the pump are located on a portion of the insole corresponding to an arch of a foot. When the arch of the foot collapses because of fatigue, the collapsed arch of the foot presses the pump to inflate the airbag to support the collapsed arch of the foot. However, the heel of the foot could press the pump to inflate the airbag by accident. 
     Moreover, a conventional airbag for a pneumatic insole is made of rubber or plastics. These materials exhibit capillarity that allows air to leak from the airbag after two or three months of use so that the airbag is inflated and non-elastic and loses the ability to cushion. An attempt to solve this problem is filling inert gas in the airbag. However, this attempt is ineffective. Another attempt to solve this problem is increasing the thickness of the material used to make the airbag. This attempt is ineffective. Moreover, it increases the weight of airbag. 
     The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     It is the primary objective of the present invention to provide a convenient and reliable pneumatic insole. 
     To achieve the foregoing objective, the pneumatic insole includes airbags, channels, two arch-related chambers, a push-type inlet valve, an inlet channel, a check valve, a recessed portion, a push-type adjustment valve and an outlet channel. The channels interconnect the airbags. The push-type inlet valve is located in the first arch-related chamber. The inlet channel connects the first arch-related chamber to a leading one of the airbags. The check valve is arranged between the inlet channel and the inlet airbag. The recessed portion is located between the arch-related chambers. The push-type adjustment valve is located in the recessed portion and formed with an upper face that extends lower than that of the arch-related chambers. The outlet channel connects the push-type adjustment valve to another one of the airbags. 
     Advantageously, the push-type inlet and outlet valves render it convenient to inflate the arch-related air chambers and the airbags to a desired extent. 
     Moreover, the push-type inlet and outlet valves render it convenient to pump air into the arch-related air chambers and the airbags after some of original air leaks from them. 
     The push-type inlet valve will not be pushed to pump more air into the air chambers and the airbags by mistake because the push-type inlet valve is located in the first arch-related chamber and will not be pushed by the arch of a foot. 
     The push-type adjustment valve will not be pushed to release some of the air from the air chambers and the airbags by mistake because the upper face of the push-type adjustment valve extends lower than that of the chambers. 
     In another aspect, the pneumatic insole further includes two support units each inserted in a corresponding one of the arch-related chambers. Each of the support units includes an elastic block located on a pad. The elastic block is made with better elasticity than the pad. 
     Advantageously, the support units enable the arch-related portion of the pneumatic insole to provide proper support for the arch of the foot. 
     In another aspect, the pneumatic insole further includes elastic blocks inserted in some of the airbags that are located in a heel-related portion of the pneumatic insole. 
     Advantageously, the elastic blocks enable the heel-related portion of the pneumatic insole to provide proper support for the heel of the foot. 
     In another aspect, the pneumatic insole further includes a connective airbag for interconnecting the arch-related chambers. 
     Advantageously, the support units enable the arch-related portion of the pneumatic insole to provide proper support for the entire arch of the foot. 
     In another aspect, the pneumatic insole further includes a margin that can be cut. 
     Advantageously, the pneumatic insole can fit a shoe in which the pneumatic insole is to be used. 
     Other objectives, advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the following description referring to the attached drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be described via detailed illustration of two embodiments referring to the drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a pneumatic insole according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the pneumatic insole shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of the pneumatic insole shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a partial, cross-sectional view of the pneumatic insole shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 5  is another partial, cross-sectional view of the pneumatic insole shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a top view of a pneumatic insole according to the second embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 7  is a side view of a foot supported on the pneumatic insole shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 3 , a pneumatic insole includes an upper layer  10  and a lower layer  20  according to a first embodiment of the present invention. By thermoplastic molding, the upper layer  10  is provided with airbags  11  and channels  12  via which the airbags  11  are in communication of air with one another. The upper layer  10  includes a margin  13  that is connected to a margin  23  of the lower layer  20  by melting technology so that there is air-tightness between the upper and lower layers  10  and  20 . The margins  13  and  23  of the upper and lower layers  10  and  20  of the pneumatic insole can be cut or trimmed to fit a particular size and shape of a shoe, boot or sneaker in which the pneumatic insole is to be used. 
     The pneumatic insole includes two arch-related chambers  14  and  15  in an arch-related portion. The arch-related chamber  14  includes a push-type inlet valve  30 . The arch-related chamber  14  is in communication with one of the airbags  11  (further referred to by “the leading airbag  111 ” for convenience of the description) via an inlet channel  141 . A check valve  31  is inserted in the inlet airbag  111 . However, the check valve  31  can be inserted in the inlet channel  141  or arranged between the inlet airbag  111  and the inlet channel  141 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , the check valve  31  is a thin-film tube that includes two an inlet (not numbered) at an end and an outlet  312  at another end. The inlet of the check valve  31  is in communication with the inlet channel  141 . The outlet  312  is in communication with the inlet airbag  111 . The outlet  312  includes a two thin films or flips. Air that travels from the inlet channel  141  opens the outlet  312  of the check valve  31  and enters the airbag  111 . In an attempt to travel from the airbag  111  to the inlet channel  141 , the air closes the outlet  312  of the check valve  31  so that the air cannot return into the inlet channel  141  from the airbag  111 . 
     The upper layer  10  includes a recessed portion  16  between the arch-related chamber  14  and the arch-related chamber  15 . The upper layer  10  includes, in the recessed portion  16 , a push-type adjustment valve  35  and an outlet channel  36 . The outlet channel  36  is in communication with the push-type adjustment valve  35  at an end and in communication with another one of the airbags  11  (further referred to by “the outlet airbag  112 ” for convenience of the description) at another end. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the push-type adjustment valve  35  includes an upper face S 1  that extends lower than the upper faces S 2  of the arch-related chambers  14  and  15 . The push-button  351  includes an upper face (not numbered) that extends lower than the upper face S 1  of the push-type adjustment valve  35 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1, 2 and 5 , a support unit  40  is inserted in each of the arch-related chambers  14  and  15 . Each of the support units  40  includes a pad  41  and an elastic block  42  located on the pad  41 . The pads  41  and the elastic blocks  42  are made of foam materials and provided with a color. However, the elastic blocks  42  are made with better elasticity than the pads  41 . Some others of the airbags  11  (further referred to by “the airbags  113 ” for convenience of the description) are located in a heel-related portion of the pneumatic insole. An elastic block  43  is inserted in each of the airbags  113 . The elastic block  43  is provided with a color. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , there is a pneumatic insole according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The second embodiment is identical to the first embodiment except for two things. Firstly, there is a connective airbag  17  via which the arch-related chamber  14  is communication with the arch-related chamber  15 . Secondly, the recessed portion  16 , which is located between the arch-related chamber  14  and the arch-related chamber  15 , is reduced in size. The connective airbag  17  extends over the outlet channel  36 . That is, the connective airbag  17  and the outlet channel  36  do not interfere with each other. 
     Before the pneumatic insole is used, all of the airbags  11 , which includes the airbags  111 ,  112  and  113 , must be inflated. The arch-related chamber  14  is pressed to actuate the push-type inlet valve  30  to pump air into the airbag  111  from the exterior via the arch-related chamber  14 , inlet channel  141  and the check valve  31 . Since all of the airbags  11  are interconnected by the channels  12 , the air travels into the other airbags  11  from the airbag  111  via the channels  12 . The pressing of the arch-related chamber  14  is continued so that all of the airbags  11  are inflated to an extent desired by a user. If the airbags  11  are somehow excessively inflated, the push-type adjustment valve  35  can be pressed to cause some of the air to travel into the outlet airbag  112  from the other airbags  11  via the channels  12  and then travels to the exterior from the outlet airbag  112  via the outlet channel  36  and the push-type adjustment valve  35 . The pressing of the push-type adjustment valve  35  is repeated to release an excessive portion of the air to the exterior. 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , the pneumatic insole is put in a shoe, boot or sneaker. A user puts his or her foot in the shoe, boot or sneaker, i.e., sets the foot on the airbags  11 . The arch of the foot is supported on the arch-related chamber  14  and the arch-related chamber  15 . The airbags  11 , which include the airbags  111 ,  112  and  113 , provides the foot with proper cushioning. The airbags  113 , which are located in the heel-related portion of the pneumatic insole, are used with the soft and elastic blocks  43  to provide the foot with further cushioning. When the user stands or walks, the arch of the foot is kept from the arch-related chamber  14  and arch-related chamber  15 . Hence, the push-type inlet valve  30  will not be actuated to further inflate the airbags  11  by mistake. Moreover, the upper face S 1  of the push-type adjustment valve  35  extends lower than the upper faces S 2  of the arch-related chambers  14  and  15 , and the upper face of the push-button  351  extends lower than the upper face S 1  of the push-type adjustment valve  35 . Hence, the arch of the foot is kept from the push-type adjustment valve  35  and the push-button  351 . Accordingly, the push-type adjustment valve  35  will not be actuated to flat the airbags  11  by mistake. 
     The present invention has been described via the detailed illustration of the embodiments. Those skilled in the art can derive variations from the embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments shall not limit the scope of the present invention defined in the claims.