Patent ID: 12239564

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, preferable embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings at such an extent that they may be practiced by those ordinary skilled in the art.

In order to clearly describe the present disclosure, detailed descriptions of parts irrelevant to the present disclosure will be omitted, and the same reference numerals will be given to the same elements throughout the specification. Further, a size, a thickness, a position and the like of each element illustrated in the drawings are arbitrarily illustrated for the sake of convenience in description, and hence the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to those illustrated. That is, it is to be understood that specific shapes, structures, and characteristics described herein may be modified from an example embodiment to another embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Positions or arrangements of individual elements may also be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Therefore, the following detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present disclosure is to be taken as encompassing the scope of the appended claims and all equivalents thereof.

FIG.1is a perspective view of a leg protector according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, andFIG.2is an exploded view of the leg protector according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring toFIGS.1and2, a leg protector100according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a protection part110, a bottom plate part120, a midsole130, an outsole140, and a toe cap150.

The protection part110of the leg protector100according to one embodiment of the present disclosure performs a function of fixing and protecting user's leg. To do this, the protection part110has a shape that surrounds at least a portion of the leg, that is, at least a portion of the side surface portion and the rear surface portion of the leg. Specifically, the protection part110may be configured to include a rear surface portion that supports the rear surface of the leg, and left and right side surface portions that support both sides of the leg. The left and right side surface portions may be formed in a bilaterally symmetric relationship.

A plurality of slits into each of which a connection member such as Velcro may be inserted, may be formed in each of the left and right side surface portions of the protection part110in a bilaterally symmetric relationship. Further, a plurality of ventilation holes may be formed in the protection part110for sweat release and ventilation. This reduces the overall weight of the leg protector100.

The bottom plate part120of the leg protector100according to one embodiment of the present disclosure performs a function of fixing and supporting the foot. The bottom plate part120may be formed in a plate shape in a bilaterally symmetric relationship to be applied to both the left and right foots. Further, the bottom plate part120may be made of a relatively hard material, for example, a metal or a hard synthetic resin, so as to be able to stably support the foot.

Preferably, the bottom plate part120may be formed integrally with the protection part110and may be formed of the same material as the protection part110. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The protection part110and the bottom plate part120may be configured to be separated from each other and bonded to each other by a known coupling part.

The midsole130of the leg protector100according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is disposed below the bottom plate part120to perform a function of absorbing shock when walking. The midsole130may be formed in a plate shape in a bilaterally symmetric relationship in conformity to a shape of the bottom plate part120. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the midsole130may be made of a softer material than that of the bottom plate part120for shock absorption and load dispersion. For example, the midsole130may be made of ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), urethane, polyurethane (PU), foaming sponge, rubber, or the like.

Surfaces of the midsole130and the bottom plate part120which face each other, that is, an upper surface of the midsole130and a lower surface of the bottom plate part120, may be firmly bonded to each other by an adhesive. Further, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one hole may be formed in the bottom plate part120and at least one protrusion may be formed in the midsole130. The bottom plate part120and the midsole130may be coupled to each other by allowing a portion of each of the at least one protrusion formed in the midsole130to be inserted into the at least one hole formed in the bottom plate part120. A coupling structure of the bottom plate part120and the midsole130will be described in more detail.

FIG.3illustratively shows the leg protector according to one embodiment of the present disclosure when viewed from the above, andFIG.4illustratively shows the midsole of the leg protector according to one embodiment of the present disclosure when viewed from the above.

Referring toFIG.3, a hole121may be formed in the bottom plate part120of the leg protector100according to one embodiment of the present disclosure at a position adjacent to a portion connecting the protection part110and the bottom plate part120, that is, a position corresponding to the heel of the user at the time of wearing the leg protector100. The hole121formed in the bottom plate part120may be formed to have a size corresponding to or greater than the area of the heel of the user. The hole121may be formed in an approximately semicircular shape along a rear edge of the bottom plate part120. When the size of the hole121is too large, the adhesive force between the lower surface of the bottom plate part120and the upper surface of the midsole130may be reduced. Thus, the size of the hole121may be determined in consideration of a user who will use the leg protector100, the adhesive force between the midsole130and the bottom plate part120, and the like.

In one embodiment, a large number of ventilation holes123may be dispersedly formed in the bottom plate part120in addition to the hole121described above. These ventilation holes123may perform a function of allowing sweat release and ventilation.

Referring toFIG.4, the midsole130of the leg protector100according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a protrusion portion131formed at a position corresponding to the hole121formed in the bottom plate part120. The protrusion portion131may be configured to be inserted into and coupled to the hole121formed in the bottom plate part120when the bottom plate part120is coupled to the midsole130. The protrusion portion131of the midsole130may be formed in a shape corresponding to the hole121of the bottom plate part120, for example, in a semicircular shape having a relatively large size. According to one embodiment, the protrusion portion131may be coupled to the hole121in a press-fitting manner. Alternatively, the protrusion portion131may be loosely fitted into the hole121.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, at least a portion of the protrusion portion131of the midsole130may be configured to protrude from the upper surface of the bottom plate part120when the protrusion portion131is inserted into the hole121of the bottom plate part120. For example, the protrusion portion131of the midsole130may be configured to protrude by a length of about 3 to 7 mm from the upper surface of the bottom plate part120when being coupled to the hole121of the bottom plate part120.

In general, when the user walks while wearing the leg protector100, the load may be concentrated on the sole of the foot of the user, specifically, the heel of the user, and thus shock may be applied to the heel. With the coupling structure of the bottom plate part120and the midsole130according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a portion of the midsole130penetrates the bottom plate part120and comes into direct contact with the sole of the user's foot, for example, the heel, which makes it possible to distribute the load when the user walks and alleviate the shock.

Further, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the midsole130may be formed to have an area smaller than that of the bottom plate part120when viewed from the above. At least one lateral protrusion133may be formed on the side of the midsole130. The lateral protrusion133of the midsole130is provided to be coupled to the outsole140. A structure and function of the lateral protrusion133will be described later.

Referring back toFIG.2, the outsole140of the leg protector100according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is configured to be detachably coupled to the midsole130so as to surround the midsole130below the midsole130. Further, the outsole140may be made of a stretchable material, such as EVA, urethane, PU, forming sponge, rubber, or the like.

When the leg protector100is used outdoors, the leg protector100may be used while being coupled to the outsole140, and when the leg protector100is used indoors, the leg protector100may be used in a state in which the outsole140is separated from the leg protector100. With this configuration, it is possible to eliminate the need to put on or take off the entire leg protector100when moving indoors and outdoors, which improves the usability of the leg protector100while maintaining cleanliness thereof.

The outsole140may be formed larger in size than the midsole130to surround the midsole130. In order to couple the outsole140to the midsole130, the at least one lateral protrusion133may be formed on the side of the midsole130as described above, and an insertion groove143may be formed in the outsole140at a position corresponding to the lateral protrusion133of the midsole130.

FIG.5illustratively shows a state in which the midsole and the outsole of the leg protector according to one embodiment of the present disclosure are disconnected from each other. As illustrated inFIG.5, when the midsole130is coupled to the outsole140, the lateral protrusion133of the midsole130may be inserted into the insertion groove143of the outsole140formed at the position corresponding to the lateral protrusion133while moving inward of the outsole140because both the midsole130and the outsole140are made of a stretchable material. The shape and number of lateral protrusions133and insertion grooves143are not limited to those illustrated in the figure, and may be changed in consideration of a coupling maintenance force, ease of detachment, and the like.

A first flexure135is formed on the lower surface of the midsole130, and a second flexure145is formed on the upper surface of the outsole140to have a shape corresponding to the first flexure135of the midsole130. Thus, when the midsole130and the outsole140are coupled to each other, the lateral protrusions133may be fitted into the respective insertion grooves143, and simultaneously the first flexure135of the midsole130may be surely mounted on the second flexure145while sliding over the curved shape of the second flexure145of the outsole140.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the midsole130may be made of a material harder than that of the outsole140. Thus, when the midsole130is coupled to the outsole140, the outsole140may be expanded so that the midsole130is easily inserted into the outsole140. When the outsole140is separated from the midsole130, the outsole140may bend flexibly so that the outsole140is easily separated from the midsole130. In a modified exemplary embodiment, the midsole130and the outsole140may be made of the same material.

As described above, the outsole may be coupled to or separated from the midsole in a simplified manner, for example, in a press-fitting manner of pressing the midsole against the outsole placed on the bottom from the above. Further, the leg protector100may be used both indoors and outdoors by coupling or separating the outsole to or from the midsole. This improves user convenience.

Further, protrusions or grooves may be formed on the lower surface of the outsole140to prevent slippage, or an anti-slip member may be coupled to the lower surface of the outsole140to prevent slippage on the lower surface of the outsole140.

Referring back toFIG.2, the toe cap150of the leg protector100according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is formed in a shape that surrounds the toes from the above to perform a function of protecting the toes from external impact. The toe cap150may be configured to be detachable to the top of the front surface of the bottom plate part120. That is, the toe cap150may be removed from the leg protector100if necessary.

Although one hole121of the bottom plate part120and one protrusion portion131of the midsole130corresponding to the hole121have been described to be formed in the above-described embodiment, the number and shapes of holes and protrusion portions may be varied.

FIG.6is an exploded view of a leg protector according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring toFIG.6, a leg protector200according to another embodiment of the present disclosure may be configured to include a protection part210, a bottom plate part220, a midsole230, an outsole240, and a toe cap250, as in the above-described embodiment. Functions of elements of the leg protector200are substantially same as those of the above-described embodiment. However, the number of shapes of holes221formed in the bottom plate part220and protrusion portions231formed in the midsole230are different from those of the above-described embodiment. Hereinafter, such differences will be mainly described.

FIG.7illustratively shows the leg protector according to another embodiment of the present disclosure when viewed from the above, andFIG.8illustratively shows a midsole of the leg protector according to another embodiment of the present disclosure when viewed from the above.

Referring toFIG.7, a hole221may be formed in the bottom plate part220of the leg protector200according to the present embodiment at a position corresponding to a region adjacent to a portion connecting the protection part210and the bottom plate part220, that is, the heel of the user. According to the present embodiment, a plurality of holes221may be formed in the bottom plate part220with at least one support222provided therebetween. The plurality of holes221may be configured to have a semicircular shape that is generally similar to the shape of the heel. For example, three supports may be arranged in a radial shape, and three holes may be arranged adjacent to each other along a rear edge of the bottom plate part220with the respective support provided between the two adjacent holes. Thus, the holes221may be arranged in a semicircular shape as a whole. According to the present embodiment, the protrusion portions231of the midsole230may be inserted into and coupled to the respective holes221of the bottom plate part220, and the bottom surface of the bottom plate part220including the lower surface of the support222may be bonded to and fixed to the midsole230by a known bonding method.

Referring toFIG.8, the protrusion portion231may be formed in the midsole230of the leg protector200according to the present embodiment at positions corresponding to the holes221formed in the bottom plate part220. The protrusion portions231of the midsole230may be formed in a shape corresponding to the respective holes221of the bottom plate part220. As illustrated inFIG.8, three protrusions may be arranged at a predetermined interval to form a semicircular shape as a whole.

With this configuration, in the present embodiment, by forming the support between the holes formed in the bottom plate part, it is possible to increase the coupling area of the midsole and the bottom plate part, and fix and couple the midsole to the bottom plate part in a more stable manner.

Although the present disclosure has been described above in terms of specific items such as detailed elements as well as the limited embodiments, they are merely provided to help more general understanding of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments. Various modifications and changes could have been realized by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains from the above description.

For example, the configurations of the present disclosure described in the above embodiments may also be applied to a general footwear.

Specifically, the footwear according to the present disclosure may include a protection part formed to surround at least a portion of a user's ankle, an insole coupled to the protection part and configured to receive a user's foot when the user wears the footwear, and a midsole provided below the insole. The insole may include at least one hole formed at a position corresponding to a user's heel when the user wears the footwear. The midsole may include at least one protrusion portion formed at a position corresponding to the at least one hole formed in the insole. The at least one protrusion portion of the midsole is inserted into the at least one hole of the insole so that the insole and the midsole may be coupled to each other. Further, the midsole may be made of a material softer than that of the insole. This configuration provides the effects of dispersing the load acting on the user's foot when walking and absorbing shock to be applied to the user's foot.

Therefore, the spirit of the present disclosure need not to be limited to the above-described embodiments, and in addition to the appended claims to be described below, and all ranges equivalent to or changed from these claims need to be said to belong to the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.