US20150223557A1

US20150223557A1 - Ventilation mechanism having automatic waterproofing function

Info

Publication number: US20150223557A1
Application number: US14/429,509
Authority: US
Inventors: Jin Han Park
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2012-09-26
Filing date: 2013-09-25
Publication date: 2015-08-13
Also published as: KR200464524Y1; WO2014051314A2; WO2014051314A3; JP2015530183A

Abstract

The present device relates to a ventilation mechanism that is to be disposed in shoes such as boots so as to circulate air inside and outside the shoes, and, more particularly, to a ventilation mechanism having an automatic waterproofing function so as to become waterproof only when the ventilation mechanism is immersed in water. The present device includes: a ventilation means that is disposed so as to be directed toward the top of one side of a shoe; a ventilation guide means that is disposed on an upper end of the ventilation means in order to guide the air inside and outside the shoe such that it flows along a surface of the ventilation means; and a buoyancy means that is freely movable in the vertical direction between the ventilation means and the ventilation guide means. According to the present device, the buoyancy means falls from a ventilation guide hole that is formed in a guide body of the ventilation guide means when the ventilation means is not immersed in water. As such, circulation and ventilation inside and outside the shoe can be freely performed in an environment in which water outside the shoe cannot penetrate the shoe.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a ventilation mechanism which is provided in a shoe such as a boot to circulate air inside and outside the shoe and, more particularly, to a ventilation mechanism having automatic waterproof function that is performed only when the ventilation mechanism is immersed in water.

BACKGROUND ART

Korean Utility Model Publication No. 1999-0035178 (1999 Sep. 6) discloses a shoe ventilation mechanism which generally comprises a rubber valve 10, a case 20, a cap 30, and a fixture 40 as shown in FIG. 1, wherein the tubular fixture 40 is provided to penetrate a cotton member of a shoe, the case 20 having a hole 22 is provided in the fixture 40, the rubber valve 10 having a hole 12 is provided at the top of the case 20, and the cap 30 having a hole 32 is provided at the top of the rubber valve 10 to cover the top of the fixture 40.
This type of shoe ventilation mechanism is configured such that the waterproof function is performed when the hole 22 of the cap 20 is closed by elastic force of the rubber valve 10 and the ventilation is achieved when the hole 22 of the case 20 is opened by the rubber valve 10 that is pushed by the pressure applied when the air inside the shoe is discharged to the outside.
As such, the conventional shoe ventilation mechanism is configured such that the rubber valve 10 is opened only when the air inside the shoe is discharged to the outside, and thus the hole 22 of the case 20 is closed by the rubber valve 10, regardless of whether the shoe ventilation mechanism is immersed in water. As a result, the outside air is not introduced into the shoe, which makes it impossible to allow air circulation so that the air outside the shoe is introduced into the shoe and the air inside the shoe is discharged to the outside, which is problematic.

DISCLOSURE

Technical Problem

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a ventilation mechanism having automatic waterproof function, which allows air circulation so that the air outside a shoe is introduced into the shoe and the air inside the shoe is discharged to the outside and, at the same time, closes a space, into which the outside air is introduced only when the shoe ventilation mechanism is immersed in water, so that the water is not introduced into the shoe.

TECHNICAL SOLUTION

A technical solution of the present invention is to provide a ventilation mechanism which comprises: a ventilation means that is directed toward the top of one side of a shoe; a ventilation guide means that is provided at the top of the ventilation means to guide air inside and outside the shoe to flow along the surface of the ventilation means; and a buoyancy means that is freely movable in the vertical direction between the ventilation means and the ventilation guide means.
According to another solution of the present invention, a receiving portion, a compression portion, and a desiccating agent are further provided in the ventilation means.
Moreover, according to another solution of the present invention, the ventilation guide means comprises a guide body in which a ventilation guide hole is formed and a cover which is made of an elastic material.
Furthermore, according to another solution of the present invention, the height of one side of the buoyancy means is greater than the size of a gap.

Advantageous Effects

According to the present invention configured as described above, the buoyancy means is separated from the ventilation guide hole formed in the guide body of the ventilation guide means when the ventilation means is not being immersed in water, and thus the circulation and ventilation of air inside and outside a shoe can be freely performed in an environment where the water outside the shoe cannot be introduced into the shoe.
Moreover, when the water can be introduced through the ventilation means, the buoyancy means is moved to the guide body of the ventilation guide means by the buoyancy to close the ventilation guide hole formed in the guide body, and thus the environment where the water outside the shoe is introduced into the shoe is automatically detected by the buoyancy to automatically perform the waterproof function.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view showing a conventional shoe ventilation mechanism.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the present invention.

FIG. 4 a cut view showing the circulation state according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the movement of air in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the waterproof state.

FIG. 7 is a cut view showing the locked state of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a view showing the operation of a cover according to the present invention.

MODE FOR INVENTION

The present relates to a ventilation mechanism which has automatic waterproof function that is performed only when the ventilation mechanism is immersed in water and generally comprises a ventilation means 100, a ventilation guide means 200, and a buoyancy means 300.
In the accompanying drawings of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a view showing a conventional shoe ventilation mechanism, FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the present invention, FIG. 4 a cut view showing the circulation state according to the present invention, FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the movement of air in FIG. 4, FIG. 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the waterproof state, FIG. 7 is a cut view showing the locked state of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a view showing the operation of a cover according to the present invention.
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
First, the ventilation means 100 is formed into a tubular shape such that the air moves, and the ventilation means 100 penetrates a cotton member at the top of a shoe and is directed toward the top of the shoe such that the air inside and outside the shoe can move.
A receiving portion 110, which is in close contact with a lower surface of the cotton member at the top of the shoe, is further formed on one end of the ventilation means 100 such that the ventilation means 100 is more stably fixed to the shoe.
Moreover, a compression portion 120 having a ring shape corresponding to the receiving portion 110 is further provided in the ventilation means 100, and the compression portion 120 is inserted into the ventilation means 100, which projects with the cotton member, to compress the cotton member of the shoe, thus completely sealing a fine gap between the cotton member and the ventilation means 100 together with the receiving portion 110.
Meanwhile, a threaded portion is formed on the surface of the ventilation means 100, and this threaded portion is employed to perform the locking function by the ventilation guide means 200 which will be described below.
Further, a sieve 130 is further provided inside the ventilation means 100 in which the receiving portion 110 is formed, and a desiccating agent 140 having a diameter smaller than that of the ventilation means 100 is further provided at the top of the sieve 130 to absorb moisture that may be contained in the outside air moving to the inside, thus preventing the inside of the shoe from getting wet.
Instead of the desiccating agent 140, an air freshener can be used to improve the smell of the shoe.
Second, the ventilation guide means 200 comprises a ring-shaped guide body 210 in which one or more ventilation guide holes 211 are formed and a hemisphere-shaped cover 220 which is provided at the top of the guide body 210 such that a separate space is created therebetween.
Moreover, the ventilation guide hole 211 is formed at a position corresponding to where the buoyancy means 300, which will be described below, is moved to the top by the buoyancy.
The ventilation guide means 200 configured as described above is closely fixed to the surface of the top of the ventilation means 100 such that the outside air moves from the bottom to the top through the ventilation guide hole 211 of the guide body 210 before the air is introduced into the ventilation means 100 provided in the upper direction or the air inside the shoe moves from the top to the bottom through the ventilation guide hole 211 of the guide body 210 after the air inside the shoe passes through the ventilation means 100 while the air is discharged from the ventilation means 100, and at this time, the air flows along the surface of the ventilation means 100.
Meanwhile, the cover 220 is made of an elastic material such that when it is pushed by a user, the air present in a space between the cover 220 and the guide body 210 moves to the ventilation means 100 and the ventilation guide hole 211, thus discharging foreign substances that may be stuck in the ventilation guide hole 211 or the ventilation means 100 to the outside by the air pressure.
Moreover, a threaded groove is formed on the inside of the guide body 210 and screw-connected to the ventilation means 100.
The guide body 210 configured as described above is moved to the bottom to compress the buoyancy means 300, which will be described below, such that the ventilation guide hole 211 is always closed by the buoyancy means 300, thus providing waterproof even when the shoe is immersed in water.
Lastly, the buoyancy means 300 comprises a ring-shaped tube and is inserted into the surface of the ventilation means 100 to freely move in the vertical direction along the ventilation means 100. As a result, when the ventilation means 100 is immersed in water, the buoyancy means 300 is moved to the top by the buoyancy to close the ventilation guide hole 211 of the ventilation guide means 200, and when ventilation means 100 is not immersed in water, the buoyancy means 300 is moved to the bottom by the gravity to open the ventilation guide hole 211 of the ventilation means 100.
The buoyancy means 300 configured as described above can automatically detect the state where the ventilation mechanism of the present invention is immersed in water by means of the buoyancy and, at the same time, implement the automatic waterproof function to automatically close the space where water can be introduced.
That is, the flow of air is blocked by the buoyancy to achieve the waterproof function.
Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 8, the height of the inside of the buoyancy means 300 is greater than a gap between the ventilation means 100 and the ventilation guide means 200 (i.e., a gap between the ventilation means and the ventilation guide means, which corresponds to the inside of the buoyancy means) such that the buoyancy means 300 is not caught in the gap when the ventilation guide means 200 is located at the top of the ventilation means 100 in the structure where the ventilation means 100 and the ventilation guide means 200 are screw-connected.
According to the ventilation mechanism of the present invention configured in the above manner, the ventilation means 100 is provided to penetrate the cotton member at the top of the shoe, the buoyancy means 300 is located on the top surface of the ventilation means 100 to freely move, and the ventilation guide means 200 is provided at the top of the ventilation means 100.
When the receiving portion 110 is further formed in the ventilation means 100 and the compression portion 120 is further provided, the upper surface of the receiving portion 110 and the lower surface of the compression portion 120 compress the cotton member of the shoe to prevent the outside water from being introduced into a fine gap between the ventilation means 100 and the cotton member.
According to the thus completed ventilation mechanism of the present invention, when the shoe is not immersed in water, the buoyancy means 300 is moved to the bottom of the ventilation means 100 and maintained, and thus the ventilation guide hole 211 formed in the guide body 210 of the ventilation guide means 200 is always opened and maintained.
In a state where the ventilation guide hole 211 is opened in this manner, the air outside the shoe freely moves to the inside of the shoe, and the air inside the shoe freely moves to the outside of the shoe, thus achieving the circulation and ventilation of air.
In particular, when the ventilation means 100 falls in a deep puddle due to carelessness of the user, the buoyancy means 300 is moved to the guide body 210 of the ventilation guide means 200 by the buoyancy to close the ventilation guide hole 211, thus implementing the waterproof function to prevent water from being introduced into the shoe.
That is, when the ventilation means 100 is immersed in water, the ventilation mechanism implements has the automatic waterproof function to prevent water from being introduced into the shoe by means of the buoyancy of the buoyancy means 300.
Moreover, in the structure where the ventilation means 100 and the ventilation guide means 200 are screw-connected, when the ventilation guide means 200 is rotated such that the guide body 210 compresses the buoyancy means 300, the ventilation guide hole 211 of the guide body 210 is always closed by the buoyancy means 300, and thus the locked state is achieved.
This can prevent water from being introduced into the shoe when the pressure, at which the air inside the shoe is discharged to the outside, is greater than the buoyancy.
Furthermore, when the water is introduced into the shoe, the desiccating agent 140 provided inside the ventilation means 100 absorbs the water to prevent the water from being introduced into the shoe.

Claims

1. A ventilation mechanism provided in a shoe, the ventilation mechanism comprising: a ventilation means 100 that is directed toward the top of one side of a shoe; a ventilation guide means 200 that is provided at the top of the ventilation means 100 to guide air inside and outside the shoe to flow along the surface of the ventilation means 100; and a buoyancy means 300 that is freely movable in the vertical direction between the ventilation means 100 and the ventilation guide means 200 such that the flow of air is blocked by the buoyancy.

2. The ventilation mechanism of claim 1, further comprising a receiving portion 110, which is formed on one end of the ventilation means 100 and in close contact with the inside of the shoe, and a compression portion 120 which is formed on the other end and compresses the outside of the shoe together with the receiving portion 110.

3. The ventilation mechanism of claim 2, further comprising a desiccating agent 140 provided inside the ventilation means 100.

4. The ventilation mechanism of claim 1, wherein the ventilation guide means 200 comprises a guide body 210, in which one or more ventilation guide holes 211 are formed at a position corresponding to where the buoyancy means 300 is moved, and a cover 220 which is provided at the top of the guide body 210.

5. The ventilation mechanism of claim 4, wherein the cover 220 is made of an elastic material.

6. The ventilation mechanism of claim 1, wherein the height of the inside of the buoyancy means 300 is greater than the size of a gap between the ventilation means 100 and the ventilation guide means 200.