FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a technical field of foot protection, particularly, to a separate protection component for preventing foot injuries for users.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Conventionally, users generally protect their feet by wearing shoes in order to avoid directly contacting the ground while walking, race walking or running.

However, users may possibly have what is commonly known as “ankle capsize” due to inappropriate shoes (eg. size, shape) or environment (eg. pebble or gravel land, bumpy road). The severity of capsize can by high or low, if mild, pain may by relieved with little rest; if serious, even walking can by challenging. In some worse cases, “chronic ankle instability” may arise.

In view of the above, the present invention provides a separate protection component capable of overcoming the aforementioned shortcomings of the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The first objective of the present invention is to provide a separate protection component as described above capable of protecting ankles.

The second objective of the present invention is to provide said separate protection component comprising a first covering body and a second covering body, the second covering body being disposed in the first covering body.

The third objective of the present invention is to provide said separate protection component, wherein a sliding surface of the second covering body contacts a contact surface of the first covering body, creating a maximum static friction coefficient by means of the sliding surface overlapping the contact surface.

The fourth objective of the present invention is to provide said separate protection component, wherein when the second bottom portion is applied by an ankle with an external force at least equal to the maximum static friction coefficient, the first covering body and the second covering body generate a combination variation to achieve capsize-free ankle protection by the second covering body.

In order to achieve the aforesaid objectives among others, the present invention provides a separate protection component capable of protecting an ankle. The separate protection component comprises a first covering body and a second covering body. The first covering body includes a first covering surface and a first bottom portion. The first covering surface is connected to the first bottom portion to form a first receiving space. The second covering body is disposed in the first receiving space. The second covering body includes a second covering surface and a second bottom portion. The second covering surface is connected to the second bottom portion to form a second receiving space for receiving the ankle, the second covering surface being connected to the second bottom portion. Wherein, a sliding surface of the second bottom portions contacts a contact surface of the of the first bottom portion so the sliding surface overlaps the contact surface by a first contact area. The sliding surface forms a maximum static friction coefficient relative to the contact surface. Wherein, when the first bottom portion is applied with an external force and the external force is not less than the maximum static friction coefficient, the contact surface moves in a direction so that the contact area between the contact surface and the sliding surface is changed from the first contact area to a second contact area.

Compared to prior art, the separate protection component disclosed in the present invention effectively prevent an ankle from capsizing together with shoes when the shoes capsize which generally causes ankle injuries.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a sectional structure diagram of a first embodiment of the separate protection component of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional structure diagram of a second embodiment of the separate protection component of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a separate structure diagram of the separate protection component as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In order to fully understand the objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention, the present invention will be described in detail with a description of the present embodiments and the accompanying drawings.

In the present invention, “a” or “an” is used to describe the elements, parts and components described herein. This is done for convenience of description only and providing a general meaning to the scope of the present invention. Therefore, unless clearly stated otherwise, the description should be understood to include one, at least one, and the singular can also includes plural.

In the present invention, the terms “comprising”, “including”, “having”, “containing”, or any other similar terms are intended to encompass non-exclusive inclusive. For example, a component, structure, article, or device that contains a plurality element is not limited to such elements as listed herein but may include those not specifically listed but which are typically inherent to the component, structure, article, or device. In addition, the term “or” means an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or” unless clearly stated to the contrary.

Please refer to FIG. 1, where it is a sectional structure diagram of a first embodiment of a separate protection component of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the separate protection component 10 provides protection for an ankle (not shown). The separate protection component 10 comprises a first covering body 12 and a second covering body 14. In this embodiment, the first covering body 12 and the second covering body 14 are shoes for illustration purpose.

The first covering body 12 includes a first covering surface 122 and a first bottom portion 124, for example, the first covering surface 122 may be shoe exterior and the first bottom portion may be shoe sole. The first covering surface 122 is connected to the first bottom 124 to form a first receiving space (FSP), specifically, the two ends of the first covering body 122 are respectively connected to the first bottom 124 to form the first receiving space FSP. In this embodiment, the first covering surface 122 is connected to the first bottom 124 to form a first hole 126 for connecting the first receiving space FSP and space outside the first covering body 122.

The second covering body 14 includes a second covering surface 142 and a second bottom portion 144, for example, the second covering surface 142 may be shoe exterior and the second bottom 144 may be shoe sole. The second covering surface 142 is connected to the second bottom 144 to form a second receiving space (SSP) for receiving an ankle, specifically, the two ends of the second covering surface 142 are respectively connected to the second bottom 144 to form the second receiving space SSP. The second covering body 14 is disposed in the first receiving space FSP. In this embodiment, the second covering surface 142 is connected to the second bottom 144 to form a second hole 146 for ankle insertion into the second receiving space SSP.

When the second covering body 14 is inserted into the first covering body 12, a sliding surface 1442 of the second bottom 144 contacts a contact surface 1242 of the first bottom 124 so the sliding surface 1442 overlaps the contact surface 1242 by a first contact area. Wherein, the aforesaid sliding surface 1442 and the contact surface 1242 are at least one of smooth, nicked, grooved or granular shaped. Furthermore, the sliding surface 1442 and the contact surface 1242 may be entirely or partially overlapped. The sliding surface 1442 forms a maximum static friction coefficient relative to the contact surface 1242, and when an external force F, which is equal to or smaller than the force corresponding to the maximum static friction coefficient, is applied between the sliding surface 1442 and the contact surface 1242, no (or slight) movement occurs between the sliding surface 1442 and the contact surface 1242; contrarily, when the external force F applied between the sliding surface 1442 and the contact surface 1242 is equal to or larger than the force corresponding to the maximum static friction coefficient, no (or slight) movement is changed to movement (or sliding) between the sliding surface 1442 and the contact surface 1242.

For example, in general, a force F is mainly from the exterior and the interior, wherein the exterior is primarily acted upon the first covering boy 12 by the surroundings. However, in spite of where the force F is generated from, as long as the force F is equal to or greater than the maximum static friction coefficient, the contact surface 1242 shall, for example, move towards left (or right) of the second covering body 14, thereby changing the contact area of the contact surface 1242 and the sliding surface 1442 from a first contact area to a second contact area, as show in FIG. 3. Wherein the second contact area is smaller than the first contact area, for example, the second contact area is no greater than 5 square centimeters.

Please refer to FIG. 2, where it is a sectional structure diagram of a second embodiment of a separate protection component of the present invention. In FIG. 2, a separate protection component 10′ is provides ankle protection. The separate protection component 10′ includes, in addition to a first covering body 12 and a second covering body 14, a joint component 16.

The joint component 16 is respectively disposed at the sliding surface 1442 and the contact surface 1242, or at the sliding surface 1442, the contact surface 1242 or the combination thereof. The joint component 16 has the maximum static friction coefficient.

For example, the joint component 16 may be a plurality of matric materials (eg. devil felt). In the embodiment of such fabric materials, the surface of one of the fabric materials is covered with a ring structure and the surface of another of the fabric materials is covered with a hood structure. By means of the ring structure combining with the hood structure, a status of temporary tightening can be formed between the sliding surface 1442 and the contact surface 1242.

For example, the joint component 16 may be of a pair structure such as rib and groove. In the embodiment of such pair structure, by means of the rib combining with groove, a status of temporary tightening can be formed between the sliding surface 1442 and the contact surface 1242.

The aforesaid fabric materials and pair structure shall both maintain the second covering body 14 in the first covering body 12 before an external force F is exerted between the sliding surface 1442 and the contact surface 1242; moreover, as an external force F is exerted between the sliding surface 1442 and the contact surface 1242, the contact area between the contact surface 1242 and the sliding surface 1442 is changed from a first contact area to a second contact area, thereby separating the second covering body 14 from the first covering body 12, as shown in FIG. 3.

The present invention has been disclosed with a preferred embodiments in the foregoing paragraphs, and it should be understood by those skilled professionals in the field that the present invention is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that variations and permutations equivalent to the present embodiments are intended to be fallen into the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the scope of the patent application.