CS31791A3 - Shoemaker's article - Google Patents

Abstract

A midsole, partial midsole, or the like (10), for inclusion in an article of footwear having a flexible, air-permeable top sole, characterized by at least one plug (11) in the heel region having a thickness (height) sufficient to permit significant compression deformationm along its thickness dimension accompanied by simultaneous significant bulging deformation in its circumscribing surface perpendicular to the thickness dimension; the deformations occuring solely due to normal walking activity by any wearer of the footwear; and the deformations thereby providing simultaneously for shock-absorption and ventilation during said normal walking activity.

Description

Shoe product

Technical field

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a footwear product, in particular to footwear having improved wear and tear and ventilation of the wearer's foot. In particular, there is an improvement in the midsole.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Many kinds of sports shoes, such as running shoes, are well known and many are on the market. This footwear has different types of zipper, especially the one used as athletic shoes.

Many molded outer soles have been proposed to dampen shocks and are the only part that contacts the ground. Further, solutions are known, one of which is exemplified in U.S. Pat. 1988 S.C.Brown. A separate molded midsole is described in the present invention, wherein a plurality of parallel, spaced apart tubes, typically in a transverse position with respect to the length of the footwear, are enclosed. The parallel tubes are subjected to pressure at the user ' U.S. Pat. No. 4,316,332, issued Mar. 23, 1982 to Giese et al. discloses the use of blocks that are inserted into an openwork 2 beam forming a midsole. the blocks are made of a material harder than the midsole. U.S. Patent No. 4,831,749 issued May 23, 1989 (Tsai) discloses a shoe article comprising a ventilation massage insole, provided with a plurality of upper protuberances protruding upwardly and touching the user's foot, and a plurality of lower projections protruding downward and hovering on the sole so as to press the user feet on the insole, the air flow will be pumped through the openings that are formed between each upper protrusion and each lower protrusion, thereby ventilating and massaging the user's foot. U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,224 issued Aug. 11, 1987 (Anger) discloses the use of a labyrinth of ventilation ducts between an upper sole and a footwear shoe. This is intended to create a pumping action to move the air around and vent the user's foot. U.S. Patent No. 3,418,731 issued to Anciaux on Dec. 31, 1968, discloses the use of a shoe insole provided with an upper and lower flats of resilient material, wherein the upper surface of the sole is provided with a plurality of blind cuts and a lower surface with corresponding protrusions, which during walking causes some ventilation.

The closest prior art found in the preliminary survey is described in U.S. Patent 4,845,863, issued July 11, 1989 to Ling Yung-Mao, and relates to an insole or midsole of a shoe. The disclosure discloses the construction of an impermeable midsole / insole with protruding, resilient members that are so positioned and sized to fit into the holes formed in the outer 3 sole and damp the pedestrian step. The patent describes the state of the art as follows: "Therefore, the known midsoles do not offer anything regarding the inde- pendent suspension or deformation of the various parts, and further merge only for certain weight categories or for those users who prefer a soft step."

The need for a midsole having several repelled elements, each of which constitutes a separate hinge and deforms independently of the others, gave rise to a midsole described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,483 of Mar. 29, 1988 (Lin). However, it has been found that the flat outer sole and the midsole presented herein have a tendency to create a spring bridge effect which causes the paddler to vibrate. Although the midsole fits perfectly into the shoe-shaped cavity, the midsole moves in it. Therefore, there was a need for the midsole to be equipped with a number of elastic elements, separately suspended and not slipped or vibrated.

Referring to U.S. Pat. No. 4,873,741, issued Jul. 4, 1989, (Ling Yung-Mao), this discloses a similar construction, but more downwardly dependent dependent blocks are each provided with a cavity to reduce the weight of the midsole.

New Scientist article from 15.7.1989 by Alison Turnballa "A

Race for a Better Running Shoe ", p. 42-44 and the next article" How Elastic is a Running Shoe? " "Alexander and Bennet, p. 45 and 46. The authors discuss a new direction in the production of athletic footwear, which is aimed at giving the runner part of the energy spent on each step. Many suggestions by a well-known professional are aimed at achieving energy recovery in this way. Alexander and Bennet summarize their test results as follows:

The shoe heel sought is probably high yielding (or peak deformation) that will reduce the impact. On another view of the same matter, the heel will be able to absorb the kinetic energy of the foot without generating large forces, so the large values of "peak deformation" and "deformation work" are probably good.

The high energy return in the front of the sole seemed important (see Table 3). But even the numbers that indicate the percent of energy recovered from our trials still do not tell us how much energy to return. For this we need to know how much energy is bound to the first place. The higher the compliance (or peak deformation) and the work required for deformation, the more energyies are bound in the sole when compressed. The higher the energy return, the more this energy is obtained by flexible reflection.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is not to maximize or obtain energy returned to pedestrians, but to dampen shocks, especially the shocks of a normal pedestrian while simultaneously ventilating inside worn footwear. In this task, it has been found that extremely soft material must be used for the production of laths or posts according to the invention, and that these blocks or posts must either face upward under the breathable and resilient upper sole (called insole or liner) or pointing down from this upper sole and just as important that these blocks bulge substantially when they hit the normal pedestrian. By blowing up the air between the blocks and moving the footwear and foot over the upper floor. The softness of the material from which the posts are made guarantees a great value of the "peak deflection" for a small value in the "deformation work".

It has been found that walking in such shoes causes the pedestrian joints and the spine, and of course the legs, to be beaten.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is based on the fact that the shoe article comprises in the region of the sole a plurality of vertical sticks or pillars adapted to ease and bulge at each step of the pedestrian. Thus, a shock-absorbing element of special value is created, since it is a comfortable base for the foot, is very comfortable in view of its contour and dampens every step of the pedestrian. The compressibility of the thermoplastic material is such that the blocks compress and substantially deform and thereby dampen each user step, the deformation is associated with substantial bulging of the blocks and compression, bulging and subsequent return of the blocks to cause substantial air flow in the sole region and rubbing the shoe product. - 6 -

One embodiment of the present invention includes an intermediate seam or a portion of a midsole adapted to be closed in a shoe article and causing foot step and foot user ventilation. The midsole or portion thereof comprises a rib portion extending along at least a portion of the outer sole of the shoe and consisting of damping elements formed from a plurality of blocks projecting perpendicular to the rib plane. Each block is made of a flexible, easily compressible thermoplastic rubber or the like. the blocks are spaced so as to provide a comfortable base for the wearer's leg and dampen each step. The spacing, size, number of blocks, and compressibility of the material are such that the blocks will easily deform and substantially compress to reduce the pedestrian step, and the compression is coupled to the bulge bulge. Compression, bulging, and subsequent restoration of the block will cause the air that surrounds it to move and ventilation of a shoe product. In another embodiment, the shoe article of the invention comprises an outer sole and an upper, the outer sole having a plurality of upstanding blocks formed of a resilient, easily compressible material, the blocks being spaced outwardly to form a comfortable base for the user ' s foot. The spacing, size, number of blocks, and compressibility of the plastics are such that the blocks will deform and substantially compress and dampen each user step, compressing it with substantial bulging of the block. Compression, bulging and subsequent restoration of the block shape is a distinct airflow along the outer sole and ventilation of the shoe product. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a mid-sectional view of a midsole according to an embodiment of the invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the rib of FIG. 1, FIG. a5 is a side view of a portion of the rib of FIG. 2, in three different embodiments of the upstanding blocks of the present invention; FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of a rib provided with an insert; FIG. FIG. 9 shows an outer sole provided with cavities or spaces for inserting parts of the partial midsole of FIG. 2 with the shape of blocks, FIG. 12 illustrating the tip portion 41 of the rib of FIG. the uppermost blocks 53 along the length are gradually shorter to match a certain fit, FIG. Figure 14 shows a partial seam formed for the heel of the footwear of the present invention, and Figure 15 shows an embodiment of the present invention intended for a womens shoe or sandal.

Description of an exemplary embodiment

Figure 1 shows a plan view of a midsole shown generally as a rib 10 provided with a plurality of erect blocks 11.

These blocks 11 are in this embodiment spaced along the entire surface 10, which extends from the tip portion 12 through the tummy portion 13 to the heel portion 14. In this embodiment, each pin 11 is erected relative to the rib 10 and is adjacent to it. Each block 11 in this embodiment is provided with a central opening 16.

Preferably, the entire midsole is injection molded, wherein the midsole 10 as well as the blocks 11 are made of the same material and in this case the rib 10 is highly flexible but air-tight. Such a midsole will be suitable for such a product in which the rib 10 is in contact with the top of the outer sole and the blocks 11 protrude outwardly.

The most suitable material that has been found for such a sheath is known as "Supersoft", a thermoplastic resin used from GLS Plastics Woodstock, IL 60098, USA (sold as # G3294). The material is made of a thermoplastic composition known as "Kraton" supplied by Shell Chemical Company. Preferred rats (because they are softer and Shore A hardness (D-2240) around 27 and 34) are Kraton D-2104 and Kraton D-3226. The resulting Supersoft thermoplastic is a midsole material that has a Durometer value below 30 and preferably about 20.9.

In addition to softness, the resulting material also exhibits excellent flexibility and long life. Of course, other croton materials such as Estane, polyvinyl chloride or rubber may also be used. The necessary material properties are such that the blocks 11 are easily compressible and substantially deformable (typically a Dourometer value below 30), have a long lifetime and good resiliency to return quickly. into the original shape, as the compressive forces cease to act. Then, the shape of the blocks 11 is not critical and, if hollow or solid, generally does not affect their deformability. In the embodiment of Fig. 1, they are hollow to provide a thermoplastic resin.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show the parts of FIG. 1 in a perspective view and in a side view. 3 shows that this embodiment is provided with lower protrusions 20 which provide a low ventilation of the underfloor. 4, the blocks 20 and 21 show that in the embodiment of FIG. 4 their thickness (i.e., height) varies with the blocks. Of course, such a thickness or height is arbitrary, but values below 10 mm appear ineffective. It can be seen from FIG. 5 that the blocks 22 are housed in the midsole by a rib 10 which is centrally positioned relative to the blocks 22. This, of course, contributes to shock absorption. 3, 4 and 5, the center holes formed in the blocks 11, 20, 21 and 22 are shown in dashed lines.

Fig. 6 illustrates an embodiment in which a portion of the midsole of Fig. 3 is provided with an upper rib 25, which may be suitably made - 10 - 2 porous material, or perforated material to form an air movement. In this figure, the blocks 11 are depressed and bulged.

Fig. 7 shows a cut-away view of a footwear of one embodiment of the invention in which the footwear of Fig. 1 is embedded in the top of the sole 31 in the shoe.

Fig. 8 shows an embodiment in which the midsole 31 of the embodiment of Fig. 7 is replaced by an outer sole 32 provided with a row of shoes 33 adapted to insert the blocks 11 of the type described above, thereby eliminating the need for a rib 10 in which the blocks are fixed. the blocks 11 may be held permanently in the apertures 33 by the adhesive or other suitable means.

Fig. 9 illustrates an embodiment in which the outer sole 42 is provided with cut portions 43 and 44 during manufacture so that the rib portions 40 and 41 of the appropriate shape and size fit precisely these portions 43 and 44 as shown in the figure, thus occupying the least vertical space inside the shoe. Thus, the ribs 10, 40 ' containing the " midsole ", are also effectively held in place against the lateral displacement.

Fig. 10 shows an embodiment of the invention in which part of the rib 10 of Fig. 2 is provided with blocks 50 which are full of spacers in Fig. 2. Thereafter, a softer material must be used to make the blocks 50 to maintain the desired high degree of compressibility 11, providing a suitable pressure range below the pedestrian step while allowing the blocks to bulge and return to their original shape.

Fig. 11 illustrates yet another embodiment of the invention in which a portion of the rib 10 similar to Fig. 2 is provided with upstanding blocks 51 which are hollow but essentially have a square cross section. These different construction parameters can be changed to achieve maximum performance. Changes such as the elasticity of the plastics material, the height and shape of the blocks, the spacing and the number of blocks per unit area, differences in the height of the individual blocks or rows of blocks, the thickness or the fullness of the blocks can be carried out within the scope of the present invention. Suitable results have been obtained by using blocks 2 having a cross-sectional area of about 0.5 cm with a wall thickness of 1-3 mm when hollow.

Fig. 12 illustrates another embodiment of the invention in which all the blocks are not of the same length, while the liner 41 is similar to that of Fig. 9, for the tip portion or sandal, as shown in Fig. 12, with the blocks 11 gradually decrease over the 52-53 blocks until they reach the tips. The length of the blocks can be varied arbitrarily and can be adapted to the geometry of the inner shoe.

Fig. 13 illustrates yet another embodiment of a portion of a rib according to the invention in which the blocks in the upper and lower ribs are opposite to the additional damping. Again, the upper rib may be flexible and preferably also air-permeable. Fig. 14 shows the inner portion of the heel portion 60 of the outer sole or midsole in which a square cutout 61 is formed. The cut-out 61 12 has a large diameter block 62 inserted therein for illustration in a fully compressed state . As can be seen, the compression deformation caused the bulge 62 to bulge but, of course, only partially fill the space between its periphery and the corners 61, thereby pumping air each time the plug 62 bulges. In Figure 15, the heel portion 70 of the ladies' footwear or sandal has a cylindrical cutout 71 and a triangular cutout 72 formed therein. Of course, any other polygonal cutout may be used. When the blocks 73.74 are placed in cut-outs, they are protruding as desired, since the cut-outs are shallower than the thickness or height of the blocks 73.74.

Claims (19)

Patent claims A shoe product characterized in that it comprises at least one single-cylinder cylindrical block made of a highly and easily compressible material which is supported by a fastening in a straight cut formed in the heel of the shoe product and projecting upwardly therefrom to dampen its user's step by deformation and by simultaneously bulging and filling the space between the circumference and the corners of the straight cutout, thereby expelling air from this space upward to ventilate the user's foot. 2. A footwear product according to claim 1, wherein at least one tail (11) is positioned beneath its flexible, air permeable topsheet. 3. A shoe product according to claim 2, wherein the straight cut is rectangular. Shoe product according to claim 3, characterized in that the straight cut is polygonal. Shoe product according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of smaller blocks (11) distributed over the foot pad. 14 A shoe product according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a pad consisting of a rib (10) and a plurality of blocks (11) which are integral with the rib (10) and project at least on one side of the rib (10) with these blocks (11) are made of a resilient, compressible, thermoplastic material having a Shore A hardness (D-2240) of less than 35, having a height in the range of 3 to 10 mm, and having sufficient number and construction to allow substantial deformation in use by compressing according to their height dimensions, accompanied by simultaneous substantial deformation bulging in the circumscribed surface perpendicular to the height dimension of the insert, and thus creating shock absorption and ventilation. Shoe product according to claim 6, characterized in that the blocks (11) are covered with a breathable upper insole. Shoe product according to claim 6, characterized in that the thermoplastic material has a Shore A hardness (D-2240) of about 20. Shoe product according to claim 6, characterized in that the blocks (11) are hollow. 10. The article of manufacture of claim 9, wherein the blocks (11) are cylindrical. 15 11. A product according to claim 6, characterized in that the blocks (11) are solid and cylindrical. 12. A product according to claim 6, characterized in that the rib (10) is reshaped and resilient to the shoe circumference. 13. A product according to claim 12, characterized in that the height of the blocks (11) is varied so that the tip pieces (11) are shorter than the others. 14. A product according to claim 6, wherein the rib (10) is shaped to conform to the heel of the shoe. 15. A cellulosic product according to claim 6, wherein the thermoplastic material is from the group comprising Kraton D-2104, Kraton D-3226, Estane, polyvinyl chloride and rubber. 16. A product according to claim 6, wherein the blocks have different heights. 17. A product according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises an outer sole, a midsole and an upper sole, wherein the midsole comprises a rib (10), a plurality of blocks (11) integral with the rib (10) and projecting vertically from at least one the sides of the rib (10), wherein the claws (11) are made of a resilient compressible thermoplastic material having a Shore A hardness (D-2240) of less than 35, their height being in the range of 3 to 10 mm and their sufficient number and construction it permits substantial deformation by pressing along their height dimension associated with simultaneous deformation of the collapsing in the circumscribed surface perpendicular to the height dimension, so that stepping and ventilation damping occurs. 18. A cellulosic product according to claim 17, wherein the topsheet is formed of an air permeable material and is lined with blocks (11). 19. A cellulosic product according to claim 17, wherein the blocks have different heights.