CZ280447B6 - 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

(57)

The solution comprises a separate, separately arranged and easily replaceable insert inserted between the individual parts of the sole, for example between the lower sole (31) and the upper elastic insole (30) and formed of a soft compressible material in which air filled cavities are formed to secure damping on the foot and ventilation of the user's foot. The insert consists of a flat rib (10) and hollow pins (11) forming an integral part of the rib (10) and extending vertically from at least one side of the rib (10). The rib (10) and the hollow pins (11) are formed from the same material, consisting of a resilient, soft and highly compressible thermoplastic having a Shore hardness value of less than 35, each of the hollow pins (11) having a wall separating them from each other. an inner and an outer surface, and having a face disposed opposite the rib (10), and the face has an opening of the same diameter as the inner diameter of the hollow pegs (11) to define the working area of each hollow peg (11) They shall be at least 3 mm high.

Footwear

Technical field

The invention relates to footwear products, in particular footwear, with an improved lining or midsole, for detecting shock absorption on the tread and for ventilation of the user's foot.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many types of sports shoes are known, such as running shoes, which are commercially available. These sports shoes have different types of midsole to improve the efficiency of athletic shoes. In addition, many shaped outer soles have been proposed to provide the shock absorbing properties required, which are the only part of the footwear that comes into contact with the ground.

A known solution is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,782,603. Disclosed herein is a separate molded midsole comprising a plurality of parallel, spaced apart tubes disposed transverse to the length of the shoe. The parallel tubes are subjected to wear by the wearer and it is stated that the tubes must have sufficient elasticity and strength to resist warping.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,316,332 discloses an outer sole with cavities adapted to receive shock absorbing material and delimited by a relatively hard outer sole flange.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,608,768 discloses the use of pegs inserted into a mesh mat forming a midsole. These pins are made of a material that is harder than the midsole material.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,831,749 discloses footwear comprising a ventilation and massage insole with a plurality of upward protuberances extending to the user's foot and a plurality of lower protuberances extending downwardly that abut against the sole, so that a current is pumped upon compression of the insole air slits formed between the upper and lower protrusions for venting and massaging the user ' s foot.

US 4,685,224 discloses the use of a labyrinth of ventilation ducts between the upper portion and the lower portion of the sole to provide a pumping effect for air movement and ventilation of the wearer's foot.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,418,731 discloses the use of an insole provided with an upper and a lower surface of resilient material, wherein the upper surface is provided with a plurality of blind recesses and the lower surface is provided with a plurality of corresponding projections to provide some walking ventilation.

The closest prior art found in the preliminary examination is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,845,863 and relates to an insole or midsole of an effective footwear design. The design discloses the construction of an impermeable midsole or insole with elastic members,

These protrusions extend downwardly and are spaced and shaped to fit within openings formed in the outer portion of the sole and to damp the user's step. The deficiencies of the prior art are thus described in this patent. Known midsoles do not provide anything in a manner of supporting or deforming them independently and are only suitable for certain weight categories or damping properties preferred by the user.

The need for a midsole with a plurality of sprung elements, each representing individual support or deformation independently of the other elements, was the reason for the custom midsole disclosed in U.S. Patent 4,733,483. However, it has been found that said flat outer sole and midsole tend to produce a spring bridge effect causing the heel portion of the shoe to bounce and vibrate. Although the midsole fits exactly in the cavity formed in the shoe, there is also a tendency for the midsole to slip. There is therefore a need for the midsole to be provided with a series of elastic elements that are individually supported and do not slide and vibrate.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,741 discloses a similar structure, but the pins extending downward are additionally provided with cylindrical cavities to reduce the weight of the midsole.

For further background material, see New Scientist, July 15, 1989, entitled Alison Turnball Contest for Better Running Shoes, p. 42-44, and the following article, How Flexible Running Shoes, p. 45-46 by Alexander and Bennett. The authors discuss a new direction in the development of athletic footwear, which aims to return a portion of the energy spent on each step to the runner. Many of the prior art suggestions are directed to means for recovering energy in this manner. Alexander and Bennett summarize their test results as follows. The required properties for the heel of the shoe are likely to be high compliance or maximum deformation, which reduces impact forces. At another point of view, the same values of maximum deformation and deformation work are likely to be good when the heel portion of the shoe is able to absorb the kinetic energy of the foot without exerting great forces. Returning a lot of energy at the front of the sole seems potentially important. But figures from the percentage of energy returned tests do not yet indicate how much energy the shoes return. Therefore, it is necessary to know how much energy was first stored. The higher the compliance or maximum deformation and deformation work, the more energy is accumulated in the sole as it is compressed. The greater the energy return, the more this energy is recovered in a flexible reflection.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is not to maximize or obtain the energy returned to the users, but to absorb impacts, in particular subtle impacts, while walking a normal pedestrian while also venting the interior of the shoe. This object is achieved and the above drawbacks are largely eliminated by footwear comprising a separate, separately arranged and easily replaceable insert inserted between the individual parts of the sole and made of a soft compressible material in which air-filled cavities are formed to provide cushioning

The invention is characterized in that the insert consists of a flat rib and hollow pins forming an integral part of the rib and extending vertically from at least one side of the rib, the rib and hollow pins being formed from the same. a flexible, soft and highly compressible thermoplastic material having a Shore hardness value of less than 35, each of said hollow pins having a wall separating their inner and outer surfaces and having a face disposed opposite the rib, and this face has an opening of the same diameter as the inner diameter of the hollow pins that are at least 3 mm high to define the working area of each hollow plug.

The Shore hardness lower limit of this thermoplastic is 20.

In a preferred embodiment, the flat rib with hollow pins is part of the insert which also forms the midsole.

In another embodiment, the rib is located in the toe portion of the shoe.

The hollow pins have different heights, with the hollow pins lower in the toe part of the shoe than in the rest.

In another embodiment, the rib is located in the heel of the shoe.

In a further exemplary embodiment, the hollow pins are closed at their end adjacent the rib and opposite the face defining their working area.

The height of the hollow pins ranges from 3 mm to 10 mm.

In another example of the preferred embodiment, the hollow pins are arranged below the upper part of the sole made of air permeable material.

In an alternative embodiment, the hollow pins are arranged below a flexible insole.

In another exemplary embodiment, the hollow pins are housed in the front shape cutout in the toe portion of the shoe.

In an alternative embodiment, the hollow pins are housed in a rear cut-out in the heel of the shoe.

In another example of the preferred embodiment, the footwear further comprises at least one cylindrical block in the heel made of a highly and easily compressible material and embedded in a straight cut out defined by straight wall portions connected in a corner shape in the heel. the straight cutout and the cylindrical block extends upward from the straight cutout.

The straight cutout is alternatively rectangular or polygonal.

-3GB 280447 B6

The cylindrical block in the exemplary embodiments is arranged below the upper portion of the sole made of air permeable material, and in an alternative embodiment is provided below the flexible insole.

This design significantly improves the shock absorption of the wearer ' s walking and further improves the ventilation of the lower leg, especially the foot and toes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: FIG. 1 is a plan view of an insert or midsole, preferably of the invention; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the rib of FIG. Fig. 5 is a side view of Fig. 2 showing parts of a rib with hollow pins in three different embodiments; Fig. 6 shows another embodiment of a rib with an insole; Fig. 7 shows a partial section of a complete shoe in one embodiment of the invention; Fig. 8 shows a further embodiment of the invention with compressible blocks; Fig. 9 shows a sole having a front and a rear cut-out for receiving a set of hollow pins of the type shown in Fig. 2; Figs. 2, with a different pin shape, FIG. 12 shows a portion of the rib of FIG. 9, wherein the front pins are progressively shorter, for 13 shows another embodiment of the invention, FIG. 14 shows an embodiment of a midsole for the heel of the shoe according to the invention, and FIG. 15 shows a constructional variant of this embodiment for women's shoes or sandals.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The shoe according to the invention comprises a separate and easily replaceable insert inserted between the individual parts of the sole. The insert shown in plan view in FIG. 1 preferably forms a midsole at the same time. It consists of a flat rib 10 provided with a plurality of hollow pins 11 forming an integral part of the rib 10 and extending vertically from at least one side of the rib 10. In this embodiment, the hollow pins 11 are distributed over the entire surface of the insert or midsole, which has the shape of a sole and extends from the tip portion 12 through the tummy portion 13 to the heel portion 14. Each hollow pin 11 is arranged perpendicular to the flat portion of the rib. 10 and is connected to it by its adjacent end. In this embodiment, each hollow plug 11 is provided with a central hole 16. In this case, the rib 10 is highly resilient but impermeable to air. The insert or midsole in this configuration is suitable for a product in which the rib 10 is in contact with the top of the sole and the pins 11 extend upward. The entire lining or midsole is preferably injection molded, wherein the rib 10 and hollow pins 11 are made of the same material consisting of a flexible, soft and highly compressible thermoplastic having a Shore hardness value of less than 35. It has been found that the most suitable material is a thermoplastic resin having a hardness value usually below 30 and preferably around 20 according to Shore. The resulting material also exhibits, in addition to softness, excellent flexibility and high durability. Of course, polyvinyl chloride or rubber may also be used. Necessary

The material properties must be such that the hollow pins 11 are easily compressible and deformable, with a usual hardness value of less than 30, to have a long service life and good elasticity, so that they can easily return to their original shape immediately after the application of compressive forces. . Fig. 2a 3 shows a perspective and side view of a portion of the insert or midsole of Fig. 1, showing the rib 10 and hollow pins 11, each hollow pin 11 having a wall separating their inner and outer surfaces from each other, and it has a face disposed on a side opposite to the rib 10, and the face is configured to define a working area of each hollow pin 11 and has a central bore 16 of the same diameter as the diameter of its inner surface. The hollow pins 11 are at least 3 mm high.

It can be seen from Fig. 3 that the rib 10 is provided with lower protrusions 20 which provide a small degree of ventilation under the midsole. 2 and 3, in this embodiment, the hollow pins 11 are closed at their end adjacent the rib 10 and opposite the face defining their working area.

FIG. 4 shows differently high pins, i.e. high pins 28 and low pins 21, having a height in the range of 3 to 10 mm.

FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the midsole including the central rib 10 and the double-sided pins 22. The center holes 16 indicated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 are shown in dashed lines in FIGS.

FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of a midsole with an insole 25 disposed on the upper face of the hollow pins 11 and made of a porous or perforated material to provide air flow. The hollow pins 11 are shown in FIG. 6 deformed and bulged by compression.

Figure 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of a complete shoe in one embodiment of the invention. The midsole rib 10 of FIG. 1 is supported on the upper portion of the lower sole 31. An air permeable upper elastic insole 30 is mounted above the midsole.

Referring to FIG. 8, another embodiment of the invention is shown wherein the base sole 32 is provided with a row of pockets 33 adapted to receive hollow pins 11. In this embodiment, the base sole 32 replaces the rib 10 with which the hollow pins 11 would be attached. The hollow pins 11 may be permanently fixed in the pockets 33 by glue or other suitable means.

FIG. 9 illustrates another embodiment of the invention which includes a cut outsole 42 wherein a front set of multiple hollow pins 11 is housed in a front shape cutout 44 in the toe portion of the shoe, and alternatively a rear set of several hollow pins 11 are housed in a rear shape. a cutout 43 in the heel of the shoe. The original rib 10 in this embodiment is divided into a front panel 41 forming a front assembly and a rear panel 40 forming a rear assembly. The front portion 41 and the rear portion 40 housed in the front shape cutout 44 and in the rear shape cutout 43 in this arrangement are effectively held in place against lateral displacement. Fig. 9 shows an embodiment with both front and rear hollow assemblies

The pins 11 and thus with the front panel 41 and the rear panel 40 are also possible, but it is of course also possible to design with one of these sets and thus the parts.

FIGS. 10 and 11 show a portion of the rib 10 of FIG. 2 with a different pin shape. The original hollow pins 11 of FIG. 2 are complemented with solid cylindrical blocks 50 in FIG. to maintain the desired high degree of compressibility, providing a suitable range of compression by the wearer ' s foot and allowing the solid cylindrical blocks 50 to bulge and return to their original shape after relieving. In Figure 11, the original hollow pins 11 of Figure 2 are complemented by hollow blocks 51 having a substantially square cross-section. In order to maximize the efficiency of these resilient cylindrical blocks 50 and hollow blocks 51, their design and material parameters may be varied within the design and material parameters of the invention. Good results have been obtained by using flexible cylindrical blocks 50 and hollow blocks 51 having a cross-section of about 0.5 cm ² and a wall thickness of 1 to 3 mm for hollow blocks 51.

Fig. 12 shows a portion of the rib of Fig. 9, with a front portion 41, with hollow pins 11 in a modified embodiment, wherein the front pins 52 towards the tip portion 12 are still shorter and the foremost pins 53 in the tip portion 12 are the shortest Special use in sports shoes.

FIG. 13 illustrates another embodiment of the invention wherein the midsole comprises upper and lower ribs 10 provided with hollow blocks 51 facing each other for additional cushioning. Again, the upper rib 10 may be resilient and air permeable.

FIG. 14 illustrates another example of a preferred embodiment of the invention with at least one solid cylindrical block 62 made of a highly and easily compressible material for fit in a straight cutout 61 delimited by straight wall portions connected in a corner shape in the heel 60 where the perimeter The cylindrical block 62, in its uncompressed state, as shown in dashed lines in FIG. 14, contacts the straight portions of the wall of the straight cutout 61, the cylindrical block 62 extending upwardly from the straight cutout 61. In FIG. its fully compressed state. This compression causes the cylindrical block 62 to bulge with partial filling of the space between its periphery and the corners of the straight cutout 61. The straight cutout 61 may be triangular, rectangular or polygonal. In the embodiment of FIG. 14, the straight cutout 61 is square.

Fig. 15 shows another constructional variant of this embodiment for women's shoes or sandals. The heel portion 70 of the women's shoe with cylindrical cutouts 71 and one triangular cutout 72 is shown. The heel pin 73 and heel block 74, which protrude from these cuts 71 and 72 in the uncompressed state, are inserted into these cuts 71 and 72. the height is greater than the depth of the slots 71 and 72.

The spring elements in the most preferred embodiment of the invention are formed by hollow pins 11 forming integral integral

A part of the rib 10 of the midsole, the whole of which is made of a flexible, compressible thermoplastic having a Shore hardness of less than 35. Under the load of the sole and hence the midsole, the combined elastic effect with the interaction, considerable deformation of the thermoplastic and compression of the air trapped in the hollow plugs 11 at their full height, accompanied by a concurrent bulge of the wall of the hollow plugs while walking and ensuring effective ventilation of the user's foot by forcing air out of the space formed in the midsole and flowing through the air-permeable insole or top of the sole towards the user's foot. In other embodiments, where the hollow pins 11 are supplemented with solid cylindrical blocks 50 or blocks 62, softer materials are required to achieve a comparable damping and springing effect.

Claims (4)

PATENT CLAIMS Footwear, comprising a separate, separately arranged and easily replaceable insert inserted between individual parts of the sole and made of a soft compressible material in which air-filled cavities are formed to provide cushioning and ventilation of the user's foot, wherein the insert comprises a flat rib (10) and hollow pins (11) forming an integral part of the rib (10) and extending vertically from at least one side of the rib (10), the rib (10) and hollow pins (11) being formed from the same a material consisting of a resilient, soft and highly compressible thermoplastic having a Shore hardness value of less than 35, each of said hollow pins (11) having a wall separating their inner and outer surfaces and having a face disposed opposite to that of is a rib (10), and this face has a working cloud to define it For each hollow plug (11), an aperture of the same diameter as the inner diameter of the hollow plugs (11) is at least 3 mm high. Footwear according to claim 1, characterized in that the thermoplastic has a Shore hardness value of 20. that Footwear according to claim 1, characterized by a flat rib (10) with hollow pins (11) which at the same time forms a midsole. the part of the insert, 4. Footwear according to claim 1, the hollow pins (11) have indicate different height. í c and by that 5. Footwear according to claim 1, mark í c and by that the rib (10) is positioned in her top parts. 6. Footwear according to claim 4, mark í c and by that the hollow pins (11) are in the tip portion footwear below ve the remaining parts. -7EN 280447 B6 Footwear according to claim 1, characterized in that the rib (10) is located in the heel part. Footwear according to claim 1, characterized in that the hollow pins (11) are closed at their end adjacent to the rib (10) and opposite to the face which defines their working area. Footwear according to claim 4, characterized in that the height of the hollow pins (11) ranges from 3 mm to 10 mm. Footwear according to claim 1, characterized in that the hollow pins (11) are arranged below the upper part of the sole made of air permeable material. Shoe according to claim 10, characterized in that the hollow pins (11) are arranged below the flexible insole (30). Shoe according to claim 1, characterized in that the hollow pins (11) are housed in the front shape cutout (44) in the toe portion of the shoe. Shoe according to claim 1, characterized by the hollow pins (11) being embedded in the heel of the shoe. Footwear according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises at least one cylindrical block (62) in the heel part made of a highly and easily compressible material and embedded in a straight cutout (61) delimited by straight wall portions connected in a corner shape in a heel (60), wherein the circumference of the cylindrical block (62) contacts the straight portions of the walls of the straight cutout (61) and the cylindrical block (62) extends upwardly from the straight cutout (61). The shoe according to claim 14, characterized in that the straight cutout (61) is rectangular. Footwear according to claim 14, characterized in that the straight cutout (61) is polygonal. A shoe according to claim 14, characterized in that the cylindrical block (62) is arranged below the upper part formed of an air permeable material.