EP0215491B1

EP0215491B1 - A cushion system for shoes

Info

Publication number: EP0215491B1
Application number: EP86112957A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Marco A. Dr. Scatena
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: SCATENA, MARCO A., DR.
Priority date: 1985-09-20
Filing date: 1986-09-19
Publication date: 1990-12-27
Anticipated expiration: 2006-09-19
Also published as: DE3676600D1; JPH0714361B2; KR870002788A; EP0215491A1; JPS62109502A; IT1202339B; IT8517710A0; KR900005671B1

Description

This invention relates to shoes and more specifically to shoes which are provided with a cushioning assembly in the rear part according to the first part of claim 1. The cushioned shoe according to the present invention exerts a shock absorbing action when the wearer is in motion and also when he is standing. The cushioning system also helps to give the foot the correct position.
The present invention differs from other known devices through the features of characterising part of claim 1. The known devices are mainly based on a different type of material being inserted between the shoe upper and the outer sole, or the presence of dampening inserts made of plastic material which are placed laterally or which pass through the rear part of the sole, see for example US-A-2721400.
The crux of the present invention resides in the insertion of at least one, prefeerably a plurality of pins provided with springs in the rear portion of the shoe between the outer sole of the shoe which comes in contact with the ground and the upper. The invention is further illustrated by reference to the accompanying drawings of which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view in cross section of the pin and spring;
Fig. 1a is a cross section of the pin;
Fig. 1b is a plan view in cross section of the spring;
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the intersole;
Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the intersole showing the pin to be inserted into an orifice of the intersole;
Fig. 4 is a plan view of the upper member of the cushioning assembly;
Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the upper member of Fig. 4;
Fig. 6 illustrates the arrangement of the different parts of the cushioning assembly.

By reference to the drawings, Fig. 2, the intersole 5 is made of plastic or metal and is about 0.3-0.8 cm. It is provided with a plurality of threaded orifices in which the pins are introduced.
Numeral 10 in Fig. 6 illustrates the outer sole which is intended to come in contact with the ground. It is provided with a plurality of orifices 11 a in locations corresponding to the orifices 11 in the intersole 5. Numeral 12 is the upper part of the upper sole 6 which comes in contact with the foot.
By reference to Fig. 1, the pin 1 comprises bottom portion 2 made of hard thermoplastic or rubber material and an upper portion 4 which is externally threaded. A spring 3 is placed firmly on the top portion 13. The pin serves three functions, namely it is a support for the spring, it is provided with a hard portion which comes in contact with the ground and is threaded to permit engagement with the intersole. The assembly of the pin and spring is designated by numeral 7. The final location of the lower end of the spring is indicated by the arrows 15, that means the spring is resting in the groove 16 on the top of the threaded portion 4.
As shown in Fig. 2, numeral 5 is the intersole provided with threaded orifices 11. This intersole is made of plastic material or metal. This intersole serves the function of housing the pin, imparting alignmentto the spring, and imparting strength to the zone where the cushioning action is being exerted. Further it offsets any sliding of the cushioning assembly.
Figure 4 illustrates the upper sole 6 provided with a plurality of projections or teeth 14. The latter enter within the top part of the springs after the shoe is assembled so that the springs are firmly held in place. This upper sole 6 in addition to holding the springs and preventing the springs from hurting the foot of the wearer, impart strength to the cushioning zone and counterbalance the sliding of the cushioning assembly.
Numeral 10 in Fig. 6 is a conventional sole of a shoe provided with orifices 11 a. These orifices are of size essentially equal to the base 2 of the pin.
Numeral 9 in Fig. 6 is another intersole which may optionally be inserted under the upper sole 6. This intersole is preferably made of formed material, of low density so that it creates no resistance and contributes to create a shock absorbing action. It is provided with orifices 11 b which must be of same size as the orifices 11 and 11 a and are located in positions corresponding to orifices 11 and 11 a. The spring 3 may be made of different material so that it will have different strength. The intersole 5 may be glued, sewn or may be attached to the outer sole by any suitable means. This intersole 5 gives the spring the correct direction and angle of inclination, reinforces the cushioning zone and through an appropriate angle of inclination inwardly, it balances the slight slipping or sliding outwardly of the assembly. This intersole may be made of metallic or plastic material or may be rigid, may be made of one piece or composed of multiple parts.
Upper sole 6 provided with teeth may be glued, sewn, or fixed by any appropriate means to the shoe upper. It holds the upper ends of the springs, which may also be pressed against the toothed surface, thus avoiding skidding during use. It also reinforces the cushioning zone and counterbalances the skidding of the system by strengthening the material in the outer part of the foot, and provides a slight amount of inclination inwardly.
The diameter of the orifices may vary according to shoe size. It is not necessary to provide a specially designed system for the various sizes or half-sizes but lower pre-punched intersoles and toothed upper soles may be utilized for various sizes. The number of orifices as well as the dimensions and strength of the springs, are determined by the weight to be supported, or by the orthopedic defect to be corrected. The number of the orifices in the illustrated example is 13 which is suitable for average-sized shoes. Smaller sizes have less holes, while larger sizes have a greater number.
The total cushioning force resulting from the assembly according to the present invention is the sum of the number of springs multiplied by the elastic modulus of each spring and the electric modulus of the outer sole. Fig. 6 shows how the different parts are arranged. The pins may be screwed in place by means of a suitable screwdriver. The base of the pin may be circular or any other shape, for instance hexagonal. When the pins are worn out, they may be simply replaced in place.
One advantage of the shoe according to the present invention is that it may be used for sports footwear, such as training, jogging, tennis and foot-ball shoes, or any other shoe specifically used for running or marching. Due to its shock- absorbing effect, it minimizes the consequences of ailments such as tendonitis, periostitis, or any other temporary or chronic disease. Also the number of springs and the position of the springs may be varied according to individual needs. The cushioned shoe according to the invention reduces fatigue, reduces muscular strain and protects the bones of the foot.

Reference numerals

1 pin
2 bottom portion, base of the pin
3 spring
4 upper portion of the pin
5 intersole
6 upper sole
7 assembly of pin and spring
8 shoe upper
9 a further intersole
10 conventional sole or outer sole
11 threaded orifice
11 a, orifice
11b b
12 upper part of the upper sole
13 top portion of the pin
14 projections or teeth of the upper sole
15 arrows
16 groove of the pin

Claims

1. Cushioning assembly for a shoe which has a shoe upper (8), an outer sole (10), said cushioning assembly (5, 6, 9) being located between the sole part of said shoe upper (8) and said outer sole (10), said cushioning assembly (5, 6, 9) comprising an upper sole (6) located under the sole part of said shoe upper (8), an intersole (5) positioned adjacent to said outer sole (10) and at least one spring (3) extending essentially in a vertical direction from said outer sole (10) to the sole part of said shoe upper (8), characterized in that at least one tooth (14) is provided at the lower surface of said upper sole (6), said tooth (14) holding the upper part of said spring (3) in place, the lower part of said spring (3) resting on a pin (1) having a rigid base (2) and a threaded portion (4) passing through an orifice (11a) of said outer sole (10), said threaded portion (4) being engageable with a threaded orifice (11) of said intersole (5), said orifice (11a) of said outer sole (10) being in alignment with said threaded orifice (11) and having a size corresponding to the diameter of said rigid base (2).

2. Cushioning assembly according to Claim 1 wherein said base (2) of the pin (1) is a stud integral with said anchoring portion (4) of the pin (1

3. Cushioning assembly according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said tooth (14) enters the upper part of said spring (3).

4. Cushioning assembly according to Claim 3, characterized by a plurality of springs (3), said outer sole (10) having a plurality of orifices (11a) and said upper sole (6) having a plurality of teeth (14), each tooth (14) entering the upper part of a corresponding spring (3) and holding said spring (3) in place.

5. Cushioning assembly according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized by a plurality of springs (3), said upper sole (6) having a plurality of teeth (14) and the upper part of said springs (3) being held in place between two adjacent teeth (14).

6. Cushioning assembly according to Claim 1, characterized in that said intersole (5) comprises a rigid sheet of appropriate material, preferably plastic material.

7. Cushioning assembly according to Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a further intersole (9) is placed between the intersole (5) and the upper sole (6), said intersole (9) being prepared preferably of foamed, elastically deformable material and being provided with orifices (11b) in alignment with the corresponding teeth of said upper sole (6) and threaded orifices (11) of said intersole (5) respectively.

8. Cushioning assembly according to Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that said pin (1) has a top portion (13) with a groove (16) supporting the lower part of the spring (3).