EP0373336B1 - Insert for a shoe - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention makes available an insert for a sole of a shoe, in particular for a sport shoe, which extends at least in the forefoot region, preferably in the entire region of the sole. This insert is characterised in that, at least in the forefoot region, it is resistant to bending in the transverse direction of the sole, but on the other hand vertically bendable in the longitudinal direction of the sole. Moreover, the invention makes available a sole provided with such an insert and a shoe which has such an insert. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to an insert for a shoe according to the preamble of patent claim 1 and to a sole provided with such an insert and a shoe having such a sole.

• (1) Zunächst ist das Kippmoment umso größer, je größer die nach der Seite hin gerichtete Kraftkomponente, das heißt die Kippkraft ist, die am Fuß wirkt. Diese Kippkraft ist weitgehend durch die äußeren, d.h. schuhunabhängigen Belastungsverhältnisse, gegeben, die insbesondere beim Betreiben von Sportarten sehr ausgeprägt sind, weswegen es vor allem beim Sport relativ häufig zu Bänderrissen oder -zerrungen kommt.
• (2) Weiter ist das Kippmoment umso größer, je größer, physikalisch ausgedrückt, der Kipphebelarm, d.h. je weiter der Fuß vom Boden entfernt ist. Das bedeutet, daß das Kippmoment unter ansonsten gleichbleibenden Bedingungen umso größer wird, je dicker die Schuhsohle ist.
• (3) Ob ein gegebenes Kippmoment tatsächlich ein Kippen und damit ein Umknicken des Fußes nach der Seite hin bewirken kann, hängt aber nicht nur von der absoluten Höhe des Kippmoments sondern auch von dem Widerstandsmoment ab,das der Schuh einem seitlichen Kippen entgegensetzt. Dieses Widerstandsmoment ist umso größer, je seitenstabiler die Schuhsohle ist; d.h. einen je größeren Hebelarm die Sohle gegen ein Biegen in der Sohlenquerrichtung aufbringt, womit ein: Biegen um eine Biegelinie gemeint ist, die parallel oder etwa parallel zur Sohlenlängsrichtung verläuft.

In the case of shoes in general, and in particular in sports shoes, such as, for example, athletic shoes, mountain shoes, golf shoes or the like, it is important to design the shoe in such a way that there is a risk of the foot twisting to the side and therefore of a risk of tearing ligaments or - strains can come as low as possible. The greater the lateral tipping moment acting on the foot, and the smaller the resistance of the shoe to the lateral tipping moment, the greater the risk of the foot bending over to the side. These two factors, namely the overturning moment on the one hand and the resistance of the shoe to the overturning moment on the other hand, are, apart from the external conditions, primarily due to the design of the shoe:

• (1) First of all, the greater the tipping component, i.e. the tipping force acting on the foot, the greater the tipping moment. This tilting force is largely due to the external ie shoe-independent stress conditions, which are particularly pronounced when practicing sports, which is why ligament tears or strains occur relatively frequently, especially in sports.
• (2) Furthermore, the greater the tilting moment, the greater, physically speaking, the rocker arm, ie the further the foot is from the ground. This means that the tilting moment is greater under otherwise constant conditions, the thicker the sole of the shoe.
• (3) However, whether a given tipping moment can actually cause the foot to tip over and thus topple to the side depends not only on the absolute height of the tipping moment but also on the section modulus that the shoe opposes tipping to the side. This moment of resistance is greater, the more stable the sole of the shoe is; ie a larger lever arm applies the sole against bending in the transverse direction of the sole, which means: bending around a bending line which runs parallel or approximately parallel to the longitudinal direction of the sole.

Assuming the above factors, a very thin and stiff shoe sole would be ideal to minimize the risk of the foot twisting sideways. Because if the shoe sole is very thin, the smallest possible tilting moment results, and if the shoe sole is very stiff, there is a high resistance moment against the fact that the tilting moment can actually cause a lateral tilting. Such a shoe sole is by no means ideal because there are other requirements regarding the properties that a shoe should have:
Although the wearer of such a shoe with a very thin and stiff sole could stand well and securely on level ground, ie such a shoe would give the wearer good stability on level ground, the wearer of such a shoe could only do poorly and insecurely with this shoe and it would also not have good stability on uneven ground, because the stiff sole of such a shoe would not adapt to an uneven ground and would make it impossible for the sole of the shoe to roll off while walking on the ground. In order to enable the wearer of the shoe to walk well and safely by a good rolling movement of the sole of the shoe on the floor, the sole of the shoe must be soft and flexible. This requirement, not to make the shoe sole rigid but soft and flexible, entails the further requirement for the following reasons that the shoe sole must not be made thin, as may be formed according to the above statements, as that according to the above explanations for reducing the risk of ankle twisting is desirable, but should rather be made thick:

If a soft and flexible shoe sole is thin, then point pressures, which act on the shoe sole from below and are caused, for example, by stones, uneven surfaces or the like, are selectively transmitted through the shoe sole to the sole of the wearer, which of course is extremely uncomfortable to uncomfortable. In order to mitigate such transmission of punctual pressures to the sole of the wearer as much as possible and even prevent it if possible, it is therefore necessary to make the soft and flexible shoe sole required for a good rolling movement as thick as possible.

• (a) Einerseits sollte die Sohle, um die Gefahr des seitlichen Umknickens des Fußes und damit die Gefahr von Bänderrissen und -zerrungen so gering wie möglich zu machen, möglichst dünn und starr sein.
• (b) Andererseits sollte die Sohle, um eine laufgerechte Abrollbewegung und einen sicheren Stand auf unebenem Boden zu ermöglichen und eine Übertragung von punktuellen Drücken vom Boden her weitgehendst zu verhindern, möglichst weich, flexibel und dick sein.

Nach dem Stand der Technik sind zwar Schuhsohlen bekannt, die eine versteifende Einlage besitzen, jedoch sind diese Einlagen nicht vollständig zufriedenstellend:There are two opposing requirements with regard to the design of the shoe sole:

• (a) On the one hand, the sole should be as thin and rigid as possible in order to minimize the risk of the foot twisting sideways and thus the risk of ligament tears and strains.
• (b) On the other hand, the sole should be as soft, flexible and thick as possible in order to enable a smooth rolling movement and a secure stand on uneven ground and to largely prevent transmission of punctual pressures from the ground.

According to the prior art, shoe soles are known which have a stiffening insert, but these insoles are not completely satisfactory:

British patent specification GB-A-1 257 524 discloses a spiked stiffening insert made of metal or plastic material which is embedded in the sole of the shoe and is intended in particular for golf shoes. The task underlying this stiffening insert is to solve the problems of holding the spikes and isolating the foot from the pressure of the spikes when using lighter, softer and more flexible cellular sole materials. In addition, with such sole materials, an uncontrolled bending of the shoe, in particular an uncontrolled torsional bend of the middle part can be avoided in order to avoid a reduction in the comfort of the feet and an early deformation of the upper shoe. The solution to this problem, insofar as this is of interest, is that the insert can extend over the entire length of the shoe sole and all spikes are attached to it. Regarding the material of the insert, GB-A-1 257 524 only says that it is a plate or platform made of a material, for example metal or plastic, which is stiffer than the material of the main sole body. The overall structure of the sole can either be designed such that the plate is embedded within the thickness of the main sole body, or that the platform is provided on the outer surface of the main sole body. According to the embodiment of the insert embedded in the main sole body shown in a longitudinal section in FIG. 2 of GB-A-1 257 524, which is of particular interest here, the insert extends over substantially the entire forefoot area. The longitudinal section of Figure 2 shows the plate material in a non-uniform flat "corrugation", but only a single longitudinal section is shown, so that it cannot be seen from the drawing whether this "corrugation" continues in other longitudinal section areas or only a cut through local indentations at fastening points of the spikes that are apparently riveted to the plate material in FIG. 2. Since the "corrugation" is neither mentioned in the description nor in the claims of GB-A-1 257 524 and the longitudinal sections through the other embodiments according to FIGS. 3 and 4 either completely flat plate material (FIG. 3, right and FIG. 4) or with plate material provided with thickened threaded holes (FIG. 3, left) indicates, in the opinion of the applicant, local indentations. This stiffening insert not only achieves the desired transverse reinforcement in the forefoot area of the shoe sole, but also the forefoot area is stiffened at the same time in the longitudinal direction of the sole, which makes the rolling movement of the shoe sole undesirably difficult when running.

A stiffening insert made of metal is known from US Pat. No. 4,439,937, which extends from the central part of the forefoot area of the shoe sole backwards to the rear end of the heel area and has the function of a support in the joint or instep area to build. The front part of the forefoot area of the shoe sole, on the other hand, is expressly released from the stiffening insert so that it remains vertically flexible, as is necessary for a good rolling movement, but this has the disadvantageous consequence that there is little lateral stability here.

Furthermore, from the European patent application EP-A-44 549 a molded sole made of flexible plastic or rubber materials with a penetration-resistant hard elastic insert, for example made of sheet steel, is known, which is primarily intended for construction safety shoes, which security against the penetration of nails through the shoe sole should offer. The stiffening insert, which in the embodiment of interest extends over practically the entire length of the shoe sole, is designed and inserted into the shoe sole in such a way that the toe area for supporting a toe steel cap and the joint area for supporting the ankle each directly under the insole In contrast, the remaining part of the forefoot area and the heel area of this insert are recessed so that they can be covered continuously by a layer of soft elastic sole material, in order to improve foot comfort in the ball and heel area compared to the use of a stiffening insert that can be used everywhere stretches under the insole. These recessed areas of the stiffening insert are formed in that the material of the insert at the transition from the respective raised to the respective recessed area is bent in a step-like manner along bending lines which run transversely to the longitudinal axis of the sole. However, these bending lines do not significantly change the stiffness of the insert, so that the insert stiffens the sole in practically the same extent in the transverse and in the longitudinal direction, and thereby the rolling movement of the shoe sole is hindered to the extent that the transverse stiffness is increased.

In addition, from FR-A-2 457 081, an insert for a cross-country ski boot is known, which consists of transverse strips running transversely to the longitudinal direction of the sole, which are arranged at a distance from one another and are in one piece with shorter longitudinal strips, which alternately have the transverse strips on one side and the other side connect with each other. In this strip structure, which can be made of sheet steel, the transverse strips result in a higher lateral stability, but this is considerably weakened by the free spaces between the transverse strips. Can also by this Point-like pressures, such as those generated by uneven floors, are transmitted to the sole of the foot through spaces.

Another insert for a cross-country ski boot is known from FR-A-2 556 569, which consists of spaced-apart transverse strips which are connected to one another by bridges which have a smaller thickness and are integral with the thicker transverse strips, these strips being Bridge structure, which consists of relatively stiff plastic material, can be embedded in a relatively soft plastic material. With this stripe structure there is also a certain increase in lateral stability due to the transverse stripes, but this is considerably weakened by the thin bridges between them.

Finally, an insert for a cross-country ski boot is known from US-A-4 186 500, which consists of a material that has a higher rigidity than the polyurethane material of the sole. However, this insert is designed as a flat plate, which is only adapted to the slightly curved shape of the sole. Through this use, at the same time as the lateral stability is increased, the ability to unroll in the longitudinal direction of the sole is considerably reduced, and in order to increase this greatly reduced ability to unroll in certain longitudinal areas of the sole, the insert there is thinner than in the other longitudinal areas, although this is only limited Area is possible, otherwise the lateral stability would be weakened too much. In addition, the insert according to US-A-4 186 500 is relatively very torsionally rigid with respect to torsion about the longitudinal axis.

In contrast, the object of the invention is, in particular, to provide an insert for the production of shoes in which the risk of the foot bending sideways and thus the risk of ligament tears and strains is as low as possible and which at the same time has an excellent running movement of the Allow shoe sole with optimal stability.

In addition, the invention is intended to provide a shoe sole and a shoe, in particular a sports shoe, with these properties.

This object is achieved with an insert according to claim 1.
The insert according to the invention is rigid at least in the forefoot area in the transverse direction of the sole, in particular in the respective rolling area of the sole, but is vertically flexible in the longitudinal direction of the sole.

A sole according to the invention for a shoe is characterized in that it has an insert according to the invention, which is preferably firmly connected to the sole, preferably by foaming, overmolding, casting or other shaping with or vulcanizing into a plastic material, the forms at least part of the sole or the entire sole.

Finally, the invention provides a shoe which has a sole according to the invention which has an insert according to the invention.

The insert according to the invention enables, inter alia, twisting movements of the foot, as are required, for example, in many athletics sports, golf, tennis and the like.

Furthermore, the insert according to the invention is resiliently resilient, as a result of which the sole of the shoe essentially always returns to its original position.

Finally, the insert according to the invention is pressure-resistant perpendicular to the plane of the sole, which is very important because it causes punctual pressures from the floor to be distributed over the entire surface of the insert, so that pressures from small stones, uneven floors or the like do not punctually affect the Transfer the sole of the foot.

• (1) hohe Seitenstabilität, da die Querprofilierung der Einlage eine hohe Biegesteifigkeit in der Profilierungsrichtung, d.h. in der Sohlenquerrichtung verleiht, und zwar insbesondere im jeweiligen Abrollbereich;
• (2) sehr gute vertikale Flexibilität in der Sohlenlängsrichtung, insbesondere bei der Abrollbewegung, da die Querprofilierung der Einlage eine hohe Biegeweichheit senkrecht zur Profilierungsrichtung und senkrecht zu der Ebene, in welcher die Profilierung verläuft, verleiht;
• (3) hohe Torsionsfähigkeit um die Sohlenlängsrichtung von der Ferse bis zur großen Zehe, da die Querprofilierung eine Verwindung der einzelnen Querprofile gegeneinander um eine Achse ermöglicht, die senkrecht zu den einzelnen Profilen ist und in der den Profilen gemeinsamen Ebene verläuft;
• (4) gute Druckverteilung aufgrund der Drucksteifigkeit des harten Plattenmaterials, aus dem die Einlage besteht, wie beispielsweise Stahl, da dieses harte Plattenmaterial punktuelle Drücke, die von unten her wirken, auf die Gesamtfläche der Einlage verteilt;
• (5) ausgezeichnete Rückstellfähigkeit, da das federnde Plattenmaterial aufgrund seiner Federeigenschaft in seine Ausgangslage zurückfedert, so daß eine mit der erfindungsgemäßen Einlage versehene Schuhsohle immer wieder ihre ursprüngliche Form annimmt.

The insert according to the invention, which is excellently suitable for the practice of sole and shoe manufacture, combines in particular the following advantageous properties:

• (1) high lateral stability, since the cross-profiling of the Insole gives a high bending stiffness in the direction of profiling, ie in the transverse direction of the sole, in particular in the respective rolling area;
• (2) very good vertical flexibility in the longitudinal direction of the sole, in particular in the rolling movement, since the transverse profiling of the insert gives a high degree of softness perpendicular to the direction of profiling and perpendicular to the plane in which the profiling runs;
• (3) high torsional capacity around the longitudinal direction of the sole from the heel to the big toe, since the transverse profiling allows the individual transverse profiles to be twisted against one another about an axis which is perpendicular to the individual profiles and runs in the plane common to the profiles;
• (4) good pressure distribution due to the compressive stiffness of the hard plate material of which the insert is made, such as steel, since this hard plate material distributes punctual pressures, which act from below, over the entire area of the insert;
• (5) excellent resilience, since the resilient plate material springs back into its initial position due to its resilience, so that a shoe sole provided with the insert according to the invention always takes on its original shape.

The high lateral stability of the insert according to the invention in Combined with the good pressure distribution, a very flat design of the shoe soles provided with it, ie the production of thin soles without a significant tipping effect, since the tipping moment is as small as possible due to the low thickness of the sole and the resistance moment against tipping due to the high lateral stability as large as possible, while at the same time providing a high level of comfort for the foot, since punctual pressures from the floor are not transferred to the sole of the foot and the foot is able to roll slightly while running, and furthermore a thin one to adapt to uneven floors A layer of soft, elastic sole material on the underside of the insert is sufficient (high stability).

Studies have shown that such a spring steel insert according to the invention can withstand a minimum of 5 million alternating bends, which e.g. means that the deposit remains stable and functional at approx. 650 golf tournaments.

The insert, which is designed as a one-piece, profiled plate, in particular with a sole-shaped outline, can be produced as such efficiently and inexpensively on the one hand, and on the other hand it can also be integrated rationally and inexpensively into the sole of a shoe. These advantages also largely arise when the insert according to the invention is produced from a composite layer material that consists of different material layers, such as metal and plastic.

If desired, the ability of the insert to twist from the heel to the big toe can be increased if the insert has a longitudinal profile in the longitudinal direction of the sole instead of the transverse profile in the joint area and / or in the heel area. Such longitudinal profiling is also advantageous in the joint area for supporting the ankle.

The hard, resilient plate material can have a thickness between 0.1 mm and 1.5 mm, preferably between 0.3 mm and 0.8 mm.

The longitudinal profiling can also be groove-like, groove-like, rib-like, groove-like, wave-like, corrugated or bead-shaped, preferably meandering, trapezoidal, zigzag-shaped or meandering-like, particularly in cross-section.

The direction of the profiling is understood here to mean the direction in which such a profiling is rolled, drawn, extruded or the like, that is to say, for example in the case of a profiling which is grooved in cross section, the longitudinal direction of the groove of an individual groove.

The width of the periodically repeating is preferably Profile cross-sectional elements 3 mm to 20 mm, preferably 6 mm to 16 mm, particularly preferably 8 mm to 13 mm.

To further increase the anchoring ability of the insert in a sole, it is possible, although the insert according to the invention already has an excellent anchoring ability because of the profiling per se and therefore does not need such an increase in the vast majority of cases, to design the profiling so that it is in the direction of profiling is corrugated, serrated, grooved, grooved or corrugated or has another secondary profile running transversely to the direction of profiling.

So that the pressure of the foot is transmitted even better to the floor, the insert, in particular if it is designed as a one-piece plate, can have a depression directed towards the floor in a predetermined foot area or in a plurality of predetermined foot areas, and preferably in this area the big toe, the ball of the foot and / or the heel, this depression, so that it fulfills the above-mentioned function particularly well, preferably has a flat or flat depression bottom.

So that the plastic or the like when foaming. can be distributed well on both sides of the insert, the insert can be provided with through holes for the plastic material, which are distributed over the surface of the insert, preferably with one or more spray channels for spraying the plastic material and / or with a plurality or a plurality of through openings which can be breakthroughs in particular.

The insert according to the invention allows it to be excellent In such a way that knobs or spikes are non-releasably attached or can be exchangeably attached via fastening means which are provided on or in the insert. This practically eliminates all mounting and fastening problems that otherwise arise when attaching knobs or spikes to a normal sole.

In particular, the aforementioned fastening means can be threaded holes provided in the insert or threaded inserts attached to the insert. A particularly stable, in particular directionally stable, attachment of the knobs or spikes to the insert can be achieved according to the invention in that the foot parts of the knobs or spikes or the fastening means, such as threaded inserts, are fastened in depressions in the insert and are supported on the side walls of the depressions, preferably fit positively with the adjacent side walls of the depressions and / or are firmly attached to these side walls, these depressions preferably being the profile depressions formed by the transverse and / or longitudinal profiling. The spikes can also be attached in other ways, e.g. by riveting or welding.

The insert according to the invention can also consist of a composite panel material which has several layers combined to form an integrated composite structure, at least one of which has the transverse profile. Such a composite structure allows the advantages of different materials to be combined.

For example, the composite panel material can have a first layer, which consists of a flat, preferably non-profiled, flexible, resilient panel material, and a second layer, which is designed as a profile layer.

This type of construction makes it possible to use a particularly resiliently flexible and thin material, for example Teflon or particularly thin spring steel, for the first layer, which has the function of an elastic joint connection of the profiles, on the other hand for that of the second layer, which in particular the The function is to give the insert a high degree of lateral stability, to use a particularly stiff and pressure-resistant material, such as, for example, stainless steel or rigid plastic material.

By means of a composite plate material it is also possible to give the insert according to the invention special special properties which cannot be achieved or can only be achieved with great difficulty with a single-layer plate material.

Although the insert according to the invention can in principle also be used as an "insole" or as an inserted midsole, it is preferably designed as an insole or firmly connected to the sole in order to integrate it stably into the overall structure of the sole and thus of the entire shoe, which is achieved by both Glue to the sole or vulcanize on or in the Sole can also be done by reshaping the insert with sole material.

The insert according to the invention can, according to the invention, be designed as an insole in that the profiling cavities or interspaces of the transverse profiling and the longitudinal profiling optionally provided in certain embodiments as well as other depressions or the like. are filled by a filler material, preferably permanently connected to the insert, in such a way that the insert and filler material are preferably combined to form a composite material, the upper and / or lower surface of which is flat.

The invention further provides a sole for a shoe which has an insert according to the invention which is firmly connected to the sole or forms a part of the sole, or in which the sole is an insole of the type specified above or is fixed to an insole such insole is connected. In such a sole according to the invention, the insert can be foamed with plastic, overmolded, cast or otherwise formed or vulcanized into a plastic material, this plastic material forming at least part of the sole or the filling compound or the entire filling compound.

With the insert according to the invention, insole or sole, practically all types of shoes can be provided, the term "shoes" within the scope of the present description and claims also including boots, in particular shaft boots, rubber boots and the like, in addition to shoes in the narrower sense, such as for example, low shoes, high shoes and the like. includes. The shoes can be manufactured very inexpensively by using the insert, insole or sole according to the invention. In addition to the above The high lateral stability of the insert, insole or sole according to the invention provides advantages for all shoes, support and protection of the arch of the foot and protection in the ball area, in particular also against burning when running, the elastic resilience of the insert causing, inter alia, that the foot less tired.

The insert, insole or sole according to the invention is advantageous for normal shoes, such as street or running shoes, and it is particularly advantageous for sports shoes, such as in particular, but by no means exclusively, for athletic shoes, jogging shoes, indoor sports shoes, sports shoes for lawn sports, golf shoes , Tennis shoes, high jump shoes, mountain shoes and. Like. And because of the excellent properties it gives the shoe, not only use-promoting and health-protecting, but also performance-enhancing effects that result from the individual properties, such as increased stability, connectivity, elastic resilience, etc. To give just one example, golf shoes have, among other things, an improved impact quality due to the improved stability, the high Rolling mobility and good torsional ability. Trials have shown that a higher jump height can be achieved with a high jump. In mountain shoes, the transmission of pressures from below, which is particularly critical here due to the soil conditions, e.g. scree slopes, is significantly reduced, while at the same time the close contact with the ground is significantly improved and the risk of injury to the feet is considerably reduced due to the possible flat sole construction. This considerable reduction in the risk of injury and improvement of the close contact with the ground is a very important advantage of the invention in all sports.

• Figur 1 eine Draufsicht auf eine erste Ausführungsform einer Einlage gemäß der Erfindung, die sich über den gesamten Bereich der Sohle erstreckt und durchgehend mit einer Querprofilierung versehen ist, (z.B. im Maßstab 1:1 für die Schuhgröße 42) und eine vergrößerte, perspektivische Teilansicht der Querprofilierung;
• Figur 2 eine Draufsicht auf eine zweite Ausführungsform einer erfindungsgemäßen Einlage, die ähnlich der Ausführungsform der Figur 1 ist, wobei jedoch die Querprofilierung eine etwas größere Breite der einzelnen Profile hat und mit Durchgangsöffnungen für Kunststoff versehen ist, mit dem die Einlage bei ihrer Einbettung in eine Sohle umschäumt oder in sonstiger Weise umformt wird;
• Figur 3 eine Draufsicht auf eine dritte Ausführungsform einer Einlage nach der Erfindung, sowie einen Querschnitt durch diese Einlage, die ähnlich der Ausführungsform nach Figur 1 ist, sich jedoch insbesondere dadurch von dieser Ausführungsform unterscheidet, daß sie Durchgangslöcher zum Anbringen von Spikebefestigungselementen besitzt und daß die Querprofilierung im Gelenkbereich teilweise in eine Längsprofilierung übergeht;
• Figur 4 einen Ausschnitt aus einem rechteckigen Mäanderprofil, das als Profilierung in verschiedenen Ausführungsformen vorgesehen sein kann;
• Figur 5 einen Ausschnitt aus einem trapezförmigen Mäanderprofil, das mit einer Sekundärprofilierung versehen ist;
• Figur 6 einen Ausschnitt aus einem Zick-Zack-Profil, das in den Ausführungsformen nach Figur 3 und Figur 7 vorgesehen ist;
• Figur 7 eine vierte Ausführungsform einer Einlage nach der Erfindung, die nur im Vorderfußbereich mit einer Querprofilierung versehen ist, dagegen im Gelenkbereich einen Torsionssteg mit einer Querprofilierung und/oder Längsprofilierung hat (vorliegend ist eine Profilierung im Gelenkbereich vorgesehen, die sich in Längsrichtung des im spitzen Winkel zur Sohlenlängsrichtung verlaufenden Torsionsstegs erstreckt) und im Absatzbereich mit einer Längsprofilierung versehen ist, außerdem sind Durchgangslöcher zum Befestigen von Spikes vorhanden;
• Figur 8 eine fünfte Ausführungsform einer erfindungsgemäßen Einlage, die mit Vertiefungen zur besseren Übertragung des Fußdrucks auf den Boden versehen ist und im Gelenkbereich eine durchgehende Längsprofilierung besitzt;
• Figur 9 einen Teilquerschnitt längs der Linie M-N der Figur 8;
• Figur 10 eine Draufsicht auf eine Sohle mit einer gestrichelt gezeichneten Einlage, die sich nur über den Vorderfußbereich erstreckt;
• Figur 11 einen Schnitt gemäß der Linie S-T der Figur 10, wobei jedoch das Kunststoffmaterial, mit dem die Einlage in die Sohle eingeschäumt ist, aus Darstellungsgründen nicht gezeigt ist;
• Figur 12 eine Längsschnittdarstellung durch die Sohle eines erfindungsgemäßen Sportschuhs mit flacher Sohle und Keilabsatzeinlage;
• Figur 13 eine der Figur 12 entsprechende Längsschnittansicht durch eine andere Ausführungsform eines erfindungsgemäßen Sportschuhs mit Absatz;
• Figur 14 einen vergrößerten Teillängsschnitt durch eine erste Ausführungsform einer Brandsohle, die aus einer Einlage ausgebildet ist, indem die Profilierungshohl- bzw. -zwischenräume durch ein Füllmaterial so ausgefüllt sind, daß eine obere und untere, jeweils plane Oberfläche ausgebildet ist;
• Figur 15 einen vergrößerten Teillängsschnitt durch eine andere Ausführungsform einer Brandsohle, die von einer Einlage mit Ausfüllmasse gebildet ist, wobei die Ausfüllmasse die Profilierung beidseitig überdeckt; und
• Figur 16 einen vergrößerten Teillängsschnitt durch eine noch andere Ausführungsform einer Brandsohle, die aus einer mittels Ausfüllmasse beidseitig plan gemachten Einlage und einer einseitig aufgeklebten oder lose liegenden dünnen Einlegesohle (Einlage) besteht.

The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention are described in more detail below on the basis of particularly preferred embodiments with reference to FIGS. 1 to 14 of the drawing, in which such embodiments and details thereof are shown; show it:

• Figure 1 is a plan view of a first embodiment of an insert according to the invention, which extends over the entire area of the sole and is continuously provided with a cross-profiling (eg on a scale of 1: 1 for shoe size 42) and an enlarged, perspective partial view of the Cross profiling;
• Figure 2 is a plan view of a second embodiment of an insert according to the invention, which is similar to the embodiment of Figure 1, however, the transverse profile has a slightly larger width of the individual profiles and is provided with through openings for plastic, with which the insert when it is embedded in a Foam sole or in is otherwise transformed;
• Figure 3 is a plan view of a third embodiment of an insert according to the invention, and a cross section through this insert, which is similar to the embodiment of Figure 1, but differs in particular from this embodiment in that it has through holes for attaching spike fasteners and that Cross-profiling in the joint area partially merges into longitudinal profiling;
• Figure 4 shows a section of a rectangular meander profile, which can be provided as a profile in various embodiments;
• Figure 5 shows a section of a trapezoidal meander profile, which is provided with a secondary profile;
• FIG. 6 shows a detail from a zigzag profile which is provided in the embodiments according to FIG. 3 and FIG. 7;
• Figure 7 shows a fourth embodiment of an insert according to the invention, which is provided with a transverse profile only in the forefoot area, on the other hand has a torsion bar with a transverse profile and / or longitudinal profile in the joint area (in the present case, a profile is provided in the joint area which is pointed in the longitudinal direction Extends at an angle to the longitudinal direction of the torsion bar) and is provided with a longitudinal profile in the heel area, and there are also through holes for attaching spikes;
• Figure 8 shows a fifth embodiment of an insert according to the invention, which is provided with depressions for better transmission of the foot pressure on the floor and has a continuous longitudinal profile in the joint area;
• 9 shows a partial cross section along the line MN of Figure 8;
• Figure 10 is a plan view of a sole with a dashed insert that extends only over the forefoot area;
• FIG. 11 shows a section along line ST of FIG. 10, but the plastic material with which the insert is foamed into the sole is not shown for reasons of illustration;
• FIG. 12 shows a longitudinal section through the sole of an athletic shoe according to the invention with a flat sole and wedge heel insert;
• FIG. 13 shows a longitudinal sectional view corresponding to FIG. 12 through another embodiment of a sports shoe according to the invention with a heel;
• FIG. 14 shows an enlarged partial longitudinal section through a first embodiment of an insole, which is formed from an insert by dividing the profiling cavities or interspaces through one Filling material is filled so that an upper and lower, each flat surface is formed;
• FIG. 15 shows an enlarged partial longitudinal section through another embodiment of an insole, which is formed by an insert with a filling compound, the filling compound covering the profiling on both sides; and
• FIG. 16 shows an enlarged partial longitudinal section through yet another embodiment of an insole, which consists of an insert made flat on both sides by means of a filling compound and a thin insole (insert) glued or loosely glued on one side.

In the figures of the drawing, identical or similar parts are provided with the same reference numerals, so that with respect to those parts which are provided with reference numerals in a figure but are not explained, the explanations of these parts can be used with reference to previous figures.

Reference is first made to FIG. 1, which shows a top view of a first embodiment of an insert 1 according to the invention. This insert is made in one piece from hard, resilient plate material, preferably from spring steel, and extends over the entire sole area, that is to say it essentially has the outline of an insole, as shown.

The insert 1 is provided over its entire surface with a transverse profile which extends in the transverse direction Q of the sole and perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L of the sole. A partial perspective view of this transverse profile 2 is illustrated in the lower left part of FIG. 1. Then this cross-profiling has a trapezoidal meander profile with rounded profile edges 3. These profile edges 3 are shown in FIG. 1 to characterize the profile direction and the profile period P, the distance between two profile edges 3 shown in FIG. 1 corresponding to half the profile period 1/2 P, since the flanks of the trapezoidal transverse profile 2 differ only slightly from the vertical, so that the two profile edges 3, which each delimit a profile flank, practically coincide into a line from above in the view of FIG. 1.

Of course, in FIG. 1 and also in the other figures, only some of the profile edges shown are provided with a reference symbol.

Below the profile period, as shown in FIG. 1, is the width to understand the periodically repeating profile cross-sectional elements, in the present case the width of a trapezoidal elevation A plus a trapezoidal depression B.

FIG. 2 shows a further embodiment of an insert 1, which differs from the insert according to FIG. 1 essentially in that the transverse profiling 2 has a larger profile period P and that the insert is provided with through openings 4, which are designed in particular as openings . These through openings 4, which are distributed over the surface of the insert 1, serve as through openings for plastic material during foaming, overmolding, casting or other shaping of the insert with plastic for the purpose of integrating the insert into a shoe sole.

In addition, the longitudinal axis C-D, the rolling axis E-F and the transverse axis G-K of the sole into which the insert 1 is integrated are shown in FIG.

The transverse profile 2 of the insert 1 according to FIG. 2 preferably has the profile shape shown in FIG. 1, below, but it can also have a different profile shape, for example one of the profile shapes shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6.

• (a) Während im Vorderfußbereich 5 und im Absatzbereich 7 jeweils als Profilierung eine Querprofilierung 2 vorgesehen ist, weist der Gelenkbereich 6 eine sich in der Längsrichtung der Einlage 1 erstreckende Längsprofilierung 8 auf, die an beiden Längsenden des Gelenkbereichs 6 über eine Übergangsquerprofilierung 9 allmählich in die Querprofilierung 2 des Vorderfußbereichs 5 und des Absatzbereichs 7 übergeht.
• (b) Sowohl die Querprofilierung 3 als auch die Längsprofilierung 8, wie auch die Übergangsquerprofilierung 9 ist als Zick-Zack-Profil ausgebildet, wie die Querschnittsansicht in Figur 3 zeigt. Dieses Profil ist in Figure 6 in einer Teilansicht perspektivisch dargestellt.
• (c) Schließlich weist die Einlage 1 der Ausführungsform nach Figur 3 Durchgangslöcher 10 für das Anbringen von Gewindean- bzw. -einsätzen 11 zum Einschrauben von Noppen oder Spikes 12 auf (siehe Figur 3, rechts, oben). Um die Gewindean- bzw. -einsätze 11 über einen breiten Fuß 14 besonders stabil an der Einlage 1 der Figur 3 befestigen zu können, sind um die Durchgangslöcher 10 herum flache Bereiche 13, das heißt Bereiche ohne die Querprofilierung 2, vorgesehen. Die vorliegende Art der Befestigung von Noppen oder Spikes ist nur ein Beispiel für die vielfältigen Möglichkeiten einer festen oder lösbaren Anbringung derselben an der erfindungsgemäßen Einlage.

FIG. 3 shows a top view of a third embodiment of an insert 1 according to the invention and a longitudinal section through this insert, which differs in several respects from the embodiments according to FIGS. 1 and 2:

• (a) While a transverse profile 2 is provided as a profiling in the forefoot area 5 and in the heel area 7, the joint area 6 has a longitudinal profile 8 which extends in the longitudinal direction of the insert 1 and which gradually passes in at both longitudinal ends of the joint area 6 via a transitional cross profile 9 the transverse profiling 2 of the forefoot area 5 and the heel area 7 merges.
• (b) Both the cross profile 3 and the longitudinal profile 8, as well as the transition cross profile 9, are designed as a zigzag profile, as the cross-sectional view in FIG. 3 shows. This profile is shown in perspective in Figure 6 in a partial view.
• (c) Finally, the insert 1 of the embodiment according to FIG. 3 has through holes 10 for attaching threaded inserts 11 for screwing in knobs or spikes 12 (see FIG. 3, top right). In order to be able to attach the threaded inserts or inserts 11 particularly stably to the insert 1 in FIG. 3 via a wide base 14, flat areas 13, that is to say areas without the transverse profiling 2, are provided around the through holes 10. The present type of attachment of knobs or spikes is only one example of the various possibilities of attaching the same firmly or releasably to the insert according to the invention.

As already indicated, FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 show perspective partial views of profiles which, instead of the profile shown at the bottom left in FIG. 1, as cross-profiling 2 and / or longitudinal profiling 8 and optionally Transition profiling 9 can be used. It should be pointed out here that the profiles shown are only a few profiles from an abundance of the most varied profiles which are suitable for the insert according to the invention.

In particular, FIG. 4 shows a rectangular meandering profile, while FIG. 5 shows a trapezoidal meandering profile with a secondary profiling 15 which is smaller than the trapezoidal meandering profile and whose direction of profiling is perpendicular to the direction of profiling of the trapezoidal meandering profile. As already mentioned, FIG. 6 shows a zigzag profile. The profile edges 3 can be more or less rounded, so that the profiles according to FIGS. 4 and 6 can, if desired, pass into groove profiles with grooves of semicircular or oval or arcuate cross-section.

The profile period P is preferably in the range between 3 mm and 20 mm, preferably in the range between 6 mm and 16 mm and particularly preferably in the range between 8 mm and 13 mm, while the profile height H is preferably in the range between 1 mm and 5 mm is in the range between 2 mm and 3 mm, the hard, resilient plate material from which the insert 1 is made preferably consisting of metal or plastic material, particularly preferably spring steel. The thickness of this plate material depends on the type of material and is generally preferably in the range between 0.5 mm and 1.5 mm.

FIG. 7 shows an insert 1 which has a transverse profile 2 in the forefoot area and a continuous longitudinal profile 8 in the joint and heel area and with through holes 10 is provided for the direct attachment of spikes or for the attachment of fasteners for spikes.

FIG. 8 shows a plan view of a further embodiment of an insert 1 according to the invention, the transverse profile 2 of which, which is provided in the forefoot area and in the heel area between a longitudinal profile 8 in the joint area, is interrupted by a plurality of depressions 16 directed towards the floor. The depressions can be circular. The three depressions 16 provided in the forefoot area are located in the area of the big toe and the ball of the foot, while the rear depression 16 is located in the area of the heel.

These depressions 16 serve for better transmission of the foot pressure to the floor. As FIG. 9, which shows a section along line M-N of FIG. 8 through one of the depressions, illustrates, the bottom 17 of the depression 16 is flat or at the deepest profiling level, that is to say it is closest to the floor.

FIG. 10 shows a sole 18 with an insert 1 shown in broken lines, which extends only over the forefoot area and is provided with a transverse profile 2 throughout. In the longitudinal section of FIG. 11 along the line ST through the sole of FIG. 10, only the outsole of the sole 18 is shown, while the plastic material in which the insert 1 is foamed and which is firmly connected to the outsole is omitted for the sake of illustration .

FIGS. 12 and 13 show schematically how an insert 1 is preferably integrated into the overall structure of a sole, namely between the outsole 19 on the one hand and the insole 20 and the footbed 21 on the other hand, the heel part 22 can be a wedge insert in the case of the flat sole 18 of FIG.

Both the insert 1 of the sole 18 according to FIG. 12 and that of the sole according to FIG. 13 has a continuous transverse profile in the forefoot area and in the heel area, while a longitudinal profile 8 is provided in the joint area. In the heel shoe according to FIG. 13, this longitudinal profiling is designed to rise in an arc shape, as can be seen at 23, and it passes over a steeply sloping region 24 of the insert 1 at the beginning of the heel into the transverse profiling 2 of the heel region.

In the sole according to FIG. 12, spikes 12 are inserted into the transverse profiling 2 of the forefoot area and the heel area through corresponding through holes in the insert 1 and, at their foot parts 25, which are supported laterally on the vertical flanks of the transverse profiling 2, are welded to the insert 1, for example, or otherwise attached to this insert. For the formation of the soles, which are provided with an insert according to the invention, all customary materials can be used, wherein other customary inserts, such as the heel wedge in the wedge shoe according to FIG. 12, can be foamed into the sole together with the insert 1.

14, 15 and 16 show greatly enlarged and not necessarily to scale partial longitudinal sections through three exemplary embodiments of an insole 31, which comprises an insert 1 with transverse profiling 2 and a filling compound 33 (shown hatched) that fills the profiling cavities or interstices 32. This filler 33 fills the profiling cavities 32 so that the upper surface 34 and the lower surface 35 of the insole are flat.

The insert 1 and the filling compound 33 are preferably firmly bonded to one another, for example by gluing or vulcanization, the insert, if it is made of metal, preferably being primed to improve adhesion. The filling compound can be or contain plastic and / or felt and / or other filling material.

While in FIG. 14 the thickness of the insole 31 is equal to the height H of the insert 1, in the insole 31 according to FIG. 15 the thickness R of the filling compound 33 is greater than the height H of the insert 1, so that thin sides are provided on both sides of the insole Layers Y and Z of filling compound are present over the insert 1. Layer Y can also be provided only on one side, preferably on the side facing the foot, in particular to improve comfort for the foot.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 16, there is an even greater improvement in foot comfort in that a thin insole 36 is applied firmly or loosely to the upper side 34 of the composite article formed from the insert 1 and the filling compound 33.

The insert 1 in FIG. 14, which has a trapezoidal cross-section 2 rounded in cross section, can be, for example, the insert shown in FIG. 1, in which, for example, the insert made of primed spring steel sheet is preferably 0.2 mm Material thickness with a profile period P of 5 mm and a height H of 2.0 mm and is made flat on both sides with a filling compound made of flexible plastic.

The insert 1 in FIG. 15, which has a groove-shaped transverse profile, can be the insert shown in FIG. 2, for example. And the insert 1 in FIG. 16, which has a zigzag-shaped transverse profile, can be, for example, the insert shown in FIG. 3, but preferably without the stud holes 10 and without the flat areas 13 of FIG. 3. In principle, the insole 31 can be made of Each insert according to the invention can be produced, and in the case of the insert according to FIGS. 8 and 9, the depressions 16 can also be filled with the filling compound 33, which can also have shock-absorbing properties.

It goes without saying that the filling compound has a substantially lower hardness than the material of the insert, for example it is soft-elastic and possibly also shock absorbing, so that the properties of the insert according to the invention are highly effective despite the filling compound. The same also applies to the plastic material with which an insert according to the invention can be formed.

Claims (39)

1. An inlay for a shoe having the following features:

   (a) the inlay (1) extends at least over substantially the entire front foot region (5);

   (b) the inlay (1) is integrally formed from hard elastic sheet material of uniform thickness;

   (c) the inlay (1) is profiled transverse to the longitudinal direction of the sole; and

   (d) the transverse profiling (2) extends at least over substantially the entire front foot region (5);

   (e) the resilient sheet material comprises a groove, channel, rib, or furrow-shaped, corrugated, crimped, meander-shaped, meander-like, zig-zag or trapezoidal transverse profile (2);

      characterised in that the transverse profiling (2) is periodically repeated.
2. An inlay according to claim 1, characterised in that the width of the raised sections (A) is equal to the width of the recesses (B) of the periodically repeating profile cross sectional elements.
3. An inlay according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the profile period (P) of the periodically repeating profile cross sectional element measures 3 mm to 20 mm.
4. An inlay according to claim 3, characterised in that the profile period measures 6 mm to 16 mm.
5. An inlay according to claim 3 or 4, characterised in that the profile period measures 8 mm to 13 mm.
6. An inlay according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the hard resilient sheet material is metal and/or plastics material sheet material, preferably sheet steel and particularly preferably sheet spring steel.
7. An inlay according to claim 6, characterised in that the hard resilient sheet material has a thickness of between 0.1 mm and 1.5 mm.
8. An inlay according to claim 7, characterised in that the hard resilient sheet material has a thickness of between 0.3 mm and 0.5 mm.
9. An inlay according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the inlay (1) extends over substantially the entire surface of the sole.
10. An inlay according to claim 9, characterised in that the transverse profiling (2) extends substantially over the entire sole region.
11. An inlay according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterised in that the transverse profiling (2) extends over the entire inlay width.
12. An inlay according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that, in the joint region (6), the inlay (1) comprises longitudinal profiling (8) extending in the longitudinal direction of the sole.
13. An inlay according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that, in the heel region (7), the inlay (1) comprises longitudinal profiling (8) extending in the longitudinal direction of the sole.
14. An inlay according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the transverse profiling (2) is corrugated, scalloped, furrowed, channelled or serrated in the profiling direction or comprises a different secondary profiling (15) extending transverse to the profiling direction.
15. An inlay according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the longitudinal profiling (8) is corrugated, scalloped, furrowed,,channelled or serrated in the profiling direction or comprises a different secondary profiling (15) extending transverse to the profiling direction.
16. An inlay according to one of claims 1 to 15, characterised in that, in a predetermined foot region or in a plurality of predetermined foot regions, the inlay (1) comprises a recess (16) facing the ground for improving the transmission of the foot pressure to the ground, preferably in the region of the large toes, the ball of the foot and/or the heel.
17. An inlay according to one of claims 1 to 16, characterised, in that burls or spikes (12) are non- releasably arranged on the inlay (1) or can be replaceably fitted via securing means provided on or in the inlay (1).
18. An inlay according to claim 17, characterised in that the base sections (14, 25) of the burls or spikes (12) or the securing means (11) are secured in recesses of the inlay (1) and are supported against the side walls of the recesses.
19. An inlay according to claim 18, characterised in that the base sections (14, 25) fit in a positive-locking manner against the adjacent side walls of the recesses.
20. An inlay according to claim 18 or 19, characterised in that the base sections (14, 25) are securely fitted against the adjacent side walls of the recesses.
21. An inlay according to claim 18, 19 or 20, characterised in that the recesses, in which the base sections (14, 25) of the burls or spikes (12) or threaded inserts (11) thereof are recesses of the transverse profiling (2).
22. An inlay according to claim 18, 19, 20 or 21, characterised in that the recesses, in which the base sections (14, 25) of the burls or spikes (12) or threaded inserts (11) thereof are recesses of the longitudinal profiling (8).
23. An inlay according to one of claims 1 to 22, characterised in that the inlay (1) is provided with through openings (4) for plastics material, which are distributed over the surface of the inlay (1), preferably with one or more injection ducts for injecting through the plastics material and with a plurality of smaller through openings.
24. An inlay according to one of claims 1 to 23, characterised in that the inlay (1) is made of a compound sheet material having a plurality of layers combined to form an integrated compound structure, at least one of said layers comprising transverse profiling (2) at least in the front foot region (5).
25. An inlay according to claim 24, characterised in that the compound sheet material comprises a flat layer of flexible resilient material and a profile layer.
26. An inlay according to one of claims 1 to 25, characterised in that the inlay (1) is designed as an insole (31), in that the profiling cavities or intermediate spaces (32) are filled with a filler (33).
27. An inlay according to claim 26, characterised in that the upper surface (34) of the inlay (1) provided with the filler (33) is flat.
28. An inlay according to claim 26 or 27, characterised in that the lower surface (35) of the inlay provided with filler (33) is flat.
29. An inlay according to claim 26, 27 or 28, characterised in that the thickness (R) of the filling material provided as a filler (33) is equal to or greater than the height (H) of the inlay (1), so that when the thickness (R) is greater, a thin layer (Y, Z) of filling material is formed over the inlay (1) on one or both sides of the insole (31).
30. An inlay according to claim 26, 27, 28 or 29, characterised in that the inlay (1) and the filling material provided as a filler (33) are permanently adhesively connected with one another to form a component.
31. An inlay according to claim 30, characterised in that the inlay (1) and the filler (33) are connected with one another by bonding or vulcanisation.
32. An inlay according to claim 30 or 31, characterised in that an inlay (1) made of metal is provided and is pried to improve adhesion.
33. An inlay according to one of claims 26 to 32, characterised in that the filler (33) is or contains plastics material and/or felt.
34. An inlay according to one of claims 26 to 33, characterised in that a thin inlay sole (36) is arranged on the upper side (34) of the compound article formed by the inlay (1) and the filler (33).
35. A sole (18) for a shoe comprising an inlay (1) according to one of claims 1 to 25, characterised in that the inlay is securely integrated in the overall structure of the sole (18).
36. A sole according to claim 35, characterised in that the inlay (1) is integrated in the overall structure of the sole (18) between an outer sole (19) on the one hand and an inner sole (20) and foot bed (21) on the other hand.
37. A sole for a shoe, characterised in that the sole comprises an inlay according to one of claims 26 to 34 designed as an insole (31).
38. A sole according to claim 35, 36 or 37, characterised in that the inlay (1) is enclosed by a plastics material applied by foaming, injection, casting or other manner or is vulcanised into a plastics material, which forms at least part of the sole or filling material or the entire filling material.
39. A shoe with an inlay according to one of claims 26 to 38.

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