FR2874307A1 - SOLE OF A SHOE. SHOE EQUIPPED WITH THE SOFT SOLE - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a sole comprising protuberances (3) on its face in contact with the ground, this sole being characterized in that at least some of these protuberances (3) are in the form of spheres and are partially encased in the thickness of the said sole.

Description

2874307 1

  The invention relates to a shoe sole.

  It also relates to the shoe equipped with the said sole.

  The shoes are all provided with a sole coming into contact with the ground. This sole can be monolayer or be more complex.

  When they are more complex, that is to say multilayer, the layer in contact with the ground is a wear layer that can be smooth or notched or have pads or protuberances for its grip with the ground. Generally the material is resistant to abrasion and relatively uncompressible.

  The protuberances are of the same material as the rest of the outsole and are derived from the same manufacturing process as the rest of the wear layer.

  Above the wear layer, the sole then has one or more layers forming the more technical body of the sole.

  This technical body can be simple or multilayer material more or less flexible depending on the use of the shoe equipped with the sole.

  Indeed, a city shoe has a sole completely different from a hiking shoe or foot races.

  When walking, it is first the heel that comes into contact with the ground and the forces are much lower than during a run. Indeed, during the run on foot, besides the weight of the runner enters into account, the speed of it which generates significant efforts on the foot and the leg of the runner.

  Depending on the use, there are therefore many solutions to minimize the efforts on the human body.

  Generally, multiple layers with more or less dense materials distributed according to the support of the foot.

  Indeed, the heel does not undergo the same constraints as the front part of the foot depending on whether you walk or run.

  The multiplication of the layers thus makes it possible to separate and adapt the behavior of the front part of the sole from that of the rear.

  The sole can therefore be adapted to the use that will be made of it and even to the morphology of the runner which can be supinator or pronator.

  What is sought is the attenuation of the forces therefore a damping effect.

  In place of or in addition to these different layers of more or less flexible materials, there are also soles comprising air pockets and other balls housed in cavities arranged in the thickness of this layer. Balls housed in individual cavities EP-A-299.669 or in a cavity comprising several beads EP-A-383-685 are known for example so that they roll. These beads have massaging effects and / or shock absorption. These balls are not in direct contact with the ground. They serve as absorbent interfaces between the outsole and the upper layers.

  Shock absorption is the desired function on these shoes including 10 sports. The purpose of these inserts is to absorb the energy and restore it in the sole in all directions.

  The wear layer transmits forces to the upper layers, which must then absorb the forces.

  When several layers of beads are made, it is desired to obtain a better diffusion of energy in space.

  It goes without saying that not all forces should be absorbed.

  The invention proposes a new sole which brings a better dynamism to the wearer of the shoe equipped with said sole.

  For this purpose, the subject of the invention is a sole comprising protuberances on its face in contact with the ground, this sole being characterized in that at least some of these protuberances are in the form of spheres and are partially encased in the thickness of said sole.

  The invention will be better understood from the following description given by way of nonlimiting example with reference to the drawing which shows schematically: FIG. 1: a vertical section of a shoe sole FIG. vertical variant of a sole.

  Referring to the drawing, we see a shoe sole 1. This has a face 2 in contact with the ground.

  This face in contact with the ground bears protuberances 3.

  According to the invention, at least some of these protuberances 3 are in the form of spheres 3 and are partially encased in the thickness of said sole.

  More specifically, these protuberances 3 are independent of the sole that receives them and are partially housed in cavities 4 where they are fixed. These cavities are open downwards.

  What is important is that there is a kind of boundary between the protuberances 3 and the body 4 of the sole so that the forces generated by the contact of the protuberance with the ground will spread in the sole according to the directions of a half sphere because of the spherical shape of the protuberance and the fact that it is partially embedded in the sole.

  Each protuberance will preferably be embedded in mid-diameter.

  The material constituting the protuberances may be the same as that of the layer containing the latter, but preferably it will be different.

  The beads are, for example, softer than the layer that contains them.

  We can get a bouncing effect.

  The protuberances may be, for example, latex, rubber, thermoplastic rubber known as TR or TPR .It may be a so-called lightened varainte of these materials.

  They can be thermo-polyurethane or polyurethane or EVA (ethyl vinyl acetate).

  Depending on the nature of the material constituting the protuberances and the one in which they are embedded, one will have a different result.

  Another advantage of this type of sole is that it is possible to adapt the distribution, dimensions and / or nature of the spheres according to the points of impact of the sole with the ground.

  On the aesthetic level, you can choose different colors to create a logo.

  A bi-injection or multi-injection method can be used to form and fix these spherical protuberances in the thickness of the soleplate.

  Some of the protuberances may be fixed by mechanical means such as latching.

  Figure 2 shows a sole variant comprising a front foot pad and a heel. The shoe is not necessarily provided on its heel or skate before the foot of spheres.

  2874307 4 It is seen that for the heel, the spheres are carried by a tip 5 relating to the body of the heel.

  On this heel, one can for example provide one or more spheres larger than other spheres.

Claims (5)

  1. Sole comprising protuberances (3) on its face in contact with the ground, this sole being characterized in that at least some of these protuberances (3) are in the form of spheres and are partially encased in the thickness of the so-called sole.   2. Sole according to claim 1 characterized in that the protuberances are embedded at mid-diameter.   3. Sole according to claim 1 characterized in that the protuberances are made of a material different from the layer which contains them.   4. Sole according to claim 1 characterized in that some of the protuberances are fixed by mechanical means.   5. Shoe characterized in that it is provided with a sole according to any one of claims 1 to 4.