Boots – shoes – and leggings – Soles – Cushion
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-20
2001-07-31
Sewell, Paul T. (Department: 3728)
Boots, shoes, and leggings
Soles
Cushion
C036S028000, C036S03500R, C036S03500R, C036S037000, C036S00300B, C036S141000, C156S145000, C005S706000, C005S707000, C005S711000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06266898
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to shoes, especially athletic shoes, in general, and more particularly, to structures for circulating air and absorbing shocks encountered when wearing such footwear.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are already known various constructions of shoes, among them athletes' footwear and their not-too-distant relatives, the ever-popular “sneakers”. While even “fully enclosing” shoes or boots, that is those having natural or artificial material uppers, perform to satisfaction as far as air access to various parts of the foot of the wearer is concerned when such footwear is used for normal day-to-day activities, there are circumstances, such as when footwear such as the aforementioned sneakers is used in more strenuous activities or, for all intents and purposes, at all times when athletic footwear is being used in sports and similar activities, when the air circulation especially in the toe region of the shoe is simply inadequate to properly deal with the problem of accumulating moisture (sweat) at the affected region.
Attempts have been made to address this issue, be it by arranging “breathing” (i.e., permeable fabric) inserts at, or by providing perforations in, the zones of the shoe uppers adjacent such regions. Yet, experience has shown that, while these measures may not be absolutely worthless, their effectiveness and efficacy leave much to be desired. This is primarily so because, as has been realized during the contemplation of the present invention, there is not much to compel air to actually flow through such permeable fabric inserts or perforations in and out of the toe region. Of course, the situation is somewhat different as far as the instep area of the foot arch region is concerned, especially since the curvature of the foot arch changes as the foot moves even while walking, so that such inserts or perforations can frequently be found in sneakers and athletic footwear at such areas of the shoe uppers. This, however, does not do anything for ventilation of the toe region of the wearer's foot where the problem of moisture accumulation is perhaps most acute.
Nor are fabric inserts very useful in absorbing shocks or forces encountered by the feet during wearing the footwear. There are already known various shoe inserts, including air-filled tubes or resilient cushions, that tend to absorb or mitigate at least part of the shock force. However, experience has shown that the air-filled tubes do not provide sufficient give, and that the cushions provide too much give, so that their usefulness is not altogether satisfactory.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to avoid the disadvantages of the prior art.
More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an air circulation and shock absorption structure for a shoe that does not possess the drawbacks of the known structures of this type.
Still another object of the present invention is to devise a shoe ventilation structure of the type here under consideration which would render it possible to move air in and out of the toe region of the interior of the shoe in question while the latter is being worn by a user.
It is yet another object of the present invention to design the above ventilating structure in such a manner as to actually pump air into and/or out of the affected region.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an effective shock absorbing structure for a shoe.
A concomitant object of the present invention is so to construct the ventilating structure of the above type as to be relatively simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to use, and yet reliable in operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In keeping with the above objects and others which will become apparent hereafter, one feature of the present invention resides in a structure for ventilating a toe region of a shoe. This structure includes a body that is substantially coextensive with an inwardly facing surface of a sole of the respective shoe and having a toe zone, a heel zone, a ball zone, an arch zone between the ball and heel zones, and respective lateral zones.
In accordance with the present invention, the heel zone of the body includes two major walls arranged in mutually facing relationship, and circumferential walls interconnecting the major walls and bounding an enclosed pumping chamber with them. At least one of these major walls is flexible to be able to yield into and out of the chamber in response to a rise and fall in the magnitude of external forces acting thereon with attendant increase and decrease in the pressure of air contained in the pumping chamber. In further accord with the present invention, there is further provided conduit means in the body for establishing air flow paths between the toe region and one of the lateral zones of the body, this conduit means including an elongated estuary section opening at least onto a lateral surface of the one lateral zone.
To finalize this overall description of the present invention, it is to be mentioned that there is further provided means for injecting air from the pumping chamber, when the pressure in the latter exceeds the ambient pressure, substantially axially and in a direction toward the lateral surface, into the estuary section for entraining the previously stationary air present in the estuary section for joint travel therewith and hence for drawing replenishment air out of the toe region of the shoe into and through the conduit means. A particular advantage of the arrangement of the present invention as described so far is the flow amplification effect obtained by injecting the usually high-speed and hence high-energy jet of air from into the estuary section where it dramatically increases the volume of air being drawn through the conduit means and hence out of the toe region of the shoe.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the ventilating structure further includes a resilient element arranged substantially coextensively in the pumping chamber and having a multitude of voids. This resilient element is operative for urging the two major walls away from one another against the action of the external forces thereon but, because of the presence of the voids in it, still leaves enough space of the pumping chamber empty for the effective and efficient performance of the pumping action.
Advantageously, the resilient element includes a plurality of substantially dome-shaped hollow protuberances bounding respective first and second voids within and outside of them, respectively, and connecting portions that interconnect the protuberances. It is further advantageous in this context when there is further provided means for bounding respective connecting channels in the connecting portions and in respective adjacent regions of the protuberances for such connecting channels to establish communication between the first voids so that the pressure in such first voids rises and falls substantially in unison. The protuberances are arranged in staggered rows and, as a group, collectively perform a shock-absorbing function.
Another advantageous feature of the present invention is to be found in the fact that the injecting means includes a tube embedded in the body and bounding an internal passage opening into the pumping chamber on one end and into the estuary section on the other.
A further advantageous facet of the present invention involves the provision of additional conduit means connecting the toe region of the shoe with the pumping chamber. In this connection, it is also advantageous to associate one-way flow-control means with the additional conduit means in such a manner that it permits air to flow through the additional conduit means in a direction from the toe region of the shoe to the pumping chamber but not in the opposite direction. A particularly advantageous construction of such flow control means is obtained when it includes a flexible flap valve arranged at that end portion of t
Kirschstein et al.
Sewell Paul T.
Stashick Anthony
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