Boots – shoes – and leggings – Soles – Spring heel
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-10
2002-09-17
Kavanaugh, Ted (Department: 3728)
Boots, shoes, and leggings
Soles
Spring heel
C036S038000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06449878
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to articles of footwear, and in particular, to those including spring elements, and to footwear constructions which include selectively removable and renewable components.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The article of footwear taught in the present invention includes a spring element which can provide improved cushioning, stability, running economy, and a long service life. Unlike the conventional foam materials presently being used by the footwear industry, the spring element is not substantially subject to compression set degradation and can provide a relatively long service life. The components of the article of footwear including the upper, insole, spring element, and outsole portions can be selected from a range of options, and can be easily removed and replaced, as desired. Further, the relative configuration and functional relationship as between the forefoot, midfoot and rearfoot areas of the article of footwear can be readily modified and adjusted. Accordingly, the article of footwear can be customized by a wearer or specially configured for a select target population in order to optimize desired performance criteria.
Conventional athletic footwear typically include an outsole made of a rubber compound which is affixed by adhesive to a midsole made of ethylene vinyl acetate or polyurethane foam material which is in turn affixed by adhesive to an upper which is constructed with the use of stitching and adhesives. Because of the difficulty, time, and expense associated with renewing any portion of conventional articles of footwear, the vast majority are generally discarded at the end of their service life. This service life can be characterized as having a short duration when the wearer frequently engages in athletic activity such as distance running or tennis. In tennis, portions of the outsole can be substantially abraded within a few hours, and in distance running the foam midsole can become compacted and degrade by taking a compression set within one hundred miles of use. The resulting deformation of the foam midsole can degrade cushioning, footwear stability, and contribute to athletic injuries. Accordingly, many competitive distance runners who routinely cover one hundred miles in a week's time will discard their athletic footwear after logging three hundred miles in order to avoid possible injury.
Even though the service life of conventional athletic footwear is relatively short, the price of athletic footwear has steadily increased: over the last three decades, and some models now bear retail prices over one hundred and twenty dollars. However, some of this increase in retail prices has been design and fashion driven as opposed to reflecting actual value added, thus some individuals believe that the best values on functional athletic footwear can be found in the price range of fifty to eighty dollars. In any case, conventional athletic footwear remain disposable commodities and few are being recycled. The method of manufacture and disposal of conventional athletic footwear is therefore relatively inefficient and not environmentally friendly.
In contrast with conventional athletic footwear, the present invention teaches an article of footwear that includes spring elements which do not take a compression set or similarly degrade, thus the physical and mechanical properties afforded by a preferred article of footwear remain substantially the same over a useful service life which can be several times longer than that of conventional articles footwear. The present invention teaches an article of footwear which represents an investment, as opposed to a disposable commodity. Like an automobile, the preferred article of footwear includes components which can be easily renewed and replaced, but also components which can be varied and customized, as desired.
Prior art examples devices and means for selectively and removably affixing various components of an article of footwear include, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 2,183,277, U.S. Pat. No. 2,200,080, U.S. Pat. No. 2,552,943, U.S. Pat. No. 2,640,283, U.S. Pat. No. 3,818,617, U.S. Pat. No. 3,878,626, U.S. Pat. No. 3,906,646, U.S. Pat. No. 3,982,336, U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,440, U.S. Pat. No. 4,262,434, U.S. Pat. No. 4,267,650, U.S. Pat. No. 4,279,083, U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,294, U.S. Pat. No. 4,317,294, U.S. Pat. No. 4,351,120, U.S. Pat. No. 4,377,042, U.S. Pat. No. 4,606,139, U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,372, U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,369, U.S. Pat. No. 5,083,385, U.S. Pat. No. 5,317,822, U.S. Pat. No. 5,410,821, U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,280, U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,198, U.S. Pat. No. 5,615,497, U.S. Pat. No. 5,644,857, U.S. Pat. No. 5,657,558, U.S. Pat. No. 5,661,915, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,826,352.
Conventional athletic footwear cannot be substantially customized for use by the consumer or wearer. The physical and mechanical properties of conventional athletic footwear are relatively fixed generic qualities. However, the body weight or mass and characteristic running technique of different individuals having the same footwear size can vary greatly. Often, the stiffness in compression of the foam material used in the midsole of athletic shoes can be too soft for individuals who employ more forceful movements, or who have greater body mass than, an average wearer. Accordingly, conventional articles of athletic footwear do not provide. optimal performance characteristics for individual wearers.
In contrast, the present invention permits a wearer to customize a preferred article of footwear. For example, the length, width, girth, and configuration of the upper, as provided by various last options, or by two or three dimensional modeling and footwear design equipment such as computer software, or by two, three, or four dimensional measurement devices such as scanners, as well as the type of footwear construction and design of the upper can be selected by the consumer or wearer. Further, the physical and mechanical properties of the article of footwear can be selected and changed as desired in order to optimize desired performance characteristics given various performance criteria or environmental conditions. For example, the configuration and geometry of the article of footwear, and the stiffness of the spring elements can be customized, as desired. In addition, the ability to easily remove, renew, and recycle the outsole portions of the preferred article of footwear renders the use of softer materials having enhanced shock and vibration dampening characteristics, but perhaps diminished wear properties viable from a practical standpoint. Moreover, the outsole portion of the preferred article of. footwear can be selected from a variety of options with regards to configuration, materials, and function.
The physical and mechanical properties associated with an article of footwear of the present invention can provide enhanced cushioning, stability, and running economy relative to conventional articles of footwear. The spring to dampening ratio of conventional articles of footwear is commonly in the range between 40-60 percent, whereas the preferred article of footwear can provide a higher spring to dampening ratio, thus greater mechanical efficiency and running economy. The preferred article of footwear can include an anterior spring element that underlies the forefoot area which can store energy during the latter portion of the stance phase and early portion of the propulsive phase of the running cycle, and then release this energy during the latter portion of the propulsive phase, thus facilitating improved running economy. It is believed that the resulting improvement in running performance can approximate one second over four hundred meters, or two to three percent.
The preferred article of footwear can provide differential stiffness in the rearfoot area so as to reduce both the rate and magnitude of pronation, or alternately, the rate and magnitude of supination experienced by an individual wearer, thus avoid conditions which can be associated with injury. Likewise, the preferred article of footwear can provide.
Kavanaugh Ted
Westman Champlin & Kelly P.A.
LandOfFree
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