Boots – shoes – and leggings – Soles – Cushion
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-18
2001-12-18
Sewell, Paul T. (Department: 3728)
Boots, shoes, and leggings
Soles
Cushion
C036S027000, C036S029000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06330757
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention broadly relates to articles of footwear that are adapted to be worn by a human, especially during athletic events. More particularly, however, the present invention is directed to a sole construction that may be incorporated into footwear or as an insert into existing footwear in order to store kinetic energy generated by the person. The footwear is thus particularly useful to return the energy stored so as to enhance performance of the footwear and thus the individual wearing the same.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
From the earliest times when humans began wearing coverings on their feet, there has been an ever present desire to make such coverings more useful and more comfortable. Accordingly, a plethora of different types of footwear has been developed in order to meet specialized needs of a particular activity in which the wearer intends to participate. Likewise, there have been many developments to enhance the comfort level of both general and specialized footwear.
One area of footwear which has received increasing attention in recent years has been athletic footwear. The increasing popularity of athletic endeavors has seen an increasing number of shoe design intended to meet the needs of the participants. The advancements in athletic shoe constructions have especially occurred where the participants are engaged in rigorous movements, such as running, jumping and the like.
It is well understood that, in typical walking and running gaits, one foot contacts the support surface (such as the ground) in a “stance mode” while the other foot is moving through the air in a “swing mode”. During the stance mode, a respective foot travels through three successive basic phases: heel strike, mid-stance and toe-off. At faster running paces, the heel strike phase is usually omitted since the person tends to elevate onto his/her toes.
Typical shoe construction fails to completely address the needs of an athlete's foot and ankle during the various stages of the walking and running gait. Traditional shoe constructions result in a loss of a significant portion of the functional ability of the foot during these activities. Losses have been observed in the ability of the foot to absorb shock, in load musculature and tendon systems and in the propulsion of the body. One reason for these deficiencies is the failure of traditional shoe designs to address individually the heel, toes, tarsals, muscles and tendons of a person's foot.
Moreover, in vigorous athletic activities, the athlete generates kinetic energy from the motion of running, jumping, etc. Traditional shoe designs have served merely to dampen the shock from these activities thereby dissipating that energy. Rather than losing the kinetic energy produced by the athlete, it is useful to store and retrieve that energy thereby enhancing the athletic performance. Traditional shoe construction, however, has failed to address this need.
In the last several years, there have been some attempts to construct athletic shoes that provide some rebound thereby to return energy to the athlete. Various air bladder systems have been employed to provide a “bounce” during use. In addition, there have been numerous advancements and materials used to construct the sole the shoe in an effort to make them more “springy”.
In my earlier invention disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,145 issued Jul. 15, 1997, I teach an athletic footwear sole construction that enhances the performance of the shoe in several ways. First, the construction described in the '145 Patent individually addresses the heel, toe, tarsal and metatarsal regions of the foot to allow more flexibility so that the various portions of the sole cooperate with respective portions of the foot. In addition, a resilient layer is provided in the sole which cooperates with cavities formed at various locations to help store energy.
While the advancements in shoe constructions described above, including the '145 Patent, have provided a great benefit to the athlete, there remains a continued need for increased performance of athletic footwear. There remains a need for athletic footwear sole constructions that can store increasing amounts of kinetic energy for return to the athlete.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and useful sole construction that may be incorporated into footwear or used as an insert into existing footwear.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a structure for use with footwear that stores kinetic energy when a compressive weight is placed thereon and which releases that energy when the weight is taken off.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide footwear, and, specifically, a sole construction therefor, that enhances the performance of the footwear.
According to the present invention, then, a sole is adapted for use with an article of footwear to be worn on the foot of a person while the person traverses along a support surface. This sole is operative to store and release energy resulting from compressive forces generated by the person's weight on the support surface. This sole is thus an improvement which can be incorporated with standard footwear uppers. Alternatively, the invention can be configured as an insert sole which can be inserted into an existing shoe or other article of footwear.
In its broad form, the sole according to the present invention has a first layer of stretchable resilient material that has opposite first and second surfaces. A first profile is formed of a stiff material and is positioned on the first side of the resilient layer. The first profile includes a first profile chamber formed therein. This first profile chamber has an interior region opening toward the first surface of the resilient layer. The first profile in the resilient layer are positioned relative to one another so that the resilient layer spans across the first interior region. A second profile is also formed of a stiff material and is positioned on the second side of the resilient layer opposite the first profile. This second profile includes a primary actuator element that faces the second surface of the resilient layer to define a static state. The first and second profile are positioned relative to one another with the primary actuator element being oriented relative to the first profile chamber such that the compressive force between the foot and the support surface will move the first and second profiles toward one another. When this occurs, the primary actuator element advances into the first profile chamber thereby stretching the resilient layer into the interior region thereby to define an active state. In the active state, energy is stored by the resilient layer, and the resilient layer releases this energy to move the first and second profiles apart upon removal of the compressive force.
Preferably, the second profile has a second profile chamber formed therein. This second profile chamber has a second interior region opening toward the second surface of the resilient layer so that the resilient layer also spans across this second region. A plunger element is then provided and is disposed in the first interior region. This plunger element is operative to move into and out of the second interior region when the first and second profiles move between the static and active states. Here, also, a plurality of plunger elements may be disposed in the first interior region with these plunger elements operative to move into and out of the second interior region when the first and second profiles move between the static and active states. The plunger element may be formed integrally with the first layer of resilient material.
A third profile may also be provided, with this third profile having a third profile chamber formed therein. This third profile chamber has a third interior region. Here, a second layer of stretchable resilient material spans across the third region. The first profile then includes a secondary actuator element positioned t
Britek Footwear Development LLC
Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP
Moh'andesi Jila M.
Sewell Paul T.
LandOfFree
Footwear with energy storing sole construction does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Footwear with energy storing sole construction, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Footwear with energy storing sole construction will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2585728