EP0619084A1

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Publication number: EP0619084A1
Application number: EP94102637A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Dennis R. Driscoll
Original assignee: Wilson Sporting Goods Co
Current assignee: Wilson Sporting Goods Co
Priority date: 1993-02-23
Filing date: 1994-02-22
Publication date: 1994-10-12
Also published as: CA2116206A1; CN1099247A; JPH0747003A; AU5631294A

Abstract

An athletic shoe (10) is provided with a sole assembly which includes a plurality of arch portions (25,26) below the principal weight-bearing areas of the foot, namely, the heel (16), metatarsals (18), and toes (19). Each arch portion (25,26) includes at least a pair of base portions (29,30,32,33) and a downwardly facing concave arch surface (31,34) which extends between the base portions (29,30,32,33). A generally flat outer sole (13) extends beneath the base portions (29,30,32,33) and is attached thereto.

Description

Background and Summary

This invention relates to athletic shoes, and, more particularly, to a sole assembly for athletic shoes which includes flexible arch portions.

The design of athletic shoes requires consideration of a number of complex biomechanical principles regarding proper foot support and weight bearing structure. Such shoes are required to function properly even while the user is engaged in strenuous athletic activity which severely stresses the shoes. The shoes should not only provide proper foot support, but it is advantageous if the shoes also absorb shocks and provide for energy return to the user. The shoes should achieve the foregoing objectives while remaining flexible and lightweight. It is not easy to satisfy all of these somewhat competing factors in a single shoe design.

The invention provides a sole assembly for an athletic shoe which absorbs shocks and returns energy to the foot while remaining flexible and lightweight. The sole includes a midsole which is provided with flexing arches in the weight bearing areas of the foot, namely, the heel, metatarsals, and toes. An outer sole is attached to the arches, and the bottom surface of the outer sole is provided with a skid-resistant tread. Sole material is substantially eliminated between the arches to reduce weight. The arches provide a spring-like function when force is applied by the foot which absorbs shocks and returns energy to the foot when the applied force decreases. If desired, a wedge-shaped cut or some other form of relief can be provided in the bottom surface of the crest of each arch to create a hinge effect which will facilitate flexing of the arch without movement of the legs of the arch.

Description of the Drawing

The invention will be explained in conjunction with illustrative embodiments shown in the accompanying drawing, in which --

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a court shoe for the right foot which is formed in accordance with the invention;
Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the sole assembly of Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the bottom of a midsole for the left foot;
Fig. 4 is a top plan view of an outer sole for the left foot;
Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the outer sole of Fig. 4;
Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of the outer sole of Fig. 5;
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the top of a midsole for a flat shoe for the right foot;
Fig. 8 is a top plan view of an outer sole for the right foot;
Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a midsole for a flat shoe for the right foot;
Fig. 10 is a top plan view of an outer sole for a flat shoe for the right foot;
Fig. 11 is a bottom plan view of the outer sole of Fig. 10;
Fig. 12 is a side elevational view of the outer sole of Fig. 11;
Fig. 13 is an exploded view of another embodiment of shoe for the right foot;
Fig. 14 is an exploded perspective view of the sole assembly of Fig. 13;
Fig. 15 is a bottom perspective view of a sole assembly for the left foot;
Fig, 16 is a top plan view of the sole assembly of Fig. 15;
Fig. 17 is a bottom plan view of the sole assembly of Fig. 15;
Fig. 18 is a bottom perspective view of the inner sole of the sole assembly of Fig. 15;
Fig. 19 is a bottom perspective view of the midsole of the sole assembly of Fig. 15; and
Fig. 20 is a bottom perspective view of the outer sole of the sole assembly of Fig. 15.

Description of Specific Embodiments

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, an athletic shoe 10 includes an upper 11, amidsole 12, and anouter sole 13. When the shoe is assembled, the outer sole is attached to the midsole, and the midsole is attached to the upper. If desired, an insole can be inserted in the shoe.

The midsole includes anelongated body 15 which extends below the foot and which includes aheel portion 16, an instep portion 17, ametatarsal portion 18, and atoe portion 19. The body includes atop surface 20 which, in the embodiment illustrated, has raised or contoured

edge portions

21 and 22, a generally flat bottom surface 23 (Fig. 3), and right and

left edge portions

24 and 25.

Referring to Fig. 3, a pair of

arch members

25 and 26 extend downwardly from the heel portion of thebody 15. Thearch member 25 is located at the rear of the heel and includes a curvedrear surface 27. Thearch member 26 is spaced longitudinally forwardly of thearch 25 by aslot 28. Thearch 25 includes a pair of

base portions

29 and 30 which have generally flat bottom surfaces and an upwardly curvedconcave arch surface 31 which extends laterally between the base portions. Thearch 26 similarly includes a pair of

base portions

32 and 33 and aconcave arch surface 34.

Anarch member 36 extends downwardly from the metatarsal portion of thebody 15. The metatarsal arch includes a base portion 37 adjacent the left edge of the sole and abase portion 38 adjacent the right edge of the sole. In the particular embodiment illustrated, thearch 36 is provided with a laterally extendingnotch 39 which divides thebase portion 38 into forward andrearward portions 38a and 38b. However, thenotch 39 can be omitted if desired. The midsole illustrated in Fig. 2 is for the left foot, and the twobase portions 38a and 38b are located in the portion of the midsole which supports the ball of the foot. Aconcave arch surface 40 extends laterally between thebase portions 37 and 38 and is also intersected by thenotch 39.

Anarch member 42 extends downwardly from the toe portion of thebody 15. Thetoe arch 42 includes right and

left base portions

43 and 44 adjacent the right and left edges of the body and anintermediate base portion 45. Aconcave arch surface 46 extends between the

base portions

43 and 45, and aconcave arch surface 47 extends between the

base portions

45 and 44. Thetoe arch 43 and themetatarsal arch 36 are separated by aslot 48.

The two

concave arch surfaces

46 and 47 provide two arches in the toe area. If desired, the toe area can be provided with only one arch depending upon the sport category of the particular shoe for which the midsole unit is designed.

Right and left longitudinally extending

ribs

51 and 52 are attached to thebody 15 between theheel arch 26 and themetatarsal arch 36. In the embodiment illustrated the forward ends of the ribs merge with themetatarsal arch 36 and the rear ends terminate in laterally outwardly extending

portions

53 and 54. A pair of laterally extending

ribs

55 and 56 extend between the longitudinal ribs. Each of the lateral ribs includes anarched bottom surface 57.

The midsole can be molded integrally, or can be formed from separate parts which are suitably secured, as by adhesive. The material of the midsole is compressible and resilient, and suitable materials include ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), compression molded rubber (CMR), and polyurethane (PU). Some flexible yet relatively rigid composite material such as Kevlar, graphite, or Hytrel could be laminated to the inner or lower surfaces of the arches to increase support and performance. Such composite material could also be used to enhance the mid foot structure.

In one specific embodiment of the midsole the thickness of thebody portion 15 was about 3/16 inch, the vertical dimension of theheel arches 35 and 26 was about 15/16 inch, the vertical dimension of themetatarsal arch 36 was about 5/8 inch, and the vertical dimension of thetoe arch 42 was about 1/2 inch. The thickness of the arch members at the top of the arch was about 1/4 inch. The body portion therefore was inclined upwardly from the toe portion to the heel portion when the midsole was supported by the base portions of the arches. The bottom edges of the

longitudinal ribs

51 and 52 slope gradually upwardly from the bottom surface of themetatarsal arch 36 to the bottom surface of theheel arch 26 to support the edges of the instep portion of the midsole. The foregoing dimensions may vary according to the sport shown for the drawing for which the shoe is designed.

The outer sole 13 is substantially flat and relatively thin (see Fig. 6). However, the outer sole could have a side wall structure which could interface with the feet of the arches. The outer sole includes abottom surface 59 which is provided with a skid-resistant tread (Fig. 5) and a substantially flattop surface 60. The particular tread illustrated in Fig. 5 is designed for use on a court shoe such as a basketball shoe. The weight of the outer sole is reduced by a central opening 61. The central opening could be filled with transparent rubber or other material which would allow the arch system to be visible.

Thetop surface 60 of the outer sole is provided with a plurality of elevated ridges or side wall portions which surround the base portions of the arches on the midsole for positioning the outer sole relative to the midsole. Generally L-shaped

ridges

62 and 63 at the rear end of the heel are shaped and sized to extend along the inside and front surfaces of the

base portions

29 and 30 of theheel arch 25.

U-shaped ridges

64 and 65 extend along the rear, inside, and front surfaces of the

base portions

32 and 33 of thefront heel arch 26.

Ridge 66 is shaped to extend around the base portian 17 of themetatarsal arch 36.Ridges 67 and 68 are shaped to extend around thebase portions 38a and 38b, respectively, of the metatarsal arch.

Ridges

67, 70, and 71 at the toe end are shaped to extend around the base portions 43-45, respectively, of thetoe arch 42.

The ridges form a frame within which the feet of the arches can rest. In the embodiment illustrated the feet rest within the perimeter of the ridges. Alternatively, the foot could be provided with notches or grooves and could rest on the ridges with a tongue and groove or dove tail effect. In some cases, indentations instead of ridges could be formed in the outer sole into which portions of the feet of the arches would extend.

The outer sole is molded from material which provides the desirable properties of wear resistance and skid resistance. Suitable materials are conventional outsole rubber compounds or polyurethane. Any footwear soling compound which offers the desired properties of durability, traction, and flexion would be appropriate. The outer sole is permanently attached to the midsole by adhesives, fusion, or the like.

Figures 7 and 8 illustrate a midsole and an outer sole for a running shoe for a right foot, and Figures 9-12 illustrate a midsole and an outer sole for a running shoe for the left foot. Themidsole 75 is substantially the same as themidsole 12 except that thetop surface 76 is substantially flat and does not include the raised edge portions. Referring to Figure 9, themidsole 75 similarly includes abody portion 77, a pair of

heel arches

78 and 79, ametatarsal arch 80, and atoe arch 81 which correspond to the arch members previously described. Longitudinal right and left

ribs

82 and 83 extend between themetatarsal arch 80 and theheel arch 79.

The outer sole 84 for the flat shoe is substantially the same as the outer sole 13 except that thebottom surface 85 thereof (Fig. 11) is provided with a tread which is suitable for flat shoes. Theupper surface 86 of the inner sole 84 is provided with raised ridges as illustrated in Figure 4 which are designed to surround the base portions of the arches on themidsole 75.

The arch members in the heel, metatarsal, and toe portions of the midsole are located under the primary weight-bearing areas of the sole. The mid portions of the arches have less material than the ends or base portions, and the midportions flex as downward force is applied during running, jumping, etc. The flexing of the compressible, and resilient material of the arches absorbs shock and cushions the foot. The resilient material of the arches also acts as a spring and returns energy upwardly against the foot as the force exerted by the root decreases.

Since the weight of the user is supported by the arch members, the material of the midsole can be substantially eliminated in the areas between the arches. The relatively thin body portion provides sufficient support for the foot in the areas between the arches. The midsole is therefore extremely lightweight yet still provides excellent support. The voided areas between the arch members also improve ventilation through the midsole.

A modified embodiment of a shoe is illustrated in Figs. 13-20. Anathletic shoe 90 includes an upper 91 and asole assembly 92. The sole assembly includes amidsole 93, an outer sole 94, and aliner 95 which is sandwiched between the midsole and the outer sole.

Figs. 13 and 14 illustrate asole assembly 92 for a right shoe, and Figs. 15-20 illustrate a similar sole assembly for a left shoe.

Referring to Fig. 18, themidsole 93 includes aheel portion 96, aninstep portion 97, ametatarsal portion 98, and atoe portion 99. A pair of

arch members

100 and 101 extend downwardly from the heel portion. Thearch member 100 includes an upwardly curvedarch surface 102, and thearch member 101 includes an upwardly curvedarch surface 103 which is corrugated or ribbed. The corrugations act as an accordion pleat and allows the material to flex and move.

Three

arch members

105, 106, and 107 extend downwardly from the toe portion of the midsole. Asurface 108 extends between the

arch members

105 and 106 and is curved at the juncture with the arch members. Asurface 109 extends between the

arch member

106 and 107 and is curved adjacent the arch members.

A rib 111 extends along the right side of the midsole between the instep portion and the metatarsal portion. A notch 112 is formed in the rib in the metatarsal area. Ashorter rib 113 extends along the left side of the midsole. Theribs 111 and 113 are joined bycross ribs 114 and 115. Recessed

areas

116, 117, and 118 are provided between the

ribs

111, 113, 114, and 115. The longer ribs 111 and 112 provide greater stability, and the notch 112 facilitates flexing.

The bottom surfaces of the

arches

100, 101 and 105-107 and the ribs 111 and 113-115 lie in substantially the same plane and are supported by correspondingly shaped portions of theliner 95. Referring to Figs. 14 and 19, the liner includes a bottom 120 and aside wall 121 which extends upwardly around the sides and heel of themidsole 93. The bottom conforms to the bottom surface of the midsole and includes heel

arch portions

122 and 123 which are shaped to abut the heel

arch members

100 and 101 and

arch surfaces

102 and 103 of the midsole; toe

arch portions

124, 125, and 126 which are shaped to abut the toe arch members 105-107 and surfaces 108-109 of the midsole, and

rib portions

127, 128, 129, and 130 which are shaped to abut the ribs 111, 113-115 and recess 116-118.

Openings

131, 132, 133, and 134 are extended through the bottom of the midsole. The heelarch portion 123 includes acorrugated arch 135. The liner is stiffer than the relatively soft midsole and provides stability and rigidity to the midsole.

The outer sole 94 includes abottom surface 138 and an upwardly extendingside wall 139. The bottom surface of the midsole is provided with a skid-resistant tread (Fig. 20). The bottom of the midsole has a shape corresponding to the bottom of theliner 95. The outer sole includes a pair of

pocket portions

140 and 141 which receive and support the base portions of theheel arch 122, a pair of

pocket portions

142 and 143 which receive and support the base portions of theheel arch 123,

pocket portions

144, 145, and 146 which receive and support the toe arch portions 124-126, and

pocket portions

147 and 148 which receive and support the

rib portions

127, and 128.

The bottom of the outer sole is provided with acentral opening 149 which exposes the

cross ribs

129 and 130 of the liner (Figs. 15 and 17) and the portions of the midsole which are exposed by the openings 131-134 in the liner.

Thesole assembly 92 functions in the same way as the sole assemblies illustrated in Figs. 1-12. The arch member of the midsole and the liner in the heel and toe areas and the ribs 111 and 113-115 of the midsole and 127-130 of the liner in the metatarsal and instep areas are located in the primary weight-bearing areas of the sole. The mid-portions of the arches and the areas between the ribs can flex downwardly as forces are applied during running, jumping, etc. The flexing of the compressible and resilient material absorbs shocks and cushions the foot and returns energy upwardly against the foot as the downward force decreases.

The forward portions of theribs 111 and 113 or themidsole 93 correspond to themetatarsal arches 37 and 38 of the midsole of Fig. 2. The upwardly extending recessedportion 118 of themidsole 93 corresponds to thearch surface 40 of Fig. 2 and can flex downwardly under loads applied to the sole assembly.

The material of themidsole 93 and the outer sole 94 can be the same as previously described. The material of theliner 95 can be polyurethane, nylon, or other plastics. The liner is advantageously injection molded.

While in the foregoing specification a detailed description of a specific embodiments of the invention was set forth for the purpose of illustration, it will be understood that many of the details herein given may be varied considerably by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.