US20220142296A1

Movatterモバイル変換

Info

Publication number: US20220142296A1
Application number: US17/095,332
Authority: US
Inventors: Matthew James Head; Thibaut Poupard
Original assignee: Deckers Outdoor Corp
Current assignee: Deckers Outdoor Corp
Priority date: 2020-11-11
Filing date: 2020-11-11
Publication date: 2022-05-12

Abstract

An article of footwear is provided and includes a sole having a forefoot portion, a heel portion, a medial side and a lateral side. A first plate member is positioned on the medial side of the sole, where the first plate member has a first length, and a second plate member is positioned on the lateral side of the sole, where the second plate member has a second length. The first length of the first plate member is greater than or equal to the second length of the second plate member.

Description

BACKGROUND

The present application relates generally to footwear, and more particularly, to a sole including plate members for footwear that support a user's feet while efficiently transferring energy from the user's legs and feet to optimize running efficiency during walking, jogging and running while reducing fatigue.

Running involves the transfer of energy between a person's legs and feet and an underlying surface, such as the ground, contributing to propel a person forward along a trail, a sidewalk, a street or other path. The power a person is able to produce and the speed at which a person is able to move in a forward direction depends on a number of factors. For example, the ability to properly apply forces on a surface affects the energy produced and the rate of speed that the person is able to move. In particular, the propulsion generated by a person's legs and feet is important while walking, jogging or running. If a person's feet are not sufficiently supported by their shoes and their feet to do not have a stable push off point, less energy could be transferred from the person's feet to the ground to propel the person forward. Shoe constructions and the supportive systems in shoes are factors that help with proper force application and efficient energy transfer useful for walking or running. The lack of support could also cause a person's legs to tire quicker and thereby affect their ability to walk, jog or run.

There are many different types of structures for footwear to facilitate running efficiency and optimal force application. For example, some shoes include midsoles and outsoles that are made of materials having different characteristics including hardness, density and elasticity, which provide more support in some areas and less support in other areas of a person's foot leading to different shock absorption and propulsion behaviors. For example, harder materials could support to foot structures during the stance, helping a proper force application and energy transfer. In another example, a plate is inserted or embedded in the sole of a shoe to enhance the rigidity of the sole similar to harder materials. The plate is a supportive element as well as contributing to the performance attributes of a shoe while still allowing the other materials of the sole to provide cushioning in areas of the foot, such as the heel, to provide comfort.

It is therefore desirable to provide footwear that supports a person's feet during walking, jogging and running to optimize force application and energy transfers to enhance a person's walking and running efficiency.

SUMMARY

The present article of footwear includes a sole having two plate members where one of the plate members is on a medial side and the other plate member is on a lateral side of the sole. The plate members provide stability to the medial and lateral sides of the sole and also provide a support that a user's foot can press against and propel the user in a desired direction. Further, the plate members enable a user's legs and feet to efficiently transfer energy to the plate members to help reduce fatigue.

In an embodiment, an article of footwear is provided and includes a sole having a forefoot portion, a heel portion, a medial side and a lateral side. A first plate member is positioned on the medial side of the sole, where the first plate member has a first length, and a second plate member is positioned on the lateral side of the sole, where the second plate member has a second length. The first length of the first plate member is greater than or equal to the second length of the second plate member.

In another embodiment, an article of footwear is provided and includes a sole having a forefoot portion, a heel portion, a medial side and a lateral side. A first plate member is positioned on the medial side of the sole, where the first plate member has a first length, and a second plate member is positioned on the lateral side of the sole, where the second plate member having a second length. In this embodiment, the first plate member and the second plate member are connected to each other, and the first length of the first plate member is greater than or equal to the second length of the second plate member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an article of footwear including the present sole;

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the article of footwear ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the present sole shown inFIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the lateral side of the sole ofFIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the sole ofFIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of the medial side of the sole ofFIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a cross-section view of the sole ofFIG. 5 taken substantially along the line7-7 in the direction generally indicated;

FIG. 8 is a cross-section view of the sole ofFIG. 5 taken substantially along the line8-8 in the direction generally indicated;

FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the sole ofFIG. 3 showing the plate members;

FIG. 10 is a cross-section view of the sole ofFIG. 9 taken substantially along the line10-10 in the direction generally indicated;

FIG. 11 is a cross-section view of the sole ofFIG. 9 taken substantially along the line11-11 in the direction generally indicated;

FIG. 12 is a schematic side view of the sole ofFIG. 3 that shows the medial plate member;

FIG. 13 is a schematic side view of the sole ofFIG. 3 that shows the lateral plate member;

FIG. 14 is a top view of the medial plate member;

FIG. 15 is a side view of the medial plate member ofFIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a cross-section view of the medial plate member ofFIG. 14 taken substantially along the line16-16 in the direction generally indicated;

FIG. 17 is a top view of the lateral plate member;

FIG. 18 is a side view of the lateral plate member ofFIG. 17; and

FIG. 19 is a cross-section view of the lateral plate member ofFIG. 17 taken substantially along the line19-19 in the direction generally indicated; and

FIG. 20 is a bottom view of another embodiment of the present sole showing the plate members connected together.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present sole is attached to an upper to form an article of footwear to stabilize and cushion a user's foot during walking, jogging and running, while providing enhanced stability and spring for efficient propulsion. More specifically, the present sole includes a midsole and an outsole where two plate members are located on or in the midsole or outsole to provide enhanced support in the user's feet and enable the user's feet to push against the plate members and propel the user in a desired direction.

Referring now toFIGS. 1 and 2, an article offootwear20 includes an embodiment of the present sole, generally indicated as22, where the sole22 includes amidsole24 attached to an upper21, and anoutsole26. Themidsole24 may be an integral, molded component made of a material having a designated hardness value or made with different materials having the same or different hardness values. For example, one or more portions of themidsole24 may be made with a material having a hardness or hardness value that is greater than a hardness or hardness value in other areas of the midsole to increase the stability and support in designated areas of the midsole. In the illustrated embodiment, themidsole24 includes afirst material layer28 made of a foam material, and asecond material layer30 made of Ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) or an EVA foam material. As shown inFIG. 1, theoutsole26 is attached to abottom surface32 of themidsole24 by an adhesive or by molding, and is made of rubber. Theoutsole26 typically includes a plurality oftread members34 that are configured to grip an underlying surface, such as the ground, during movement. It should be appreciated that themidsole24 andoutsole26 may be made of any suitable materials or combinations of materials.

As shown inFIG. 2, at least a portion of the sole22 in a heel orheel portion36 extends outwardly at a predetermined angle e from the upper. The sole22 also extends outwardly from the rear part of a heel orheel area36 to enhance stability and balance during movement. In the illustrated embodiment, theouter surface38 of the sole22 forms an angle e of thirty degrees relative to a vertical line. Preferably, the angle e of theouter surface38 of the sole is twenty to thirty-five degrees. It should be appreciated that the angle ⊖ may be any suitable angle.

Referring now toFIGS. 4-19, the sole22 is formed with

channels

40aand40bthat are configured to receive medial and lateral plate members, which are described in more detail below. The first channel ormedial channel40aextends along amedial side42 of the sole22 and thesecond channel40bextends along alateral side44 of the sole22. In the illustrated embodiment, thefirst channel40aon the medial side of the sole22 extends from theheel area36 to aforefoot area46 of the sole. As shown inFIG. 9, thefirst channel40ahas curves that generally correspond to the curves of the sole22 on themedial side42. Similarly, thesecond channel40bon thelateral side44 extends from theheel area36 to theforefoot area46 of the sole22. Thesecond channel40balso has curves that generally correspond to the curves on thelateral side44 of the sole22. In the illustrated embodiment, the first and

second channels

40aand40bare formed in a bottom surface48 of the first material layer28 (upper layer) of themidsole24. In another embodiment, the first and

second channels

40aand40bare formed in atop surface50 of thefirst material layer28 of themidsole24. The first and

second channels

40aand40bmay also be formed in thetop surface52 or thebottom surface54 of the second material layer30 (bottom layer) of themidsole24, formed in thetop surface56 of theoutsole26 or at any location within themidsole24 or theoutsole26. As described in more detail below, thefirst channel40aor medial channel has a length that is greater than a length of thesecond channel40bor lateral channel. Also, the first and

second channels

40a,40bare formed as separate channels where the distance or space between the channels varies along the lengths of the first and second channels based on the desired support provided in different areas of the sole22. It should be appreciated that the length of thesecond channel40amay be greater than the length of the first channel40 or that the lengths of the first and

second channels

40aand40bmay be the same.

Referring toFIGS. 7, 8, 12 and 13, the first and

second channels

40a,40bare configured to have a size and shape that correspond to the size and shape of the plate members shown inFIGS. 14 and 17. Similarly, the heights of the first and

second channels

40a,40bcorrespond to the thicknesses, i.e., the distance between the top and bottom surfaces, of the plate members shown inFIGS. 16 and 19. A

central area

58a,58bof the first and

second channels

40a,40bincludes a height that is greater than the thicknesses of the plate members to form a cavity or

space

60a,60bthat allow central portions of the plate members to flex downwardly and upwardly within the

cavities

60a,60bdue to pressure applied to the central portions of the plate members by a user's feet. The heights or sizes of the

cavities

60a,60b(FIGS. 12 and 13) in the

central areas

58a,58bof the first and

second channels

40a,40bmay be any suitable heights based on the desired flex or movement of the central portions of the plate members within the channels. Further, the first and

second channels

40a,40bin the illustrated embodiment are in the same horizontal or lateral plane in the sole22. It is also contemplated that the first and

second channels

40a,40bmay be in different planes relative to the vertical height of the sole or portions of the first and

second channels

40a,40bmay be in the same plane or different planes.

Referring toFIGS. 14-16, the first plate member ormedial plate member62 is preferably made of carbon fiber material but may be made with metal, a composite material or any suitable material or combination of materials. As shown inFIG. 14, thefirst plate member62 has afirst end64 and asecond end66 that define an overall length L1. As shown inFIG. 14, thefirst plate member62 has a first curve68 that curves laterally outwardly from thefirst end64 to a central area of the first plate member, and asecond curve70 that curves laterally inwardly from the central area to thesecond end66. As described above, the lateral curves68 and70 of thefirst plate member62 correspond to the curves of themedial side42 of the sole22. It should be appreciated that thefirst plate member62 may have one or more lateral curves depending on the desired support provided by the first plate member. It should be appreciated that thefirst plate member62 may also be straight or substantially straight.

In the illustrated embodiment, thefirst plate member62 is also bent or formed so that different portions of the first plate member have different heights and configurations. As shown inFIG. 15, thefirst end64 of thefirst plate member62 has aconcave curve74 that extends toward acentral area76. Thecentral area76 of thefirst plate member62 has aconvex curve78 and thesecond end66 has aconcave curve80 that extends to thecentral area76. The different vertical heights and/or configurations of thefirst plate member62 enables the different portions of the first plate member to provide different levels of support and flexibility. In this way, the different portions of thefirst plate member62 combine to provide a spring effect that enables a user to efficiently transfer energy from their legs and feet to the sole22 to spring or propel forward or in another desired direction.

Referring toFIGS. 17 and 18, the second plate member orlateral plate member82 is preferably made of a carbon fiber material but may be made with metal, a composite material or any suitable material or combination of materials, and has a similar size and shape to thefirst plate member62 but with a shorter overall length L2. As shown inFIG. 17, thesecond plate member82 has afirst end84 and asecond end86 where the first end has afirst curve88 that curves laterally outwardly toward thelateral side44 of the sole22 and acentral area90 of thesecond plate member82 that has asecond curve92 that curves laterally inwardly away from thelateral side44 of the sole22 at thesecond end86. It should be appreciated that thesecond plate member82 may have any suitable number of curves or may be straight or substantially straight. Also, the curves or curvatures of the first and

second plate members

62 and82 may be the same or different from each other.

As shown inFIG. 18, thesecond plate member82 is bent or formed to have different heights and/or configurations. In this embodiment, thefirst end84 of thesecond plate member82 has aconcave curve96 that extends toward thecentral area90, aconvex curve98 that extends from thecentral area90 to aconcave curve100 at thesecond end86. As described above, the formation of the concave and convex curves in thesecond plate member82 enables the second plate member to provide a desired or predetermined level of support and flexibility in different portions of thelateral side44 of the sole22. As a result, thesecond plate member82 provides a spring effect on thelateral side44 of the sole22 to enhance the support and propulsion for a user as their foot presses or pushes against the second plate member during movement.

Referring toFIGS. 16 and 19, the first and

second plate members

62 and82 respectively have first and second thicknesses T1 and T2. In the illustrated embodiment, the first and second thicknesses T1 and T2 are uniform along the entire lengths L1 and L2 of the first and second plate members, where the first and second thicknesses are the same. In another embodiment, the first and second thicknesses T1 and T2 are different to provide different levels of support and spring to the medial and

lateral sides

42 and44 of the sole22. It is also contemplated that the first thickness T1 and the second thickness T2 may vary along the lengths L1 and L2 of the first and

second plate members

62 and82. For example, the thickness of thefirst plate member62 and/or the thickness of thesecond plate member82 at the first end may be greater than or less than the thickness at the central area and/or the second end of the first and second plate members.

Additionally, the first and

second plate members

62 and82 in the above embodiment, each extend form theforefoot area46 to theheel area36 of the sole22. The first and/or

second plate members

62 and82 may also extend from theforefoot area46 to a mid-foot area102 (FIG. 9) depending on the support and cushioning desired for the sole22. At a minimum, the first and

second plate members

62 and82 are located in theforefoot area46 of the sole22 to enable the forefoot of a user's foot to be able to push against the first and/or

second plate members

62 and82 for propulsion. As described above, the first and

second plate members

62 and82 may extend from theforefoot area46 to any desired location along the sole22 to enhance the support and flexibility of the sole.

In the above embodiments, providing the

separate plate members

62 and82 on the medial and

lateral sides

42 and44 of the sole22 allow for different levels of support and flexibility to be provided to a user's feet on the medial and lateral sides of the article offootwear20. For example, more support and flexibility or spring may be provided on themedial side42 than thelateral side44. Alternatively, more support and spring may be provided on thelateral side44 than themedial side42. Further, thefirst plate member62 is longer than thesecond plate member82 to correspond to user's foot where the medial side of the foot is longer than the lateral side. Forming the first and

second plate members

62 and82 with lengths that correspond to the different lengths of the feet on the medial and lateral sides maximizes the spring effect provided by the first and second plate members. Also, the configurations of the first and

second plate members

62 and82, such as the lateral shape and vertical heights, and the lengths of the first and second plate members are determined based one the desired support and flexibility or spring-effect desired in the different areas of the sole22 to help a user to efficiently transfer energy generated by their legs and feet to the plate members, and thereby the sole22, and efficiently propel their body in a desired direction.

In another embodiment, the sole104 includes a recessed area orchannel106 formed in a midsole or outsole. Amedial plate member108 extends along themedial side110 of the sole, and alateral plate member112 extends along thelateral side114 of the sole as described above. In this embodiment, a connectingportion116 connects or joins themedial plate member108 and thelateral plate member112 in an area between the mid-foot area and heel area of the sole104. The connectingportion116 is preferably formed with a flexible material so that themedial plate member108 and thelateral plate member112 may move relative to each other during use. It should be appreciated that the connectingportion116 may be located at any suitable point along themedial plate member108 and thelateral plate member112. Additionally, the connecting portion may be longer or shorter along a longitudinal axis of the sole depending on the desired level of rigidity and flexibility.

While particular embodiments of the present sole for an article of footwear have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the invention in its broader aspects and as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An article of footwear comprising:

a sole having a forefoot portion, a heel portion, a medial side and a lateral side;

a first plate member positioned on the medial side of the sole, said first plate member having a first length; and

a second plate member positioned on the lateral side of the sole, said second plate member having a second length,

wherein said first length of said first plate member is greater than or equal to said second length of said second plate member.

2. The article of footwear ofclaim 1, wherein said first plate member extends from said forefoot portion to said heel portion.

3. The article of footwear ofclaim 2, wherein said second plate member extends from said forefoot portion to said heel portion.

4. The article of footwear ofclaim 1, wherein said second plate member extends from said forefoot portion to said heel portion.

5. The article of footwear ofclaim 1, wherein at least one of said first plate member and said second plate member extends from said forefoot portion to a midfoot portion of said sole.

6. The article of footwear ofclaim 1, wherein said sole includes a first channel on said medial side and a second channel on said lateral side, and wherein said first plate member is located in said first channel and said second plate member is located in said second channel.

7. The article of footwear ofclaim 6, wherein a central area of at least one of said first channel and said second channel includes a cavity that is greater than a thickness of said at least one of said first channel and said second channel.

8. The article of footwear ofclaim 1, wherein at least one of said first plate member and said second plate member includes at least one lateral curve.

9. The article of footwear ofclaim 1, wherein at least one of said first plate member and said second plate member includes has portions that are at different heights.

10. The article of footwear ofclaim 1, wherein said first plate member includes a first thickness and said second plate member includes a second thickness, and wherein said first thickness and said second thickness are the same.

11. The article of footwear ofclaim 1, wherein said first plate member includes a first thickness and said second plate member includes a second thickness, and wherein said first thickness and said second thickness are the different.

12. The article of footwear ofclaim 1, wherein said first plate member and said second plate member are spaced from each other.

13. The article of footwear ofclaim 1, wherein at least one of said first plate member and said second plate member includes at least one of a vertically oriented concave curve and a vertically oriented convex curve.

14. An article of footwear comprising:

wherein said first plate member and said second plate member are connected to each other, and

15. The article of footwear ofclaim 14, wherein said first plate member and said second plate member are connected in a midfoot portion of said sole.

16. The article of footwear ofclaim 14, wherein said sole includes a first channel on said medial side and a second channel on said lateral side, and wherein said first plate member is located in said first channel and said second plate member is located in said second channel.

17. The article of footwear ofclaim 16, wherein a central area of at least one of said first channel and said second channel includes a cavity that is greater than a thickness of said at least one of said first channel and said second channel.