Patent Application
20090320330
The instant application is based upon the French priority Patent Application No. 08.03570, filed Jun. 25, 2008, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference thereto, and the priority of which is hereby claimed under 35 U.S.C. §119.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates an article of footwear, such as a shoe, in particular a sports shoe, and more particularly a shoe intended for athletic events such as race walking.
2. Background Information
Footwear of the aforementioned type can be used in disciplines such as walking or running on flat or mountainous terrain, mountaineering, snowboarding, skiing, snowshoeing, roller skating, skateboarding, cycling, ball-playing sports, and the like.
An article of footwear, or shoe, can have a low upper, a high upper, or even a mid-upper. The shoe can also be relatively flexible or, conversely, more rigid. However, it is desirable for the shoe sole, in any case, to provide a certain comfort, as well as a certain precision in the transmission of sensory information or impulses related to support forces, whether transmitted to or received by the wearer.
In certain sports shoes, the outer bottom assembly includes an outsole and a reinforcement layer. The outsole generally includes rubber for an easier grip on the ground. A reinforcement layer of such outer bottom assembly contributes to connecting the bottom assembly to the upper of the shoe. This layer is generally inextensible or slightly extensible, which provides stability to the shape of the bottom assembly.
Shoes in which the outer bottom assembly includes an outsole and a reinforcement layer offer a good precision in the transmission of information or impulses. However, they are known not to provide adequate comfort, in the sense that the impulses are not always sufficiently damped. Moreover, certain areas of the outsole wear out quickly. Walking or running also appear to cause fatigue for the user.
Proposals have been made for structural modifications in such bottom assemblies, in particular to improve comfort.
For example, the document FR 2 685 173 proposes an outer bottom assembly that includes an outsole provided to contact the ground, a comfort layer arranged directly beneath the foot, as well as a reinforcement layer inserted between the outsole and the comfort layer.
The shoe according to the document FR 2 685 173 has improved comfort in comparison to the prior art. However, the precision in the transmission of information or impulses is sometimes insufficient, in the sense that the information and impulses are diffused in the bottom assembly. This is the case with point supports on rocks, for example. Moreover, it is noted once again that certain areas of the outsole wear out quickly. It appears here as well that walking causes fatigue for the user.
In view of the above, the invention provides an improved the bottom assembly for an article of footwear, or shoe, and in particular to provide a certain comfort in the area of the sole, while offering a good precision in the transmission of sensory information or impulses related to support forces. In other words, the invention optimizes these two paradoxical characteristics, namely comfort and precision.
The invention also provides for a slowing down of the wear on the areas of the outsole that experience the greatest stress.
In addition, the invention reduces the wearer's fatigue caused by walking.
To this end, the invention provides for an article of footwear, or shoe, having an outer bottom assembly that includes an outsole and a reinforcement layer.
The damping layer of the shoe according to the invention is positioned between the outsole and the reinforcement layer, and at least one flange, connects the outsole to the reinforcement layer.
As arranged, the damping layer separates the outsole from the reinforcement layer. However, a flange locally creates a direct connection between the outsole and the reinforcement layer. In fact, the invention provides different properties to various portions or zones of the bottom assembly. This means that certain portions are relatively flexible; these are of course portions that have no flanges. As a corollary, the portions provided with flanges are more rigid. The concepts of flexibility and rigidity are relative.
Optimization of the mechanical properties of the bottom assembly is among the advantages which arise from such a structure. The damped zones and rigidified zones are distributed to optimize the behavior of the shoe, as will be better understood from the description which follows.
Another advantage is a slowing of the wear on the more flexible portions of the bottom assembly. Indeed, in the area in which only the damping layer connects the outsole to the reinforcement layer, the outsole follows the deformations of the damping layer. For example, when strongly pressed, both the outsole and the damping layer become deformed. In other words, it can be said that the damping layer provides freedom of deformation to the outsole. As a result, the outsole is less biased in shearing or in friction. This is particularly true when the outsole is fitted with studs.
Another advantage observed, for the bottom assembly according to the invention, is the ability to store and then to restore at least part of the energy generated during the foot rolling movement. Indeed, a rolling movement tensions the outsole. It is the distance between the outsole and the reinforcement layer that enables the tensioning, which is all the more substantial as the damping layer is thick. At the end of the foot rolling movement, i.e., at the moment when the shoe leaves the ground, the energy generated by the tension of the outsole tends to return the bottom assembly to its initial shape. Indeed, this is a spring effect provided to the bottom assembly by the outsole. This effect propels the shoe in the walking direction, i.e., forward. An advantage resulting from this is a reduction in the user fatigue, as he/she needs to produce less energy for an equivalent stride.
Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will be better understood from the description that follows, with reference to the annexed drawings illustrating, by way of non-limiting embodiments, how the invention can be embodied, and in which:
The first embodiment described hereinafter relates more particularly to footwear intended for walking or running on flat or uneven terrain. However, the invention applies to other fields, such as those mentioned above.
The first embodiment is described hereinafter with reference to
As shown in
In a known fashion, the shoe 1 includes an outer bottom assembly 2 and an upper 3 arranged on the bottom assembly. The shoe 1 extends lengthwise between a rear end, or heel 4, and a front end, or tip 5, and widthwise between a lateral side 6 and a medial side 7. The terms “shoe” and “footwear,” as used herein, are intended to be synonymous.
As shown, the upper 3 includes a lower portion 10, provided to surround the foot, but has no upper portion to extend over and above the region of the wearer's ankle. However, the upper could also be provided to include such an upper portion. More particularly, the shoe of
The shoe 1 is structured to allow for a good foot rolling movement during walking, transmissions of sensory information, and transmissions of impulse forces for supports or landings. In this regard, therefore, the outer bottom assembly 2 and the upper 3 are relatively flexible to facilitate such rolling movement.
Alternatively, however, the shoe can be provided to be more rigid to facilitate the practice of certain sports, such as climbing or cycling.
The upper 3 includes a lateral quarter 12, a medial quarter 13, and a tongue 14. The tongue 14 connects the quarters 12, 13 to one another in order to provide the upper 3 with its continuity. However, the tongue can be omitted in a particular embodiment of the invention. In such a case, the quarters 12, 13 can remain separate or they can be superimposed or overlap.
The upper 3 is affixed to the bottom assembly 2, in the area of the periphery of the bottom assembly. The affixing, or connection, is done using an adhesive. However, the connection between the upper and the bottom assembly can be accomplished otherwise, such as with stitching or with the combination of an adhesive and stitching.
A tightening device 20 is provided to tighten the upper 3 and to allow the upper to be loosened. The tightening device 20 includes keepers 21 or lace guides, for example, arranged on the lateral 12 and medial 13 quarters, as well as a lace 22. The lace can include one or more strands. The lace 22 follows a path that guides it alternately from one quarter 12, 3 to the other, and can be reversibly tightened and locked in place by means of any known mechanisms or structural expedients. For example, merely a knot could be employed, or a lace blocking device could be used, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,477,593, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference thereto in its entirety.
The outer bottom assembly 2 is illustrated in greater detail in the exploded perspective view of
In a known manner, the bottom assembly 2 includes an outsole 30 provided to cooperate with the ground. The sole 30 extends longitudinally from the rear end 4 to the front end 5 of the shoe, and transversely from the lateral side 6 to the medial side 7. The outsole 30 includes a wear surface 31. It is this surface 31 that exerts a pressure force on the ground. Although not limiting to the invention, the wear surface 31 is provided with studs 32, or tread blocks, which form a relief, i.e., provide a plurality of projections, to improve the grip of the shoe with respect to the ground. Opposite the wear surface 31, the outsole 30 includes a connecting surface 35, which is adapted to be associated with the other elements of the bottom assembly 2, as described in greater detail below.
The outsole 30 is made from any appropriate material. For example, the outsole 30 can include rubber or a rubber-like material, or, in another embodiment, it can be made entirely of rubber or rubber-like material. This promotes wear resistance, in particular resistance to friction wear. Rubber and other similar materials have very elastic properties.
The outer bottom assembly 2 also includes a reinforcement layer 40, which extends from the rear end 4 of the shoe toward the front end 5, and transversely from the lateral side 6 to the medial side 7. The reinforcement layer 40 includes a lower surface 41 facing the outsole 30, as well as an upper surface 45 facing the upper 3. The reinforcement layer 40 includes a rear portion 48 that extends beneath the user's heel, as well as a front portion 49 that extends beneath the metatarsus, or beneath the metatarsus and the toes. In the illustrated embodiment, the rear portion 48 and the front portion 49 extend one another, i.e., they are co-extensive. More particularly, they can be made as a unitary piece, as shown. In a non-limiting manner, the front portion 49 includes a lateral branch 50 and a medial branch 51, which form a forwardly extending fork. This structure, as further described below, enables the lateral side 6 and the medial side 7 of the shoe to behave with a certain independence. However, any other suitable structure can be alternatively provided for the reinforcement layer 40. For example, the front portion 49 could extend continuously from the lateral side 6 to the medial side 7.
In its construction, the reinforcement layer 40 includes a substantially inextensible material, or one or more plastic materials. For example, polyurethane or polyamide are suitable. This renders the reinforcement layer 40 flexible and substantially inextensible. Thus, the bottom assembly 2 has a certain structural stability, while allowing for a free foot rolling movement.
According to the invention, a damping layer 60 is positioned between the outsole 30 and the reinforcement layer 40, and at least one flange 61, 62, 64, 65 connects the outsole 30 to the reinforcement layer 40. This defines flexible zones and more rigid zones of the bottom assembly. Damping is substantial in the flexible zones which do not have such flanges. As a corollary, damping is reduced, even nonexistent, in a zone provided with a flange. The invention provides a certain comfort where necessary, as well as support stability where also necessary. In other words, various portions of the bottom assembly 2 are assigned respective specific functions.
The damping layer 60 owes its mechanical properties to its natural characteristics. The damping layer 60 is provided to include a foam made of a damping material, such as ethyl-vinyl-acetate (EVA), or a rubber foam, or any equivalent. The cells of the foam enable it to deform reversibly, in particular in compression. Consequently, the layer 60 absorbs impulses or impacts.
According to the first embodiment of the invention, the shoe 1 includes four flanges 61, 62, 64, 65 located toward the front, i.e., in the area of the toes and the metatarsus. More particularly, the shoe 1 includes a first lateral flange 61, a second lateral flange 62, a first medial flange 64, and a second medial flange 65. The first lateral 61 and medial 64 flanges are each located in the area of the toes. In a non-limiting manner, the flanges 61, 64 are transversely opposite one another. The second lateral 62 and medial 65 flanges are located in the area of the metatarsus. These flanges 62, 65 are also opposite one another transversely. In fact, the flanges 61, 62, 64, 65 are arranged in pairs extending transversely of the shoe, i.e., at an angle to a vertical longitudinal plane of the shoe, such as perpendicular thereto.
According to the first embodiment, each flange 61, 62, 64, 65 is structured in the same manner. Each flange 61, 62, 64, 65 includes a first portion 71, 72, 74, 75, respectively, forming a leg, as well as a second portion 81, 82, 84, 85 forming a base. A leg and a base extend one another in order to give an L-shape to a flange 61, 62, 64, 65. The leg extends from the reinforcement layer 40 downwardly toward the outsole. For example, the legs 71, 72, 74, 75 are perpendicular, or generally perpendicular, to the reinforcement layer 40, and the bases 81, 82, 84, 85 are parallel, or substantially parallel, to this same layer. In the illustrated embodiment, a leg and a base form a unitary element, i.e., a one-piece element. In fact, each flange 61, 62, 64, 65, together with the front portion 49, forms a unitary element. On the whole, the reinforcement layer 40, together with the rear 48 and front 49 portions, as well as the flanges 61, 62, 64, 65, form a unitary element in the illustrated embodiment. This facilitates the manufacture of the bottom assembly 2. Such element is manufactured by any process, such as molding, injection, and the like. A construction in which the flanges are affixed to the reinforcement layer, without forming a unitary element therewith, is also within the scope of the invention. In a particular, non-limiting embodiment, the flanges are made of the same material as the reinforcement layer.
Each leg 71, 72, 74, 75 is flush with a lateral side 6 or a medial side 7, and each base 81, 82, 84, 85 penetrates transversely within the bottom assembly. In fact, the damping layer 60 is structured and arranged to receive the flanges 61, 62, 64, 65. To this end, the damping layer 60 has a series of notches 91, 92, 94, 95 each provided to house a flange 61, 62, 64, 65. Thus, the damping layer has a first lateral notch 91, a second lateral notch 92, a first medial notch 94, and a second medial notch 95. The first lateral notch 91 receives the first lateral flange 61, and so on. Each notch 91, 92, 94, 95 houses a respective flange 61, 62, 64, 65, i.e., a respective leg and a base of such flanges. Consequently, each leg is flush with the side 6, 7 of the shoe on which it is located. Each leg 71, 72, 74, 75 borders the damping layer 60 transversely. This allows the leg to be visible but especially optimizes its action, as further described below. Each base extends into the bottom assembly in the damping layer 60, and is in contact with the outsole 30. In this sense, each flange directly connects the reinforcement layer 40 to the outsole 30.
The outsole 30, the damping layer 60, and the reinforcement layer 40 are affixed to one another by one or more of any of a number of expedients, such as an adhesive or any equivalent for such connection. In addition, the outer bottom assembly can be provided with a connecting layer 100 positioned between the reinforcement layer 40 and the upper. The layer 100, connected to the reinforcement layer 40 and, between the arms 50, 51, to the damping layer 60, also serves to increase comfort in the shoe. The layer 100 is not absolutely necessary. The layer 100 can also include a foam made of a damping plastic material, such as ethyl-vinyl-acetate, or a foam made of another material.
Thus, according to the first embodiment of the invention, the bottom assembly 2 includes either three layers 30, 40, 60 or four layers 30, 40, 60, 100. These numbers are not limiting: one or more layers could be added, being inserted between or superimposed on the others.
The role of the components of the bottom assembly 2 is explained hereinafter, in particular with respect to
Generally speaking, such impulses are generated during walking. During foot rolling movement, i.e., the motion of the shoe between its configurations shown in
An impulse force that tends to flatten the bottom assembly 2 in the area of the articulations, between the toes and the metatarsus, is damped, as can be understood from
Consequently, the zones of the bottom assembly 2 that are provided with flanges 61, 62, 64, 65 provide stability to the support pressures. Indeed, as can be understood from
It follows that the bottom assembly 2 brings comfort where necessary, as well as a high degree of precision in the transmission of the steering impulse forces by the wearer, as well as the sensory information where also necessary. The invention specializes various zones of the bottom assembly 2 with respect to the functions which they carry out. For the first embodiment, stability is desired in the area of the metatarsus and the toes, and comfort is desired in the area of the articulations between the metatarsus and the toes.
The invention also seeks to reduce the user fatigue, as can be understood from the diagrams of
Due to the elasticity of the outsole, the bottom assembly tends to reassume its natural shape at the end of the rolling movement. It is the action of the outsole 30 that reduces the convexity and which, at the same time, thrusts the shoe 1 forward. The elasticity of the outsole 30, exploited by the reinforcement layer 40 and the flanges 61, 62, 64, 65, enables a reduction in the fatigue for an equivalent stride. This phenomenon is possible because the sole 30 is elastic, because the flanges connect the reinforcement layer 40 to the sole 30, but also because a gap is provided between the sole 30 and the reinforcement layer 40. This gap is dependent upon the thickness of the damping layer 60. The thicker the latter, the more substantial the tensioning of the sole 30.
The other embodiments of the invention are shown hereinafter with reference to
The second embodiment is described with reference to
Specific to the second embodiment is the number of flanges. More particularly, the shoe 101 includes six flanges located at the front, namely a first lateral flange 161, a second lateral flange 162, a third lateral flange 163, as well as a first medial flange 164, a second medial flange 165, and a third medial flange 166. The first flanges 161, 164, the second flanges 162, 165, and the third flanges 163, 166 are respectively opposite one another transversely.
As is the case with the first embodiment, the damping layer 160 has first 191, second 192, and third 193 lateral notches, as well as first 194, second 195, and third 196 medial notches. The notches receive the flanges. Given that the structures and the functions of the elements of the second embodiment are similar or identical to those of the first embodiment, they are not described in more detail. It is simply noted that the front portion 149 of the reinforcement layer 140 bears a larger number of flanges. Thus, the bottom assembly 102 of the shoe 101 has, in its front portion, alternating flexible zones and rigid zones, including three rigid zones. The rigid zones are demarcated by the extent of the flanges. It can also be said that the flanges follow one another along a relatively tight pitch. This arrangement is well-suited to walking on mountainous terrain, during which the front of the shoe presses on projecting rocks. The alternating flexible and rigid zones enable the bottom assembly to easily adapt to the unevenness of the ground. This improves the stability of the shoe.
The third embodiment is shown in
The core 211 is bordered by the crown 210. This provides a geometrical continuity to the sole 30.
The invention is made from materials and according to techniques of implementation known to those of ordinary skill in the art.
The invention is not limited to the particular embodiments described hereinabove and shown in the drawings, and includes all of the technical equivalents that fall within the scope of the claims which follow.
In particular, even if the flanges are located in the area of the front portion 49 of the reinforcement layer 40, 140, the number of flanges can be other than four or six. Flanges can be arranged on only one side of the shoe, i.e., whether lateral or medial. Flanges can also be arranged toward the middle of the shoe, i.e., such as halfway between the lateral edge and the medial edge.
Further, any structure can be provided for the manufacture of the flanges. For example, a flange does not necessarily form a unitary element with the reinforcement layer. In such a case, the flange is an assembled element of the bottom assembly. The flange can have a C-shaped structure, or any equivalent shape that facilitates the connection between the outsole and the reinforcement layer.
The invention, illustratively disclosed herein, suitably may be practiced in the absence of any element which is not specifically disclosed herein.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08.03570 | Jun 2008 | FR | national |
