1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to insoles for articles of footwear. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to insoles having inferiorly extending projections that provide support for the wearer.
2. Background
Many articles of footwear include an insole that provides support and comfort to a wearer's foot. The insole is typically a thin sheet of material that is layered over the midsole and that is disposed directly below the wearer's foot. The insole can have a substantially constant thickness throughout. Also, the insole can be flat, or the insole can be curved (e.g., to conform more closely to the curvature of the wearer's foot).
Insoles can be made out of many different types of material. Some insoles are made of leather or plastic and do not substantially provide cushioning. Other insoles are made of resilient materials such as foam, gel, and rubber, to provide a cushioning layer to provide additional comfort and to dampen (i.e., attenuate) impact loads and other loads. Additionally, some insoles can include raised areas or other features that increase the insole's ability to dampen impact or other loads. However, most of the known insoles that provide ample cushioning and dampening do not adequately provide other beneficial characteristics such as moisture control, breathability, etc.
Accordingly, despite the benefits of known insoles for articles of footwear, there remains a need for impact-attenuating insoles that do not compromise breathability, comfort, and moisture control.
The present disclosure overcomes these and other shortfalls with the disclosed insoles for articles of footwear.
An insole for an article of footwear is disclosed that defines a transverse direction and an inferior-superior direction. The article of footwear is operable to be worn on a foot of a wearer. The insole includes a base that extends generally in the transverse direction, and the base includes a base superior surface and a base inferior surface. Furthermore, the insole includes a dampener that is resiliently flexible to cushion the foot of the wearer. The dampener extends inferiorly from the inferior surface of the base and terminates at a dampener inferior surface. The dampener also is rounded in a cross section taken in the inferior-superior direction. The dampener also includes an opening that extends through the dampener inferior surface and that extends superiorly therefrom.
Additionally, an insole for an article of footwear operable to be worn on a foot of a wearer is disclosed. The article of footwear defines a transverse direction and an inferior-superior direction. The insole includes a base that extends generally in the transverse direction. The base includes a base superior surface and a base inferior surface. Moreover, the insole includes a dampener that is resiliently flexible to cushion the foot of the wearer. The dampener extends inferiorly from the inferior surface of the base and terminating at a dampener inferior surface, the dampener also includes an opening that extends through the dampener inferior surface and that extends superiorly therefrom. The dampener further includes at least one channel that is in communication with the opening and that radiates therefrom.
Furthermore, an article of footwear is disclosed that defines a transverse direction and an inferior-superior direction. The article of footwear is operable to be worn on a foot of a wearer. The footwear includes an upper and a sole assembly that includes an outsole, a midsole, and an insole. The insole includes a base that extends generally in the transverse direction. The base includes a base superior surface and a base inferior surface. The base superior surface includes a plurality of bumps. The insole also includes a plurality of dampeners that are resiliently flexible to cushion the foot of the wearer. The plurality of dampeners are integrally connected to the base so as to be monolithic, and the plurality of dampeners each extend inferiorly from the inferior surface of the base and terminate at a respective dampener inferior surface. The plurality of dampeners also are rounded in a respective planar cross section taken in the inferior-superior direction. The plurality of dampeners each also include an opening that extends through the respective dampener inferior surface and that extends superiorly therefrom. The plurality of dampeners each also include a plurality of channels that are in communication with the respective opening and that radiate therefrom.
This section provides a general summary of the present disclosure and is not a comprehensive explanation of its full scope or all of its features. Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
Referring initially to
The article of footwear 10 can generally include an upper 14 and a sole assembly 15 that are attached and that cooperate to define an interior space 12 that receives a foot of a wearer (not shown). It will be appreciated that the footwear 10 can define a first transverse direction X, a second transverse direction Z, and an inferior-superior direction Y. The first transverse direction X can extend horizontally and span between a forefoot region 17 and a heel region 19 (i.e., in the posterior-anterior direction). The second transverse direction Z can also extend horizontally and span in the medial-lateral direction, perpendicular to the direction X indicated in
The forefoot region 17 receives and supports the forefoot (e.g., the toes, metatarsals, etc.) of the wearer's foot, and the heel region 19 receives and supports the heel of the wearer's foot. It is understood that the footwear 10 includes a medial and lateral region as well, but these regions are not shown in the section view of
The upper 14 can include one or more sheets of flexible material that cover the wearer's foot. The sole assembly 15 can be attached to the upper 14 and can extend underneath the wearer's foot. The sole assembly 15 can generally include an outsole 16, a midsole 18, and an insole 20.
The outsole 16 can be made from a relatively high friction material (e.g., rubber, etc.) and can include treads, cleats, or other features that increase traction for the footwear 10. The outsole 16 can define the lowermost portion of the footwear 10.
Also, the midsole 18 can be made out of a resiliently flexible and resiliently compressible material (foam, etc.). The midsole 18 can be disposed between the outsole 16 and the insole 20 to provide cushioning for the wearer's foot. The midsole 18 can additionally include fluid-filled bladders (not shown) or other members for cushioning the wearer's foot.
The insole 20 can be layered over the midsole 18 such that the insole 20 is disposed directly underneath the wearer's foot. The insole 20 can extend transversely (i.e., in both the transverse directions X, Z) across substantially the entire sole assembly 15, or the insole 20 can extend only over a portion of the sole assembly 15. For instance, the insole 20 can extend only over the heel region 19 or only over the forefoot region 17 to provide focused support for those corresponding areas of the wearer's foot.
As shown in
Referring now to
As shown in
Also, the base 22 can include a peripheral edge 28. As shown in
Furthermore, the main body 21 of the insole 20 can include one or more dampeners 32 that extend inferiorly from the inferior surface 26 of the base 22. The dampeners 32 can be resiliently flexible (i.e., resiliently compressible) to thereby cushion the foot of the wearer.
In the embodiments illustrated in
More specifically, as shown in
Each dampener 32 can extend inferiorly from the base 22 and can terminate at a respective inferior surface 34. As shown in
Also, each of the dampeners 32 can include a sidewall 36 that extends superiorly from the inferior surface 34 to the superior end 33. The sidewall 36 can be curved (e.g., circular, elliptical, etc.) in the X-Z plane (i.e., the transverse plane), and the sidewall 36 can extend substantially perpendicular to the inferior surface 34 in the inferior-superior direction Y. In other embodiments that will be discussed, the sidewall 36 can curve convexly and/or concavely in a planar cross section taken substantially perpendicular to the inferior-superior direction Y.
Furthermore, the dampeners 32 can each include an opening 38. In the embodiments shown in
Thus, during walking, running or other movements or when the wearer's weight is applied to the insole 20, the insole can resiliently compress in the inferior-superior direction Y to provide the wearer with cushioned support. More specifically, the base 22 can resiliently compress, and the dampeners 32 can also resiliently compress. The dampeners 32 can resiliently expand radially outward in the transverse direction X as well. Then, when the load is removed, the dampeners 32 and base can resiliently recover to the neutral state shown in
Moreover, because air can flow through the openings 38, and the openings 38 are in communication with each other, ventilation in the article of footwear 10 can be improved. Thus, perspiration can more readily evaporate, the footwear 10 is less likely to retain disagreeable smells, and the footwear 10 can be more comfortable to wear for longer periods of time. Furthermore, the openings 38 can advantageously reduce the weight of the insole 20.
The insole 20 can include other features as well. For example, moisture control and/or moisture wicking materials may be included in any portion of the insole 20. Odor control materials, anti-fungal materials, etc. may also be included in any portion of the insole 20. The insole 20 can also be removable and washable. The insole 20 may be sold separately from the remainder of the article of footwear 10 or may be sold as a single unit with the article of footwear 10.
Referring now to
As shown, the insole 120 can include a first base 122 and a second base 123. The first base 122 and the second base 123 can be substantially similar (i.e., sheets of resiliently flexible material that extends transversely), except the first base 122 can be attached to the superior end 133 of the dampeners 132 while the second base 123 can be attached to the inferior surface 134 of the dampeners 132.
One or more of the openings 138 can be a through hole that extends through the first base 122, the respective dampener 132, and the second base 123. Also, a space 150 can be cooperatively defined between the dampeners 132, the first base 122, and the second base 123.
Referring now to
As shown in
Also, as shown in
Moreover, as shown in
Referring now to
As shown, the dampeners 332 can be shaped generally as truncated hemispheres. More specifically, the inferior surface 334 can be annular and substantially parallel to the base 322, and the sidewall 336 can curve convexly and superiorly therefrom towards the base 322.
Also, the openings 338 can be through holes that extend through the dampeners 332 and the base 322. This is in contrast to the embodiments of the insole 320′ illustrated in
Referring now to
As shown, the exterior of the dampeners 432 can be frusto-conic in shape. More specifically, the inferior surface 434 of the dampeners 432 can be parallel to the base 422, and the sidewall 436 can be disposed at an acute angle θ relative to the base 422 and inferior surface 434.
Furthermore, the opening 438 can have a superior portion 460 and an inferior portion 462. The superior portion 460 can have a substantially constant diameter or width along the inferior-superior direction. The inferior portion 462 can be concave and can have a generally female-hemispherical shape such that the width gradually reduces in the superior direction.
Moreover, the dampener 432 can include one or more channels 470 that extend transversely through the sidewall 436 and superiorly through the inferior surface 434. The channels 470 can extend transversely along a substantially straight longitudinal axis. The channels 470 can be in fluid communication with the opening 438 and can radiate therefrom. In the embodiments illustrated, there are four channels 470 that are equally spaced apart from each other by approximately 90 degrees. However, it will be appreciated that there can be any suitable number of channels 470, and the channels 470 can be arranged in any suitable fashion. It will be appreciated that the channels 470 can advantageously increase airflow through the insole 420.
In summary, the insoles 20, 120, 220, 320, 320′, 420 can provide improved cushioning for the wearer. Also, the insoles 20, 120, 220, 320, 320′, 420 can allow for substantial airflow therethrough such that the insole 20, 120, 220, 320, 320′, 420 to reduce build-up of perspiration, etc.
Individual elements or features of a particular aspect of the insoles are generally not limited to that particular aspect, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected aspect, even if not specifically shown or described. The same also may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the present disclosure, and ail such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure.
This application is a divisional application of application Ser. No. 13/458,263, filed Apr. 27, 2012, published as U.S. Patent Publication No. 2013/0283638 on Oct. 31, 2013, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 13458263 | Apr 2012 | US |
Child | 14847897 | US |