STABILIZER AND CUSHIONING SUPPORT FOR ATHLETIC FOOTWEAR

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/005,476, entitled “STABILIZER AND CUSHIONING SUPPORT FOR ATHLETIC FOOTWEAR,” filed on Dec. 5, 2007, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a combination cushioning and stabilizer device for footwear, and in particular for athletic footwear.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Over the past several decades, great efforts have been directed to the design of athletic footwear in order to enhance their performance and comfort. Particular attention has been given to lightweight footwear designed in particular for running and similar activities. Over the years attention has been directed to both providing comfort and stabilization. A good deal of these efforts has been directed to the stabilization and comfort of the heel since the heel portion of the shoe has significant relevance in footwear performance. In designing heel structures that have both stabilizing and cushioning benefits, different considerations and problems are presented by each of these features. In particular, stabilization of a heel requires a relatively secure support which limits the ability of the heel to move. On the other hand, cushioning requires resilience and comfort for the wearer's foot when the foot applies a variety of pressures and forces to the shoe.

Efforts to solve these apparently inconsistent problems have commonly resulted in the design of midsoles having multiple components that are designed for these features. Some of these designs are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,353,526 issued Oct. 11, 1994 to Foley et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,199 issued Aug. 25, 1998 to Miller et al; and U.S. Patent Application Publication 2007/0028484 A1 published Feb. 8, 2007 to Akhidime.

These and other patents illustrating early work in this art generally disclose the footwear construction in which the footwear sole is provided with a craded arrangement of a midsole that fits into a cradle structure which in turn is supported on the outer sole of the footwear. These arrangements also generally disclose the use of a cradle with cantilevered supports providing some degree of shock absorption to absorb forces applied to the midsole when pressed in a generally downwardly direction by a foot. The specific structure, however, of the interaction between the midsoles and cradles has generally been neglected and has not been afforded the detailed attention required to provide maximum efficiency and balance between cushioning and cradling. Additionally, the interaction of the lower surface of the cradle with the upper surface of the outer sole has been afforded limited protection. As a result, the currently available configurations of these designs do not afford maximum benefits for the combination of the cradle and midsole combination when varying forces are applied to them when the footwear is in use.

In one illustrative embodiment, an athletic shoe support structure includes a midsole and cradle combination in which the cradle is provided with a plurality of downwardly projecting pods independently engaging an upper surface of an outer sole and supporting the cradle to receive in nesting relation, the midsole. The cradle includes a bottom and continuous side wall with a plurality of apertures formed in the side wall defined by a plurality of struts with the struts coacting with one another to provide a leaf-spring support for the midsole. The midsole has a side wall with an outwardly projecting flange shaped, sized and dimensioned to engage in snug support with the upper edge of the side wall of the cradle and with a plurality of bosses or projections integrally formed with the side walls of the midsole with the outwardly projecting bosses of the midsole shaped, sized and dimensioned to engage the apertures formed by the struts of the cradle in a snug relation.

In another illustrative embodiment, an athletic shoe support structure includes a midsole constructed to resiliently support a foot and a cradle positioned underneath the midsole. The cradle has a bottom and a sidewall upwardly extending from the bottom, where the cradle is arranged to receive the midsole in nesting relation. The cradle sidewall has at least one aperture and the midsole has at least one protrusion, where the protrusion is sized and shaped to engage the at least one aperture in the sidewall.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

An objective of the present invention is to provide an improved design for a midsole cradle combination in which the interaction of the midsole and cradle provides maximum cushioning and stabilizing effect and in which the benefits of the combination cradle and midsole are maximized when subject to forces in varying directions when foot pressure is applied.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved midsole cradle combination design for ease in manufacture, installation and use. A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved cradle midsole combination in which the interengagement of the cradle and midsole is stabilized by a series of projections integrally formed with the midsole and projected into apertures formed in the cradle with the apertures having the dual function of providing a cantilever support for limited movement of the cradle while supporting the midsole for engagement with the heel of the wearer's foot.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved cradle midsole combination in which the midsole is formed with the extending pods radially arranged about the periphery of the cradle to provide differential resistance for each of these pods to varying forces applied to the combination cradle and midsole by the wearer's foot.

The foregoing objects and advantages of the present invention are attained by a footwear construction in which the midsole is suitably nested within a cradle which is in turn may be supported on an outer sole. The cradle is shaped with a series of independent downwardly projecting pods peripherally arranged about the cradle to engage the upper surface of the outer sole. The side walls of the cradle are formed with a series of openings or apertures that essentially define an open lattice work of struts or cross-members. These struts or cross-members cooperate with one another to essentially provide a leaf-spring support for the midsole. The midsole in turn is formed with a series of projections that are sized in shape to engage the aperture and upper edge of the cradle with these projections supporting the midsole in transmitting forces applied to the midsole by the wearer's foot to the cradle on use. Forces applied to the cradle through the midsole are transmitted through the cradle to the outer sole through the independent pods which engage the outer sole.

A further embodiment of this invention contemplates a cradle and midsole construction in which the cradle and midsole construction are extended lengthwise to form a unitary cradle and sole structure as well as a full length midsole.

Various embodiments of the present invention provide certain advantages. Not all embodiments of the invention share the same advantages and those that do may not share them under all circumstances.

Further features and advantages of the present invention, as well as the structure of various embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are schematic and are not intended to be drawn to scale. In the figures, each identical, or substantially similar component that is illustrated in various figures is typically represented by a single numeral or notation. For purposes of clarity, not every component is labeled in every figure, nor is every component of each embodiment of the invention shown where illustration is not necessary to allow those of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates an elevational view of an athletic footwear embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective side elevation of a midsole and cradle in nested relation, one to the other;

FIG. 3 illustrates the components shown in FIG. 2 but with the cradle and midsole separated for illustrative purposes;

FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of the cradle midsole combination in nested relation to one another;

FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the midsole and cradle separated one from the other for illustrative purposes;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of a modification of the present invention in which the midsole and cradle are separated one from the other for illustrative purposes and in which both components include a fore part or sole component;

FIG. 7 is a bottom perspective view of the modified components illustrated in FIG. 6 with the element on the left side of FIG. 7 comprising a bottom view of the cradle and the component shown on the right side of FIG. 7 comprising the midsole;

FIG. 8 is an engineering drawing comprising a rear plan view of the right shoe of footwear having an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a view comparable to that of FIG. 8 but of the left shoe;

FIG. 10 is an engineering bottom plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a medial view showing the interengaged midsole and cradle of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a lateral view of the embodiment to FIG. 10;

FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken essentially along the line A-A of FIG. 10;

FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken essentially along the line B-B of FIG. 10;

FIG. 15 is a sectional view taken essentially along the line C-C of FIG. 10;

FIG. 16 is a sectional view taken essentially along the line D-D of FIG. 10;

FIG. 17 is an engineering top plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 10;

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view taken essentially along the line E-E of FIG. 10;

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view taken essentially along the line F-F of FIG. 10;

FIG. 20 is a medial view illustrating another embodiment of an interengaged midsole and cradle;

FIG. 21 is a bottom plan view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 20; and

FIG. 22 is a sectional view taken essentially along the line A-A of FIG. 21.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having,” “containing,” “involving,” and variations thereof herein, is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items.

The present invention may be embodied or incorporated into footwear of the type illustrated in FIG. 1. This footwear typically considered athletic footwear includes an outer sole 10 and upper 12 of conventional design. The design of a particular shoe may vary considerably depending upon the commercial needs of the marketplace, but ordinarily would include an upper of a fabric material with decorative stitching and various mesh components as illustrated.

The principal components to which this invention is directed may be supported on an outer sole 10 and may be coupled either directly or indirectly to an upper 12. The principal components of one embodiment of the present invention are illustrated FIG. 2. In this arrangement, a cradle 14 is positioned directly over the upper surface (not shown) of the outer sole 10. The cradle 14 supports a midsole 16 in a nested relation as more fully described hereafter. The cradle 14 and midsole 16 may be formed of lightweight foam or plastic material conventionally used in structures of this type. Various materials of construction are discussed in greater detail below, but in one embodiment, some of the material may be selected from a variety of polyurethane foams and the like. It should be appreciated that although certain embodiments may include an outer sole positioned below the cradle, the invention is not limited in this respect, and some embodiments may not include a separate outer sole component and the cradle 14 may function as an outer sole 10.

The cradle construction illustrated in FIGS. 2-5 is formed with a bottom 18 and integrally and continuously formed upwardly extending side walls 20, with the side walls 20 extending from the lateral through the rear and to the medial side of the cradle 14. The bottom 18 may be integrally and continuously formed with the side wall 20. The bottom 18 may be formed with apertures 22 centrally located and extending through the bottom 18 of the cradle. The shapes of these apertures may vary depending upon the degree of flexibility and resilience desired in the particular application.

The cradle 14 in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2-5 extends forwardly to the instep region of the foot at which point the cradle 14 is tapered to a feathered or essentially feathered edge 100 so that it may be appropriately secured to the outer sole 10 or instep components of the shoe.

The side wall 20 is specifically defined by a series of struts or cross-members 24 that essentially define a series of lattice openings 26 extending from one side to the other and including the heel portion of the cradle. These openings 26 extend through the side wall of the cradle and may essentially function as a leaf-spring system for support as hereafter described for the midsole. Consequently, the struts or cross-members 26 are capable of flexing and moving with downward forces applied indirectly from a wearer's foot.

The bottom surface 18 of the cradle 14 is formed with a series of separately defined downwardly projecting pods 28 independent of one another. These pods 28 are radially arranged about the outer periphery of the cradle 14 and are formed with a flat lower surface shaped and sized to engage a surface, such as, in one embodiment, the upper surface of the outer sole about its periphery. These downwardly projecting pods 28 are separated from each other by a space which allows the pods to flex independently one from the other when subject to varying forces in different directions when the wearer's foot pressure is applied. These downwardly projecting pods may be radially arranged about the apertures 22 in the lower surface of the cradle 14. In the configuration of the illustrative embodiment, the cradle 14 is preferably formed with a plurality of apertures 26 on each side and at least one larger aperture 26 extending across the rear of the cradle in the heel region.

The midsole according to one illustrative embodiment is shown in FIGS. 2-5. This midsole 16 in this embodiment is shaped in size to nest within the opening formed by the cradle 18 and as further described, fits snugly within it. The midsole 16 tapers from a thickened heel end towards the fore part which may have a feathered edge 102 to terminate essentially close to the termination point of the cradle 14 so that both components may be secured within the shoe in nested relation, one to the other.

The midsole 16 may be formed of conventional material which may or may not be the same as the material used for the cradle 14 depending upon the specifics of the system desired. The midsole 16 may be formed with a recessed upper surface 104 defined by the bottom 30 of the midsole and the midsole side walls 32 with the midsole side walls 32 extending upwardly to form a smoothly shaped cup to receive the wearer's foot (not shown). The upper surface 104 of the midsole bottom 30 may be smooth or formed with mesh-like pattern for purposes of fitting the midsole in the heel region and thus lightening the overall weight of the midsole. The lower surface of the midsole may be similarly treated to reduce its thickness and thereby its weight. In some embodiments, such as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4, the midsole 16 may include a grid system 106 for additional energy return characteristics. A sock lining (not shown) or other covering may be provided over the upper surface of the midsole 16 to conventionally finish the interior of the shoe.

An outwardly projecting flange 36 extends along each side of the midsole 16 with these outwardly projecting flanges 36 having a lower surface 108 that conforms and mates with the upper edge 38 of the cradle 14. The outwardly projecting flange 36 engages the edge 38 of the cradle 14 in an interfering fit which supports the midsole 16 firmly on the upper edge 38 of the cradle. This interaction or interfit of the outwardly projecting flange 36 an upper edge of the cradle, provides a snug and secure interengagement of the midsole 16 with the cradle 14 preventing unintended movement of the midsole 16 with respect to the cradle 14 during use of the footwear.

Additionally, the midsole 16 is provided with a series of supplemental bosses or projections 40 which are shaped, sized and positioned to fit into the openings 26 formed in the sidewall of the cradle. As illustrated in FIG. 5, for example, these bosses or projections 40 extend at least partially into the openings 26 to provide a snug interengagement and limiting relative movement of the cradle and midsole. These projecting bosses 40 also assist in locating the two components 14, 16 during the assembly process, and in some embodiments, this construction may minimize the amount of adhesive required to assemble and secure these components together. As illustrated, in one embodiment, the shape of a projection 40 is substantially identical to the shape of the corresponding opening 26.

As mentioned above, the midsole and cradle components may be made of various types of materials as the invention is not limited in this respect. In one embodiment, the cradle is made of a more rigid material in comparison to the midsole. In this embodiment, the midsole may be made of a softer more cushioning material, while the cradle may be made of more rigid material to provide more stability. In one embodiment, the midsole is made of material such as a compression molded EVA (Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate) and may for example have a durometer of approximately 58 asker (+/−3 asker). In one embodiment, the cradle is made of an injection molded EVA with a harder durometer, such as 65 asker (+/−3 asker). It is also contemplated that the cradle may be made with a harder material such as TPU (Thermoplastic Urethane). In some embodiments, the midsole 16 and/or cradle 14 may be made of various foam materials, and it is also contemplated that certain components, such as the cradle 14 may be made of a mixture of TPU and foam, and may, for example, be plastic reinforced for pronation. It is also contemplated that other materials, such as glass reinforced plastic, nylon and carbon fiber may be incorporated into the cradle 14 and/or midsole 16.

In one embodiment, components may be provided to insert into one or more of the openings 26 in the cradle to adjust the cushioning and stability characteristics of the cradle. It is contemplated for inserts to be provided to insert into opening 26 located on the medial side of the shoe to prevent pronation.

The present invention also contemplates further embodiments of the present invention as illustrated in FIGS. 6-19. Referring first to FIG. 6, there is illustrated an embodiment of the present invention in which a midsole 66 nests within a cradle 64. The cradle 64 and midsole 66 are modified versions of the cradle 14 and midsole 16 in that they extend the full length of the footwear construction. In this configuration, the cradle 64 includes integrally formed forepart 68 continuous with the heel portion 108 and having an extended shape in the form of the forepart of a shoe sole. This forepart 68 of the cradle 64 best illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 is formed with pods 78 generally but not substantially identical to the pods 28 in the previously described embodiment. These pods 78 are arranged peripherally around the heel portion 108 of the cradle 64 and provides functions similar to the functions of the pods 28 in the embodiment of FIGS. 2-5. In this embodiment however, the pods 78 while not completely disassociated from one another, are defined substantially one from the other so that they essentially provide independent compressive function when differential pressures are applied by downwardly applied force.

Additionally, through apertures 80 may be formed in the bottom of the cradle 64 for purposes hereafter described. Additional openings or apertures 82 are also provided in the forepart 68 of the cradle.

The midsole 66 is formed with a shape similar to the shape of the cradle 68 with the lower surface best illustrated in FIG. 7, shaped in size to nest snugly with the upper surface of the cradle 64. Additionally, projections or bosses 88 extend outwardly from the bottom of the midsole with these bosses 88 shaped, sized and positioned to engage various apertures 82 and 80. This configuration assures a snug and secure interconnection between the two components and facilitates the assembly of these units. The forepart 68 of the midsole 66 may be provided with a series of outwardly projecting flanges 90 shaped and sized to engage the upper edge 92 of the forepart 68 of the cradle 64 so as to assist in locating and aligning the cradle and midsole.

Further details and specifics of the interrelationship of these components may be better understood from a consideration of the engineering drawings best illustrated in FIGS. 9-22. FIGS. 9-21 illustrate one embodiment of a midsole 16 and cradle 14 that is similar to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2-5 where at least one of the cradle 14 and the midsole 16 only extend into an instep region of the foot before tapering. In contrast, the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 20-22 show a cradle 14 and midsole 16 combination that both extend substantially the full length of the footwear, similar to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7. Furthermore, the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 20-22 includes a support plate 120 positioned between the cradle 14 and the midsole 16. In one embodiment, the support plate 120 is made of a material that is more rigid than the midsole 16 and/or the cradle 14 and the support plate may provide additional reinforcement to a foot. It should be appreciated that in some embodiments, the midsole may rest directly on the cradle 14 and a support plate 120 may not be provided, as the invention is not limited in this respect. It should further be appreciated that in some embodiments, the midsole 16 may nest within the cradle 14 and there may be one or more additional components that may be layered between the cradle 14 and the midsole 16. As shown, in one embodiment, an outsole 130 may be positioned underneath the cradle 14.

While several embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily envision a variety of other means and structures for performing the functions and/or obtaining the results or advantages described herein, and each of such variations, modifications and improvements is deemed to be within the scope of the present invention. More generally, those skilled in the art would readily appreciate that all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are meant to be exemplary and that actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations will depend upon specific applications for which the teachings of the present invention are used. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific embodiments of the invention described herein. It is, therefore, to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only and that, within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereto, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described. The present invention is directed to each individual feature, system, material and/or method described herein. In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems, materials and/or methods, provided that such features, systems, materials and/or methods are not mutually inconsistent, is included within the scope of the present invention. All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions or usage in documents incorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.

In the claims (as well as in the specification above), all transitional phrases or phrases of inclusion, such as “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,” “containing,” “composed of,” “made of,” “formed of” “involving” and the like shall be interpreted to be open-ended, i.e. to mean “including but not limited to” and, therefore, encompassing the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Only the transitional phrases or phrases of inclusion “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of” are to be interpreted as closed or semi-closed phrases, respectively. The indefinite articles “a” and “an,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to mean “at least one.”

STABILIZER AND CUSHIONING SUPPORT FOR ATHLETIC FOOTWEAR

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Provisional Applications (1)