Shoe cushioning system and related method of manufacture

• US 20030101620A1
• Filed: 11/30/2001
• Published: 06/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wolverine World Wide Inc.
• Original Assignee: Wolverine World Wide Inc.
• Inventors: Reed, Karl A., McClelland, Larry W., Fountain, Gary G.
• Granted Patent: US 6,754,982 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 36/30A
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/12 Soles with several layers of different materials
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/20 Pneumatic soles filled with a compressible fluid, e.g. air, gas inflatable linings for skiboots A43B5/0407
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/42 Filling materials located between the insole and outer sole; Stiffening materials
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/1425 situated under the ball of the foot, i.e. the joint between the first metatarsal and first phalange
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/1435 situated under the joint between the fifth phalange and the fifth metatarsal bone
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/144 situated under the heel, i.e. the calcaneus bone
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/1445 situated under the midfoot, i.e. the second, third or fourth metatarsal
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 9/06 stitched or nailed through
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 35/10 having preformed soles or heels joined on to preformed uppers using a moulding technique, e.g. by feeding or injecting plastics material between the parts to be joined

Abstract

A footwear cushioning system including an insole and a midsole that define a chamber containing multiple, hollow, inverted, truncated cones. The insole includes a plate having a downwardly extending rib to define a recess. The midsole includes a midsole plate including an upwardly extending wall and multiple upwardly opening hollow, inverted frusto-conical cushion cells. The wall interfits within the rib, and the cushion cells abut against the insole plate. An outsole shell is direct-attached to the cushioning system with polyurethane. Preferably, the polyurethane pre-compresses the cushion cells and adds cushioning and energy return characteristics. To assemble the cushion system, an upper is stapled to the insole rib. The midsole is interfitted within the rib. The insole and midsole are heated to fuse the cushion cells to the insole. Polyurethane is poured into the outsole shell and the shell is direct attached to the upper/cushioning system.

Claims

1. A cushioning system for footwear comprising:

an insole including an insole plate defining a periphery and a first wall extending downwardly from said insole plate to define a first recess;

a midsole including a midsole plate, a second wall extending upwardly from said midsole plate to define a second recess and a plurality of cushion cells integral with said midsole plate and located within said second recess, said cells in the shape of hollow, truncated cones extending in an upwardly opening manner from said midsole plate, wherein said midsole is at least partially interfitted in said first recess so that said insole plate abuts said plurality of cushion cells.

2. The cushioning system of claim 1 wherein a plurality of said cushion cells are aligned with the metatarsal head of a foot of a wearer of footwear including the cushioning system.

3. The cushioning system of claim 2 wherein at least one of said cushion cells is aligned with a heel of the foot of the wearer.

4. The cushioning system of claim 3 wherein a support flange is disposed concentrically about said cushion cell aligned with the heel of the foot of the wearer.

5. The cushioning system of claim 1 wherein said cushion cells, insole and midsole are constructed of a supple material selected from the group of consisting of rubber and synthetic elastomers.

6. The cushioning system of claim 1 wherein the insole plate defines a plurality of vent holes, each of which is uniquely associated with each of the plurality of cushion cells.

7. The cushioning system of claim 1 wherein the insole is attached to an outsole shell to define a void between the midsole plate and the outsole shell.

8. The cushioning system of claim 7 wherein the void is filled with a filler chosen from polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride and thermo plastic rubber, wherein the filler is direct-attached to the insole plate and the outsole shell and wherein the filler is cured in-situ within the void.

9. The cushioning system of claim 8 wherein the filler material presses against the by midsole plate so that the cushion cells are firmly abutted against said insole plate to pre-load the cushion cells.

10. The cushioning system of claim 9 wherein said midsole plate deflects upwardly between each of said plurality of said cushion cells.

11. The cushioning system of claim 8 wherein said first wall and said second wall are positioned adjacent one another to prevent the filler entering the first and second recesses.

15. The footwear of claim 11 wherein said first plate includes a shank to provide support for the foot of a wearer.

16. The footwear of claim 11 wherein the plurality of hollow, upwardly and outwardly tapering members align with metatarsal bones of the foot of a user and wherein at least one of the members corresponds to the heel of a wearer.

17. The footwear of claim 11 wherein each of the plurality of hollow, upwardly and outwardly tapering members includes a base portion, which is integrally molded with the second plate, and a contact portion, distal from said base portion, wherein said contact portion abuts against said first plate when said insert is positioned within said first recess.

12. An article of footwear comprising:

an upper including a lower peripheral edge;

an insole including a first plate and a rib extending from said first plate defining a first recess, said rib secured to said lower peripheral edge;

an insert including a second plate, a flange extending from said second plate and a plurality of hollow, upwardly and outwardly tapering members extending from said second plate, said insert positioned within said first recess to define a cavity between said first plate and said second plate; and

a sole having a filler material and an outsole shell, said filler material direct-attached to at least one of said upper, said insole and said insert, said outsole shell defining a void filled with said filler material.

13. The footwear of claim 12 wherein said first plate defines a plurality of apertures, each corresponding to at least one of said plurality of hollow, upwardly and outwardly tapering members.

14. The footwear of claim 13 wherein said filler material is bonded directly to said insert and said outsole shell, said filler material forming a majority of said sole.

18. A method for manufacturing footwear comprising:

securing an upper to an insole, the insole including an insole plate and a rib, the insole plate and rib defining a recess;

providing a midsole including a midsole plate, a wall extending from the midsole plate, and a plurality of hollow, inverted, truncated cones integral with and extending from the midsole plate;

positioning the midsole within the recess wherein the wall locates the insert by cooperating with the rib; and

securing a sole to at least one of the upper, the insole and the midsole.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the sole includes an outsole shell, that is secured to at least one of the upper, the insole and the midsole.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein a cavity is formed between the outsole shell and the midsole.

21. The method of claim 18 comprising disposing a filler within the cavity so that the midsole plate is forced toward the insole plate, thereby firmly pressing the hollow, inverted, truncated cones against the insole plate.

22. The method of claim 18 comprising heating the midsole and insole so that a portion of the hollow, inverted, truncated cones is bonded to the insole plate.

23. The method of claim 18 wherein the wall interfits within the rib.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein the filler is a material selected from the group consisting of polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride and thermo plastic rubber.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the insole plate defines a plurality of apertures, each of the apertures aligned with each of the plurality of hollow, inverted, truncated cones to provide a vent whereby air entrapped within the hollow, inverted, truncated cones may be dispelled when the cones are compressed.

26. The method of claim 24 comprising securing a shank to the insole plate to provide rigidity to the insole.

28. The method of claim 26 comprising:

partially filling an outsole shell with a cushioning filler;

clamping at least one of the upper, midsole and insole into registration with the partially filled outsole shell; and

allowing the cushioning filler to cure in-situ whereby said cushioning filler is bonded directly to at least one of said midsole, insole and upper.

29. The method of claim 28 comprising securing a welt to at least one of the rib and the upper, the welt being external to the recess.

30. The method of claim 29 comprising stitching the outsole shell to the welt.

31. The method of claim 30 comprising heating the insole and midsole to fuse the most-open portion of the upwardly-opening truncated cones to the first plate member.

32. The method of claim 28 wherein the cushioning filler is a material chosen from the group consisting of polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride and thermo plastic rubber.

27. A method of manufacturing a footwear cushioning system comprising:

securing an upper to an insole, the insole including a first plate member and a rib, the rib and first plate member defining a recess; and

positioning a midsole within the recess, the midsole including a second plate member and a plurality of upwardly-opening, truncated cones secured to or integral with the second plate member, wherein a most-open portion of the truncated cones is adjacent the first plate member.

33. A footwear cushion system comprising:

an insole;

a midsole, said insole and midsole cooperating to define a cavity;

a plurality of inverted, frusto-conical cells disposed in said cavity;

an outsole shell secured to at least one of said insole and midsole to define an outsole chamber; and

an expandable filling material cured in-situ within said chamber whereby said plurality of inverted frusto-conical cells are pre-loaded by being pre-compressed between said insole and midsole within said cavity.

34. The footwear cushion system of claim 33 wherein said cushion cells are integrally fused to said insole and midsole.

35. The footwear cushion system of claim 33 wherein one from said plurality of cushion cells is disposed in a heel portion of the insole, and wherein a cylindrical wall is concentrically disposed around said one cushion cell.

36. The footwear cushion system of claim 35 wherein said insole includes an integral shank to add rigidity to the footwear cushion system.

37. The footwear cushion system of claim 36 wherein the insole defines a plurality of air vents, each uniquely associated with one of said plurality of cushion cells.