Shock Absorbing Device For Shoe Sole

• US 20080034615A1
• Filed: 07/04/2005
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASICS Corporation
• Original Assignee: ASICS Corporation
• Inventors: Nishiwaki, Tsuyoshi, Kurosaki, Kiyomitsu, Fujita, Hisanori
• Granted Patent: US 7,779,558 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 36/88
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/181 Resiliency achieved by the structure of the sole
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/189 filled with a non-compressible fluid, e.g. gel, water
• 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 13/206 provided with tubes or pipes or tubular shaped cushioning members
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 21/26 Resilient heels

Abstract

A shock absorbing device for a shoe sole according to the present invention comprises: an outer sole 2; a midsole M that is disposed above the outer sole 2; and a deformation element 3 disposed between the outer sole 2 and the midsole M. The deformation element 3 is joined to the bottom surface of the midsole M and is joined to the upper surface of the outer sole 2. The deformation element has a tubular part 30 in a flat tubular form, and Young'"'"'s modulus of a material constituting the tubular part 30 is greater than both that of a material constituting the midsole M and that of a material constituting the outer sole 2. The tubular part has a lower portion that is curved so as to be convex downwards and thereby undergoes bending deformation due to a shock at landing.

Claims

1. A shock absorbing device for a shoe sole comprising:

an outer sole having a ground contact surface that contacts the ground at landing and an upper surface opposite to the ground contact surface;

a midsole that is disposed above the outer sole and has a bottom surface; and

a deformation element disposed between the outer sole and the midsole, wherein

the deformation element is joined to the bottom surface of the midsole and is joined to the upper surface of the outer sole,

the deformation element has a tubular part in a flat tubular form,

Young'"'"'s modulus of a material constituting the tubular part is greater than both that of a material constituting the midsole and that of a material constituting the outer sole,

the tubular part is arranged so as to have a major axis generally along a longitudinal direction of a foot and a minor axis generally along a vertical direction,

a length of the major axis is set within a range of about 25 mm to about 80 mm,

the tubular part has a lower portion that is curved so as to be convex downwards and thereby undergoes bending deformation due to an impact load of landing,

a concave first curved surface is provided on the upper surface of the outer sole, and

the lower portion of the tubular part fits into the first curved surface of the outer sole.

2. A shock absorbing device for a shoe sole according to claim 1, wherein

the tubular part has an upper portion that is curved so as to be convex upwards and thereby undergoes bending deformation due to the impact load of landing,

a concave second curved surface is provided on the bottom surface of the midsole, and

the upper portion of the tubular part fits into the second curved surface of the midsole.

3. A shock absorbing device for a shoe sole according to claim 1, wherein

a third curved surface that is curved so as to be convex downwards generally along the lower portion of the tubular part is provided on the ground contact surface of the outer sole.

4. A shock absorbing device for a shoe sole according to claim 1, wherein

the tubular part is disposed at a rear foot part of the midsole, and

at least a part of the lower portion of the tubular part protrudes downwards further than the rear foot part of the midsole.

5. A shock absorbing device for a shoe sole according to claim 1, wherein

the tubular part is disposed at a rear foot part of the midsole, and

substantially whole of the lower portion of the tubular part protrudes downwards further than the rear foot part of the midsole.

6. A shock absorbing device for a shoe sole according to claim 1, wherein

the deformation element is provided at least on a lateral side of a rear foot part of the foot.

7. A shock absorbing device for a shoe sole according to claim 6, wherein

at least two deformation elements are provided separately from each other in a medial-lateral direction of the foot.

8. A shock absorbing device for a shoe sole according to claim 6, wherein

at least two deformation elements are provided on the lateral side of the rear foot part of the foot.

9. A shock absorbing device for a shoe sole according to claim 7, wherein

the minor axis of the tubular part becomes shorter as it gets closer to a center in the medial-lateral direction of the foot.

10. A shock absorbing device for a shoe sole according to claim 1, wherein

a shock absorbing member having a smaller Young'"'"'s modulus than the tubular part is provided in an internal space of the tubular part.

11. A shock absorbing device for a shoe sole according to claim 1, wherein

the tubular part has a front end portion in front of the lower portion and a rear end portion in the rear of the lower portion, and

external surfaces of the two end portions are covered with the midsole and/or the outer sole.

12. A shock absorbing device for a shoe sole according to claim 2, wherein

the tubular part has a front end portion in front of the lower portion and a rear end portion in the rear of the lower portion, and

a thickness of the end portion is greater than both that of the upper portion and that of the lower portion.

13. A shock absorbing device for a shoe sole according to claim 12, wherein

the thickness of the end portion is set within a range of about 1.5 mm to about 8.0 mm and

the thickness of the upper portion and the thickness of the lower portion are each set within a range of about 1.0 mm to about 4.0 mm.

14. A shock absorbing device for a shoe sole according to claim 1, wherein

a connecting member having a greater Young'"'"'s modulus than the midsole is joined to the bottom surface of the midsole,

the tubular part is joined to the connecting member, and

by joining the tubular part to the connecting member, the deformation element is retained by the connecting member.

15. A shock absorbing device for a shoe sole according to claim 1, wherein

the tubular part is integrally formed to be seamless in a longitudinal section of the shoe sole.

16. A shock absorbing device for a shoe sole according to claim 2, wherein

a length of the minor axis of the tubular part is set within a range of about 8 mm to about 25 mm, and

flatness obtained by dividing the length of the major axis by the length of the minor axis of the tubular part is set within a range of about 1.5 to about 4.0.

17. A shock absorbing device for a shoe sole according to claim 1, wherein

Young'"'"'s modulus of the material constituting the tubular part is set within a range of about 1 kg/mm² to about 30 kg/mm².

18. A shock absorbing device for a shoe sole according to claim 3, wherein

the tubular part has a front end portion in front of the lower portion and a rear end portion in the rear of the lower portion,

the tubular part is integrally formed to be seamless in a longitudinal section of the shoe sole,

the rear end portion of the tubular part is disposed in the vicinity of a rear end of the outer sole,

the lower portion of the tubular part is formed in a substantially smooth arc shape in the longitudinal section of the shoe sole,

by thus forming the lower portion of the tubular part, the impact load of landing is sequentially imposed on the lower portion from a rear to a front thereof while, during running, a heel contact stance in which a heel of the foot lands on the ground is being switched to a foot flat stance in which almost whole of a sole of the foot is in contact with the ground, and

the lower portion of the tubular part, subjected to the impact load, sequentially undergoes bending deformation from the rear to the front thereof.

19. A shock absorbing device for a shoe sole according to claim 1, wherein

at least two deformation elements are provided at a rear foot part of the foot, and

the deformation elements provided at the rear foot part are spaced apart from each other in a longitudinal direction of the foot.

20. A shock absorbing device for a shoe sole according to claim 1, wherein

the tubular part has a front end portion in front of the lower portion and a rear end portion in the rear of the lower portion,

at least two deformation elements are provided at a rear foot part of the foot, the deformation elements including a first deformation element and a second deformation element,

the first deformation element is disposed so that the rear end portion of the tubular part of the first deformation element is in a vicinity of a rear end of the outer sole, and

the second deformation element is disposed so that the front end portion of the tubular part of the second deformation element is in a vicinity of a rear end of an arch of the midsole.

21. A shock absorbing device for a shoe sole according to claim 20, wherein

the front end portion of the tubular part of the first deformation element and the rear end portion of the tubular part of the second deformation element are close to each other in the longitudinal direction of the foot.

22. A shock absorbing device for a shoe sole according to claim 21, wherein

the first deformation element is disposed on a rear lateral side of the rear foot part of the foot, and

the second deformation element is disposed on a front medial side of the rear foot part of the foot.

23. A shock absorbing device for a shoe sole having a medial and lateral side, the device comprising:

an outer sole that contacts the ground at landing comprising an outer sole material;

a midsole disposed above the outer sole comprising a midsole material;

at least one deformation element disposed between the outer sole and the midsole on the lateral side or medial side of the shoe sole;

wherein each deformation element is a substantially elliptical hollow tubular member having a major axis and a minor axis, the minor axis connecting the midsole and outer sole;

wherein each tubular member includes tubular walls having a Young'"'"'s modulus greater than a Young'"'"'s modulus for the midsole material and a Young'"'"'s modulus for the outer sole material.

24. A shock absorbing device for a shoe sole having a medial and lateral side, the device comprising:

an outer sole that contacts the ground at landing comprising an outer sole material;

a midsole disposed above the outer sole comprising a midsole material;

at least one deformation element disposed between the outer sole and the midsole on the lateral side of the shoe sole;

at least one deformation element disposed between the outer sole and the midsole on the medial side of the shoe sole;

wherein each deformation element is a substantially elliptical hollow tubular member having a major axis and a minor axis, the minor axis connecting the midsole and outer sole;

wherein each tubular member includes tubular walls having a Young'"'"'s modulus greater than a Young'"'"'s modulus for the midsole material and a Young'"'"'s modulus for the outer sole material.

25. A deformation element for use in a shoe sole comprising:

a substantially elliptical hollow tubular member having an internal space therein and an opening at each end of the tubular member and having a major axis and a minor axis, the tubular member comprising tubular walls having a predetermined Young'"'"'s modulus and;

a shock absorbing member within the internal space and in mating contact with the tubular walls, the shock absorbing member having a Young'"'"'s modulus less than the Young'"'"'s modulus of the tubular walls,

wherein in the vicinity of an end portion of the major axis, a thickness of the tubular member gradually decreases as it gets closer to the end portion of the major axis, and the thickness of the tubular member at the end portion of the major axis is set approximately twice to five times as large as that at an end portion of the minor axis.

26. A deformation element for use in a shoe sole comprising:

a substantially elliptical hollow tubular member having an internal space therein and an opening at each end of the tubular member and having a major axis and a minor axis, the tubular member comprising tubular walls having a predetermined Young'"'"'s modulus; and

a shock absorbing member within the internal space of the hollow tubular member and in mating contact with the tubular walls thereof, the shock absorbing member having an opening therein, the opening having an axis substantially parallel to the minor axis,

wherein the shock absorbing member has a Young'"'"'s modulus less than the Young'"'"'s modulus of the tubular walls.