SHOE ASSEMBLY WITH NON-LINEAR VISCOUS LIQUID

• US 20140331519A1
• Filed: 02/10/2014
• Published: 11/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brooks Sports Incorporated (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Brooks Sports Incorporated (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Campbell, Derek, Humphrey, Pete, Veeriah, Vaikunthanathan
• Granted Patent: US 10,016,016 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 36/29
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/04 Plastics, rubber or vulcanised fibre
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/187 Resiliency achieved by the features of the material, e.g. foam, non liquid materials
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/189 filled with a non-compressible fluid, e.g. gel, water
• 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: B29C 44/02 for articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 35/12 Producing parts thereof, e.g. soles, heels, uppers, by a moulding technique
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 35/122 Soles
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 35/142 Soles

Abstract

Shoes and shoe sole assemblies and associated methods of manufacture are disclosed herein. One aspect of the invention is directed toward a shoe and shoe sole assembly made of a non-linearly viscous, SEBS block copolymer-based material that becomes more resilient as more energy is applied. The shoe and shoe sole assembly is configured with a heel and forefoot insert configured to fit within a recess in a midsole. In other embodiments, the non-linearly viscous, SEBS block copolymer-based material is mixed with at least one other polymer in a foam. The midsole is formed with a heel impact region and a forefoot region made of the foam.

Claims

1. A shoe sole assembly comprising:

a heel insert made of a non-linearly viscous, SEBS block copolymer-based material, the heel insert comprising;

a generally circular heel portion; and

a tapered protrusion extending forward from the heel portion;

a forefoot insert made of a non-linearly viscous, SEBS block copolymer-based material, the forefoot insert comprising;

a generally oval-shaped portion positioned under an inside metatarsal of a foot; and

an arcing protrusion extending laterally outwardly from the oval-shaped portion, wherein the forefoot extension is configured in an arcing pattern of metatarsals of a foot to substantially underlie the metatarsals; and

a midsole configured to receive the heel insert and the forefoot insert.

2. The shoe sole assembly of claim 1 wherein a top surface of the heel portion is generally flat, and a bottom surface is generally dome-shaped

3. The shoe sole assembly of claim 1 wherein the tapered protrusion tapers in at least one of a width direction and a thickness direction.

4. The shoe sole assembly of claim 1 wherein the oval-shaped portion is slightly thicker than the arcing protrusion.

5. The shoe sole assembly of claim 1 wherein the non-linearly viscous, SEBS block copolymer-based material is at least one of injection moldable or compression moldable.

6. The shoe sole assembly of claim 1 wherein the non-linearly viscous, SEBS block copolymer-based material is at least one of thixotropic, rheopectic, and pseudo-plastic.

7. The shoe sole assembly of claim 1 wherein the heel insert and the forefoot insert are configured to fit within recesses in the midsole.

8. The shoe sole assembly of claim 1 wherein at least one of the heel insert and the forefoot insert has a plurality of recesses configured to increase flexibility and decrease weight of the at least one insert.

9. The shoe assembly of claim 1 wherein the material is configured to have at least a first and a second resiliency in response to a first and a second use, respectively.

10. The shoe assembly of claim 9 wherein the first use is walking, and the second use is running.

11. The shoe assembly of claim 1 wherein the heel insert has a first resiliency and the forefoot insert has a second resiliency.

12. A shoe sole, comprising:

a heel impact region; and

a forefoot impact region;

wherein at least one of the heel impact region and the forefoot impact region is formed of a non-linearly viscous, SEBS block copolymer-based material blended into a foam with at least one other polymer.

13. The shoe sole of claim 12 wherein the heel impact region and the forefoot impact region comprise one continuous region.

14. The shoe sole of claim 12 wherein the heel impact region and the foretoot impact region comprise at least two discontinuous regions.

15. The shoe sole of claim 12, further comprising a midsole configured to receive at least one of the heel impact region and the forefoot impact region.

16. The shoe sole of claim 12 wherein the midsole is made of at least one of an alpha olephin blend, a polyolefin blend, and a polymer alloy with polyolefins.

17. The shoe sole of claim 12 wherein the at least one other polymer comprises at least one of an alpha olephin blend, a polyolefin blend, and a polymer alloy with polyolefins.

18. The shoe sole of claim 12 wherein the forefoot impact region is shaped to lie under five metatarsal heads of a human foot.

19. The shoe sole of claim 12 wherein the heel impact region comprises a convex protrusion extending downwardly.

20. The shoe sole of claim 12 wherein the heel impact region and the forefoot impact region are shaped according to the impact levels on the shoe sole during an average gait.

21-36. -36. (canceled)