Flex limiting shoe sole
First Claim
1. A sole of a shoe for limiting the flex of the shoe, comprising:
- a flexible portion positioned in a flexing area of the shoe corresponding to the ball of the wearer'"'"'s foot;
a generally rigid front plate, extending forward from said flexible portion;
a generally rigid rear plate, extending rearward from said flexible portion; and
a flexible strapping layer underlying said flexible portion and at least part of said front and rear plates, and fixed to said plates and flexible portion to maintain the positional relationship therebetween and to provide tensile strength form said flexible portion during flexing;
wherein said flexible portion includes a plurality of generally laterally extending rigid slats, each slat having a top, a bottom, and opposing side shoulders in a longitudinal cross-sectional view, and wherein the bottom of each slat is fixed to said strapping layer, and at least one of said shoulders is tapered toward said top, such that when said flexible portion is flexed, adjacent shoulders of adjacent slats bear upon one another after a predetermined range of flexing, thus limiting the flex of said flexible portion in the longitudinal direction to a predetermined limit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A sole of a shoe provides for limiting the flex of the shoe. The sole includes a flexible portion positioned in the flexing area of the shoe corresponding to the ball of the wearers foot, a generally rigid front plate extending forward from the flexible portion, and a generally rigid rear plate extending rearward from the flexible portion. Further, a flexible banding or strapping layer is provided for underlying the flexible portion and at least part of the front and rear plates. The flexible strapping layer is fixed to the flexible portion and to the plates to maintain the positional relationship therebetween. Further, the flexible portion includes a plurality of generally laterally extending rigid slats. In a cross-sectional view, each of the generally laterally extending rigid slats has a top, a bottom, and opposing side shoulders. The bottom is affixed directly to the strapping layer. At least one of the shoulders is tapered toward the top such that when the flexible portion is flexed, adjacent shoulders of adjacent slats bear upon one another after a predetermined range of flexing, thus limiting any further longitudinal flex of the flexible portion.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A sole of a shoe for limiting the flex of the shoe, comprising:
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a flexible portion positioned in a flexing area of the shoe corresponding to the ball of the wearer'"'"'s foot; a generally rigid front plate, extending forward from said flexible portion; a generally rigid rear plate, extending rearward from said flexible portion; and a flexible strapping layer underlying said flexible portion and at least part of said front and rear plates, and fixed to said plates and flexible portion to maintain the positional relationship therebetween and to provide tensile strength form said flexible portion during flexing; wherein said flexible portion includes a plurality of generally laterally extending rigid slats, each slat having a top, a bottom, and opposing side shoulders in a longitudinal cross-sectional view, and wherein the bottom of each slat is fixed to said strapping layer, and at least one of said shoulders is tapered toward said top, such that when said flexible portion is flexed, adjacent shoulders of adjacent slats bear upon one another after a predetermined range of flexing, thus limiting the flex of said flexible portion in the longitudinal direction to a predetermined limit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification