Shoe sole

• US 4,837,949 A
• Filed: 12/23/1987
• Issued: 06/13/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: BTG International Limited (Boston Scientific Corporation), Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salomon SA (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Dufour, Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/137,127
• Time in Patent Office: 538 Days
• Field of Search: 36/30 A, 36/31, 36/67 R, 36/67 A, 36/67 D, 36/127, 36/134, 36/126, 36/25 R, 36/59 R, 36/59 C, 36/114
• US Class Current: 36/127
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/188 Differential cushioning regions
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/001 Golf shoes

Abstract

A walking sole for sports shoes, particularly golf shoes, having, on at least one of its lateral edges, a series of substantially transverse grooves, filled with a material having a degree of elasticity superior to that of the material making up the sole. The grooves are provided in the front portion of at least one of the lateral edges (1a,1b) which extends the length of the frontal area of the sole (1) which provides support for the front part of the foot of the wearer of the shoe, and they mark the boundaries of at least one flexible tongue (7) transversally around an axis of flexion (X) joining the internal ends of the grooves (3). (FIG. 1).

Claims

1. Walking sole for a sport shoe, having in at least one of its lateral edges a series of spaced, substantially transverse grooves terminated in an edge of said sole and extending toward a central part of said sole, said grooves being filled with a material having greater elasticity than the material making up the sole and forming individual elastic filling pieces embedded in respective said grooves, grooves being provided in a front portion of said at least one of said lateral edges (1a, 1b) which extends the length of said front portion of said sole (1) which gives support to the front part of the foot of the wearer of the shoe, and wherein said grooves delimit the boundaries of at least one flexible tongue (7) transversely around an axis of flexion (X) joining internal ends of said grooves (3).

2. Walking sole according to claim 1, wherein the walking sole (1) contains several flexible tongues (7).

3. Walking sole according to claim 2, wherein the internal ends of the grooves (3) are joined by extended areas of reduced thickness constituting axes of flexion for the tongues (7).

4. Walking sole according to claim 3, wherein the area of reduced thickness is bounded by at least one groove (10) set in at least one surface of the sole extending between the internal ends of the grooves (3).

5. Walking sole according to claim 3, wherein the area of reduced thickness is made up of an area growing progressively smaller.

6. Walking sole having a main section (A) made of a more or less rigid material and a section (B) made of an elastic material making up the individual elastic filling pieces (5) according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the main rigid section (A) of the sole is equal to the thickness of the section (B) making up the individual elastic filling pieces (5).

7. Walking sole according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of each flexible tongue (7) is equal to the thickness of the main section (A) of the sole.

8. Walking sole according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of each flexible tongue (7) is less than the thickness of the main section (A) of the sole.

9. Walking sole according to claim 1, wherein the individual elastic filling pieces (5) are independently formed.

10. Walking sole acording to claim 1, wherein the individual elastic filling pieces (5) are joined by a border (6) of the same elastic material extending the length of the edge (1a) of the sole (1), within the external edge of the sole.

11. Walking sole according to claim 1, wherein each flexible tongue (7) extends from the lower portion of the sole and is placed below a layer of elastic material.

12. Walking sole according to claim 1, wherein each flexible tongue (7) extends from the upper portion of the sole and is placed above a layer of elastic material.

13. Walking sole according to claim 1, wherein each flexible tongue (7) extends from the median part of the sole'"'"'s thickness and is enveloped in a layer of plastic material extending both above and below it.

14. Walking sole according to claim 1, wherein cleats (8) are attached to said flexible tongues (7), bounded by said grooves (3), and said cleats extend below the sole.

15. Walking sole according to claim 1, wherein the sole contains a single flexible tongue (7) equipped with a series of adjacent cleats (8).

16. Walking sole according to claim 14, wherein the cleats (8) are firmly attached to the flexible tongues (7) of the sole during molding of the sole.

17. Walking sole according to claim 14, wherein the cleats (8) are embedded and retained after molding of the sole, in anchoring pieces (11) molded with the flexible tongues (7).

18. Sports shoe, especially a golf shoe, equipped with a walking sole according to claim 1.