Sole for a sport shoe

• US 5,024,007 A
• Filed: 04/25/1990
• Issued: 06/18/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salomon SA (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: DuFour, Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): Meyers, Steven N.
• Application Number:
  US07/514,435
• Time in Patent Office: 419 Days
• Field of Search: 36/31, 36/30 R, 36/25 R, 36/127, 36/114, 36/67 D, 36/59 C, 36/102, 36/103, 36/28, 36/30 A
• US Class Current: 36/127
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/188 Differential cushioning regions
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/24 by use of insertions

Abstract

A walking sole for a sport shoe, and especially a golf shoe, comprising a main element made of a relatively rigid molded plastic material, having, in the front portion of at least one of its lateral edges (1a) extending along the front area of the sole on which the front part of the wearer'"'"'s foot gains support, a succession of notches (2). This shoe has, associated with at least one of these notches (2), at least one opening (6) elongated substantially transversely and in alignment with this notch (2) in the lateral edge (1a) and at a distance from it, and an element made of an elastic material (8) which fills the elongated opening (6).

Claims

1. Walking sole for a sport shoe, especially a golf shoe, comprising a principal element made of a relatively stiff, molded plastic material and which has, in the front portion of at least one of its lateral edges (1a) extending along the front area of the sole on which the front part of the wearer'"'"'s foot gains support, a succession of substantially transverse spaced notches (2) which open into the edge (1a) of the sole, and extend toward the central part of the latter, these notches (2) being filled with a material (B) whose degree of elasticity exceeds that of the material (A) composing the main part of the sole, and which forms individual elastic filling elements (3) lodged in the respective notches (2) delimiting between each pair at least one tongue (5) which is transversely flexible around a line (X) located in proximity to the inner ends (2a) of the notches (2), wherein said sole has at least one opening elongated substantially transversely (6) associated with at least one of its notches (2), this opening being aligned with this notch (2) in the lateral edge (1a) and at a distance from it, and an element made of an elastic material (8) which fills the elongated opening (6).

2. Walking sole according to claim 1, wherein said lateral notch (2) is separated from said opening (6) aligned with it by a bridge (7) made of said relatively rigid material (A) constituting the main element of said sole.

3. Walking sole according to claim 2, wherein each notch (2) is substantially trapezoidal in shape, with a long outer base located in the plane of the outer edge (1a) of the sole and with a short inner base (2a) constituting the inner end of said notch (2), and wherein each opening (6) is substantially trapezoidal in shape, extending the trapezoidal shape of said notch (2), said short base (2a) constituting the inner end of a notch (2) being separated, by means of said bridge (7) of the relatively rigid material (A), from said long base (6a) of a trapezoidal opening (6) whose short base (6b) is oriented toward the said inner edge (1b) of said sole (1), the convergent sides of said opening (6) being substantially in alignment with the convergent sides of said groove (2).

4. Walking sole according to claim 2 or 3, comprising a flexion groove (11) between said notches (2) and said openings (6).

5. Walking sole according to claim 4, wherein said flexion groove (11) is cut in the lower surface of said bridge (7) of said relatively rigid material (A) extending between said notches (2) and said openings (6).

6. Walking sole according to claim 4, wherein said flexion groove (11) is cut in the upper surface of said bridge (7) of said relatively rigid material (A) extending between said notches (2) and said openings (6).

7. Walking sole according to claim 4, wherein said flexion groove (11) is parallel to said lateral edge (1a).

8. Walking sole according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said filling elements (3, 8) lodged in said notches (2) and openings (6) respectively, are enclosed by junction lines (13, 14) recessed in said relatively rigid plastic material (A) enclosing them.

9. Walking sole according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said filling elements (3, 8) lodged in said notches (2) and openings (6) respectively, are enclosed by junction lines (13, 14) recessed in the perimeter of said filling elements (3, 8).

10. Walking sole according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said filling elements (3, 8) have upper sections, located above said notches (2) and openings (6) respectively, which are wider than their lower sections tightly inserted in said notches (2) and openings (6), thereby forming lateral projecting pieces (3a) covering at least partially the edges of said notches (2) and openings (6).

11. Walking sole according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said filling elements (3, 8) lodged in said notches (2) and openings (6) respectively, are made of said same relatively elastic plastic material (B).

12. Walking sole according to claim 11, wherein said filling elements (3, 8) lodged in a notch (2) and an opening (6) respectively, are connected by means of a piece (9) made of duplicated molded plastic material (B) so as to form an "arch" above said bridge (7) in said relatively rigid plastic material (A) extending between said notch (2) and said opening (6).

13. Walking sole according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said filling elements (3, 8) lodged in said notches (2) and openings (6) respectively, are made of different elastic materials.

14. Walking sole according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the entirety of said walking sole composed of said main element made of said relatively rigid plastic material (A) and said filling elements (3, 8) made of said relatively elastic material (B) is covered with a layer of a filling material (C) which extends between the outer lateral edge of the sole (1a), made of said relatively elastic material (B), and the inner lateral edge (1b) of the sole, made of said relatively rigid material.

15. Walking sole according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said layer of said relatively elastic plastic material (B) has a thickness corresponding to that of said complete sole (1), and said layer covers substantially the entire width of said sole.

16. Walking sole according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said layer of said relatively elastic plastic material (B), having the same thickness as that of the entire sole, extends transversely over part of the sole, above said notches (2), said bridges (7) made of said relatively rigid material (A), and said openings (6), and wherein, beginning at the inner ends (6b) of said openings (6), the thickness of the entire sole is formed in its totality by said relatively rigid plastic material (A).

17. Walking sole according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said elastic filling elements (3) lodged in said notches (2) are connected along the outer lateral edge of said sole (1) by a border (4) which is duplicate molded simultaneously with said individual elastic filling elements (3).

18. Walking sole according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein each of said flexible tongues (5) carries at least one stud (12) designed to embed in the ground.

19. Sports shoe fitted with a walking sole according to any of claims 1 to 3.