Athletic shoe with a detachable sole having an electronic breakaway system

• US 5,456,027 A
• Filed: 04/08/1994
• Issued: 10/10/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Vincent G. Tecchio
• Original Assignee: Vincent G. Tecchio
• Inventors: Salt, Russell, Tecchio, Vincent G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sewell, Paul T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATTERSON, MARIE D
• Application Number:
  US08/225,144
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 36/15, 36/132, 36/134, 36/42, 403/5, 403/15, 403/31, 403/321, 403/322, 403/324, 403/325, 280/DIG. 13, 280/612
• US Class Current: 36/134
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/0054 provided with magnets, magnetic parts or magnetic substances
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/36 Easily-exchangeable soles protecting-soles A43C13/12
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/24 Collapsible or convertible
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/246 characterised by the sole
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 9/088 with electronically controlled locking devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/03 for measuring release force of ski safety bindings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 280/13 Ski binding controlled by skier position or by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/59 Manually releaseable latch type

Abstract

The present invention provides an athletic shoe with a detachable sole having an electronic sensing and breakaway system. An upper sole member is detachably connected to a lower sole member which may have a plurality of cleats attached to the bottom of the lower sole member. There are a series of latch mechanisms which detachably hold the upper and lower sole members together, which protrude from the upper sole member and terminate in recesses in the lower sole member. The latch mechanisms are spring-biased toward a retracted position and are held in the extended latching position against the spring force by a system of pressurized fluid. Additionally, there are a number of strain gauges or sensors in the upper sole member and extend into recesses of the lower sole member. These strain gauges continuously sense the shear force applied to the cleats or sole when in use and emit a signal to a trigger mechanism located in the upper sole member when the shear force exceeds a pre-set level. A release mechanism is actuated when the shear force has reached its predetermined stress level for the wearer of the athletic shoes during the occurrence of a high-level torque or shear force incident. There are control means provided for adjusting the pre-set shear force which must be exceeded to actuate the trigger mechanism.

Claims

1. An athletic shoe with a detachable sole for preventing hip, leg, knee, ankle, and foot injuries, comprising:

a) an upper sole member;

b) a lower sole member detachably connected to the upper sole member and having a ground-contacting surface;

said upper and lower sole members being substantially the same size;

c) a plurality of latching mechanisms for detachably connecting said upper and lower sole members having movable latching members which extend from said upper sole member into said lower sole member;

d) said latching members being movable between an extended latching position and a retracted release position in response to sensing means;

e) means for holding said latching members in said extended latching position and means for releasing said latching members to said retracted release position;

f) control means for releasing said holding means and for allowing said release means to move said latching members to said release position for detachably connecting said lower sole member from said upper-sole member when a shear force exceeds a preset level in response to sensing means; and

g) sensing means for sensing the shear force applied to said lower sole member and for signaling said control means for moving said latching members to said release position.

2. An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 1, including a shoe body made of a material selected from the group consisting of canvas, nylon, leather, and plastic.

3. An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 2, wherein said shoe body further includes fastening means for fastening said shoe selected from the group consisting of laces, straps, buckles, clasps, and hoop and loop fasteners.

4. An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 1, wherein said latching mechanism includes a movable piston shaft, fluid means for moving said piston shaft to an extended engaged position, and spring means for moving said piston shaft to a retracted unengaged position.

5. An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 4, wherein said latching mechanism further includes curved tracking channels, pins movable relative to said curved tracking channels, and a fluid chamber in which said piston shaft moves.

6. An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 5, wherein said latching mechanism further includes locking bars and means for sensing the position of said locking bars.

7. An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 6, wherein said sensing means further includes a system-engage sensor contact point and electronic means for providing a signal when said piston is in an engaged position.

8. An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 1, wherein said sensing means includes an electronic sensor assembly having a movable sensor piston shaft, a fluid chamber for moving said sensor piston shaft to an engaged position, and spring means for moving said sensor piston shaft to a retracted position.

9. An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 8, wherein said electronic sensor assembly further includes a sensor piston head, support guide ribs, electronic sensor channels, and a fluid chamber for said sensor piston shaft.

10. An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 9, wherein said electronic sensor assembly further includes tapered angular surfaces having gauge wire leads for sensing the shear force within said sensor piston head.

11. An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 9, wherein said electronic sensor assembly further includes a lower housing section having tapered and angular-receiving recesses for receiving said sensor piston heads.

12. An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 1, further including a power supply mounted in said upper sole member.

13. An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 12, wherein said power supply is a 9-volt D.C. battery for supplying electrical power to said latching mechanisms, said sensing means, and said control means.

14. An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 1, wherein said control means includes a solid-state circuitry module having a plurality of integrated circuit-chip means.

15. An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 14, wherein said control means further includes a control circuit having a signal amplifier, a D.C. power supply transformer, a battery-life indicator, a system ON/OFF switch, an internal time adjuster, a release pressure potentiometer, a threshold-level indicator, a system-engage indicator, and a microprocessor with a timer.

16. An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 1, further including an adjustable release mechanism having an external visual display module and a plurality of pressure control means.

17. An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 16, wherein said adjustable release mechanism further includes a battery-life indicator, a system ON/OFF switch for ON/OFF switching, an internal time adjuster having means for increasing or decreasing the time setting;

a release pressure potentiometer, and a threshold level indicator having means for increasing or decreasing the setting of a shear force value.

18. An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 1, further including a trigger release mechanism having an electrical solenoid for creating a magnetic field, and an internal microcheck ball valve for releasing fluid pressure.

19. An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 18, wherein said trigger release mechanism further includes a helix coil of copper wire surrounding an internal core wall, another helix coil of copper wire surrounding an external solenoid plunger shaft, both being used for the creation of a magnetic field, an internal solid-spool plunger with a driving element, and spring means for moving said plunger with said driving element to a retracted position of said electrical solenoid.

20. An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 18, wherein said trigger release mechanism includes a check ball valve and return spring means for moving said check ball valve to a closed position of said internal microcheck ball valve.

21. An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 1, further including a reservoir and bladder system having a main fluid reservoir with an expandable bladder for receiving fluid from a trigger mechanism, a gas-reservoir chamber section for the pressurization of fluid within the bladder, a microcheck ball valve having an intake port, and a microcheck ball valve with an intake port.

22. An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 21, wherein said reservoir and bladder system further includes fluids in the form of water, glycol, alcohol, or Freon.

23. An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 21, wherein said reservoir and bladder system further includes fluid means having fluids in the form of air, nitrogen, or neon.

24. An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 1, further including a manual reset mechanism having a manual pumping assembly for transferring fluid to other component parts, a fluid chamber for holding said fluid, and check valves for facilitating the transfer of said fluid to other component parts.

25. An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 24, wherein said manual reset mechanism further includes a pump plunger with a removable handle in conjunction with the plunger shaft having a pump header surface, a pump housing, and spring means for moving the plunger shaft.

26. An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 1, further including a fluid-flow control system having fluid-control means, including one-way microcheck valves, fluid-manifold devices, and a plurality of tubes for the transfer of pressurized fluid within the upper sole member of said athletic shoe.

27. An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 26, wherein said fluid-flow control system further includes a multi-tube manifold for outgoing fluid from a manual-reset mechanism to the plurality of latching mechanisms and to said sensing means, and a multi-tube collection manifold for incoming fluid from said latching mechanisms and said sensing means, which collect said fluid to be transferred into a trigger mechanism.

28. An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 1, wherein said lower sole member has cleats.

29. A detachable breakaway system, comprising:

a ) a first member;

b) a second member detachably connected to said first member;

c ) a plurality of latching mechanisms for detachably connecting said first and second members having movable latching members which extend from said first member into said second member;

d) said latching members being movable between an extended latching position an a retracted release position in response to sensing means;

e) means for holding said latching members in said extended latching position and means for releasing said latching members to said retracted release position;

f) control means for releasing said holding means and for allowing said release means to move said latching members to said release position for detachably connecting said second member from said first member when a shear force exceeds a preset level in response to sensing means; and

g) sensing means for sensing the shear force applied to said second member and for signaling said control means for moving said latching members to said release position, said sensing means including a system-engage sensor contact point and electronic means for providing a signal when said latching member is in an engaged position; and

h) a trigger release mechanism for releasing said latching member to said release position.

30. A detachable breakaway system in accordance with claim 29, wherein said latching mechanism includes a movable piston shaft, fluid means for moving said piston shaft to an extended engaged position, and spring means for moving said piston shaft to a retracted unengaged position.

31. A detachable breakaway system in accordance with claim 30, wherein said latching mechanism further includes curved tracking channels, pins movable relative to said curved tracking channels, and a fluid chamber in which said piston shaft moves.

32. A detachable breakaway system in accordance with claim 31, wherein said latching mechanism further includes locking bars and means for sensing the position of said locking bars.

33. A detachable breakaway system in accordance with claim 32, wherein said sensing means further includes a system-engage sensor contact point and electronic means for providing a signal when said piston is in an engaged position.

34. A detachable breakaway system in accordance with claim 29, wherein said sensing means includes an electronic sensor assembly having a movable sensor piston shaft, a fluid chamber for moving said sensor piston shaft to an engaged position, and spring means for moving said sensor piston shaft to a retracted position.

35. A detachable breakaway system in accordance with claim 34, wherein said electronic sensor assembly further includes a sensor piston head, support guide ribs, electronic sensor channels, and a fluid chamber for said sensor piston shaft.

36. A detachable breakaway system in accordance with claim 35, wherein said electronic sensor assembly further includes tapered angular surfaces having gauge wire leads for sensing the shear force within said sensor piston head.

37. A detachable breakaway system in accordance with claim 36, wherein said electronic sensor assembly further includes a lower housing section having tapered and angular-receiving recesses for receiving said sensor piston heads.

38. A detachable breakaway system in accordance with claim 29, further including a power supply for supplying electrical power to said latching mechanism and said sensing means.

39. A detachable breakaway system in accordance with claim 29, said control means further includes a control circuit having a signal amplifier, a D.C. power supply transformer, a battery-life indicator, and a system ON/OFF switch.

40. A detachable breakaway system in accordance with claim 29, further including an adjustable release mechanism having an external visual display module and a plurality of pressure control means.

41. A detachable breakaway system in accordance with claim 29, further including a trigger release mechanism having an electrical solenoid for creating a magnetic field, and an internal microcheck ball valve for releasing fluid pressure.