Shock absorbent footwear assembly

• US 6,519,874 B1
• Filed: 08/30/2001
• Issued: 02/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Transform Sr Brands, LLC (ESL Investments, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Footstar Corporation (Footstar)
• Inventors: Dean, Norman
• Primary Examiner(s): STASHICK, ANTHONY D
• Application Number:
  US09/943,095
• Time in Patent Office: 537 Days
• Field of Search: 36/28, 36/30.R, 36/33, 36/35.R, 36/37, 36/43, 36/44
• US Class Current: 36/30.00R
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/08 Wood
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/37 Sole and heel units
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 17/02 wedge-like or resilient
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 17/18 Arrangements for attaching removable insoles to footwear
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/1415 characterised by the location under the foot
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/142 situated under the medial arch, i.e. under the navicular or cuneiform bones
• 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: A43B 7/148 Recesses or holes filled with supports or pads

Abstract

A footwear assembly having a footbed and an insole, which is removably secured to the footbed. The footbed includes a substantially flexible front portion and a rear portion connected to the front portion. The rear portion has a substantially rigid unit with at least one cavity. The cavity is adapted to receive a layer of cushioning material therein.

Claims

1. A footwear assembly comprising:

a footbed having a substantially flexible front portion and a rear portion, said rear portion having a substantially rigid unit with at least one cavity, wherein said cavity is adapted to receive a layer of cushioning material therein;

an insole adapted to be removably secured to said footbed to provide an easy access to said cavity, said insole having a front region and a heel region, and

a layer of cushioning material being secured to said insole, wherein said layer coincides or aligns vertically within said at least one cavity.

2. The footwear assembly of claim 1, wherein said substantially rigid unit has a porous cellular structure.

3. The footwear assembly of claim 1, wherein said substantially rigid unit is made of wood.

4. The footwear assembly of claim 1, wherein said flexible front portion is made of a synthetic plastic material.

5. The footwear assembly of claim 1, wherein said layer of said cushioning material is curved.

6. The footwear assembly of claim 1, wherein said layer of cushioning material is a plurality of layers of cushioning material.

7. The footwear assembly of claim 6, wherein said plurality of layers has at least one convex top layer and at least one bottom layer, said top layer being adapted to permit deformation in response to an application of a load, said bottom layer having a width that is less than a width of said at least one top layer, said bottom layer and said front portion being made from a material selected from the group consisting of a synthetic plastic, polyurethane, leather, a foam, ethylene-vinyl acetate, rubber, and a thermoplastic.

8. The footwear assembly of claim 1, wherein said layer of cushioning material is ethylene-vinyl acetate.

9. The footwear assembly of claim 1, wherein said insole has a cellulose fiberboard layer.

10. The footwear assembly of claim 9, wherein said insole also has a middle cushion layer positioned adjacent said cellulose fiberboard layer.

11. The footwear assembly of claim 10, wherein said insole also has a foam-type layer adjacent said middle cushion layer.

12. The footwear assembly of claim 1, wherein said insole also has a sock liner adjacent said foam-type layer.

13. The footwear assembly of claim 9, wherein said cellulose fiberboard layer has a cut-out that aligns with said at least one cavity.

14. The footwear assembly of claim 10, wherein said middle cushion layer has an insert that aligns with said at least one cavity.

15. The footwear assembly of claim 1, wherein said insole has a sock liner.

16. The footwear assembly of claim 15, wherein said sock liner includes a microporous plastic material.

17. The footwear assembly of claim 16, wherein said microporous material is PORON.

18. The footwear assembly of claim 1, wherein said footwear assembly is a shoe.

19. The footwear assembly of claim 1, wherein said front portion has a front cavity with cushioning material therein.

20. A footwear assembly comprising:

a footbed,having a substantially flexible front portion and a rear portion, said rear portion having a substantially rigid unit with one cavity, said rigid unit being wood, wherein said cavity is adapted to receive a layer of cushioning material therein;

an insole adapted to be removably secured to said footbed to provide an easy access to said cavity, said insole having a front region and a heel region;

a sockliner;

a plurality of layers of cushioning material, said plurality of layers being secured to said insole, said plurality of layers having a convex top layer and a bottom layer, said bottom layer having a width that is less than a width of each respective layer of said plurality of layers, said top layer being formed with at least one elastomeric cellulose fiberboard material disposed on top of said top layer of said plurality of layers, wherein said plurality of layers coincides or aligns vertically within said cavity.