Shoe and sole unit therefor

• US 6,769,202 B1
• Filed: 03/26/2002
• Issued: 08/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kaj Gyr
• Original Assignee: Kaj Gyr
• Inventors: Luthi, Simon, Kraeuter, Charles, Gaudio, Paul, Raynak, Geoff
• Primary Examiner(s): Stashick, Anthony D.
• Application Number:
  US10/109,593
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• Field of Search: 36/28, 36/27, 36/30.R, 36/31, 36/32.R, 361/02, 361/03, 361/14, 36/3.B, 361/40, 361/44, 36/43, 36/44
• US Class Current: 36/28
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/184 the structure protruding from the outsole
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/36 Easily-exchangeable soles protecting-soles A43C13/12

Abstract

The sole unit (12) for a shoe includes a directional element (16), a cushioning element (18) and a heel cradle (20). The sole unit (12) may be attached to a shoe upper (14) by conventional methods, such as by gluing, stitching, or other means of bonding or physical attachment. The sole unit (12) provides foot support, cushioning, energy return, stability, torsion control, and optionally abrasion resistance to the user. The functional advantages of this construction of the sole unit (12) are primarily achieved through the directional elements (16) and cushioning element (18), each of which handle certain distinct functions of the shoe (10).

Claims

1. A sole unit for a shoe having a heel end and a toe end comprising:

a directional element operable to provide flexibility in a longitudinal direction of the sole unit and to provide stiffness in a lateral direction of the sole unit, wherein the directional element includes a top member, a bottom member, and a plurality of resiliently flexible strut members connected therebetween for supporting the top member a spaced distance away from the bottom member in a static condition; and

a cushioning element operably coupled to the directional element, the cushioning element operable to absorb an impact force applied to the directional element, wherein the cushioning element includes a top member corresponding to and overlying a portion of the top member of the directional element, and at least one cushioning member extending outwardly therefrom, the cushioning member adapted to be received between two strut members.

2. The sole unit of claim 1, wherein the directional element is adapted to extend from the heel end to the toe end of the shoe.

3. The sole unit of claim 1, further comprising means for decoupling the lateral forces transmitted from the lateral side to the medial side of the sole unit.

4. The sole unit of claim 1, wherein the strut members are disposed substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of the sole unit.

5. The sole unit of claim 4, wherein the strut members extend from the medial side to the lateral side of the sole unit.

6. The sole unit of claim 1, wherein at least one of the strut members is operable to bend about a minor axis of the sole unit in a controlled manner adjacent the connection location between the bottom member and the strut member.

7. The sole unit of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of strut members is operable to bend about a minor axis of the sole unit in a controlled manner at the connection interface between the top member and the strut member.

8. The sole unit of claim 1, wherein the interface between the top member and at least one of the strut members includes a notch for providing controlled deflection of the strut member.

9. The sole unit of claim 1, wherein the interface between the bottom member and at least one of the strut members includes a notch for providing controlled deflection of the strut member.

10. The sole unit of claim 1, wherein the interface between the bottom member and the strut members and the top member and the strut members each include a notch for providing controlled deflection of the strut members, wherein the notches at the interface between the bottom member and the strut members open in a direction opposite of the notches at the interface between the top member and the strut members.

11. The sole unit of claim 1, wherein the cross-section of the strut members are S shaped.

12. The sole unit of claim 1, wherein the directional element includes a receiving means for selectively receiving a portion of the cushioning element in an interchangeable manner.

13. The sole unit of claim 1, wherein the directional element further comprising an open ended cavity for selectively receiving a portion of the cushioning element in an interchangeable manner.

16. The sole unit of claim 1, wherein the cushioning element includes a plurality of cushioning members each received between strut members.

14. A sole unit for a shoe having a heel end and a toe end, comprising:

a directional element operable to provide flexibility in a longitudinal direction of the sole unit and to provide stiffness in a lateral direction of the sole unit, the directional element including a top member, a bottom member, and a plurality of resiliently flexible strut members connected between the top and bottom members from the medial side to the lateral side of the sole unit for supporting the top member a spaced distance away from the bottom member in a static condition; and

a cushioning element operably coupled to the directional element, the cushioning element operable to absorb an impact force applied to the directional element;

wherein the directional element further comprises an open ended cavity formed between two strut members and an opening in either the top or bottom member for selectively receiving a portion of the cushioning element in an interchangeable manner.

15. The sole unit of claim 14, wherein the opening in either of the top or bottom member is operable to decouple the lateral forces transmitted from the lateral side to the medial side of the sole unit.

17. A sole unit for a shoe having a heel end and a toe end, comprising:

a directional element operable to provide flexibility in a longitudinal direction of the sole unit and to provide stiffness in a lateral direction of the sole unit, wherein the directional element includes a top member, a bottom member, and a plurality of resiliently flexible strut members connected therebetween for supporting the top member a spaced distance away from the bottom member in a static condition; and

a cushioning element operably coupled to the directional element, the cushioning element operable to absorb an impact force applied to the directional element, wherein the cushioning element includes a top member corresponding to and overlying the top member of the directional element, and at least one cushioning member extending outwardly therefrom, the cushioning member adapted to be received between two strut members.

18. A sole unit comprising:

a directional element adapted to be connected to an upper of a shoe, the directional element including a top member, a bottom member, and a plurality of resiliently flexible strut members therebetween for supporting the top member a spaced distance away from the bottom member, the strut member having an S shaped cross-section when intersected by an imaginary plane that intersects the top and bottom plates at approximate right angles, wherein the directional element is operable to provide flexibility and stiffness anisotropically to the sole unit in the longitudinal and lateral direction of the sole unit, respectively; and

a cushioning element adapted to be received by the directional element, the cushioning element operable to absorb an impact force applied to the top or bottom member.

19. A sole unit for a shoe comprising:

a directional element including a top member, a bottom member, and a plurality of spaced apart resiliently flexible strut members extending between the top and bottom members from the medial side to the lateral side of the sole unit for supporting the top member a spaced distance away from the bottom member; and

a plurality of cushioning members adapted to be received by the directional element, the cushioning members operable to absorb an impact force applied to the top or bottom member;

wherein the directional element further comprises an open ended cavity formed between two strut members and an opening in either the top or bottom member for selectively receiving one of the cushioning members in an interchangeable manner.

20. A shoe having a toe end and a heel end comprising:

an upper extending between the heel end and the toe end of the shoe; and

a sole unit connected to at least a portion of the upper, the sole unit comprising

(a) a directional element having a top member, a bottom member, and a plurality of spaced apart resiliently flexible strut members extending between the top and bottom members from the medial side to the lateral side of the sole unit for supporting the top member a spaced distance away from the bottom member, the directional element operable to provide flexibility in a longitudinal direction of the sole unit and to provide stiffness and stability in a lateral direction of the sole unit; and

(b) a cushioning element adapted to be received by the directional element between the strut members, the cushioning element operable to absorb an impact force applied to the top or bottom member;

wherein the cushioning element includes a top member corresponding to and overlying a portion of the top member of the directional element and at least one cushioning member extending outwardly therefrom, the cushioning member adapted to be received between two strut members.

21. The shoe of claim 20, wherein the sole unit extends between the heel end and the toe end of the shoe.

22. The shoe of claim 20, wherein the plurality of cushioning members have different stiffness values.

23. The shoe of claim 22, wherein the stiffness values of the cushioning members vary from the medial side to the lateral side of the sole unit.

24. The shoe of claim 22, wherein the cushioning members proximal to the toe end of the shoe provide energy return, and wherein the cushioning members proximal to the heel end of the shoe provide shock-absorption or dampening.

25. A modular sole construction comprising:

a generally elongated directional element comprised of a top member, a bottom member, and a plurality of spaced-apart resiliently flexible strut members extending between the top and bottom members thereby forming cavities therebetween, the top or bottom member including an opening extending along a portion thereof, wherein the opening is connected to at least one of the cavities formed in-between adjacent strut members; and

a cushioning element including a plurality of cushioning members, the cushioning element sized and configured to be selectively coupled to the directional element in a cooperating manner such that at least one of the cushioning members extends into one of the cavities from the opening in the top or bottom member and substantially occupies said cavity.

26. The modular sole construction of claim 25, wherein a portion of the cushioning member contacts adjacent strut member when selectively coupled to the directional element.