Shoe housing

• US 7,596,891 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2006
• Issued: 10/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adidas International Marketing BV (Adidas AG)
• Original Assignee: Adidas International Marketing BV (Adidas AG)
• Inventors: Vincent, Stephen Michael, Tomlinson, Scott, Carnes, James
• Primary Examiner(s): KAVANAUGH, JOHN T
• Application Number:
  US11/394,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20060283050A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,286 Days
• Field of Search: 361/32, 36/25.R, 361/36
• US Class Current: 36/132
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/00 Footwear characterised by the shape or the use
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/0031 provided with a pocket, e.g. for keys or a card
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1036 Measuring load distribution, e.g. podologic studies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 Pedometers

Abstract

The invention relates to a shoe with a sole unit, where the sole unit includes a recess for removably receiving a housing of an electronic assembly, for example, an electronic pedometer, an accelerometer, or a speed sensor. Further, the invention relates to a housing for receiving an electronic assembly, for example, a pedometer, an accelerometer, or a speed sensor, where the housing has an outer shape corresponding to the shape of a recess formed in a shoe sole.

Claims

1. An article of footwear comprising:

an upper forming a cavity for receiving a wearer'"'"'s foot;

a sole unit attached to the upper and forming a recess;

at least one receptacle disposed within the recess, wherein the at least one receptacle is at least partially accessible through the cavity of the upper; and

a housing for receiving an electronic assembly, wherein the housing includes at least one projection configured to engage the at least one receptacle, and the at least one receptacle is configured to releasably receive the housing.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the at least one receptacle comprises a tub-like structure.

3. The article of footwear of claim 1 further comprising an electronic assembly disposed in the housing, wherein the electronic assembly is at least one of a pedometer, a shock sensor, a global positioning system, a pulse sensor, an accelerometer, a speed sensor, and an MP3 player.

4. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the recess is arranged in a region of the sole unit corresponding to a wearer'"'"'s midfoot region.

5. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the sole unit forms an opening adapted to permit a wearer to at least one of inspect and operate an electronic assembly disposed in the housing.

6. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the recess is arranged in a midsole of the sole unit, and the sole unit further comprises a removable insole for covering the recess and the at least one receptacle when the article is in use.

7. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein a shape of the at least one receptacle corresponds to a shape of the housing.

8. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the at least one receptacle comprises at least two openings oriented substantially opposite each other.

9. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the at least one receptacle comprises at least one elastic element to secure the housing in the at least one receptacle.

10. The article of claim 9, wherein the elastic element comprises an elastic boundary for circumscribing at least a portion of the housing.

11. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the at least one receptacle comprises at least one projection engageable with a corresponding indentation in the housing.

12. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the at least one receptacle comprises two projections at each of a front end and a rear end, respectively, in a longitudinal direction of the article, wherein each projection is engageable with a corresponding indentation in the housing.

13. The article of footwear of claim 1 further comprising a removal strap disposed at least partially within the at least one receptacle to facilitate removal of the housing from the at least one receptacle.

14. The article of footwear of claim 13, wherein the removal strap is arranged within the at least one receptacle such that a portion of the strap is positioned below the housing when the housing is disposed within the at least one receptacle and an end of the strap extends over a top edge of the at least one receptacle.

15. The article of footwear of claim 13, wherein the removal strap comprises an aperture for receiving a projection of the housing when the housing is disposed in the at least one receptacle of the article.

16. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the at least one receptacle is integrated into a reinforcing element disposed within the sole unit.

17. The article of footwear of claim 1, further comprising:

an attachment means for securing the article of footwear to a wearer'"'"'s foot; and

a mounting cover engageable with the attachment means, wherein the mounting cover is configured to receive a second housing configured for receiving an electronic assembly.

18. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the sole unit forms a plurality of recesses, and the at least one receptacle is disposed within at least one of the plurality of recesses.

19. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the at least one receptacle comprises at least two indentations oriented substantially opposite each other.

20. An article of footwear comprising:

an upper forming a cavity for receiving a wearer'"'"'s foot;

a sole unit attached to the upper and forming a recess;

at least one tub-like receptacle disposed within the recess, wherein the at least one receptacle is at least partially accessible through the cavity of the upper; and

a housing for receiving an electronic assembly, wherein the housing includes at least one projection configured to engage the at least one receptacle, and the at least one receptacle is configured to releasably receive the housing.

21. An article of footwear comprising:

an upper forming a foot-receiving cavity;

a sole unit attached to the upper, wherein the sole unit includes an outsole and a midsole located between the outsole and the foot-receiving cavity, wherein the midsole has an opening or recess defined therein;

a receptacle provided in the opening or recess, wherein the receptacle is at least partially accessible through the foot-receiving cavity;

a housing comprising an electronic assembly, wherein the housing is removably mounted in the receptacle; and

a system for securing the housing to the receptacle, wherein the system includes a projection that extends into an indentation defined in the housing.