Devices with an internal flexibility slit, including for footwear
First Claim
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1. A footwear or orthotic device, comprising:
- a footwear or orthotic sole; and
an insert including at least one outer bladder having an uppermost surface curved concavely relative to an intended wearer'"'"'s foot location in the footwear or orthotic device, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the footwear or orthotic sole is upright and in an unloaded condition;
said outer bladder forming a component of the footwear or orthotic sole; and
at least one inner bladder inside the outer bladder, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section,said inner bladder including one or more resilient structural elements;
at least one said structural element extending from at least proximate to a part of an upper outer surface of said at least one inner bladder to at least proximate to at least a part of a lower outer surface of said at least one inner bladder, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when said footwear or orthotic sole is in an upright, unloaded condition, anda gas located at least inside of said inner bladder between two inner surfaces of said inner bladder and outside of said one or more structural elements, when said insert is in an unloaded condition,said inner bladder including one or more openings;
said outer bladder and said inner bladder being separated at least in part by an internal sipe,wherein said internal sipe is formed by an inner surface of said outer compartment and an outer surface of said inner compartment; and
the inner and outer surfaces forming the sipe oppose each other, are separate from each other and therefore can move relative to each other in a sliding motion; and
at least a portion of each of said surfaces forming the sipe are proximate to each other in an unloaded condition.
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Abstract
The invention relates to all forms of footwear and orthotics, as well as any other products benefiting from increased flexibility, better resistance to shock and shear forces, and stable support. More specifically, the invention incorporates a unitary integral component with at least one internal (or mostly internal) sipe, including slits or channels or grooves and any other shape, including geometrically regular or non-regular, such as anthropomorphic shapes, into a large variety of products using materials known in the art or their current or future equivalent. Still more specifically, the internal sipe component provides improved flexibility to products utilizing them, as well as improved cushioning to absorb shock and/or shear forces, while also improving stability of support, and therefore the siped devices can be used in any existing product that provides or utilizes flexibility, cushioning, or stability.
376 Citations
51 Claims
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1. A footwear or orthotic device, comprising:
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a footwear or orthotic sole; and an insert including at least one outer bladder having an uppermost surface curved concavely relative to an intended wearer'"'"'s foot location in the footwear or orthotic device, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the footwear or orthotic sole is upright and in an unloaded condition;
said outer bladder forming a component of the footwear or orthotic sole; andat least one inner bladder inside the outer bladder, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section, said inner bladder including one or more resilient structural elements; at least one said structural element extending from at least proximate to a part of an upper outer surface of said at least one inner bladder to at least proximate to at least a part of a lower outer surface of said at least one inner bladder, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when said footwear or orthotic sole is in an upright, unloaded condition, and a gas located at least inside of said inner bladder between two inner surfaces of said inner bladder and outside of said one or more structural elements, when said insert is in an unloaded condition, said inner bladder including one or more openings; said outer bladder and said inner bladder being separated at least in part by an internal sipe, wherein said internal sipe is formed by an inner surface of said outer compartment and an outer surface of said inner compartment; and
the inner and outer surfaces forming the sipe oppose each other, are separate from each other and therefore can move relative to each other in a sliding motion; and
at least a portion of each of said surfaces forming the sipe are proximate to each other in an unloaded condition. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 44, 45)
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23. A footwear or orthotic device comprising:
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a footwear or orthotic sole; and an insert including at least one outer bladder having an uppermost surface curved concavely relative to an intended wearer'"'"'s foot location in the footwear or orthotic device, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the footwear or orthotic sole is upright and in an unloaded condition, said outer bladder forming a component of the footwear or orthotic sole; and at least one inner bladder inside the outer bladder, said inner bladder being including at least two or more resilient structural elements composed of at least a foamed plastic; at least two said structural elements extending from at least proximate to a part of an upper outer surface of said at least one inner bladder to at least proximate to at least a part of a lower outer surface of said at least one inner bladder, when said footwear or orthotic sole is in an upright, unloaded condition, and a gas located at least inside of said inner bladder between two inner surfaces of said inner bladder and at least outside of said two or more structural elements, when said insert is in an unloaded condition, said outer bladder and said inner bladder being separated at least in part by an internal sipe, wherein said internal sipe is formed by an inner surface of said outer compartment and an outer surface of said inner compartment; and
the inner and outer surfaces forming the sipe oppose each other, are separate from each other and therefore can move relative to each other in a sliding motion; and
at least a portion of each of said movable surfaces forming the sipe are proximate to each other in an unloaded condition. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 46, 47, 48)
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49. A footwear or orthotic device, comprising:
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a footwear or orthotic sole; and an insert including at least one outer bladder having an uppermost surface curved concavely relative to an intended wearer'"'"'s foot location in the footwear or orthotic device, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the footwear or orthotic sole is upright and in an unloaded condition;
said outer bladder forming a component of the footwear or orthotic sole; andat least one inner bladder inside the outer bladder, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section, said inner bladder including one or more resilient structural elements; at least one said structural element extending from at least proximate to a part of an upper outer surface of said at least one inner bladder to at least proximate to at least a part of a lower outer surface of said at least one inner bladder, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when said footwear or orthotic sole is in an upright, unloaded condition, and a gas located at least inside of said inner bladder between two inner surfaces of said inner bladder and outside of said one or more structural elements, when said insert is in an unloaded condition, said inner bladder including one or more openings; said outer bladder including one or more openings; said outer bladder and said inner bladder being separated at least in part by an internal sipe, wherein said internal sipe is formed by an inner surface of said outer compartment and an outer surface of said inner compartment; and
the inner and outer surfaces forming the sipe oppose each other, are separate from each other and therefore can move relative to each other in a sliding motion; and
at least a portion of each of said surfaces forming the sipe are proximate to each other in an unloaded condition. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51)
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Specification
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Current AssigneeFrampton E. Ellis
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Original AssigneeFrampton E. Ellis
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InventorsEllis, Frampton Erroll
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Primary Examiner(s)MOHANDESI, JILA M
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Application NumberUS11/282,665Publication NumberTime in Patent Office2,318 DaysField of Search36/59.C, 36/59.R, 36/32.R, 36/25.R, 36/28, 36/29, 361/14, 361/16, 36/12, 361/07, 361/08, 361/02, 36/76.R, 36/30.R, 36/31US Class Current36/103CPC Class CodesA43B 13/14 characterised by the constr...A43B 13/181 Resiliency achieved by the ...A43B 13/187 Resiliency achieved by the ...A43B 13/189 filled with a non-compressi...A43B 13/203 provided with a pump or valveA43B 3/34 with electrical or electron...A43B 7/142 situated under the medial a...A43B 7/1425 situated under the ball of ...A43B 7/1435 situated under the joint be...A43B 7/144 situated under the heel, i....A43B 7/24 Insertions or other support...A63B 53/0466 wood-typeA63B 53/047 iron-typeA63B 60/54 with means for damping vibr...
