U.S. patent application number 10/746528 was filed with the patent office on 2005-06-30 for climbing shoe with a tension support sole.
Invention is credited to Fullerton, Young Chu.
Application Number | 20050138848 10/746528 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34700652 |
Filed Date | 2005-06-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050138848 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Fullerton, Young Chu |
June 30, 2005 |
Climbing shoe with a tension support sole
Abstract
A climbing shoe with a tension support attached to the heel area
and toe area of the sole to assist climbers in maintaining a curve
shape in their foot. The tension support pulls on the heel area and
toe area of the sole to assist the climber in maintaining the ideal
curve shape to support their weight on small footholds. The tension
support reduces the fatigue on the climber's foot and calf muscles.
The curve shape of the foot with the toes pointing down is ideal
when a climber must support his entire weight with his toes on
small footholds. The tension support is made of an elastic material
that can flex and allow the sole to flatten out on larger
footholds.
Inventors: |
Fullerton, Young Chu;
(Fullerton, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Young Chu Fullerton
744 Rancho Circle
Fullerton
CA
92835
US
|
Family ID: |
34700652 |
Appl. No.: |
10/746528 |
Filed: |
December 24, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
36/113 ;
36/8.3 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B 13/146 20130101;
A43B 5/003 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
036/113 ;
036/008.3 |
International
Class: |
A43B 005/12; A43B
003/00 |
Claims
What is claimed:
1. A climbing shoe comprising: a) an upper portion; b) a sole; and
c) a tension support made of an elastic strap; wherein the tension
support is attached to the toe area of the sole and the heel area
of the sole, whereby the tension support pulls on the toe area of
the sole and the heel area of the sole, whereby the tension support
can assist climbers in maintaining a curve shape to their foot with
the toes pointing downward.
2. The climbing shoe of claim 1, wherein the tension support pulls
the climbing shoe into curved shape with the toes pointing
downwards.
3. The climbing shoe of claim 2, wherein the tension support is
sufficiently elastic to allow the sole to flex whereby the sole can
flatten out.
4. The climbing shoe of claim 3, wherein the heel of the climbing
shoe is surrounded in rubber.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] Not applicable.
BACKGROUND--FIELD OF INVENTION
[0002] The invention relates to climbing shoes, specifically
climbing shoe with a tension support sole that assists the climber
in maintaining a firm foothold on the rocks.
BACKGROUND--DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART
[0003] The invention relates to climbing shoes. More particularly,
the climbing shoe with a tension support sole relates to climbing
shoes where a tension strap creates a curved shape to assist
climbers in maintaining a firm foothold on the rocks.
[0004] Traditional climbing shoes have generally flat surfaces on
the bottom of the climbing shoe. With a flat surface, the edges of
the toe are placed on small footholds on the rock. Just the
placement and pressure of the flat bottom surface of the shoe on
the rocks assists in maintaining the foothold on the rocks. The
climbing shoe needs great stability, since the whole weight of the
individual may be supported by just the edges of the toe and the
climber's hands. The climbing shoe must retain a solid hold on the
rocks, when the climber stretches to reach the next foothold or
handhold in the rocks. Often, the entire weight of the climber must
be supported by the edges of the toes in small footholds or rock
crevices. When a climber is supporting his weight with his toes,
the climber must rely on his foot and calf muscles to maintain his
foothold. During a climb, the climber's foot may suffer fatigue and
the climber may not be able to support himself with his toes. As a
result, climbing shoes with flat bottom surfaces can be prone to
slipping and losing their grip on the rocks.
[0005] The ideal shape of the sole when a climber supports his
weight on small footholds with the toes, is a curve with the toe
areas pointing down. On small footholds, the climber must maintain
this curvature of the foot using his foot and calf muscles. This
curvature maximizes the transmission of weight along the climber's
body to the toes. This curved shape also reduces the fatigue on the
climber's toe and calf muscles. However, a rigid curve shape is not
desirable because a climber must be able to flatten his foot on
larger footholds.
[0006] There is a need for a climbing shoe where the sole can
maintain a curve shape in the sole for small footholds and also
flex for larger footholds. The curve shape of the sole will allow
climbers to maximize their grip on small footholds by properly
transferring the climber's weight down his body to the toes with
minimal effort and fatigue. The ability of the sole to flex is also
important to allow the climber to adjust his foot on different
footholds. The soles of walking shoes are not designed for climbers
to transfer their weight to their toes. The soles of walking shoes
are designed to flex to cushion the impact of the ground on the
foot.
[0007] The prior art includes walking shoes that have a bottom
outer sole with outside edges that protrude lower than the
remaining inner portion of the bottom outer sole. The shape is
designed to flex when walking to absorb some of the impact of the
foot upon the walking surface. The curvature of the outer sole does
not remain rigid, and the inner portion of the bottom outer sole
flexes to touch the walking surface during walking. The edges are
thicker than the other areas, so sensitivity is lost. The climber
cannot adequately sense and feel the footholds, when the edges are
thick. This walking shoe design is most disadvantageous for
climbing.
[0008] The prior art includes climbing shoes that allow greater
flexibility in the sole than the traditional walking shoes.
[0009] In one prior art design, U.S. Pat. No. 5,926,974 to Friton,
the sole tread pattern adapts to all types of ground due to its
adjustable stud profile. As the foot presses down, the sole changes
shape to grip the ground contours and on soft ground the studs
penetrate the soil. As the weight is taken off the sole, it
releases energy, giving the wearers an added spring in their step.
The changing shape of the sole is advantageous for walking, but can
be detrimental in rock climbing. A sole that flexed and changed
shape to easily would be susceptible to losing a grip on a rocky
ledge. Furthermore, the studs may prevent a climber from
effectively feeling the foothold with the foot.
[0010] In another prior art design, U.S. Pat. No. 5,384,973 to
Lyden, the sole has flex joints to allow the sole to flex
facilitating the independent movement of the toes. A sole with flex
joints that assist independent movement of the toes does not help a
climber maintain a foothold using the toes. Greater flexibility in
the toe area is not advantageous for climbers maintaining a
foothold with their toes.
[0011] In another prior art design, U.S. Pat. No. 4,546,559 to
Dassler, the sole is made of flexible plastic with molded
projections on its running surface. The shoe is designed for track
and field use and is optimized anatomically for the foot during
running. The flexibility offered by the sole is not advantageous
for climbers maintaining a foothold with their toes.
[0012] The prior art also includes shoes with less flexibility in
the sole than traditional walking shoes.
[0013] There is a need for a climbing shoe that can provide
stability to the sole for climbers using their toes on small
footholds and also allow for some flexibility in the sole for
larger footholds. A tension support located in the sole that will
pull the sole into a curve shape provides both the stability and
flexibility a climber needs. A climbing shoe with a tension support
sole will provide the ideal curve shape in the sole to effectively
transfer the weight of the climber to the toe area. The tension
support sole will also permit the sole to flex to assist the
climber in maintaining grip on larger footholds.
[0014] These and further features and advantages of the present
invention will become more obvious from the following description
and drawings representing an embodiment of the invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0015] A climbing shoe with a tension support sole fulfills the
objective of a climbing shoe that will provide both stability and
flexibility for climbers on both small and large footholds. The
invention pertains to a sole with tension support that will pull
the sole into a curve shape ideal for climbers to transfer their
weight to the toes on small footholds. The primary objective of the
present invention is to provide an ideal curve shape to the sole to
assist climbers on small footholds and, at the same time, allow
some degree of flexibility in the sole to assist climbers on larger
footholds. This objective is achieved by using a sole with a strap
or separate piece of elastic material to pull the heel and toe area
of the sole together to form a curve with the toe area pointing
downwards. This curve is formed and maintained with the tension
provided by the elasticity of the material used. The use of the
tension support to pull on the toe and heel also provides
flexibility to the sole for climbers when they must use more than
the toe area to support their weight on larger footholds.
[0016] The climbing shoe with tension support sole includes an
upper portion encasing the top of the foot and a sole covering the
bottom surface of the shoe. The climbing shoe has a toe area and a
heel area. The tension support is created when a piece of the sole
is attached to the heel area and the toe area and separate from the
middle area. The tension support pulls on the toe and heel area
forming a curve in the sole with the toe area pointing downward.
The tension support allows the curve to flex and assume a flatter
shape depending on the surface it is placed on and the weight
distributed along the climber's foot.
[0017] The climbing shoe with tension support sole is further
described with detail in the appended figures, description and
claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0018] FIG. 1 is a side view of the climbing shoe.
[0019] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the climbing shoe showing the
bottom of the sole.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0020] Referring to FIG. 1 through FIG. 2, a climbing shoe 10
includes an upper portion 11 and a sole 12 attached to the upper
portion 11. The sole 12 has a toe area 13 and a heel area 14. A
tension support 15 is made of elastic material, substantially
similar to the sole 12 and is attached to the heel area 14 and the
toe area 13. The toe area 13 has stiffness to prevent flexing. The
sole 12, the toe area 13 the heel area 14 and the tension support
15 are made of rubber and extend up the flashes of the climbing
shoe 10. The toe area 13 surrounds the bottom, front, and
front-sides of the foot. The heel area 14 surrounds the bottom,
sides, and heel of the foot.
[0021] The sole 12 maintains a substantially curve shape as a
result of the tension support 15 pulling on both the heel area 14
and the toe area 13. The sole 12 maintains a substantially curve
shape with the toe area 13 pointing downwards.
[0022] Referring to the side view of FIG. 1, the upper portion 11
can include any material commonly used for shoes, such as leather,
nylon and cotton fabrics. The upper portion 11 has a height `h`.
The upper portion 11 has a substantially uniform thickness and
covers the top of the wearer's foot. The sole 12 is made of rubber
and has a thickness `t` and is substantially uniform. The sole has
a toe area 13 with a thickness `t1` that is greater than the
thickness `t` of the sole 12. the sole has a heel area 14 with a
thickness `t2' that is greater than the thickness `t` of the sole
12.
[0023] Referring to the bottom view of FIG. 2, the sole 12 has a
shape substantially conforming to the shape of the foot. The sole
12 has a width `w` and a length `l` that may vary depending on the
size of the climbing shoe. The tension support 15 is attached to
the heel area 14 and the toe area 13. The tension support has a
width `w1` that is less than the width `w` of the sole 12. The
tension support has a length `l1` that is less than the length `1'
of the sole 12.
Reference Numerals in Drawings
[0024] 10 climbing shoe
[0025] 11 upper portion
[0026] 12 sole
[0027] 13 toe area
[0028] 14 heel area
[0029] 15 tension support
* * * * *