U.S. patent application number 10/520306 was filed with the patent office on 2005-10-06 for shoe, adjustable, transpiring and cushioning.
Invention is credited to Melis, Gilberto.
Application Number | 20050217140 10/520306 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 31948108 |
Filed Date | 2005-10-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050217140 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Melis, Gilberto |
October 6, 2005 |
Shoe, adjustable, transpiring and cushioning
Abstract
Transpiring and cushioning shoe having a sole comprising an
insole through which holes pass, a tread and an elastic
intermediate structure having in it a plurality of small chambers
placed side by side each communicating, by means of a one-way
suction valve through the holes in the insole, with the inside of
the shoe, and by means of an expulsion valve in the tread, with the
outside so that with every step taken, due to alternating pressure
of the shoe on the ground, air contained in the chambers
automatically flows outside and is replaced, in said chambers, by
air from inside the shoe containing perspiration and heat.
Inventors: |
Melis, Gilberto; (Selargius,
IT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Striker Striker & Stenby
103 East Neck Road
Huntington
NY
11743
US
|
Family ID: |
31948108 |
Appl. No.: |
10/520306 |
Filed: |
January 5, 2005 |
PCT Filed: |
July 8, 2003 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/IT03/00426 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
36/3B ;
36/3R |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B 13/203 20130101;
A43B 7/081 20130101; A43B 7/082 20130101; A43B 13/206 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
036/003.00B ;
036/003.00R |
International
Class: |
A43B 007/06 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Aug 21, 2002 |
IT |
CA2002U000006 |
Jun 27, 2003 |
IT |
MI2003A001314 |
Claims
1. Shoe, adjustable, transpiring, cushioning characterized in that
the sole comprises an insole with through holes constituting the
bottom of the shoe, a tread with one-way expulsion valves and an
elastic intermediate structure with a plurality of small chambers
placed side by side, each of which communicates, through a one-way
valve, here called a suction valve, with the inside of the shoe and
by means of an expulsion valve in the tread communicating with the
outside, and in that at each step, when the foot presses on the
ground with consequent yielding due to compression and flexion of
said intermediate structure, automatic closure takes place of said
suction valve and compression of the air contained in the chambers
and therefore its transfer outside through the expulsion valves
while, when the foot is raised from the ground, automatic closure
takes place of the expulsion valves and opening of the suction
valves with transfer inside the chambers through said suction
valves, connected to the holes in the insole, of the air contained
in the shoe mixed with perspiration and heat.
2. Shoe as in claim 1, characterized in that the chambers are
formed at their full height from the intermediate structure,
comprising an upper base, peripheral ribbing and a network of
internal ribs, glued onto the tread.
3. Shoe as in claim 2, characterized in that the peripheral and
internal ribs are thin.
4. Shoe as in claim 2, characterized in that the internal ribbing
is inclined in order to facilitate flexion under pressure created
by the foot.
5. Shoe as in claim 2, characterized in that the internal ribbing
is curved in order to facilitate flexion under pressure created by
the foot.
6. Shoe as in claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the suction
valves are formed of small tubes, in a single piece with the
intermediate structure, substantially laid along an internal wall
of the ribbing and open above at the position of the holes that
pass through the insole, there being on the internal surface of the
tread, in line with and at a short distance from each of said
tubes, cone-shaped protrusions with a mean diameter corresponding
to the internal diameter of said tubes, so that when the foot
begins to press on the ground, and due to elastic flexion of the
intermediate structure, the ends of said tubes make contact with
said cone-shaped protrusions causing said suction valves to
close.
7. Shoe as in claim 6, characterized in that the tubes of the
suction valves are replaced by ducts created inside the ribs on the
intermediate structure.
8. Shoe as in claim 1, characterized in that the expulsion valves
are membranes with cross-wise cuts, their thickness being the
greater and their height the lesser according to the degree of
force progammed for opening them.
9. Shoe as in claim 8, characterized in that the membranes are
discoid.
10. Shoe as in claim 8, characterized in that the membranes are
cone-shaped.
11. Shoe as in claim 8, characterized in that the membranes are
cap-shaped.
12. Shoe as in claim 1, characterized in that dimensions of
decisive parts of the sole such as its height, the height of the
intermediate elastic structure, volume of the chambers, dimensions
and thickness of suction and expulsion valves and therefore volume
of transpiration air and forces required to operate the valves, are
pre-set according to the type of shoe and therefore according to
cases involving high levels of stress in sports, in military use,
or in ordinary walking, for children, for tall boots, for
orthopaedic purposes.
Description
[0001] Walking is known to require protection of the feet by some
form of footwear such as shoes.
[0002] Shoes, however, practically enclose the foot in a chamber
that retains perspiration and warmth.
[0003] It often follows that this condition provokes aching,
overheating, unpleasant odours, inflammation.
[0004] To overcome these drawbacks soles have been devised complete
with means providing ventilation between the foot and the shoe, or
physical means, such as filtering membranes, or mechanical means.
Such means, however, cannot at present provide more ventilation per
step than one cm.sup.3 while at least 10 cm.sup.3 per step would be
needed.
[0005] Since the effort required to obtain this ventilation is made
by the weight of the body as the pressing force and lowering of the
sole as movement, it follows that the sole must be adequately
lowered.
[0006] In hot climates and during the stresses set up by sports
activity, much better ventilation is obviously required.
[0007] The above invention not only makes possible a far greater
quantity of air transpired at each step, but also creates a
cushioning effect as will now be explained.
[0008] Subject of the invention is an adjustable transpiring and
cushioning shoe, the sole of which comprises an insole with through
holes forming the bottom of the shoe, a tread with one-way
expulsion valves and an intermediate elastic structure containing a
plurality of small chambers side by side each of which
communicates, by means of a one-way valve here called a suction
valve, with the inside of the shoe and by means of an expulsion
valve with the outside.
[0009] When the foot presses the ground, causing said intermediate
structure to yield by compression and flexion, at each step there
is automatic closure of said suction valves, compression of the air
contained in the chambers and its expulsion outside through the
expulsion valves.
[0010] When the foot leaves the ground the expulsion valves
automatically close and the suction valves automatically open thus
transferring the air, mixed with perspiration and heat, from
insideinside the shoe into the chambers through said suction valves
connected to the holes in the insole.
[0011] The chambers are preferably obtained in their full height
from the intermediate structure comprising an upper base, thin
peripheral and internal ribs, glued onto the tread.
[0012] The suction valves are formed of fine tubes in a single
piece with the intermediate structure, placed substantially
alongside an inner wall of the ribs and open at the top at the
position of the holes that pass through the insole.
[0013] Placed on the inside surface of the tread, in line with and
at a short distance from each of said tubes, are raised cone-shaped
protrusions the mean diameter of which corresponds to the inner
diameter of said tubes, so that when the foot begins to apply
pressure to the ground, and due to elastic flexion of the
intermediate structure, the ends of said tubes, making contact with
said protrusions, cause said suction valves to close.
[0014] In one execution the tubes that form the suction valves can
be replaced by ducts made inside the ribs of the intermediate
sructure.
[0015] According to the type of execution, the ribs on the
intermediate structure can be inclined or curved to facilitate
flexion under pressure from the foot.
[0016] The expulsion valves are preferably membranes with cross
cuts the thickness of which is greater, and their height lesser,
the greater is the force programmed for causing them to open.
[0017] According to the type of execution the membranes can be
discoid, cone-shaped, cap-shaped.
[0018] Dimensions of the decisive parts of the sole, such as its
height, the height of the intermediate elastic structure, rib
thickness, volume of the chambers, dimensions and thicknesses of
the suction and expulsion valves and therefore the volumes of
transpiration air and forces needed to operate said valves, are all
pre-set according to the type of shoe and therefore according to
what is required to withstand stresses created during sports,
military uses, ordinary walking, use by children, for high boots,
for orthopaedic purposes.
[0019] The invention offers evident advantages.
[0020] The quantity of heated air mixed with perspiration removed
from the shoe by suction at each step, that can be estimated at
between 10 and 350 cm.sup.3, is considerably more than is needed to
eliminate the amount of heat and perspiration that forms inside a
shoe even under highly stressed conditions.
[0021] Elimination of heat from the feet keeps them cool while
elimination of perspiration keeps them dry.
[0022] By suitably calculating the dimensions of the decisive parts
of the sole, a cushioning effect can also be calculated.
[0023] In conclusion, deambulation, both in highly stressed
conditions of effort and heat as well as in ordinary walking, can
be undertaken with greatly increased comfort by the wearer of these
shoes.
[0024] Characteristics and purposes of the invention will be made
still clearer by the following examples of its execution
illustrated by diagrammatically drawn figures.
[0025] FIG. 1 The invented shoe, the sole of which comprises an
insole, a tread and an intermediate structure, of considerable
thickness to withstand stresses, side view.
[0026] FIG. 2 Longitudinal section of the sole, through the axis
XX.
[0027] FIG. 3 Enlarged detail of FIG. 2.
[0028] FIG. 4 Detail of FIG. 3 seen from below.
[0029] FIG. 5 Insole, perspective seen from below.
[0030] FIG. 6 Intermediate structure, perspective seen from
below.
[0031] FIG. 7 Tread, perspective seen from below.
[0032] FIG. 8 Walking shoe with thinner sole, side view.
[0033] FIG. 9 Enlarged longitudinal section of the shoe sole in
FIG. 8.
[0034] FIG. 10 The detail in FIG. 9 seen from below.
[0035] The shoe 10 made to withstand high stresses (FIG. 1)
presents an upper 11 and a sole 15 consisting of the insole 20,
tread 40 and elastic structure 25.
[0036] Said structure 25 comprises the peripheral ribs 30, a
network of transversal ribs 31, valve bodies 32 with cylindrical
holes 33 and the small chambers 38 formed by said ribs, open
towards the tread 40.
[0037] The tread 40 comprises externally the transversal channels
41 and, between one channel and another, the cylindrical holes 45
situated substantially in the centre of the chambers 38 of the
membrane 30.
[0038] Said holes 45 are closed by the conical expulsion valves
with membrane 50, with the top 51 facing towards the outside of the
tread, and with cross cuts 52 and 53.
[0039] As the cuts are made in elastic material on the inside of
the cone, the edges of the cut close hermetically when external
pressure is greater than pressure from inside the shoe.
[0040] Inside the tread 40 are the valve heads 34 of the valve
bodies 32 in the intermediate structure 25.
[0041] Said valve heads 34 are cone-shaped and are placed in line
with said valve bodies 32, together forming the suction valves
35.
[0042] The insole 20 presents, in line with the valve bodies 32,
holes 21 diameter of which is the same as that of said valve bodies
32.
[0043] The holes 21 in the insole 20 and the holes 33 in the valve
bodies 32 and in the valve heads 34 present the same geometrical
axis (shown as AA in FIGS. 2 and 3).
[0044] This axis lies substantially in the centre of each
transversal channel 41 of the tread 40.
[0045] The holes 45 in the tread for conical membrane expulsion
valves 50, crossed by axes BB in FIGS. 2 and 3, are situated
substantially in the centre of the chambers 38 in the intermediate
structure 25 and therefore between one channel 41 and another.
[0046] Both the intermediate structure 25 and the tread 40 are
respectively made in a single piece of suitably elastic plastic
material.
[0047] It will be clear from the foregoing that when, during
deambulation, the shoe 10 worn by the person rests on the ground,
this will cause compression and deformation of the ribs 30 and 31
and also of the valve bodies 32.
[0048] Matching between the ends of the valve bodies 32 and valve
heads 34, and therfore closure of the valves 35 formed by these
parts, consequently causes the air 6 in the chambers 38 to flow out
through the cone-shaped valves 50 in the tread 40 (FIG. 3).
[0049] When the foot leaves the ground, the ribs 30 and 31, the
valve bodies 33 and the cone-shaped valves 50 tend to resume their
original shape, namely opening of the valves 35 and closure of the
valves 50, so creating a depression inside the chambers 38, and
therefore suction through the valve bodies 33 and holes 21 in the
insole 20, of heated air containing perspiration from inside the
shoe 10.
[0050] It follows that, at each step, there will be high degree of
ventilation from the shoes with a flow of air far greater than can
be obtained with present footwear, as well as an efficacious
cushioning effect.
[0051] The ventilating and cushioning effect can be adjusted by
applying suitable dimensions to the chambers, to the intermediate
structure 25, to thickness of the peripheral ribs and those inside
the valves 35 and 50, and therefore volume and capacity of
ventilating air.
[0052] FIG. 8 shows a walking shoe 60 with an upper 61 and sole
65.
[0053] The sole 65 is substantially the same as the sole 15 for the
shoe 10 but dimensions are smaller.
[0054] Said sole 65 presents an insole 70, intermediate structure
75 and tread 85.
[0055] The insole 70 presents holes 71.
[0056] The intermediate structure 75 presents ribs 76, chambers 80
and valve bodies 77 with cylindrical holes 78.
[0057] The tread 85 presents cone-shaped membrane valves 90 for
expulsion with orthogonal cuts 92, 93 in the holes 86.
[0058] Said valves are thinner 95 and higher 96 than the membrane
valves 50 in the tread 40 of the shoe 10.
[0059] As said valves 90 in the shoe 60 open at the slightest
pressure into the chambers 80, these are of the type best suited
for ordinary walking, for children, for rubber boots and the
like.
* * * * *