U.S. patent application number 10/533661 was filed with the patent office on 2006-06-08 for sole for moving in particular on unstable surface.
Invention is credited to Francis Guichard.
Application Number | 20060117609 10/533661 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32309762 |
Filed Date | 2006-06-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060117609 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Guichard; Francis |
June 8, 2006 |
Sole for moving in particular on unstable surface
Abstract
A sole for walking has a ground contacting face referred to as
the bottom part, and a top part being opposite the bottom part. The
sole has the bottom part with a number of recesses. The recesses
are closed off by the top part and are for trapping a portion of a
material on which a person moves. Each recess is provided with at
least one decompression channel producing a free junction between
an interior of each recess and an external perimeter of the
sole.
Inventors: |
Guichard; Francis;
(Monbazillac, FR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Charles N Ruggiero;Ohlandt Greeley Ruggiero & Perle
10th Floor
One Landmark Square
Stamford
CT
06901-2682
US
|
Family ID: |
32309762 |
Appl. No.: |
10/533661 |
Filed: |
October 30, 2003 |
PCT Filed: |
October 30, 2003 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/FR03/03235 |
371 Date: |
November 14, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
36/116 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B 13/143 20130101;
A43B 13/146 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
036/116 |
International
Class: |
A43B 5/04 20060101
A43B005/04 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 31, 2002 |
FR |
02/13710 |
Claims
1. A sole for walking comprising: a ground contacting face referred
to as the bottom part, and a top part being opposite said bottom
part, wherein said bottom part has a plurality of recesses, said
plurality of recesses being closed off by said top part, said
plurality of recesses for trapping a portion of a material on which
a person moves, each recess being provided with at least one
decompression channel producing a free junction between an interior
of the each of said plurality of recesses and an external perimeter
of the sole.
2. A sole according to claim 1, wherein said at least one
decompression channel is disposed around each recess of said
plurality of recesses in said bottom part to contact ground.
3. A sole according to claim 1, wherein said at least one
decompression channel is disposed around each recess of said
plurality of recesses on a wall, said at least one decompression
channel being a predetermined height of said wall.
4. A sole according to claim 1, wherein said at least one
decompression channel has a height substantially equal to that of
each recess of said plurality of recesses.
5. A sole according to claim 1, wherein at least two of said
plurality of recesses have said decompression channel.
6. A sole according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of recesses
have a depth being identical.
7. A sole according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of recesses
have a depth being different from one another.
8. A sole according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of recesses
have a wall, and wherein the sole has said ground contacting face,
said wall and said ground contacting face forming an angle, said
angle being selected from the group consisting of about equal to
ninety degrees, less than ninety degrees and any combinations
thereof.
9. A sole according to claim 1, wherein the sole has an external
perimeter forming an angle of less than or equal to, or superior to
ninety degrees with respect to said ground contacting face.
10. A sole according to claim 1, wherein the sole further comprises
a plurality of superimposed material having a bottom layer, and
wherein at least one recess of said plurality of recess and said at
least one decompression channel is formed on said bottom layer, and
wherein said bottom layer contacts ground.
11. A sole for a shoe, the sole comprising: a ground contacting
face having a plurality of recesses, said plurality of recesses
having a lateral side wall and a top portion connected to said
lateral side wall, said plurality of recesses for trapping a
portion of a material of the ground, wherein the material fills at
least one of said plurality of recesses for forming a stable
support.
12. The sole of claim 11, wherein said plurality of recesses are
spaced along said ground contacting face.
Description
[0001] The present invention concerns shoe soles intended for
improving movement on shifting ground such as sand and for
eliminating the sucker effect on all kinds of ground.
[0002] The existing soles in the state of their various forms and
structures do not make it possible to combine a stable and
effortless movement on shifting ground such as sand, and the
elimination of the sucker effect on all types of ground (smooth and
hard for example).
[0003] The present invention remedies this problem. The soles
according to the invention in fact remedy the difficulties of
movement (instability and effort) on shifting ground such as sand
and the sucker effect on all types of ground.
[0004] To this end the soles have a structure which on the one hand
traps and compresses a portion of the shifting material (such as
sand) on which a person is moving by the simple physical effect of
the walking and, on the other hand, eliminates the sucker effect on
all types of ground. The soles proposed have a structure which has
firm abutment points on loose ground.
[0005] Because of this principle, movement is thereby stable and
rapid on loose sand and eliminates the sucker effect on all types
of ground.
[0006] The object of the present invention is therefore a sole for
walking comprising a face intended to be in contact with the
ground, referred to as the bottom part, and an opposite face called
the top part, principally characterised in that it comprises, in
the bottom part, recesses closed off by the top part for trapping a
portion of material on which a person is moving, each recess being
provided with at least one decompression channel producing a free
junction between the inside of the recesses and the external
perimeter of the sole.
[0007] According to another characteristic, the decompression
channels can be disposed around recesses in the bottom part of the
sole so as to be in contact with the ground.
[0008] According to another characteristic, the decompression
channels can be disposed around recesses at any height on the wall
of these recesses.
[0009] According to another characteristic, the decompression
channels have a height substantially equal to that of the
recesses.
[0010] According to another characteristic, for one and the same
sole, the recesses provided with decompression channels are at
least two in number.
[0011] According to another characteristic, for one and the same
sole, the depth of the recesses can be identical.
[0012] According to another characteristic, for one and the same
sole, the depth of the recesses can be different.
[0013] According to another characteristic, for one and the same
sole, the walls of the recesses form an angle of less than or equal
to 90.degree. with respect to the face of the sole intended to be
in contact with the ground.
[0014] According to another characteristic, the external perimeter
of the sole forms an angle of less than or equal to 90.degree. with
respect to the face of the sole intended to be in contact with the
ground.
[0015] According to another characteristic, the sole can consist of
only one or several superimposed layers of material, the recesses
and the decompression channels being formed on at least the bottom
layer intended to be in contact with the ground.
[0016] Other particularities and advantages of the invention will
emerge clearly from a reading of the description made below, given
by way of illustrative and non-limiting example and with regard to
the drawings, in which:
[0017] FIG. 1 depicts the plan view from below of a sole according
to the invention,
[0018] FIG. 2 depicts the perspective view of a sole according to
the invention,
[0019] FIG. 3 depicts a variant view in perspective of a sole
according to the invention,
[0020] FIG. 4 depicts a transverse section AA in the longitudinal
direction of a sole according to the invention,
[0021] FIGS. 5 and 6 depict variant positionings of the channels
seen in partial transverse sections.
[0022] For a better understanding of the invention, a sole is
defined, whether this sole consists of one or more layers of
superimposed material or not, as having in all cases a face 1
intended to be in contact with the ground, referred to as the
bottom part, and an opposite face 2 referred to as the top
part.
[0023] With reference to the drawings, the sole comprises in its
bottom part 1 recesses 3 provided with decompression channels
7.
[0024] The decompression channels 7 produce a junction between the
inside of the recesses 3 and the external perimeter 8 of the
sole.
[0025] The decompression channels 7 have geometric or any shapes
and dimensions.
[0026] The decompression channels 7 are positioned on the bottom
part of the sole or at any height on the wall of the recesses 3
(FIG. 5). According to a variant embodiment, the decompression
channels have a height equal to or substantially equal to the total
height of the recesses 3 (FIG. 6).
[0027] The recesses 3 provided with decompression channels 7 have
geometric or any shapes and dimensions; the bottom of these
recesses is closed by the top part 2. Their walls form an angle
less than or equal to an angle of 90 degrees with respect to the
face 1 intended to be in contact with the ground (the base of the
sole).
[0028] The thickness of the material 4 corresponds to the depth of
the recesses 3; this thickness of material 4 consists of a single
layer or several homogeneous or heterogeneous layers for decorative
purposes, strength or rigidity, one thickness of material 5 or
several capping the thickness 4.
[0029] According to the variant (FIG. 3) the base element 6 in
which the recesses 3 are produced without passing through it
completely is either a thickness of material consisting of a single
layer with the same composition or consisting of several
homogeneous or heterogeneous layers for decorative purposes,
strength or rigidity, or a hollow element provided with a strong
envelope.
[0030] The external perimeter 8 of the sole has an angle equal to,
less than or greater than 90 degrees.
[0031] The profile of the top part 2 can be ergonomic or flat.
[0032] The profile of the bottom part 1 can be ergonomic or
flat.
[0033] The recesses provided with decompression channels occupy a
large surface area on the total surface of the sole, as can be seen
in the diagrams.
[0034] These recesses provided with decompression channels are
produced from all types of material, whether they be natural,
synthetic, synthesised, etc.
[0035] These recesses provided with decompression channels are
produced in a first thickness of material with the same composition
or consisting of homogeneous or heterogeneous layers whilst passing
through it completely, one or more thicknesses capping this first
thickness (FIG. 2).
[0036] These recesses provided with decompression channels are also
produced, without passing through it, in a thickness of monolithic
material with the same composition or consisting of homogeneous or
heterogeneous layers (FIG. 3).
[0037] In a variant execution the sole may not be solid but hollow.
The recesses provided with decompression channels are in this case
produced in a hollow element provided with a strong envelope. The
sole is then in the form of a strong envelope consisting of a face
intended to be in contact with the ground, a perimeter defining the
external border of the sole and a face opposite to the face
intended to be in contact with the ground. The face intended to be
in contact with the ground has internal walls defining the shape of
the recesses and of the decompression channels.
[0038] The recesses and decompression channels are produced
according to known techniques best suited to the material
constituting the soles: manually or mechanically by cutting,
drilling, trimming, milling, pressing, extrusion, moulding or any
other non-limiting technical means for obtaining a recess and
channels.
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