U.S. patent application number 11/725303 was filed with the patent office on 2007-10-04 for footwear bottom with anti-shock insert.
Invention is credited to Fausto Menghini.
Application Number | 20070227041 11/725303 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38556797 |
Filed Date | 2007-10-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070227041 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Menghini; Fausto |
October 4, 2007 |
Footwear bottom with anti-shock insert
Abstract
The present invention relates to a moulded footwear bottom,
which incorporates one or more rigid protuberances (4, 5) that
protrude from the upper surface and are engaged inside at least one
shock-absorbing insert (2a, 2b) provided with corresponding slots
(3, 6) designed to house the said rigid protuberances (4, 5).
Inventors: |
Menghini; Fausto;
(Civitanova Marche, IT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ARMSTRONG, KRATZ, QUINTOS,;HANSON & BROOKS, LLP
Intellectual Property Law Offices, 502 Washington Avenue, Suite 220
Towson
MD
21204
US
|
Family ID: |
38556797 |
Appl. No.: |
11/725303 |
Filed: |
March 19, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
36/28 ; 36/35R;
36/71 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B 21/28 20130101;
A43B 13/20 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
36/28 ;
36/35.R |
International
Class: |
A43B 13/18 20060101
A43B013/18; A43B 21/06 20060101 A43B021/06 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 29, 2006 |
IT |
MC2006A000033 |
Claims
1. Footwear bottom moulded from plastic materials, of the type
moulded from a single piece of suitable material, which is provided
with a rear space (1a) and/or a front space (1b) housing
corresponding shock-absorbing inserts (2a and 2b) that are
elastically deformed under pressure, characterised in that at least
one of these spaces (1a, 1b) is provided with one or more rigid
protuberances (4, 5) engaged inside corresponding slots (3, 6) of
the shock-absorbing inserts (2a, 2b) with thickness higher than the
height of the said rigid protuberances (4, 5).
2. Footwear bottom of claim 1, characterised in that the rear
insert (2a) has an annular shape and a central hole (3) in which a
rigid "pin" (4) is inserted, protruding from the bottom wall of the
rear space (1a), having a height lower than the thickness of the
insert (2a).
3. Footwear bottom of claim 1, characterised in that the front
insert (2b) is shaped as a tongue and is exactly housed in the
front space (1b) on the half sole of the bottom (1), which is
provided with a series of protuberances (5) obtained during
moulding and shaped as rigid segments, that are exactly housed
inside corresponding slots (6) provided on the front insert (2b)
with thickness higher than the height of the rigid protuberances
(5).
4. Footwear bottom of claim 1, characterised in that the said
shock-absorbing inserts (2a, 2b) consist in air-filled
cushions.
5. Footwear bottom of claim 1, characterised in that the
shock-absorbing inserts (2a, 2b) consist in soft pads moulded from
materials that are elastically deformed under pressure.
Description
[0001] The present patent application relates to a moulded footwear
bottom provided with a special anti-shock insert.
[0002] Footwear bottoms moulded from plastic materials are
traditionally provided with anti-shock inserts, that is to say a
sort of shock-absorbing cushions mounted on the heel and designed
to soften the repeated impacts with the ground suffered by the heel
at every step.
[0003] The said anti-shock inserts are produced according to a
standardised process.
[0004] In particular, an insert made of soft plastic material or a
sort of air-filled cushion is incorporated in the material used to
mould the bottom; in these cases, the insert or shock-absorbing
cushion has a closed geometrical shape (circular, elliptical,
square, etc.) and is drowned in the sole.
[0005] The said inserts maintain their shock-absorbing function
until they do not lose their elastic properties, which tend to
attenuate over time according to the extent of the elastic
deformation suffered at every stress. The pressure discharged on
the said inserts is directly proportional to the weight of the user
and can vary by several tens of kilograms with the same foot
size.
[0006] This means that the same model of ant-shock insert mounted
on the same type and size of shoe can have a longer or shorter
operating life according to the user.
[0007] In the case of inserts formed of air cushions, a problem is
represented by the air-tightness and mechanical resistance of the
perimeter welding line, since the said cushions are normally
obtained by welding the edges of two semi-shells of soft, flexible
material.
[0008] Also in this case, a different weight of the user
corresponds to a different compression of the air contained in the
cushion, with consequent mechanical stress that tends to detach the
welded edges.
[0009] In view of the above, the said edges must be welded
according to heavy duty conditions that, although not frequent,
require a higher and therefore more expensive quality standard for
the entire production.
[0010] The same is true for inserts obtained from a pad of
thermoplastic rubber or other materials that are elastically
deformed under pressure, whose elastic characteristics are normally
improved both in terms of efficacy and duration by means of
expensive additives.
[0011] In other words, a reduction of the maximum deformation of
the anti-shock insert during its operating life would correspond to
a reduction of production costs, selecting more economically
convenient production techniques to guarantee a predefined reduced
reliability.
[0012] The purpose of the present invention is to devise a footwear
bottom moulded from plastic materials provided with an anti-shock
insert, whose elastic deformation does not exceed a predetermined
threshold value, regardless of the users weight.
[0013] This objective has been reached by the bottom of the
invention, which incorporates one or more rigid protuberances that
protrude from its upper surface and are engaged inside the said
shock-absorbing insert, which is provided with suitable slots that
house the said protuberances, being incapable of being elastically
deformed under pressure.
[0014] The height of the said protuberances must be lower than the
thickness of the anti-shock insert, in such a way that the insert
can be elastically lowered under the weight of the foot, until the
weight is discharged on the said protuberances, which act as
supports thanks to their rigidity, thus preventing the additional
elastic deformation of the shock-absorbing insert.
[0015] According to the preferred embodiment, the shock-absorbing
insert is composed of an annular air cushion, with suitable shape
and dimensions to be mounted in the heel, under the heel of the
foot.
[0016] The bottom is provided with a space that can exactly house
the said cushion, being inserted externally on a rigid pin that
protrudes from the centre of the heel, having a height lower than
the thickness of the cushion.
[0017] For purposes of clarity the description of the invention
continues with reference to the enclosed drawing, which is intended
for purposes of illustration only and not in a limiting sense,
whereby:
[0018] FIG. 1 is an axonometric view of the bottom of the
invention;
[0019] FIG. 2 is a section with a transversal plane of the bottom
of the invention on the heel;
[0020] FIG. 3 is a section of FIG. 1 with the transversal plane
III-III.
[0021] With reference to the enclosed figures, the bottom (1) of
the invention is moulded from a single piece of plastic material,
either rubber or thermoplastic material, in which a back space (1a)
and a front space (1b) are obtained during moulding to house
corresponding shock-absorbing inserts that may consist, according
to the specific case, in air cushions or pads of soft, elastically
deformed material, such as thermoplastic rubber, vulcanised rubber,
PVC or polyurethane. In the embodiment illustrated in the enclosed
figures, the shock-absorbing inserts consist in a first rear air
cushion (2a) and a second front air cushion (2b).
[0022] The first air cushion (2a) has an annular shape and suitable
dimensions to be exactly housed in the said rear space (1a) of the
bottom (1). A rigid "pin" (4) is inserted in the hole (3) in the
centre of the cushion (2a), which protrudes from the bottom wall of
the space (1a), with height lower than the thickness of the air
cushion (2a), as shown in FIG. 2. The second front air cushion (2b)
is shaped as a tongue and is exactly housed in the front space (1b)
on the half sole of the bottom (1), which is provided with a series
of protuberances (5) obtained during moulding and shaped as rigid
segments, that are exactly housed inside corresponding slots (6)
provided on the second front air cushion (2b). Also in this case,
the height of the protuberances (5) is lower than the thickness of
the air cushion (2b), as shown in FIG. 3.
* * * * *