U.S. patent application number 12/701024 was filed with the patent office on 2011-08-11 for footwear including a self-adjusting midsole.
This patent application is currently assigned to Deckers Outdoor Corporation. Invention is credited to Juerg Geser, Christopher Hillyer, Anthony T. Macey.
Application Number | 20110192056 12/701024 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44022018 |
Filed Date | 2011-08-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110192056 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Geser; Juerg ; et
al. |
August 11, 2011 |
FOOTWEAR INCLUDING A SELF-ADJUSTING MIDSOLE
Abstract
An article of footwear including an outsole having a plurality
of first traction members extending from the outsole and defining a
plurality of openings. A plurality of second traction members
extend through the openings in the outsole and are configured to
move between an extended position, where the second traction
members are fully extended in the openings, and a retracted
position, where the second traction members are at least partially
retracted within the openings. A compressible member is positioned
adjacent to the plurality of second traction members and is
configured to compress when the second traction members move to the
retracted position.
Inventors: |
Geser; Juerg; (Woodland
Hills, CA) ; Hillyer; Christopher; (Goleta, CA)
; Macey; Anthony T.; (Santa Barbara, CA) |
Assignee: |
Deckers Outdoor Corporation
Goleta
CA
|
Family ID: |
44022018 |
Appl. No.: |
12/701024 |
Filed: |
February 5, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
36/114 ; 36/59C;
36/61 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B 13/26 20130101;
A43C 15/14 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
36/114 ; 36/61;
36/59.C |
International
Class: |
A43B 5/00 20060101
A43B005/00; A43C 15/00 20060101 A43C015/00 |
Claims
1. An article of footwear comprising: an outsole including a
plurality of first traction members extending from said outsole,
said outsole defining a plurality of openings; a plurality of
second traction members extending through said openings in said
outsole, said second traction members configured to move between an
extended position, wherein said second traction members are fully
extended in said openings, and a retracted position, wherein said
second traction members are at least partially retracted within
said openings; and a compressible member positioned adjacent to
said plurality of second traction members and configured to
compress when said second traction members move to said retracted
position.
2. The article of footwear of claim 1, further comprising an
adjustment member including said plurality of second traction
members, said plurality of second traction members extending from
said adjustment member.
3. The article of footwear of claim 2, wherein said plurality of
second traction members are integrally formed with said adjustment
member.
4. The article of footwear of claim 2, wherein an upper surface of
said outsole defines a recess for receiving said adjustment member
so that an upper surface of said adjustment member and said upper
surface of said outsole are substantially flush when said
adjustment member is inserted in said recess.
5. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said plurality of
first traction members and said plurality of said second traction
members are adjacent to each other.
6. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said plurality of
first traction members are positioned on an outer portion of said
outsole and said openings are located at an inner portion of said
outsole so that said plurality of second traction members are at
least partially surrounded by said plurality of first traction
members when said plurality of second traction members extend
through said openings.
7. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said plurality of
first traction members are integrally formed with said outsole.
8. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said outsole is made
of an abrasion resistant material.
9. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said compressible
member is made of a material having a first hardness value and said
outsole is made of a material having a second hardness value,
wherein said second hardness value is greater than said first
hardness value.
10. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein at least one of
said compressible member and said outsole is made of a foam
material.
11. A article of footwear comprising: an outsole including traction
means located on a perimeter of said outsole for providing traction
on an underlying surface, and a plurality of openings on a central
portion of said outsole; a plurality of adjustable lugs extending
through and movable within said openings; and adjustment means
operatively connected to said adjustable lugs for extending or
retracting said lugs based on the hardness of the underlying
surface.
12. The article of footwear of claim 11, wherein said adjustment
means is made of a material having a first hardness value and said
outsole is made of a material having a second hardness value,
wherein said second hardness value is greater than said first
hardness value.
13. The article of footwear of claim 11, wherein at least one of
said adjustment means and said outsole is made of a foam
material.
14. The article of footwear of claim 11, wherein said outsole is
made of an abrasion resistant material.
15. An article of footwear comprising: an outsole including a
plurality of fixed lugs integrally formed on at least a portion of
a perimeter of a first side of said outsole, said outsole defining
a plurality of openings located at least partially within said
plurality of lugs; a plurality of adjustable lugs extending through
said openings, said adjustable lugs being movable between an
extended position and a retracted position; and a compressible
member positioned adjacent to said plurality of adjustable lugs on
a second, opposing side of said outsole, said plurality of
adjustable lugs being in said extended position when said
compressible member is not compressed, and said adjustable lugs
being in a retracted position when said compressible member is
compressed.
16. The article of footwear of claim 15, wherein said outsole is
made of an abrasion resistant material.
17. The article of footwear of claim 15, wherein said compressible
member is made of a material having a first hardness value and said
outsole is made of a material having a second hardness value,
wherein said second hardness value is greater than said first
hardness value.
18. The article of footwear of claim 15, wherein at least one of
said compressible member and said outsole is made of a foam
material.
19. The article of footwear of claim 15, wherein said fixed lugs
and said adjustable lugs are made of different materials.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] Running and walking generate stress on a person's body,
especially their feet, from the repeated impact of their feet with
the ground. Off-road running, where the ground's softer and more
forgiving than pavement, lessens the impact on the body. Trail
running is gaining popularity for this and other reasons.
[0002] Different terrains require different footwear traction. For
example, off-road runners often encounter loose gravel or mud.
Trail shoes are, for the most part, quite similar in construction
to road running shoes. However, off-road running shoes are made to
be more durable than road shoes to endure the roughness of the
terrain, i.e., rocks and uneven ground. Also, off-road running
shoes typically have cleats or cleat-like surfaces that project
downwardly from the bottom surface of the shoe to improve traction
between the shoe and the ground. The longer the cleats, the better
grip a shoe will have with the ground. Road shoes, on the other
hand, have shorter cleats or no cleats to improve surface contact
between the bottom of the shoe and the ground since road running is
done on hard surfaces such as roads, sidewalks and other paved
surfaces.
[0003] The structure and support of a shoe depends on the terrain
or surface that the shoe will be used on. For example, shoes that
are primarily used for running on trails will have different
traction than shoes used for running on harder surfaces such as
pavement. For this reason, runners that run on both off-road and
on-road surfaces typically have at least one pair of shoes for road
running and at least one other pair of shoes for off-road running.
Having multiple pairs of shoes is expensive. Also if a runner plans
to run on a coarse having both on-road and off-road surfaces, the
runner must decide which of their pairs of shoes will work best for
both surfaces, often sacrificing traction on one of the
surfaces.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0004] The present footwear includes a midsole that adjusts
traction to different terrains. By providing self-adjusting
traction, the same footwear can be used on different terrains
without sacrificing support or traction.
[0005] Specifically, the present footwear includes an outsole
having a plurality of first traction members extending from the
outsole and defining a plurality of openings. A plurality of second
traction members extend through the openings in the outsole and are
configured to move between an extended position, where the second
traction members are fully extended in the openings, and a
retracted position, where the second traction members are at least
partially retracted within the openings. A compressible member is
positioned adjacent to the plurality of second traction members and
is configured to compress when the second traction members move to
the retracted position.
[0006] In another embodiment, the present footwear includes an
outsole including traction components located on a perimeter of the
outsole for providing traction on an underlying surface, and a
plurality of openings on a central portion of the outsole. A
plurality of adjustable lugs extend through and are movable within
the openings. An adjustment member is operatively connected to the
adjustable lugs for extending or retracting the lugs based on the
hardness of the underlying surface.
[0007] In a further embodiment, the present footwear includes an
outsole including a plurality of fixed lugs integrally formed on at
least a portion of a perimeter of a first side of the outsole where
the outsole defines a plurality of openings located at least
partially within the plurality of lugs. A plurality of adjustable
lugs extend through the openings where the adjustable lugs are
movable between an extended position and a retracted position. A
compressible member is positioned adjacent to the plurality of
adjustable lugs on a second, opposing side of the outsole. The
plurality of adjustable lugs are in the extended position when the
compressible member is not compressed, and the adjustable lugs
being in a retracted position when the compressible member is
compressed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is a bottom perspective view of footwear including
the self-adjusting midsole.
[0009] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the
self-adjusting midsole and the outsole.
[0010] FIG. 3 is a top view of the outsole.
[0011] FIG. 4 is a cross-section view of the self-adjusting midsole
and the outsole taken substantially along the line 4-4 shown in
FIG. 1 where the adjustable lugs are in the extended position.
[0012] FIG. 5 shows the cross-section view of FIG. 4 where the
footwear is contacting a rough terrain and the adjustable lugs
retract and compress the compressible member.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] Referring now to FIGS. 1-3, an article of footwear including
a midsole that adjusts to the hardness or softness of different
terrains to provide better traction for users.
[0014] The article of footwear generally designated as reference
number 10, includes a midsole 11 that is removably attached to an
outsole 12 formed of a relatively durable material that is molded
to have a particular design or shape such as the shape shown in
FIG. 2. The outsole 12 includes a ground-contacting side or bottom
surface 14 having a plurality of relatively rigid, fixed traction
members or lugs 16 integrally formed with the bottom surface 14 of
the outsole and extending about at least a portion of the outer
perimeter 18 of the bottom surface. The bottom surface 14 of the
outsole also includes a tread pattern 20 for enhancing the traction
of the outsole. The tread pattern 20 may be any suitable tread
pattern or combination of tread patterns. The outsole 12 also
defines a plurality of openings or through holes 22 that are
described in more detail below. The upper or top surface 24 of the
outsole, which is opposite to the bottom surface 14, defines a
recess or recessed area 26 in the toe-portion or front portion of
the article of footwear.
[0015] The outsole 12 is preferably made of two components--a base
28 and an outer layer 30. The base 28 is preferably molded using a
foam material or foam-based material, such as ethylene vinyl
acetate (EVA), having a designated hardness that is determined
based on the use of the footwear. In an embodiment, the hardness or
hardness value of the base 28 is preferably 54 to 60 asker C but it
is contemplated that the base may have any suitable hardness value.
The ground-contacting portion of the base 28 is made of an abrasion
resistant material. In another embodiment, an abrasion resistant
material or coating is applied to the base 28. The outer layer 30
is preferably made of a solid rubber but can also be made with
blown rubber, a combination of EVA and rubber blended compounds,
rubber compounds or other suitable materials. The outer layer 30 is
attached to the base 28 by molding, adhesive or any other suitable
attachment method. The hardness of the outer layer 30 is 58 to 62
shore A but may be any suitable hardness value. It should be
appreciated that the base 28 and the outer layer 30 may also be
integrally formed to make the outsole 12.
[0016] An adjustment member 32 is positioned in the recess 26
defined by the upper surface 24 of the outsole 12 and includes a
plurality of adjustable traction members or adjustable lugs 34 that
are integrally formed with the adjustment member 32 and project
downwardly from a bottom surface 36 of the adjustment member. The
adjustable lugs 34 have a size, shape and pattern that allow the
lugs to be inserted through the openings 22 defined by the outsole
12. When the adjustment member 32 is positioned in the recessed
area or recess 26 of the outsole 12, the adjustable lugs 34 extend
through the through holes 22 and are adjacent to the fixed lugs 16
on the outsole 12 to form part of the ground contacting side or
bottom surface 14 of the outsole. As shown in FIG. 1, the
adjustable lugs 34 of the adjustment member 32 are positioned
within the fixed lugs 16 of the outsole 12 so that the fixed lugs
enclose at least a portion of the adjustable lugs. It should be
appreciated that the fixed lugs 16 and the adjustable lugs 34 may
be on any portion of the outsole 12.
[0017] The adjustment member 32 is preferably made of rubber but
also may be made with rubber compounds, a foam or foam-based
material such as EVA, or any other suitable material or combination
of materials. In an embodiment, the adjustment member 32 is made of
a material having a hardness of 58 to 62 shore A. Preferably, the
adjustment member 32 is made of a material having a hardness that
is greater than the hardness of the material forming the base 28 to
provide sufficient cushion and comfort to a user. As shown in FIGS.
3 and 4, the adjustable lugs 34 on the adjustment member 32 have a
size and shape that provides sufficient clearance between the
outside surface of each of the adjustable lugs and the inside
surface of the through holes 22 to allow the adjustable lugs to
move relative to the through holes.
[0018] An upper portion 38 of the adjustment member 32 has a
thickness that corresponds to the depth of the recessed area 26
defined in the upper surface 24 of the outsole 12 to allow the
upper surface 40 of the adjustment member 32 to be substantially
flush with the upper surface 24 of the outsole 12 after the
adjustment member 32 is positioned in the recessed area. This
minimizes any bumps or unevenness on the upper surface of the
midsole 10 that might cause discomfort to a user's foot while
wearing the footwear.
[0019] A compressible member 42 is placed on the upper surfaces 24
and 40 of the outsole 12 and adjustment member 32. The compressible
member 42 is preferably made of a resilient, foam or foam-based
material such as EVA that is designed to absorb impact during use
of the footwear. The compressible member 42 is manufactured to have
a designated hardness to absorb such impact while also providing
comfort to a user. The hardness of the compressible member 42 is
less than the hardness of the outsole 12 to enhance the comfort of
a user. In an embodiment, the compressible member 42 has a hardness
of 48 to 52 asker C but may have any suitable hardness value. Also,
the size and shape of the compressible member 42 preferably
corresponds to the size and shape of the upper surface 24 of the
outsole 12. During use of the footwear, the compressible member 42
compresses when one or more of the adjustable lugs 34 impact a hard
surface thereby allowing the adjustable lugs 34 to at least
partially retract within the openings 22. On softer surfaces, the
resilient, compressible member 42 expands and causes the adjustable
lugs 34 to move to an extended position thereby providing traction
on those surfaces.
[0020] Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, the adjustable lugs 34 on
the adjustment member 32 extend through the through holes 22
defined by the outsole 12 so that the bottom surfaces of the
adjustable lugs 34 are generally parallel or in the same plane as
the bottom surfaces of the fixed lugs 16 on the outsole 12. As
shown in FIG. 4, the compressible member 42 is seated on the
adjustment member 32 to absorb contact from the adjustment member
when the adjustable lugs 34 contact relatively hard surfaces.
[0021] When a user walks or runs on generally soft terrain, such as
a dirt trail, a gravel trail or grass, the adjustable lugs 34
generally remain fully extended in an extended position shown in
FIG. 4. When the ground contacting surface 18 of the outsole 12
contacts a relatively hard surface, e.g., pavement, or rough
terrain (e.g., rocky, uneven ground) as shown in FIG. 5, the
adjustable lugs 34 move to a retracted position (i.e., move at
least partially within the through holes and away from the extended
position). As the adjustable lugs 34 move upwardly within the
through holes 22, the upper surface 40 of the adjustment member 32
pushes upwardly against the compressible member 42 to compress the
compressible member as shown in FIG. 5. The compressible member 42
serves as a shock absorber and provides resistance to the
adjustment member 32 so that the adjustable lugs 34 only retract as
needed based on the terrain.
[0022] When a user returns to relatively soft terrain such as a
trail or grass, the compressible member 42 expands and pushes
against the upper surface 40 of the adjustment member 32 to cause
the adjustable lugs 34 to move outwardly through the through holes
22. The self-adjusting, adjustable lugs 34 of the adjustment member
32 thereby allow the footwear to adjust to different terrains, such
as soft or hard surfaces, or rocky and uneven terrains. This
enables the footwear to provide maximum traction for a runner or
walker in any terrain to enhance the user's performance as well as
their safety so that they avoid injury due to a slip or fall.
[0023] Although the midsole 11 is shown being used with walking or
running footwear, it should be appreciated that the midsole may be
used with any type of footwear including, but not limited to,
shoes, sandals, slippers and boots.
[0024] While a particular embodiment of the present footwear has
been described herein, it will be appreciated by those skilled in
the art that changes and modifications may be made thereto without
departing from the invention in its broader aspects.
* * * * *