U.S. patent application number 14/310303 was filed with the patent office on 2014-12-25 for noise reducing footwear.
The applicant listed for this patent is Joseph Robert Cullen. Invention is credited to Joseph Robert Cullen.
Application Number | 20140373392 14/310303 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 52109757 |
Filed Date | 2014-12-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140373392 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Cullen; Joseph Robert |
December 25, 2014 |
NOISE REDUCING FOOTWEAR
Abstract
The present invention is drawn generally to footwear, and more
specifically, to footwear having reduced noise and impact
characteristics. According to the invention noise generated by the
impact of the footfall when in contact with hard floors is reduced
by an outer sole with certain hardness and a sound reducing insole
which comprising a material of high indentation forced deflection
(IFD) weight having a minimum thickness of 1/4 to a maximum 3/4
inch, and an optimal thickness of about 1/2 inch. Also, the
footwear comprises an upper portion attached to the outer sole to
provide comfort and foot protection.
Inventors: |
Cullen; Joseph Robert; (New
York, NY) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Cullen; Joseph Robert |
New York |
NY |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
52109757 |
Appl. No.: |
14/310303 |
Filed: |
June 20, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61838848 |
Jun 24, 2013 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
36/103 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B 1/00 20130101; A43B
3/00 20130101; A43B 23/042 20130101; A43B 3/30 20130101; A43B
3/0078 20130101; A43B 13/04 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
36/103 |
International
Class: |
A43B 23/24 20060101
A43B023/24; A43B 23/02 20060101 A43B023/02; A43B 13/04 20060101
A43B013/04 |
Claims
1. Footwear for reducing noise of as footfall, comprising: (a) an
having an outer sole and walls extending essentially
perpendicularly therefrom, defining an inner surface, said outer
sole having a predetermined hardness; (b) an upper portion attached
to said outer sole; (c) a sound reducing insole disposed within
said outer sole, the sound reducing insole comprising a material
having high indentation forced deflection (IFD) weight; (d) said
sound reducing insole having a thickness in a range between 1/4 to
3/4 inch.
2. The footwear according to claim 1, said outer sole further
comprises a shore `A` rubber outsole.
3. The footwear according to claim 1, said outsole including vent
throughholes well distributed all around its outside surfaces.
4. The footwear according to claim 1, said outer sole having
protrusions disposed on the outside surface thereof, said
protrusions being separated from each other by a gap of
predetermined dimension.
5. The footwear according to claim 1, said upper portion being of
flexible material attached to said outsole.
6. The footwear according to claim 5, said upper portion comprising
a lower end opening attached to an upper edge of said outer
sole.
7. The footwear according to clam 5, said upper portion comprising
a lower end enclosing a sock cavity and being attached to said
inner surface of said outer sole.
8. The footwear according to claim 7, said insole being disposed
within said upper portion.
9. The footwear according to claim 1, said material being of high
density foam exceeding 6 lbs.
10. The footwear according to claim 9, said material being at a
minimum density of 6 pounds per cubic foot.
11. The footwear according to claim 1, said material being with a
minimum IFD weight of 68 lbs.
12. The footwear according to claim 1, said material having a
thickness of approximately 1/2 inch.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The disclosed invention claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C.
.sctn.119 (e)(1) of provisional application Ser. No. 61/838,848,
filed on Jun. 24, 2013, the entire specification of which is
incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention is drawn generally to footwear, and
more specifically, to footwear having reduced noise and impact
characteristics when walking on hard floors.
[0004] 2. Background Art
[0005] Noise reducing footwear has been proposed for some time and
especially for use to reduce noise outdoors. There are several
kinds of noise reduction footwear used for outdoorsmen. The general
idea is to use sound absorbing materials as a bottom sole of the
footwear, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,418 and U.S. Pat. No.
5,1686,43. However, no such footwear has been proposed for use in
an indoor casual or recreational environment having this function.
The noise reducing footwear used for outdoor mostly focuses to
reduce noise caused by walking over ground objects such as leaves
and twigs, and not on the noise generated by the impact of the
footfall when in contact with indoor, especially hardwood
floors.
[0006] Also known are footwear intended for use in a casual or
recreational environment, such as slipper socks described in U.S.
Pat. No. 5,617,585, which discloses a combination of sock and a
rubber sole, for providing comfort and foot protection, but not
addressing the problem of noise reduction. In addition, U.S. Pat.
No. 5,101,579 discloses a "Sound deadening ballet shoe" using foam
pad to absorbs impact when the padded front end or padded bottom
beneath the front of the shank of the ballet shoe are banged
against the floor to reduce noise normally generated. But this
ballet shoe is intended to be used in a specific environment,
during ballet dancing. The main focus is on the transitory impact
generated by the front of the ballet shoe, not the bottom of the
shoe as a whole as would be found in a normal indoor
environment.
[0007] Materials used for impact force reduction and incidental
sound absorbing, U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,418 disclosed a bottom sole
section comprising a synthetic fur material for absorbing sound and
reducing walking related noise. U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,643 generally
describes and illustrates sound absorbing members filled with a
highly porous material, such as a felted mineral fiber or an open
cell polymer having a high sound absorption coefficient to dampen
out sound waves caused by the contact of the shoe with ground
objects. These materials are disclosed as being used at the bottom
of the footwear, underneath the outer sole, and not as an
insole.
[0008] Another disclosure in U.S. Pat. No. 5,101,579, teaches
"[p]referably, the material used for the pad is ethyl vinyl
acetate. This is a fine cell, irradiation cross-linked, polyolefin,
foam material", and "[t]he pad is a quite thin layer, on the order
of 1/32 of an inch thick". The thickness requirement in this
disclosure is limited by the special use of the material for use in
a ballet shoe. None of above disclosures require the materials to
be of high volumetric mass density and of high indentation forced
deflection (IFD) weight or having a thickness of sufficient
magnitude to enable it to absorb impacts and sound during walking
indoors.
[0009] Presently known foam insoles are not made with quality made
open cell IFD firmness and density and can be considered to be
little more than plain sponge material. Most other high quality
"memory foam" insoles are not made with impact noise reduction in
mind but are made to promote good health and comfort for the feet.
Those insoles are much thinner and may incorporate a hard arch for
the instep but these products are designed for adult use
anyway.
[0010] In addition, there is a review article, entitled "The Use of
Viscoelastic Materials in Shoes and Insoles," which discloses in
theory using viscoelastic materials in shoes and insoles for shock
absorption and discloses that "[v]ery compliant foams tend to
`bottom out` at moderate loads, unless a considerable thickness is
used, which is seldom practical". The focus of this article is
using viscoelastic materials to reduce transient impact forces
generated by the heelstrike for clinical treatment, not to reduce
the noise generated by the impact of the footfall when in contact
with the indoor floor. Theoretically, energy which transform to
noise would also be considered as reducing energy, but this is not
fully disclosed.
[0011] A continuing need exists for footwear having reduced noise
and impact characteristics which can be used both in casual or
recreational environment and outdoors, but more especially for
children who would normally generate much more noise indoors than
adults.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] The present invention is drawn generally to footwear, and
more specifically, to footwear having reduced noise and impact
characteristics for wearing on a hard floor, for example, tile,
wood, or other hard material. Noise generated by impact of the foot
falling, striking or impacting onto a hard floor is reduced by an
outsole with predetermined hardness and a sound reducing insole
which ideally comprises a material having high indentation forced
deflection (IFD) weight and a high volumetric mass density, with a
minimum thickness of 1/4 inch (6.3 mm), and in a range of between
1/4 to 3/4 inch (6.3 mm-19.1 mm). Footwear upper portion is
attached to the outsole to provide comfort and foot protection.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] The present invention will now be discussed in further
detail below with reference to the accompanying figures in
which:
[0014] FIG. 1 illustrates in a partially cutaway view, a first
embodiment of the present invention in the form of a shoe sock;
[0015] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;
[0016] FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view the embodiment of FIG.
1;
[0017] FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;
[0018] FIG. 5 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the outsole of
the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 6 illustrates a second embodiment of the present
invention with a sandal like upper portion;
[0020] FIG. 7 illustrates a partially cutaway view of yet another
embodiment of the present invention having a shoe like appearance,
and
[0021] FIG. 8 is a diagram of the test results showing how
different sound characteristics are generated by samples on a hard
floor having different combinations of outsole and insole, and the
improved sound reduction of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0022] Referring now to the drawings, it should be appreciated that
like numerals refer to like parts and to corresponding parts
throughout the several views and parts having similar functions
have similar numbers, but having the prefix of a different hundred
series. A first embodiment of the present invention sock shoe 10 is
shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, which comprises an outsole 30, an insert 60
and a shoe upper 90. Generally, shoe upper 90 is attached to the
outsole 30, and insert 60 is placed within outsole 30 and retained
within the outsole 30 by the upper 90.
[0023] Outsole 30 may be made with materials traditional
thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) as well as "green" polyethylene
rubbers which are made from any natural resource that can be
processed using biopolymer chemical engineering. Ideally, these
have a pre-specified hardness, outsole 30 being hard enough to give
protection to the foot and simultaneously to withstand normal wear
and at the same time reducing the noise generated by footsteps.
Preferably, outsole 30 may comprise a Shore `A` anti-slip Thermo
Plastic Rubber material outsole, preferably with vent throughholes
53 well distributed all around it to circulate air. The preferred
method of making the material is by cast molding or alternately by
injection molding.
[0024] The shape of outsole 30 may be a flat shape, or the outline
may include rounded shape edges without a sharply defined heel, so
as to avoid the additional impact noise generated by the heel
portion, as would a normal shoe striking a hard surface. In
addition, rounded edges 42 in both outsole front portion 40 and
outsole back portion 44 provide a more impact friendly shape to
increase the contact surface when these two portions of the
footwear come into contact with floor, thus contributing to
reducing the impact noise, and also giving comfort to the wearer
while walking. To make the sock shoe 10 more attractive for
children to wear, outsole 30 may be made with knobs 52 disposed on
outsole surface 38. Preferably, knobs 52 can be disposed on the
outer surface of the outsole 30 to provide an aesthetic appearance
and may look like, for example, chunks or bricks of chocolate
fudge, or any other appropriate ornamental design such as would be
attractive to a young child.
[0025] The insole 30 made for the indoor play slipper according to
the present invention is purposely made thicker than most inserts
to take advantage of the sound absorbing properties of this
material. Higher side walls of the outsole 30 keep the wearer's
foot and instep secure and in place and without slippage relative
to the shoe. Of course, quality foam will provide the wearer with
support and comfort to walk or run in.
[0026] Insert 60 ideally comprises a material having high
indentation forced deflection (IFD) weight. Such particular
materials are usually very dense and have a very high impact
absorption rating to reduce impact sound transmission. As shown in
FIG. 8, the sound pressure L dBA (SPL), generated from an average
indoor play slipper using a weighted machine (identified by ID Nos.
120-128) provides a sound level that is equal to city traffic at
between 71.8 to 72.9 dBA, while inserts using the material
(identified by ID Nos. 220-226) produce sound pressure values of
between 59.0 to 63.1 dBA, which sound levels are in the range of a
normal conversation between two subjects at one meter (three feet)
apart.
[0027] The insole 60 preferably is in a thickness range from a
minimum of 1/4 to a maximum of 3/4 inch. Preferably, the material
may be an open-cell viscoelastic foam having 6 PCF (pounds per
cubic foot) with an IFD weight of 68 lbs., a high density weight of
6 pounds or higher, and should have a depth dimension in a range of
between 1/4 inch to 3/4 inch (6.3 mm to 19.1 mm), and optimally of
can be about 1/2 inch (12.7 mm) thick. The combination of density
and high indentation forced deflection weight ideally should
provide a high impact sound absorption capability and be capable of
significantly reducing the impact noise, ideally by as much as
20-30 decibels of sound power magnification. It has been determined
that an insert 60 using the specified material and dimensions
resulted in a reduction of impact noise by about 8.7 to 13.9
decibels compared to other known comparable indoor children's
footwear (see FIG. 8).
[0028] To provide comfort to the wearer and protection from
excessive wear of, and accumulation of dirt on, insert 60, the
first embodiment of footwear 10 may further comprise one or more
insert protective layers, such as insert upper protective layer 62
and insert lower protective layer 66. These protective layers 62,
66 cover and are attached by an appropriate method, such as gluing,
stapling etc., and disposed on the upper and lower side of insert
60. Alternatively, if desired to have a protective layer all around
the insert 60, it may be applied on all surfaces thereof, as is
shown in FIG. 3. The two protective layers 62, 66 preferably
comprise an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) foam, which is a
more durable material than that of the viscoelastic insert 60.
Since EVA foam is a closed cell material the two protective 62, 66
layers may preferably include throughholes 64 for providing air
circulation to keep the feet cool.
[0029] Shoe upper 90 may be an upper portion, such as an open sock,
attached to an outsole edge 56 defined about the perimeter of the
outsole 30. It can be made attached to outsole edge 56 of outsole
60 by overmolding, sewing, gluing or by any other ways that would
be appropriate to connect the sock portion to the outsole edge.
Shoe upper 90 may also comprise sock top 94 gathering shoe upper 90
against the ankle or leg of the wearer, thereby preventing drafts
from entering sock shoe 10. Upper 90 may be made of cotton or a
mixed fabric sock material or from neoprene.
[0030] To make the sock shoe 10 more attractive for children to
wear, shoe upper 90 may further comprise design patterns 98 on the
outside surface, which design may take the form of logos, patterns,
cartoon characters, etc. In this case, insert 60 may be inserted
into the cavity defined by the sock portion upper 90 and outsole 60
having an inner surface 38 to enable it to be easily inserted and
removed from the cavity within sock shoe 10 through sock top
94.
[0031] Shoe upper 90 also may take the form of a complete sock,
that is, a sock having a bottom as well as the tube portion ending
in sock top 94, attached to outsole inner surface 32. It may be
made attached to the inside surface of outsole 30 within the
boundary 58, by overmolding, sewing, gluing or any appropriate
method for connecting the two objects, preferably as close to edge
56 as possible. Shoe upper 90 may also comprise sock top 94
gathering upper 90 against the ankle or leg of the wearer, thereby
preventing drafts from entering sock shoe 10. To make the sock shoe
10 more attractive for children to wear, shoe upper 90 may further
comprise design patterns 98 on the outside surface of it. In this
case, preferably, insert 60 may be housed inside shoe upper 90 and
be removable from the cavity through sock top 94.
[0032] Thus, to make said sock shoe 10, first, outsole 30 is made
with materials of certain hardness, preferably, Shore `A` anti-slip
Thermo Plastic Rubber, by calendaring molding, extrusion molding,
compression molding, or any other ways that would be appropriate to
make and shape said materials of outsole 30. For upper portion type
shoe upper 90 described above, outsole 30 should be made with
outsole edge 56 at the top edge of it. Then shoe upper 90,
preferably with sock top 94 gathering shoe upper 90 against the
ankle or leg of the wearer, is made attached to outsole edge 56 by
overmolding, sewing, gluing or any other ways that would be proper
to connect the two objects.
[0033] Aforementioned insert 60, preferably with insert upper
protective layer 62 and insert lower protective layer 66 covering
and being attached, e.g., glued, respectively on the upper and
lower side thereof, is inserted onto outsole inner surface 38 and
is easily removed from cavity defined by the elements of sock shoe
10 through sock top 94. For a complete sock type shoe upper 90
described above, preferably with sock top 94 gathering upper 90
against the ankle or leg of the wearer, shoe upper 90 is made
attached to the inside surface of outsole 30 within the overmolded
boundary 58, by overmolding, sewing, gluing or any other ways that
would be proper to connect the two objects. Then aforementioned
insert 60, preferably with insert upper protective layer 62 and
insert lower protective layer 66 covering and being attached, e.g.,
glued, respectively on the upper and lower side of it, is housed
inside shoe upper 90 and able to be removed from it through sock
top 94.
[0034] Aforesaid sock shoe 10 can be used both in casual or
recreational environment and outdoors, especially for children, who
would be expected to generate much more noise indoor than adults.
When the footfall is in contact with the floor, most of the energy
of the impact generated by it would be absorbed by said insert 60,
and at same time, enough protection and comfort would be given to
the wearer's foot by said outsole 30 and shoe upper 90. Additional
sound reduction capability is introduced by the shape of the
outsole 30.
[0035] Referring now to FIG. 6, wherein a second inventive
embodiment sandal 110 is shown and generally comprises an outsole
130, an insert 160, and an upper portion 190. Outsole 130 may be
made with materials of certain hardness which are hard enough to
give protection to the foot at the same time reducing the noise
generated by the footsteps as explained above. Preferably, outsole
130 may be a shore `A` anti-slip Thermo Plastic Rubber outsole,
with ridges 134 on its lower surface to provide additional
anti-slip capability. Sandal 110 may further comprise cushion 136
attached to the upper surface of outsole 130, with flexible layer
132 placed therebetween. Cushion 136 may comprise a relatively
thinner cushion forward 138 and a relatively thicker cushion rear
140, to provide a somewhat raised heel, but the heel should not be
raised so much as to create so much of a slope that the heel impact
on the floor would be strike at an obtuse angle.
[0036] Insert 160 may comprises a material of high indentation
forced deflection (IFD) weight which is in a thickness range from a
minimum of 1/4 to a maximum of 3/4 inch. Preferably, the material
may be an open-cell viscoelastic foam of 6 PCF (pounds per cubic)
or higher with an IFD weight of 68 lbs, and have a depth dimension
of 1/2 inch in thickness. To provide comfort to the wearer and
protection to insert 160, sandal 110 may be regarded as being
further comprising insert upper protective layer 164 being
attached, e.g., glued, to the upper side of insert 160. Insert
upper protective layer 164 may be made of ethylene-vinyl acetate
copolymer (EVA) foam, and further may comprise throughholes 166 for
air circulation to keep the feet cool. Preferably, the front part
of insert 160 may be relatively thicker and the back part of insert
160 may be relatively thinner to fit with cushion 130. Insert 160
may also comprise a perforate hole 162 in the front portion of it
for purposes of insertion of the end of the upper portion 190.
[0037] Upper portion 190 may comprises of a thong 192 and one or
more cross-straps 194, as in known sandal constructions. Thong 192
should be attached to cushion forward 138 through a perforate hole
162, as shown. Cross-strap 194 may be attached to cushion rear 140
by cross-strap attachment 196 to the edges of the cushion rear 140
by adhesive, melt bonding or other appropriate means.
[0038] Sandal 110 can be used both in casual or recreational
environment and outdoors, especially in environment with high
temperature and for children, maybe worn indoors, as they would be
expected to generate much more noise indoor than adults. When the
footfall is in contact with the floor, most of the energy of the
impact generated by it would be absorbed by insert 160 and cushion
136, but the wearer would be comfortable as a result of the air
circulation provided to the wearer's foot by outsole 130 and upper
portion 190.
[0039] In yet another embodiment, a standard type shoe 210 is shown
in FIG. 7, which may comprise an outsole 230, an insert 260, and an
upper portion 290. Outsole 230 and shoe upper 290 may be similar
with the same portions of a normal shoe. Outsole 230 may further
comprise outsole pattern ridges 252 on the bottom thereof for
providing anti-slip characteristics. Insert 260 may comprises a
material of high indentation forced deflection (IFD) weight which
is in a thickness range from a minimum of 1/4 to a maximum of 3/4
inch. Preferably, the material may be an open-cell viscoelastic
foam of 6 P/CF (pounds per cubic foot) with an IFD weight of 68
lbs., at 1/2 inch in thickness. To provide comfort to the wearer
and protection to insert 260, shoe 210 may further comprise insert
upper protective layer 262 and insert lower protective layer 266
being attached (e.g. glued) respectively to the upper side and
lower side of insert 260. The Insert protective layers may be made
of ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) foam, and further
comprises throughholes 264 for air circulation to keep the feet
cool.
[0040] Aforesaid shoe 210 can be used both in casual or
recreational environment and outdoors. When the footfall is in
contact with the floor, most of the energy of the impact generated
by it would be absorbed by insert 260, and at same time, enough
protection and comfort would be given to the wearer's foot by said
outsole 230 and shoe upper 290 to enable long periods of wear.
[0041] Referring now to FIG. 8, a graph illustration of the sound
reducing capability of the present inventive is graphically
illustrated. The testing producing the graphed results was
performed under controlled conditions, with each type of shoe
tested being done as carefully identical as possible. The shoes
tested were those not using the inventive materials of
predetermined dimensions, as described above, and then those which
did use the materials as described. The bar graphs are indicative
of decibel level tested when walking along a hard floor, with each
bar graph reflecting eh average A-weighted sound power. The types
of shoes tested included: a skidder shoe bar graph 120, normal
slipper sock bar graph 122, rubber outsole alone bar graph 124,
basketball booty bar graph 126, rubber outsole with gel insole bar
graph 128, and combinations of preferred rubber outsoles and
preferred inserts bar graph 220 to 226, which had the inventive
materials as described above in various combinations. Bar graphs
220-226 shoe the test results of shoe sock 10 (first embodiment),
each having varying thicknesses of the insole 60. It is considered
that similar results would arise when testing the other
embodiments.
[0042] As shown in FIG. 8, the sound pressure L dBA (SPL),
generated from an average indoor play slipper using a weighted
machine (ID No. 120-128) provides a sound decibel level that is
about equal to city traffic at between 71.8 to 72.9 dBA, while
inserts using the insole having the specified materials (identified
by ID Nos. 220-226) produce sound pressure value of between 59.0 to
63.1 dBA. This is significant reduction of the noise level, and
reflect sound levels in the range of a normal conversation between
two subjects at one meter (three feet) apart.
[0043] The invention herein has been described and illustrated with
reference to the embodiments of FIGS. 1-8, but it should be
understood that the features and operation of the invention as
described is susceptible to modification or alteration without
departing significantly from the spirit of the invention as
disclosed above. For example, the dimensions, size and shape of the
various elements may be altered to fit specific applications and
needs. The shape of other types of shoes, or boots, may reflect the
style or fashion, but the elements are essentially identical in
material and spacing. Accordingly, the specific embodiments
illustrated and described herein are for illustrative purposes only
and the invention is not limited except by the following
claims.
* * * * *