Footwear with Bridged Decoupling
AssigneeFox Racing, Inc.
InventorJon Munns
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sole unit for a shoe having at least one decoupling track between regions of sole unit allowing for the decoupling of the regions in response to forces from foot-ground contact; a plurality of bridge elements connecting opposite sides of the track so that when forces from foot-ground contact are alleviated, there is a recouping of the decoupled regions. The bridge elements may extend from a tendon element disposed on one side of a decoupling track to the other side of the track.
Claims31
A sole unit for a shoe comprising:
- a sole unit having at least one decoupling trade between regions of sole unit allowing for the decoupling of the regions in response to forces from foot-ground contact;
- a plurality of bridge elements connecting opposite sides of the track so that when forces from foot-ground contact are alleviated, there is a recoupling of the decoupled regions.
A sole unit comprising:
- at least one decoupling groove provided in the sole unit;
- and
- at least one tendon having a plurality of extending bridge elements elastically connecting opposite sides of the decoupling groove.
A method of making a sole unit for a shoe comprising:
- providing a sole unit and configuring the sole unit with at least one decoupling track between regions of sole unit allowing for the decoupling of the regions in response to forces from foot-ground contact and configuring the sole unit to have a plurality of bridge elements connecting opposite sides of the track so that when forces from foot-ground contact are alleviated, there is a recoupling of the decoupled regions.
A shoe comprising:
- a sole unit attached to an upper, the sole unit having at least one decoupling track between regions of sole unit allowing for the decoupling of the regions in response to forces from foot-ground contact;
- and
- a plurality of bridge elements connecting opposite sides of the tack so that when forces from foot-ground contact are alleviated, there is a recoupling of the decoupled regions.
A sole unit for a shoe, comprising
- a sole unit having a decoupling track between regions of sole unit allowing for the decoupling of the regions in response to forces from foot-ground contact;
- and
- a tendon for control of forces along at least a section of the decoupling track.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.