Footwear including heel spring support members
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsJoshua P. Heard, Robert M. Bruce
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A shoe includes spring type support members, optionally for at least a heel area of a foot. The support member includes a primary biasing element in the form of a V-shaped spring assembly and a secondary biasing element provided at least partially within a volume defined by the primary biasing element (e.g., between its base member and its flexing member, beneath the flexing member, etc.). When the primary biasing element compresses beyond a predetermined extent, it will compress the secondary biasing element. This construction allows the degree of ground reaction force attenuation and energy absorption properties of a shoe to be dually controlled to meet the specific demands of the activity for which the footwear is intended to be used.
Claims25
An article of footwear, comprising:
- an upper;
- and
- a sole structure engaged with the upper, wherein the sole structure includes a support member for at least a heel area of the sole structure, wherein the support member includes:
- a primary biasing element including a V-shaped spring assembly having a base member and a flexing member;
- and
- a secondary biasing element located at least partially beneath the flexing member of the primary biasing element, wherein when the flexing member moves toward the base member beyond a predetermined extent, the flexing member engages and bends the secondary biasing element.
A foot support member, comprising:
- a primary biasing element including a V-shaped spring assembly having a base member and a flexing member;
- and
- a secondary biasing element engaged with one of the base member or the flexing member and located at least partially beneath the flexing member, wherein when the flexing member moves with respect to the base member beyond a predetermined extent under an applied load, motion of the flexing member bends the secondary biasing element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.