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US 5,343,639 AGranted
Shoe with an improved midsole
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsBruce J. Kilgore, Thomas McMahon, John C. Tawney, Gordon Valiant
Life of this patent
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AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsBruce J. Kilgore, Thomas McMahon, John C. Tawney, Gordon Valiant
Estimating the term…
The invention is directed to a midsole for a shoe including one or more foam columns disposed between an upper and a lower plate. One or more elastomeric foam elements are disposed between the upper and lower plates. The foam elements are made of a material such as microcellular polyurethane-elastomer based on a polyester-alcohol and naphthalene-disocyanate (NDI). In one embodiment, the foam elements have the shape of hollow cylindrical columns, and may include grooves formed on the exterior surface. One or more elastic rings are disposed about the columns and are removably disposable in the grooves, allowing the stiffness of the columns to be adjusted. In a further embodiment, inflatable gas bladders are disposed in the hollow regions. The heights of the gas bladders may be less than the heights of the columns such that when the midsole is compressed, the wearer experiences a first stiffness corresponding to compression of the columns alone, and a second stiffness corresponding to compression of both the columns and the bladders. Alternatively, the bladders may be inflated so as to cause the columns to be stretched, even when no load is applied. Since the level of inflation of the bladders may be adjusted, the overall stiffness of the midsole may be tuned to the individual requirements of the wearer.
A shoe having an upper and a sole connected to the upper, said sole including a substantially open space and means for cushioning disposed within said open space, said cushioning means comprising at least one two-stage cushioning element having a first compressible element having a first uncompressed height and a second compressible element having a second uncompressed height which is less than said first uncompressed height, one of said compressible elements comprising a resilient support element and the other of said compressible elements comprising a fluid-filled bladder, one of said compressible elements disposed within the other of said compressible elements, said first compressible element compressible to a height which is less than said second uncompressed height, said first compressible element compressible jointly with said second compressible element when said first compressible element is compressed below said second uncompressed height, wherein, said open space is maintained substantially about said cushioning means.
A shoe having an upper and a sole connected to the upper, said sole including a midsole, said midsole comprising two substantially hollow support elements having an outer surface, said elements comprising a resilient material and discrete from each other, an insert disposed within each of said elements and having a height which is less than the height of said element, said inserts comprising a fluid-filled bladder, at least one of said support elements having at least one annular groove disposed in the outer surface, and at least one elastic ring element disposed about said at least one support element and movable in the vertical direction so as to be removably disposable in said at least one groove, the stiffness of said at least one support element adjustable by selectively positioning said ring element into or out of said groove.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.