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US 5,619,809 AGranted
Shoe sole with air circulation system
OwnerRaymond Sessainventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A footwear sole assembly for providing air circulation around the foot and also providing improved resilient cushioning. The assembly includes an outsole and an insert suspended above the outsole in trampoline-like fashion to define an air chamber therebetween. As the wearer strides, the insert moves toward the outsole compressing the air contained in the air chamber and causing that air to flow onto the foot through the apertures in the insert. Preferably, the outsole defines a plurality of upwardly opening pockets; and the insert includes a plurality of downwardly extending pins aligned with the pockets. The flexing action of the insert also drives the pins down into the pockets where they are deformed to absorb the impact of the stride.
Claims23
An article of footwear comprising:
- an upper;
- an outsole defining a plurality of upwardly opening pockets each having a circumferential wall;
- an insert above said outsole and deeming an air chamber therebetween, said insert including a plurality of pins each extending toward one of said pockets, each of said pins having a circumferential wall dimensioned to engage the associated pocket wall, said insert defining a plurality of apertures which allow air to flow into and out of said air chamber;
- and
- support means for flexibly suspending said insert above said outsole, said support means disposed above said insert and including a periphery, said support means affixed around said periphery to said upper, said support means being sufficiently flexible to allow said insert to move toward said outsole when a load is applied to said insert, whereby said pins engage said pockets to provide cushioning, and further whereby air is expelled from said air chamber through said insert apertures.
2 more elements
A footwear sole assembly comprising:
- an outsole defining an upwardly opening recess and a plurality of upwardly opening pockets disposed within said recess, each of said pockets having a depth;
- an elastic membrane extending above said outsole, said membrane having an undersurface;
- and
- an insert secured to said undersurface of said membrane and fitted within said recess, said insert including a plurality of downwardly depending pins, each of said pins being aligned and uniquely associated with one of said pockets, each of said pins having a length greater than the depth of the associated pocket, said elastic membrane being sufficiently flexible to allow said insert to increasingly move toward said outsole when a load is applied to said sole assembly such that said pins engage and are increasingly deformed within said pockets.
1 more element
A sole assembly comprising:
- an outsole including a peripheral wall having an upper surface and defining an upwardly opening recess and a plurality of upwardly opening pockets;
- an elastic membrane secured around its periphery to said upper surface of said peripheral wall, said membrane having an undersurface;
- and
- an insert secured to and suspended beneath said undersurface of said membrane within said recess, said insert including a plurality of apertures and being spaced apart from said outsole to define an air chamber therebetween, said insert including a plurality of downwardly depending pins, each of said pins being aligned and uniquely associated with one of said pockets, said elastic membrane being sufficiently flexible to allow said insert to move toward said outsole when a load is applied to said sole assembly such that air trapped within said air chamber is expelled through said apertures.
1 more element
An article of footwear comprising:
- an outsole defining a plurality of upwardly opening pockets;
- an upper secured to said outsole;
- an insert above said outsole and defining an air chamber therebetween, said insert defining a plurality of apertures which allow air to flow into and out of said air chamber, said insert including a plurality of downwardly depending pins, each of said pins being aligned and uniquely associated with one of said pockets;
- and
- support means for flexibly suspending said insert above said outsole, said support means having an undersurface and being affixed to said upper, said insert secured to said undersurface, said support means being sufficiently flexible to allow said insert to move toward said outsole when a load is applied to said insert, whereby air is expelled from said air chamber through said insert apertures to circulate air around a wearer's foot.
2 more elements
An article of footwear comprising:
- an outsole defining a plurality of upwardly opening pockets each having a depth and a circumferential wall;
- an upper secured to said outsole;
- an insert above said outsole and including a plurality of resiliently flexible pins each aligned with one of said pockets, each of said pins having a length greater than said depth of the associated pocket, each of said pins including a circumferential wall;
- and
- support means for flexibly suspending said insert above said outsole, said support means having an undersurface and being connected to said upper, said insert secured to said undersurface, said support means being sufficiently flexible to allow said insert to move toward said outsole when a load is applied to said insert, whereby said pins extend into said pockets and flex outwardly into engagement with said pocket peripheral walls to provide shock absorption.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.