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US 5,822,886 AGranted
Midsole for shoe
Assigneeadidas International B.V.
InventorsSimon Luthi, Xavier Kalin, Wolfgang Scholz, Edgar Stussi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An integrally molded midsole for an athletic shoe having tubular suspension members disclosed. The tubular suspension members behave as springs and have spring constants which may be designed for a particular application by choice of the tube length, the tube wall thickness or the hardness of the tube material. Preferably, the midsole is made of an elastomer such as HYTREL that is cast in a preformed shape and thereafter subjected to substantial compressive forces so that the tubular springs take a compression set and thereafter perform as near-ideal springs.
Claims39
A midsole for an athletic shoe comprising:
- (a) a heel section including a at least one transversely arranged heel tube;
- (b) a forefoot section including at least one transversely arranged forefoot tube having a slit-shaped aperture extending a length of the tube at its bottom;
- (c) a top layer extending over the heel and forefoot sections and a midfoot section of the midsole;
- and
- (d) a bottom layer extending under the heel tubes, forefoot tubes and the midfoot section and being discontinuous at, at least one slit-shaped aperture.
2 more elements
A midsole for an athletic shoe comprising:
- (a) a heel piece including:
- (i) at least one transversely arranged heel tube;
- (ii) a top layer extending over the heel piece;
- and
- (iii) a bottom layer extending under the heel piece;
- and
- (b) a forefoot piece including:
- (i) at least one transversely arranged forefoot tube having a slit-shaped aperture extending a length of the tube at its bottom;
- (ii) a top layer extending over the forefoot piece;
- and
- (iii) a bottom layer extending under the forefoot piece and being discontinuous at, at least one slit-shaped aperture.
8 more elements
A midsole for an athletic shoe, comprising:
- (a) a top layer;
- (b) a bottom layer;
- (c) a forefoot region;
- (d) a heel region;
- (e) a midfoot region;
- (f) at least one shock-absorbing forefoot member interposed between the top and bottom layers in the forefoot region of the midsole and arranged transversely to a longitudinal axis of the midsole, each forefoot member including opposed concave-shaped webs and at least one forefoot member having a slit-shaped aperture extending a length of the member at its bottom between its two opposed concave-shaped webs;
- and
- (g) at least one shock-absorbing rearfoot member interposed between the top and bottom layers in the heel region of the midsole and arranged transversely to the longitudinal axis of the midsole, each rearfoot member including opposed concave-shaped webs;
- and
- where the top layer extends over the heel, midfoot and forefoot regions and the bottom layer extends under the heel, forefoot and midfoot regions and is discontinuous at, at least one slit-shaped aperture.
7 more elements
A midsole for an athletic shoe, comprising:
- (a) a rearfoot piece including:
- (i) a top layer;
- (ii) a bottom layer;
- (iii) at least one shock-absorbing rearfoot member interposed between the top and bottom layers and arranged transversely to the longitudinal axis of the midsole, each rearfoot member including opposed concave-shaped webs;
- and
- where the top layer extends over the heel piece and the bottom layer extends under the heel piece;
- (b) a forefoot piece including:
- (i) a top layer;
- (ii) a bottom layer;
- (iii) at least one shock-absorbing forefoot member interposed between the top and bottom layers in the forefoot region of the midsole and arranged transversely to a longitudinal axis of the midsole, each forefoot member including opposed concave-shaped webs and at least one forefoot member having a slit-shaped aperture extending a length of the member at its bottom between its two opposed concave-shaped webs;
- where the top layer extends over the forefoot piece and the bottom layer extends under the forefoot piece and is discontinuous at, at least one slit-shaped aperture;
- and
- where a toe end of the heel piece abuts a heel end of the forefoot piece at a midfoot region of the midsole.
10 more elements
An athletic shoe comprising:
- (a) an upper;
- (b) a midsole including:
- (i) a heel section having a at least one transversely arranged heel tube;
- (ii) a forefoot section having at least one transversely arranged forefoot tube including a slit-shaped aperture extending its length at its bottom;
- (iii) a top layer extending over the heel, midfoot and forefoot sections and fixedly connected to a bottom of the upper;
- and
- (iv) a bottom layer extending under the heel tubes, forefoot tubes and the midfoot section and being discontinuous at, at least one slit-shaped aperture;
- and
- (c) an undersole fixedly connected to the bottom layer of the midsole and including an expansion joint that is located coincident with at least one slit-shaped aperture.
6 more elements
An athletic shoe comprising:
- (a) an upper;
- (b) a midsole including:
- (i) a heel piece including:
- (1) at least one transversely arranged heel tube;
- (2) a top layer extending over the heel piece and fixedly connected to a heel region of a bottom of the upper;
- and
- (3) a bottom layer extending under the heel piece;
- and
- (ii) a forefoot piece including:
- (1) at least one transversely arranged forefoot tube having a slit-shaped aperture extending a length of the tube at its bottom;
- (2) a top layer extending over the forefoot piece and fixedly connected to a forefoot region of the bottom of the upper and abutting a toe side of the heel piece at its heel side in a midfoot region of the upper;
- and
- (3) a bottom layer extending under the forefoot piece and being discontinuous at, at least one slit-shaped aperture;
- and
- (c) an undersole fixedly connected to the bottom layer of the heel and to the bottom layer of the forefoot piece of the midsole and including at least one expansion joint that is located coincident with at least one slit-shaped aperture.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.