US 6,782,641 B2Granted

Heel construction for footwear

AssigneeAmerican Sporting Goods Corporation

InventorsJerome A. Turner, John W. Thomas

Life of this patent

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Abstract

The present invention comprises a multilayered heel construction for footwear. A fluid-filled bladder is incorporated into the heel of footwear. The bladder defines an internal cavity which is adapted to enclose a fluid at atmospheric pressure. The internal cavity defines a peripheral channel adjacent the periphery of the bladder and a plurality of intersecting channels orientated transversely to the longitudinal axis of the footwear. The intersecting channels are in communication with the peripheral channel of the interior cavity. The bladder is positioned at the heel of the footwear and is positioned intermediate an upper footbed support. The lower surface of the multilayered heel assembly defines a concave, cantilever surface. The combination of the bladder, the upper footbed support and the lower cantilever surface improve shock absorption and the stability of the footwear.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A sole structure for footwear comprising:

a. a midsole formed of a shock absorbing material having a heel region, a midfoot region and a forefoot region and top and bottom surfaces;
b. footbed support means for stabilizing the position of the foot of the user disposed adjacent the bottom surface of the midsole and extending from the heel region to the forefoot region thereof;
c. a resilient bladder having top and bottom surfaces and defining a fluid-tight cavity, the top surface being disposed adjacent said footbed support means in opposition to the heel region of said midsole;
d. a volume of fluid being disposed within said cavity;
and
e. defectable, lower support platform having top and bottom surfaces extending forwardly from the heel region toward the midfoot region of the midsole, the top surface thereof being adjacent the bottom surface of said bladder, the bottom surface of said lower support platform centrally defining a concave, cantilever portion which is adapted to be downwardly deflectable upon the imposition of a downardly directed force upon the heel region of said midsole.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/218,084Filed 12 Aug 2002
Published: US 2004/0025375 A112 Feb 2004
Granted: 31 Aug 2004
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

A43B 13/12
Characterised by the material: soles with several layers of different materials
A43B 13/187
Resilient soles: resiliency achieved by the features of the material, e.g. foam, non liquid materials
A43B 13/189
Resilient soles: filled with a non-compressible fluid, e.g. gel, water
A43B 13/20
Resilient soles: pneumatic soles filled with a compressible fluid, e.g. air, gas