Shoe and sole

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10143265-B2
Application number	US-201615280800-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2016
Priority date	Dec 14, 2009
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

The present invention relates to shoe, in particular a sports shoe. The shoe includes a sole plate having in a forefoot area a plurality of leaf spring elements, wherein the sole plate and the plurality of leaf spring elements are manufactured as a single piece. Each of the plurality of leaf spring elements has one free end not connected with the sole plate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sole for an article of footwear, the sole comprising: a sole plate comprising a plurality of leaf springs disposed in a rearfoot area of the sole plate and a plurality of leaf springs disposed in a forefoot area of the sole plate, wherein each of the leaf springs has a connection end connected to the sole plate and a free end not directly connected to the sole plate, wherein the leaf springs comprise a foremost positioned leaf spring and a rearmost positioned leaf spring, wherein the foremost positioned leaf spring and the rearmost positioned leaf spring have free ends that are oriented in substantially the same direction such that the free end of each leaf spring is disposed rearward of its connection end, wherein each leaf spring disposed between the foremost positioned leaf spring and the rearmost positioned leaf spring has a free end that is oriented in substantially the same direction as the free ends of the foremost positioned leaf spring and the rearmost positioned leaf spring, wherein the sole plate comprises no leaf spring element having a free end pointing in a direction substantially opposite the direction in which the free ends of the plurality of leaf springs disposed in the rearfoot area of the sole plate and the plurality of leaf springs disposed in the forefoot area of the sole plate point, wherein the free ends of two or more leaf springs are interconnected by a connection portion, and wherein the free ends of the two or more leaf springs and the connection portion integrally form a single end not directly connected to the sole plate.

2. The sole of claim 1 , wherein the foremost positioned leaf spring comprises a foremost positioned free end and the rearmost positioned leaf spring comprises a rearmost positioned free end.

3. The sole of claim 1 , wherein leaf springs disposed in the rearfoot area of the sole plate are longer and have a greater distance between their free ends and the sole plate than leaf springs disposed in the forefoot area of the sole plate.

4. The sole of claim 1 , wherein the sidewall thickness of the leaf springs is greater at its connection end than at its free end.

5. The sole of claim 1 , comprising at least four leaf springs disposed in the rearfoot area of the sole plate.

6. The sole of claim 1 , comprising at least four leaf springs disposed in the forefoot area of the sole plate.

7. The sole of claim 1 , comprising at least four leaf springs disposed in the rearfoot area of the sole plate and at least four leaf springs disposed in the forefoot area of the sole plate.

8. The sole of claim 1 , wherein the sole plate, the plurality of leaf springs disposed in the rearfoot area of the sole plate, and the plurality of leaf springs disposed in the forefoot area of the sole plate are integrally formed as a single piece.

9. A The sole of claim 1 , wherein a pair of leaf springs connected to the forefoot area of the sole plate are arranged such that the pair of leaf springs extend from a medial side to a lateral side of the forefoot area of the sole plate.

10. The sole of claim 1 , further comprising an outsole coupled to the free end of one or more leaf springs.

11. The sole of claim 10 , wherein the outsole comprises individual elements coupled to individual free ends of a plurality of leaf springs.

12. The sole of claim 1 , wherein the sole plate comprises a heel cup configured to encompass a heel of a wearer.

13. The sole of claim 1 , wherein each of the leaf springs is disposed below the sole plate.

14. The sole of claim 1 , wherein the leaf springs comprise a plurality of foremost positioned leaf springs and a plurality of rearmost positioned leaf springs.

15. The sole of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of foremost positioned leaf springs comprise foremost positioned free ends and the plurality of rearmost positioned leaf springs comprise rearmost positioned free ends.

16. An article of footwear, comprising: an upper; a sole plate coupled to the upper, the sole plate comprising a plurality of leaf springs disposed in a rearfoot area of the sole plate and a plurality of leaf springs disposed in a forefoot area of the sole plate, the plurality of leaf springs disposed in the forefoot area comprising: a first pair of leaf springs arranged side by side in a first row extending in a substantially transverse direction between a lateral side of the sole plate and a medial side of the sole plate, and a second pair of leaf springs arranged side by side in a second row extending in a substantially transverse direction between the lateral side of the sole plate and the medial side of the sole plate, wherein each leaf spring disposed on the sole plate has a connection end connected to the sole plate and a free end not directly connected to the sole plate, wherein the free end of each leaf spring disposed on the sole plate points in substantially the same direction such that the free end of each leaf spring is disposed rearward of its connection end, wherein the free ends of two or more leaf springs are interconnected by a connection portion, and wherein the free ends of the two or more leaf springs and the connection portion integrally form a single end not directly connected to the sole plate.

17. The article of footwear of claim 16 , comprising:
a plurality of leaf spring groups comprising two or more leaf springs connected to the sole plate and disposed in the rearfoot area of the sole plate; and
a plurality of leaf spring groups comprising two or more leaf springs connected to the sole plate and disposed in the forefoot area of the sole plate.

18. A sole for an article of footwear, the sole comprising: a sole plate comprising: a plurality of leaf springs disposed in a rearfoot area of the sole plate, each leaf spring having a connection end connected to the sole plate and a free end not directly connected to the sole plate, and wherein the plurality of leaf springs disposed in the rearfoot area comprise a rearmost positioned leaf spring having a rearmost positioned free end; and a plurality of leaf springs disposed in a forefoot area of the sole plate, each leaf spring having a connection end connected to the sole plate and a free end not directly connected to the sole plate, and wherein the plurality of leaf springs disposed in the forefoot area comprise a foremost positioned leaf spring having a foremost positioned free end, wherein the rearmost positioned free end and the foremost positioned free end point in substantially the same direction, wherein each leaf spring disposed between the foremost positioned leaf spring and the rearmost positioned leaf spring has a free end that points in substantially the same direction as the rearmost positioned free end and the foremost positioned free end, wherein the sole plate comprises no leaf spring element having a free end pointing in a direction substantially opposite the direction in which the free ends of the plurality of leaf springs disposed in the rearfoot area of the sole plate and the plurality of leaf springs disposed in the forefoot area of the sole plate point, wherein the free ends of two or more leaf springs are interconnected by a connection portion, and wherein the free ends of the two or more leaf springs and the connection portion integrally form a single end not directly connected to the sole plate.

Assignees

• Adidas Ag

Inventors

• Lucas Timothy David
• Manz Gerd Rainer
• Hill Jan
• Smith Paul Leonard Michael
• Whiteman John

Classifications

• A43B13/00

  Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units · CPC title

• A43B21/30

  Heels with metal springs · CPC title

• A43B13/18

  Resilient soles {(skating boots provided with resilient means A43B5/1658)} · CPC title

• A43B21/26

  Resilient heels · CPC title

• A43B13/184

  the structure protruding from the outsole · CPC title