Sole for a shoe

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11445783-B2
Application number	US-202016918014-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2020
Priority date	Feb 13, 2013
Publication date	Sep 20, 2022
Grant date	Sep 20, 2022

Abstract

Improved soles for shoes, in particular for sports shoes, are described. A sole for a shoe, in particular a sports shoe, is provided, said sole having a cushioning element that includes randomly arranged particles of an expanded material and a control element. The control element is free from expanded material and reduces the shearing motions in a first region of the cushioning element compared to shearing motions in a second region of the cushioning element.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A sole for a shoe, comprising:
(a) a cushioning element comprising randomly arranged particles of an expanded material, and the cushioning element comprising a first region and a second region, and
(b) a customized control element free from expanded material, the control element comprising a first control region positioned proximate to the first region and a second control region positioned proximate to the second region, wherein the first control region and the second control region each comprise at least one of the following features: protrusions, bulges, or combinations thereof;
(c) wherein the first control region has (i) protrusions that are greater in size, hardness, and/or expansion, or (ii) bulges that are greater in length, thickness, and/or structure as compared to the second control region,
(d) wherein, under shear, the first control region engages with the first region of the cushioning element by selectively increasing the penetration of the at least one feature into the cushioning element positioned proximate the at least one feature, wherein the increased penetration reduces shearing motions within the first region to a greater extent than the second control region reduces shearing motions within the second region.

2. The sole according to claim 1 , wherein the customized control element is cut from a blank after the blank is affixed to the cushioning element by an adhesive but before the adhesive has completely hardened.

3. The sole according to claim 1 , wherein the particles of expanded material comprise one or more of the following materials: expanded ethylene-vinyl-acetate, expanded polypropylene, expanded polyamide, expanded polyether block amide, expanded polyoxymethylene, expanded polystyrene, expanded polyethylene, expanded polyoxyethylene, and expanded ethylene propylene diene monomer.

4. The sole according to claim 1 , wherein the control element comprises one or more of the following materials: rubber, thermoplastic urethane, textile materials, polyether block amide, foils or foil-like materials.

5. The sole according to claim 1 , wherein the control element has a larger thickness and/or fewer holes in a first control region controlling a shearing motion of the cushioning element in the first region than in a second control region controlling a shearing motion of the cushioning element in the second region.

6. The sole according to claim 1 , wherein the cushioning element is provided as a part of a midsole.

7. The sole according to claim 6 , wherein the control element is provided as a part of an outsole.

8. The sole according to claim 7 , wherein the outsole comprises a decoupling region that is not directly attached to the second region of the cushioning element of the midsole.

9. The sole according to claim 1 , wherein the control element and the cushioning element are manufactured from a thermoplastic urethane.

10. The sole according to claim 9 , wherein the control element and the cushioning element are manufactured from thermoplastic urethane.

11. The sole according to claim 1 , wherein the first region is located in a medial midfoot region and wherein the second region is located in a lateral heel region.

12. The sole according to claim 1 , wherein the control element further increases a bending resistance of the cushioning element in the first region compared to the second region.

13. A sole for a shoe, comprising:
(a) a cushioning element comprising randomly arranged particles of expanded thermoplastic urethane, the cushioning element comprising a first region and a second region, and
(b) a customized control element free from expanded material, the control element comprising a first control region positioned proximate to the first region and a second control region positioned proximate to the second region, wherein the first control region and the second control region each comprise the following features: protrusions, bulges, or combinations thereof;
(c) wherein the first control region has (i) protrusions that are greater in size, hardness, and/or expansion, or (ii) bulges that are greater in length, thickness, and/or structure as compared to the second control region,
(d) wherein, under shear, the first control region engages with the first region of the cushioning element by selectively increasing the penetration of the at least one feature into the cushioning element positioned proximate the feature, wherein the increased penetration reduces shearing motions within the first region to a greater extent than the second control region reduces shearing motions within the second region.

14. The sole according to claim 13 , wherein the control element comprises one or more of the following materials: rubber, thermoplastic urethane, textile materials, polyether block amide, foils or foil-like materials.

15. A shoe comprising the sole according to claim 13 .

16. A shoe comprising the sole according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Adidas Ag

Inventors

• Whiteman John
• Smith Paul Leonard Michael
• Wardlaw Angus
• Schlarb Heiko
• Tarrier James

Classifications

• A43B13/181

  Resiliency achieved by the structure of the sole · CPC title

• A43B13/125 Primary

  characterised by the midsole or middle layer · CPC title

• A43B13/188

  Differential cushioning regions · CPC title

• A43B13/187

  Resiliency achieved by the features of the material, e.g. foam, non liquid materials · CPC title

• A43B13/14

  characterised by the constructive form · CPC title