Outsole with tangential deformation

Abstract

An outsole, especially for sports shoes, that can be formed with a large amount of elastic deformability even in the tangential direction towards the front and the back, enabling a good cushioning effect even when the tread of the foot is inclined and somewhat slipping. Beyond at least one critical deformation in the deformed region, the sole remains essentially rigid in relation to tangential deformation. In this way, the runner has a secure footing on the respective tread point. The elastic deformability of the sole also in the tangential direction is caused by at least one first element, and the rigidity of the sole in relation to tangential deformation beyond the at least one critical deformation, in addition to the degree of the at least one critical deformation in the deformed region is due to at least one second element.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11 / 885,027 filed Aug. 24, 2007, which is a National Stage application of International Application No. PCT / CH2006 / 000114, filed on Feb. 23, 2006, which claims priority of Swiss application number 00327 / 05, filed on Feb. 24, 2005.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates to an outsole, especially for sport shoes, which is elastically deformable both forwards and backwards in the tangential direction and is essentially stiff with respect to tangential deformation only beyond a critical deformation in the region deformed so far.[0004]Deformation in the tangential direction is understood here to be a deformation, brought about, for example, by shearing, in a direction tangential and / or parallel to the two-dimension of extent of the outsole or its tread. Deformations in a direction perpendicular to the two-dimensional extent ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0026]For spring and damping paths, so dimensioned, the inventive outsole effectively dampens the forces and stresses arising while running. In particular, the inventive sole behaves optimally damping while landing in that the horizontal forces, predominating here, can yield softly in the running direction, for example, by shearing. For the running shoes, provided with outsoles of the prior art, a high stress peak arises here, even if these shoes are provided with pronounced vertical damping, because there is practically no tangential deformability. During uncoiling, the inventive sole absorbs the predominant vertical forces by a vertical deformation equally well due to a damping action. In addition, it also reacts in this phase by different tangential deformations in different directions of movement between the foot and the ground, which usually manifest themselves in a sliding about of the foot in the shoe and frequently lead to rubbed-through socks or even to the formation of blisters. The shoe does not resist the movement, which the foot would like to carry out with respect to the ground during the uncoiling movement. The shoe makes a largely fatigue-free running possible. During complete loading in the pushing off phase, on the other hand, the inventive sole loses its damping properties practically completely. In this phase, damping is also no longer required and would only be a hindrance for effective pushing off. In the pushing off phase, the inventive sole behaves as if it were “hard.”

Problems solved by technology

Most of the running shoes for sports purposes, obtainable commercially at the present time, have spring characteristics, which permit cushioning primarily in the vertical direction or in the direction perpendicular to the tread with compression of the sole, which is, however, relatively stiff in the horizontal and tangential directions and not sufficiently yielding when the foot is set down obliquely at an angle.

A corresponding deformation of the first elements towards the front is not possible because of their arrangement relative to the second elements.

A corresponding deformation of the bristles to the front is not provided and, very likely, also not possible.

Within the scope of practical applications of the principle, known from WO 03 / 102430, as well as of the tubular hollow elements described therein, it has turned out that these cannot do justice to all practical requirements, at least not in their concretely described form.

Images