Patent ID: 6393731
Filing Date: 2002-05-28
Classification: A43B

Abstract:
A shock absorber for footwear comprising:a) a shoe which includes (1) a bottom section having a heel section and a sole section, said sole section including an inner sole section having an insole surface and an outside surface, (2) an upper section fixed to said bottom section, (3) a toe section on a forward end of said shoe, (4) a shank section between the toe section of said shoe and the heel section of said shoe, and (5) a counter section on the upper section of said shoe and located at a rearmost position on the upper section of said shoe adjacent to the heel section of said shoe; b) a multichamber housing on the bottom section of said shoe adjacent to the heel section of said shoe, said multichamber housing including (1) a first wall located adjacent to the shank section of said shoe and extending from the outside surface of said shoe away from the outside surface, (2) an outsole wall connected at one end thereof to the first wall of said multichamber housing and extending toward the counter section of said shoe, (3) a rear wall having one end thereof connected to the outsole wall of said multichamber housing and having a second end thereof located adjacent to the outside surface of said shoe adjacent to the counter section of said shoe, said rear wall having a collapsible section, (4) a dividing wall connected at one end thereof to the first wall of said multichamber housing and at a second end thereof connected to the rear wall of said multichamber housing, said dividing wall being spaced apart from the outside surface of said shoe and from the outsole wall of said multichamber housing, (5) a first chamber defined between the first wall of said multichamber housing, the outside surface of said shoe, the dividing wall of said multichamber housing and the rear wall of said multichamber housing, and (6) a second chamber defined between the first wall of said multichamber housing, the outsole wall of said multichamber housing, the dividing wall of said multichamber housing and the rear wall of said multichamber housing; and c) a shock absorber system which includes (1) a plurality of first springs located in the second chamber of said multichamber housing, each first spring of said plurality of first springs being mounted on the outsole wall of said multichamber housing and oriented to receive compressive force when a wearer of said shoe places pressure on the heel section of said shoe and to bias the dividing wall of said multichamber housing away from the outsole wall of said multichamber housing, (2) a cushion element located inside at least one of said first springs, and (3) a spring force adjusting mechanism assembly associated with each first spring, the spring force adjusting mechanism of each shock absorber mechanism including a screw element threadably attached to the outsole wall of said multichamber housing and to the first spring with which the screw element is associated.