Abstract:
There is a shoe sole that has a continuous and uniform sole body. The sole body is configured to have a continuous curve so that both the toe region and the heel region flex upwards away from the mid-foot region and has a downward curving or a flat end region, allowing the mid-foot region of sole to flex toward a surface whereto the sole is placed. Preferably, the sole body is strong and resilient and made from a single type of material, such as iron, steel, aluminum alloy, titanium or resilient plastic. When a wearer steps on the shoe sole, the sole body is flattened. When wearer steps forward to walk or run, the heel region flexes up and provides a pushing force to the heel of the wearer, facilitating the walking or running motion.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Application Ser. No. 61/893,941 filed on Oct. 22, 2013 the contents of which are herein fully incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The field of the invention and its embodiments relate to a sole for an article of footwear. In particular, the current invention relates a flexible shoe sole or shoe sole assembly that may be implemented in a shoe to facilitate walking or running motions thereby limiting or reducing the incidence of injury from engaging in such activities. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Footwear such as shoes are an important part of people&#39;s daily lives. Shoes serve indispensible functions to provide support and comfort to the wearers. They are also used for aesthetic appeals as a part of fashion and style. There are many designs for shoes and shoe soles, directed to make improvements in one aspect or another. Many of the designs aim to improve comfort by adding soft cushions, resilient materials, or arch-supporting segments. Some other models are used to increase the fashionable appeal of shoes. The current invention, however, is directed to facilitate the most basic function of shoes—the motion of walking and/or running. 
         [0004]    By employing a simple and elegant design, the current invention illustrates a shoe sole model that provides an additional propelling force when the wearer is walking or running. The propelling force is exerted through shoe soles that have structures similar to leaf-springs. Further, the current invention may limit or prevent injuries caused by running, walking, or overuse (seen typically in athletes) or a combination thereof. Though some related art may be identified, they do not serve the same functional goal and do not have the same structural design as the current invention. 
       DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART 
       [0005]    U.K. Patent GB 2,483,298 pertains to a shoe sole with an outer sole, an insert of a soft, spongy material running nearly the whole length of the upper surface of a curved mid-sole. The mid-sole, soft spongy insert and outer sole have a pivot axis, positioned at or near a mid-point of the length of the shoe sole and, in use, when a centre of pressure is exactly over the pivot axis there is formed a uniform pivot area either side of the pivot axis. This patent also describes a shoe comprising an inner sole, a flexible inner sock, a soft spongy insert at the top surface of a mid-sole, and outer sole of hard rubber. 
         [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,372,059 pertains to a shoe sole having a resiliently deformable, arch-supporting middle segment extending between a heel-supporting rear segment and toe-supporting front segment. The middle segment has an upwardly projecting longitudinally convex, bottom face which, when flattened by the wearer&#39;s weight, pushes the top face up against the wearer&#39;s arch. 
         [0007]    These disclosures, however, do not have the same structure as the current invention. Nor do they serve the same functions. GB 2,483,298 does not provide a propelling force to the wearer. U.S. Pat. No. 4,372,059, on the other hand, teaches a shoe sole with functionally separable segments, making the sole difficult to manufacture and assemble. The current invention does not have such disadvantages. In summary, various devices are known in the art, but they are distinctively different from the current invention. Moreover, the other inventions fail to address the issues solved by the invention described herein. A number of embodiments of this invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will be described in more detail herein below. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    The current invention provides a number of benefits including, but not limited to, reinforcing the correct walking and/or running form thereby decreasing injuries associated with over use or incorrect bodily movements. For example, the shoe sole is designed to elevate the heel and redistribute the weight of a user over the ball of the foot. This prevents “heel shock” and a number of other ailments that result from repeating striking of the heel and stretching of the calf, Achilles tendon, etc. Further, benefits include helping to limit or prevent injuries cause by pronation of the foot. Pronation can cause a number of injuries including “shin splints” and these injuries can often be rectified by the use of orthotics such as the subject matter of the current invention. 
         [0009]    The current invention and its embodiments disclose a shoe sole comprising a continuous sole body having a toe region, a mid-foot region, a heel region, a top side and a bottom side, wherein the sole body is configured to have a continuous curve wherein the toe region flexes upwards away from the mid-foot region, and the heel region flexes upwards away from the mid-foot region and has a downward curving or a flat end region, allowing the mid-foot region of the bottom surface to flex toward a surface whereto the shoe sole is placed. 
         [0010]    Preferably, the sole body is strong and resilient so that the sole body is flattened when a foot is pressed upon it. The heel region flexes up when the heel of the foot is lifted to start a walking or running motion, providing a pushing force against the heel. To achieve this goal, it is preferable that the sole body is made from a single uniform type of material such as but not limited to: iron, steel, aluminum alloy, titanium, and resilient plastic. 
         [0011]    The shoe sole disclosed here may be used in any kind of shoes and footwear, including but not limited to: boots, sandals, dancing shoes, slippers and flip-flops, dress shoes, walking shoes, running shoes, and sports shoes such as but not limited to soccer shoes, basketball shoes, football shoes, baseball shoes, golf shoes, tennis and racquet ball shoes, and bowling shoes, and any other kind of footwear worn by people to assist walking or running or for any other special purposes. 
         [0012]    In accordance with its various uses, the shoe sole in the current invention may be part of a shoe sole assembly and in turn part of a shoe or footwear. Other components may be attached to the sole body to form complete footwear. For example, cleats may be attached to the bottom surface of the sole body if the shoe sole is used to make a soccer shoe or football shoe. There may be anti-slippery treads at the bottom surface of the sole body if the sole body is used directly as an outer sole. Alternatively, the sole body disclosed here may serve as a mid-sole with an inner sole attached to the top surface and an outer sole attached to the bottom surface. 
         [0013]    The shoe sole assembly may further include a shoe counter having a heel portion and a stretching portion, wherein the heel portion is attached to a back end of the heel region of the sole body and stands generally vertical to the heel region, and the stretching portion connects the heel portion with the mid-foot region. It is preferable that the heel portion is semi-rigid and strong and the stretching portion is flexible and elastic. The stretching portion stretches the mid-foot region to the heel portion, helping the formation of the curved sole shape. 
         [0014]    In general, the present invention succeeds in conferring the following, and others not mentioned, desirable and useful benefits and objectives. 
         [0015]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a shoe sole that is strong and resilient. 
         [0016]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a shoe sole that has a curved sole body. 
         [0017]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a shoe sole that is made from a single type of material, preferably titanium. 
         [0018]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a shoe sole that provides a pushing force to the wearer&#39;s heel in the walking or running motions. 
         [0019]    It is still another object of the current invention to provide a shoe sole that may be easily combined with other shoe components. 
         [0020]    It is another object of the current invention to provide a shoe sole that is inexpensive and easy to manufacture. 
         [0021]    It is yet another object of the current invention to provide a shoe sole assembly that includes a curved sole body and other components such as an outer sole and/or cleats. 
         [0022]    It is yet another object of the current invention to provide a shoe sole that reduces impact injuries from running and/or walking. 
         [0023]    It is yet another object of the current invention to provide a shoe sole that reduces injury to the foot, knees, legs, hips, and lower back 
         [0024]    It is still another object of the current invention to provide a shoe sole that positions the foot in a way to shift the weight distribution over the ball of the foot. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0025]      FIG. 1  shows a top perspective view of a pair of shoe soles of the current invention. 
           [0026]      FIG. 2  shows a top view of a shoe sole of the current invention. 
           [0027]      FIG. 3  shows a side view of a shoe sole assembly of the current invention. 
           [0028]      FIG. 4  shows a bottom view of a shoe sole assembly of the current invention. The shoe sole assembly has cleats at the bottom surface of the sole body. 
           [0029]      FIG. 5  shows a bottom view of a shoe sole assembly of the current invention. The shoe sole assembly has anti-slippery treads at the bottom surface of the sole body. 
           [0030]      FIG. 6  shows a top perspective view of a shoe sole assembly of the current invention. The shoe sole assembly has a shoe counter attached to the top surface of the sole body. 
           [0031]      FIG. 7  shows a side view of a shoe sole assembly of the current invention. The shoe sole assembly has a shoe counter attached to the top surface of the sole body. 
           [0032]      FIG. 8  shows a top perspective view of a shoe sole assembly of the current invention. The shoe sole assembly has a shoe counter attached to the top surface of the sole body. 
           [0033]      FIG. 9  shows a side view of a shoe sole assembly of the current invention. The shoe sole assembly has a shoe counter attached to the top surface of the sole body. 
           [0034]      FIG. 10  shows a side view of a shoe sole assembly of the current invention. 
           [0035]      FIG. 11  shows another embodiment of the invention where the sole has a toe region, middle region and a heel region and the heel region has an upward curved portion and a slightly downward curved end region. 
           [0036]      FIG. 12  shows another embodiment of the invention where the sole has a toe region, middle region and a heel regions and the heel region has an upward curved portion and a substantially flat end region. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0037]    The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. Identical elements in the various figures are identified, as far as possible, with the same reference numerals. 
         [0038]    Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present invention. Such embodiments are provided by way of explanation of the present invention, which is not intended to be limited thereto. In fact, those of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate upon reading the present specification and viewing the present drawings that various modifications and variations can be made thereto without deviating from the innovative concepts of the invention. 
         [0039]      FIG. 1  illustrates a top perspective view of an embodiment of a pair of shoe soles of the current invention. Shown in  FIG. 1  are a left sole body  5  and a right sole body  8 , wherein the left sole body  5  and right sole body  8  are minor images of one another. The sole bodies are the basic components of a pair of shoes, which are broadly defined. Since the sole bodies are strict minor images, the following illustrations focus on one sole body, which shows all the features of the complete set. 
         [0040]      FIG. 2  illustrates a top view of a shoe sole assembly of the current invention. Shown in  FIG. 2  is a shoe sole assembly  1  having a sole body  10 . The sole body  10  has a top surface  15 , a toe region  20 , a mid-foot region  25 , and a heel region  30 . 
         [0041]      FIG. 3  illustrates a side view of a shoe sole assembly  1  of the current invention. Shown in  FIG. 3  is a shoe sole assembly  1  having a sole body  10 . The sole body  10  has a top surface  15 , a bottom surface  18 , a toe region  20 , a mid-foot region  25 , and a heel region  30 . Attached to the bottom surface  18  of the sole body  10  are cleats  45 . 
         [0042]    As indicated in  FIG. 3 , the sole body  10  is configured to have a continuous curve wherein the toe region  20  flexes upwards away from the mid-foot region  25 , and the heel region  30  flexes upwards away from the mid-foot region  25 , allowing the mid-foot region  25  of the bottom surface  18  to flex toward a surface whereto the shoe sole is placed. Each region form a curve and the three regions form a continuous curve with the whole curvature  200 , as indicated in  FIG. 3 . The mid-foot region  25  defines a mid-foot region curvature  100 , which preferably is uniform. The mid-foot region curvature  100 , as a part of the whole curvature  200 , may be more than 0 degrees and less than 360 degrees. The whole curvature  200  may thus also be more than 0 degrees and less than 360 degrees. 
         [0043]      FIG. 4  illustrates a bottom view of a shoe sole assembly of the current invention. Shown in  FIG. 4  is a shoe sole assembly  1  having a sole body  10 . The sole body  10  has a bottom surface  18 , a toe region  20 , a mid-foot region  25 , a, and a heel region  30 . The shoe sole assembly  1  has cleats  45  attached to the bottom surface  18  of the sole body  10 . 
         [0044]      FIG. 5  illustrates a bottom view of a shoe sole assembly of the current invention. Shown in  FIG. 5  is a shoe sole assembly  1  having a sole body  10 . The sole body  10  has a bottom surface  18 , a toe region  20 , a mid-foot region  25 , and a heel region  30 . The shoe sole assembly  1  has treads  50  imprinted to the bottom surface  18  of the sole body  10 . 
         [0045]    As indicated above, the sole body  10  herein disclosed may serve as a basic component of a shoe. It may be configured to be an outer sole, a mid sole, or an inner sole. When the sole body  10  is an outer sole, additional structures such as cleats  45  may be attached to the bottom surface of the outer sole. The robustness of the sole body  10  makes it a good candidate for soccer and football shoes. However, as indicated, other footwear may also use the current sole body  10  as a fundamental part. 
         [0046]      FIG. 6  shows a top perspective view of a shoe sole assembly of the current invention. Shown in  FIG. 6  is a shoe sole assembly  1  having a sole body  10 . The sole body  10  has a top surface  15 , a toe region  20 , a mid-foot region  25 , and a heel region  30 . Also shown in  FIG. 6  is a shoe counter  54  attached to the top surface  15  of the sole body  10 . The shoe counter  54  includes a heel portion  55  and a stretching portion  60 , wherein the heel portion  55  is attached to a back end of the heel region  30  of the sole body  10  and stands generally vertical to the heel region  30 , and the stretching portion  60  connects the heel portion  55  with the mid-foot region  25 . 
         [0047]      FIG. 7  shows a side view of a shoe sole assembly of the current invention. Shown in  FIG. 7  is a shoe sole assembly  1  having a sole body  10 . The sole body  10  has a top surface  15 , a bottom surface  18 , a toe region  20 , a mid-foot region  25 , and a heel region  30 . Also shown in  FIG. 7  is a shoe counter  54  attached to the top surface  15  of the sole body  10 . The shoe counter  54  includes a heel portion  55  and a stretching portion  60 , wherein the heel portion  55  is attached to a back end of the heel region  30  of the sole body  10  and stands generally vertical to the heel region  30 , and the stretching portion  60  connects the heel portion  55  with the mid-foot region  25 . 
         [0048]    The shoe counter  54  helps the formation of the curved structure of the sole body  10 . The stretching portion  60  of the shoe counter  54  pulls the mid-foot region  25  toward the heel portion  55 , which is preferred to be rigid or semi-rigid structure. When a wearer steps directly onto the shoe integrating the shoe sole assembly  1 , the sole body  10  becomes flat, extending the stretching portion  60 . The tension of the stretching portion  60  then provides an additional propelling force when the wearer of the shoe starts a walking or running motion. 
         [0049]      FIG. 8  shows a top perspective view of another embodiment of the shoe sole assembly of the current invention. The shoe sole assembly has a shoe counter attached to the top surface of the sole body. Shown in  FIG. 8  is a shoe sole assembly  1  having a sole body  10 . The sole body  10  has a top surface  15 , a toe region  20 , a mid-foot region  25 , and a heel region  30 . Also shown in  FIG. 8  is a shoe counter  54  attached to the top surface  15  of the sole body  10 . The shoe counter  54  includes a heel portion  55  and a stretching portion  60 , wherein the heel portion  55  is attached to a back end of the heel region  30  of the sole body  10  and stands generally vertical to the heel region  30 , and the stretching portion  60  connects the heel portion  55  with the connecting point of the toe region  20  and the mid-foot region  25 . The stretching portion  60  includes elastic straps  57  that provide the stretching force to bend the sole body  10 . 
         [0050]      FIG. 9  shows a side view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 8 . Shown in  FIG. 9  is a shoe sole assembly  1  having a sole body  10 . The sole body  10  has a top surface  15 , a bottom surface  18 , a toe region  20 , a mid-foot region  25 , and a heel region  30 . Also shown in  FIG. 9  is a shoe counter  54  attached to the top surface  15  of the sole body  10 . The shoe counter  54  includes a heel portion  55  and a stretching portion  60 , wherein the heel portion  55  is attached to a back end of the heel region  30  of the sole body  10  and stands generally vertical to the heel region  30 , and the stretching portion  60  connects the heel portion  55  with the connecting point of the toe region  20  and the mid-foot region  25 . The stretching portion  60  includes elastic straps  57  that provide the stretching force to bend the sole body  10 . 
         [0051]    The embodiment shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9  is slight different from the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the stretching portion  60  is connected to the connecting point of the toe regions  20  and the mid-foot region  25 . This is a preferred design. However, it should be noted that the stretching portion  60 , while being anchored to the shoe counter  54 , may be connected to any part of the sole body  10 , as long as the stretching force exerted by the stretching portion  60  facilitates or reinforces the curve of the sole body  10 . In addition, the stretching portion  60 , as shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , may include elastic straps  57   
         [0052]      FIG. 10  shows a side view of a shoe sole assembly of the current invention. Shown in  FIG. 10  is a shoe sole assembly  1  having a sole body  10 . The sole body  10  has a top surface  15 , a bottom surface  18 , a toe region  20 , a mid-foot region  25 , and a heel region  30 . Attached to the bottom surface  18  of the sole body  10  are cleats  45 . 
         [0053]      FIG. 11  shows a side view of a shoe sole assembly according to one preferred embodiment of the invention.  FIG. 11  illustrates a side view of a shoe sole assembly of the current invention. Shown in  FIG. 11  is a shoe sole assembly  1  having a sole body  10 . The sole body  10  has a top surface  15 , a bottom surface  18 , a toe region  20 , a mid-foot region  25 , and a heel region  30 . The heel region has an upward curved region  31  and a slightly downward curved end region  32 . The sole body  10  is configured to have a continuous curve wherein the toe region  20  flexes upwards away from the mid-foot region  25 , and the heel region  30  flexes upwards  31  and then slightly downwards  32 . 
         [0054]      FIG. 12  shows a side view of a shoe sole assembly according to one preferred embodiment of the invention.  FIG. 12  illustrates a side view of a shoe sole assembly of the current invention. Shown in  FIG. 12  is a shoe sole assembly  1  having a sole body  10 . The sole body  10  has a top surface  15 , a bottom surface  18 , a toe region  20 , a mid-foot region  25 , and a heel region  30 . The heel region has an upward curved region  31  and a substantially flat end region  33 . The sole body  10  is configured to have a continuous curve wherein the toe region  20  flexes upwards away from the mid-foot region  25 , and the heel region  30  flexes upwards  31  and then is substantially flat  33 . 
         [0055]    As indicated above in the description of  FIG. 3 , the sole body  10  is configured to have a continuous curve wherein the toe region  20  flexes upwards away from the mid-foot region  25 , and the heel region  30  flexes upwards away from the mid-foot region  25 , allowing the mid-foot region  25  of the bottom surface  18  to flex toward a surface whereto the shoe sole is placed. Alternatively as is shown in  FIGS. 11 and 12 , the heel region may have a slightly downward curving part ( FIG. 11 ) or a substantially flat part ( FIG. 12 ). Each region form a curve and the three regions form a continuous curve with the whole curvature  200 , similar to  FIG. 3 . The  FIG. 10  embodiment illustrates a more extreme version curve formed by the sole body, wherein the whole curvature  200  is more than 180 degrees. 
         [0056]    The sole body  10  in the current invention may be made from any materials, including but not limited to metals such as iron, steel, and aluminum alloy, titanium, fiberglass, rubber, and hard plastic including but not limited to polyethylene terephthalate (PET), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), high impact polystyrene (HIPS) and polycarbonate (PC), and any combinations thereof. Preferably, the sole body  10  is made titanium. The heel portion  55  of the shoe counter  54  may be made from the above indicated materials. The stretching portion  60  of the shoe counter  50  may be made from elastic materials. 
         [0057]    The thickness of the sole body  10  may be 0.1-50 mm, with the preferred range of 0.2-5 mm. The thickness may be adjusted according to the material used and the intended shoe to be manufactured. To reduce weight, the sole body is preferred to have a minimum thickness that maintains its physical characteristics such as flexibility and durability. 
         [0058]    It should be noted that some features herein described for embodiments may be applicable in other embodiments. As long as the features described for a first embodiment do not conflict with the descriptions of a second embodiment, the features should be considered included in the second embodiment. 
         [0059]    Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of illustration and that numerous changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention.