Patent Publication Number: US-7707746-B2

Title: Footwear outsole construction

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention relates to footwear construction and, in particular to the construction of a cushioning outsole for such footwear. 
   2. Description of the Prior Art 
   In most footwear construction, only the inside of the shoe is cushioned. Examples of same may be found in the following U.S. Patents or Published Applications: U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,205,683; 6,519,874; 7,152,341; and, US2003/0061733. 
   Yet there have been some attempts that may be viewed as attempts at cushioning on the outside of the shoe. Examples of same may be found in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,942,679; 5,689,902; and, 6,050,001. 
   The present invention represents an improvement in the cushioning of the outside of the shoe, a cushioning outsole so as to minimize the adverse effects when the heel strikes a walking surface or ground. 
   SUMMARY 
   An object of the invention is to improve sole construction in footwear so as to improve the comfort of the wearer. 
   Another object is such a construction that is lightweight and shock absorbent at the heel strike area. 
   Still another object is sole construction that is comfortable to the wearer 
   These and other objects, features and advantages are accomplished in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, one illustrative embodiment of which comprises an outsole for a footwear construction to provide added softness in the heel strike area of a foot while providing added stability to the outer edge of the outsole. It comprises: a top layer contoured to the shape of a foot, thereby providing cradle support to the foot; and, a lower layer having a bottom most layer with a heel portion so constructed as to achieve different degrees of softness, the heel portion including a wedge-shaped piece positioned on the heel portion, positioned over the heel strike area and being of a softer durometer value material, and having an outer edge of a harder durometer value material, thereby providing added stability to the footwear construction and avoiding lateral collapsing. The top layer and bottom layer are cemented together, encapsulating the wedge-shaped piece in the footwear construction between the top layer and bottom most layer to form a stable walking platform for the footwear construction. 
   The wedge shaped piece is apertured vertically, the number and size of the apertures in the middle of the wedge-shaped piece being larger than those in the outer edge area. The apertures in the wedge-shaped piece outer edge may be moon-shaped. A sock may be provided to cover the top contoured layer for added cushioning for a foot. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and accompany drawing, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a side exploded perspective view of the lower layer of the footwear sole construction; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the top layer of the outsole; and, 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the completed footwear outsole construction. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   The heel strike area is the most drastic attack to the foot as you are walking and this invention is concerned with attempting to better cushion the foot as the heel strikes the walking surface. 
   Referring now to the three figures of the drawing, these generally show the outsole of a shoe construction that, when combined with an upper, comprise the footwear. Referring in particular to  FIG. 1 , there is shown the outsole lower layer  11  of the outsole  10  that includes a bottom most, wear resistant walking surface layer  12  and wedge-shaped piece  13 . The footwear normally includes an interior shank (not shown). The bottom surface of the layer  12  would be the surface that contacts the street, road or ground surface. It is typically made of a harder thermoplastic material, rubber, leather, thermal plastic rubber (TPR), poly vinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane or ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) and combinations thereof The upper surface of the bottom layer  12  includes a heel portion  14  that includes a heel strike area  15 . 
   The lower layer  11  further includes the wedge-shaped piece  13  to be positioned on the heel strike area  15  of the outsole heel portion  14 . It may be of the same material as the bottom most layer  12  (which also serves to protect wedge  13  from abrasion) but softer because of its construction. The wedge-shaped piece  13  is apertured vertically, with the apertures  17  in the central most portion of the wedge  13  being larger than those apertures  18  in the outer areas as you extend outwardly from the central most area of the wedge-shaped piece  13 . Typically, the apertures extend say 90% vertically through the wedge-shaped piece from the top down. Their length, depending on the size of the outsole can be anywhere from eight millimeters to two centimeters. 
   The apertures  17  are of circular cross section and of decreasing diameter as you move outwardly from the central most portion of the wedge. The central most apertures  17  may be seven to eight millimeters and go down from there to say five millimeters. The material of the wedge  13  is of softer material than the bottom most layer  12  because of its construction, and since you are walking on less material in this area, this gives you a bounce-back, cushioning effect to the heel portion of the foot. 
   The apertures  18  about the periphery of the wedge  13  may be moon-shaped, and are of smaller size, say seven to eight millimeters at their greatest length and half that dimension at their greatest width, resulting in a stiffer area about the periphery of the wedge than in its central portion, thus giving stability at the edges so, for example, the user doesn&#39;t fall over. Stated another way, the wedge  13  is softer in the center area due larger holes and firmer about the periphery because of smaller holes and more material The wedge-shaped piece may be made of poly-vinyl chloride (PVC), thermal plastic rubber (TPR), polyurethane or ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA). 
   The heel wedge-shaped piece  13  is attached to layer  12  by cementing. However, if both are of the same material, they could be molded together. 
   In a typical embodiment, the durometer value of the heel portion is on the order of 60, in the center of the wedge  13  on the order of 15 and about the outer periphery of the wedge  13  on the order of 20. 
     FIG. 2  is the upper layer  20  of the outsole construction  10  and is the part that is attached to the upper of the footwear construction, as by cementing or stitching to the insole. It is of, for example, a lightweight, poly-urethane material or rubber, contoured at  21  to the shape of a user&#39;s foot for support, thereby providing cradle support to the user&#39;s foot. The cradle so formed is adapted to receive and may be covered by a cushioned sock (not shown) shaped to the contours of the layer  20 . The sock would be a form of additional padding that would provide further cushioning to the foot. It can be made of leather, micro rubber or polyurethane. 
     FIG. 3  shows the completed footwear outsole construction  10 . The lower layer  11  is cemented to the upper layer  20  encapsulating the wedge-shaped piece in the footwear construction between the top layer  20  and bottom most layer  12  to form a stable walking platform. Lower layer  11  and upper layer  20  are cemented together by using a heat activated cement. The parts are cemented and allowed to dry. They are then heat activated, pressed together and as the cement cools it forms the bond. The completed outsole typically is one quarter inch thick and extends the entire length of the footwear. The invention is useful with footwear such as a clog, dress shoe, walking shoe, sandal, boot, athletic shoe though not a performance athletic shoe and other forms of casual footwear. The heel is cushioned during normal gait by added softness to this area. The foot is supported by the cradle area  21  for stability 
   The heel  22  can be of various heights. But even as you go up in heel height such as in women&#39;s shoes, the sole construction of the present invention is usable unlike prior art outsoles that were unstable due to soft materials used in construction that would crunch and fall over. 
   It should be obvious that changes, additions and omissions may be made in the details and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.