Abstract:
A system of semi-flexible plates arranged and positioned within footwear so as to retain the flexibility associated with the footwear. The system utilizes panels comprised of hybrid carbon composite materials that have been specifically formed and cut to fit various components within the shoe. These semi-flexible panels are configured with apertures to receive placement stitching to retain the panels in a particular location within the construction of the shoe. Various layers of padding are provided to insulate the feet from the panels and from the external surfaces of the shoe. Plates and panels are uniquely positioned in the heel region and on the sides of the shoe or boot. The system provides inter-leaved rib plates extending from either side of the shoe up over the split tongue of the shoe providing flexible protection to both the sides and the top of the wearer&#39;s foot.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit under Title 35 United States Code §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application 61/427,793; filed Dec. 28, 2010; the full disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates generally to footwear and the incorporation of protective plates and panels into footwear. The present invention relates more specifically to footwear, including shoes and boots that incorporate an array of discrete non-metallic plates and panels of composite materials that provide protection for the feet of the wearer from sharp or blunt pointed objects. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Efforts have been made in the past to provide protective components within footwear in order to prevent both sharp and blunt tip objects from penetrating the footwear to injure the feet of the wearer. In general, these past efforts have focused on providing protective plates and panels to the sole and/or toe areas of the feet as being the most common points of contact with objects that might penetrate the shoe or boot and injure the foot. In practice, however, injuries to the foot can occur through other parts of a shoe or boot not associated with the sole or toe. 
         [0006]    The difficulty in providing protective panels or plates to other parts of a shoe generally derives from the need to retain flexibility for the ankle, arch, bridge, and tongue area of the shoe. The types of rigid panels or plates typically incorporated into the sole or into the toe (such as in steel toed boots) are generally not flexible enough to provide the wearer with the same level of comfort as provided for by most type of footwear. With the exception of footwear structured in the nature of ski boots (as an example) where rigidity is essential for overall support, most footwear requires enough flexibility to allow the wearer to bend at the ankles and flex their feet, even while enveloped within the typical shoe or boot. Fatigue and soreness will quickly result from any overly rigid footwear after a period of movement by the wearer. 
         [0007]    Previous efforts that have been made to provide protective plates and panels within footwear to address the problems outlined above, have generally failed as a result of the addition of too much weight in the form of metal plates or the like, or reduced durability as a result of the movement of rigid plates within the otherwise flexible construction of the shoe or boot. The present invention addresses the above mentioned problems by providing an array of semi-flexible plates arranged and positioned within the footwear so as to retain the flexibility originally associated with the specific footwear, especially when the footwear is tightened around the foot of the wearer. The present invention utilizes panels comprised of carbon composite materials, such as Kevlar® or hybrid combinations thereof, that have been specifically formed and cut to fit various components within the shoe. These semi-flexible plates and panels are configured with apertures to receive placement stitching to retain the plates or panels loosely within a particular location within the construction of the shoe. Various layers of foam, gel, or other types of padding are provided to insulate the feet of the wearer from the panels and from the external surface of the shoe. 
         [0008]    The array of panels and plates may be placed in those areas commonly associated with protective plates within footwear, namely the sole and toe region. Additional plates and panels are positioned in the heel region and on the sides of the shoe or boot. Most uniquely, the present invention provides inter-leaved rib plates extending from the base of either side of the shoe up over the tongue area of the shoe in a manner that provides flexible protection to the sides and top of the wearer&#39;s foot. The inter-leaved rib plates may be positioned in association with a lacing configuration or with adjustable rigid closure elements. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The present invention provides an array of semi-flexible plates arranged and positioned within footwear so as to retain the flexibility associated with the footwear. The present invention utilizes panels comprised of hybrid carbon composite materials that have been specifically formed and cut to fit various components within the shoe. These semi-flexible plates and panels are configured with apertures to receive placement stitching to retain the plates or panels within a particular location within the construction of the shoe. Various layers of padding are provided to insulate the feet of the wearer from the panels and from the external surfaces of the shoe. Plates and panels are uniquely positioned in the heel region and on the sides of the shoe or boot. The present invention provides inter-leaved rib plates extending from either side of the shoe up over the split tongue area of the shoe in a manner that provides flexible protection to both the sides and the top of the wearer&#39;s foot. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of an implementation of the system of the present invention in an athletic shoe configuration. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a second preferred embodiment of an implementation of the system of the present invention in an athletic shoe configuration. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a third preferred embodiment of an implementation of the system of the present invention in a boot configuration. 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a detailed cross-sectional view of the region of a shoe behind the toe implementing the protective plates of the present invention showing the various layers associated with the protective panel components. 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a fourth preferred embodiment of an implementation of the system of the present invention in an athletic shoe configuration. 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a detailed cross-sectional view of the region of the shoe behind the toe implementing the protective plates of the fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention showing the various layers associated with the protective panel components. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0016]    Reference is made first to  FIG. 1  for a description of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention wherein the array of protective panels is incorporated into an athletic running shoe. The perspective view shown in  FIG. 1  presents the medial (interior) side of the left shoe of a pair of running shoes, with the understanding that the right shoe would be a mirror image of that shown in  FIG. 1 . In a similar manner, only the medial side of the shoe is shown as the array of plates and panels are symmetrical about the longitudinal axis of the shoe. In other words, with the exception of the toe panel and the heel panel (described in more detail below), each of the panels shown on the medial side of the shoe in  FIG. 1  is duplicated on the lateral (outside) side of the shoe in a manner suitable for incorporation into the standard construction of such a shoe. 
         [0017]    In  FIG. 1 , armored shoe  10  is shown to generally comprise shoe upper  12 , shoe sole  14 , shoe toe region  16 , and shoe heel region  18 . In the specific shoe construction of the present invention, the normal one-piece shoe tongue is replaced with a two-piece component that extends across into either side of the shoe. This two-piece tongue component is made up of lateral tongue half  20   a  and medial tongue half  20   b.    
         [0018]    The protective plate components of the system of the present invention shown positioned within the construction of the shoe (the manner in which these plates are layered within the shoe is described in more detail below) are presented in dashed outline form and are shaded for clarity. The basic components associated with the toe and heel region are relatively straightforward and comprise toe plate  22  and heel plate  26 . The sole plate is not visible in the view shown in  FIG. 1  but is understood to effectively follow the insole construction of the shoe, being retained with an adhesive or other mechanism for fixing the protective plate in conjunction with the sole. Alternately, multiple sole plates might be positioned under the front part of the foot and the heel part of the foot so as to retain an area of flexibility between the sole plates. 
         [0019]    Most unique to the present design are lateral tongue plate ribs  24   a  and medial tongue plate ribs  24   b.  These protective panels or plates may comprise a plurality of parallel ribs separately positioned and sewn into the construction of the shoe, or (as shown in  FIG. 1 ) may be rib extensions off of a connecting section running along the base side of the shoe. As described in more detail below, a preferred embodiment would incorporate each of the rib panels into the latter single plate component structure so as to facilitate the placement, positioning, and retention of the protective rib components within the shoe. The placement of the lateral tongue plate ribs  24   a  on the opposite side of the shoe from the medial tongue plate ribs  24   b  allows the rib ends to be interlaced across the tongue area of the shoe. 
         [0020]    In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , ribs  24   a  are evenly spaced with ribs  24   b  such that they may interlace across the top of the shoe to form a single layer protective surface. Various alternate structures for the same basic concept are anticipated. For example, plate ribs  24   a  and  24   b  may be secured within the fabric or leather layers of the shoe (described in more detail below) along their full length, ending near the edge of each of the respective split tongue components for the shoe. Alternately, it may be desirable for both functional and aesthetic reasons to allow plate ribs  24   a  and  24   b  to extend out from the fabric (split tongue) of the shoe and thereby be visible on the outer surface of the shoe. The same type of interlacing to provide a generally complete protective surface may be accomplished whether the rib ends are fully contained within the fabric layers of the shoe or extend out from the fabric layers to form interlacing extensions across the top of the shoe. 
         [0021]    It is further anticipated that when the shoe of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  bends, typically bringing the heel up and forward towards the toe, the edges of the various plate ribs comprising lateral tongue plate ribs  24   a  and medial tongue plate ribs  24   b  will make compressive contact with each other across the top of the shoe. In order to facilitate this compressive movement between the edges of the plate ribs, a preferenced overlap may be established by modifying the cross-sectional structure of the ribs or by initially positioning one rib slightly overlapping the rib above it. A modified cross-sectional profile may provide a raised upper edge to receive a freely floating rib lower edge and thereby direct an upper rib under a lower rib. Alternately, the adjacent ribs may be positioned slightly one on top of the other (with a reduced cross-sectional profile to maintain a low profile for the entire assembly) such that when a compressive arching of the top of the shoe occurs, each rib moves beneath the rib adjacent to it rather than make direct compressive contact. 
         [0022]    The interlaced configuration provides for full protection of the top of the foot without requiring two layers of protective plates. In other words, while it would certainly be possible to utilize solid plates across the tongue area of the shoe, such would greatly increase the weight of the shoe and the thickness of the upper of the shoe, especially across the top tongue area. The configuration of the present invention eliminates both weight and thickness within the shoe construction by utilizing interlaced rib components. Accommodations are also made in this configuration for the typical lacing eyelets that are positioned on either side of the shoe and which would be joined by the standard shoelace so as to allow the user to draw the sides of the shoe together for a tight fit. 
         [0023]    In addition to the lateral and medial tongue plate ribs  24   a  and  24   b,  each side of the shoe incorporates an ankle plate. The lateral (outside) ankle plate is not seen in the view in  FIG. 1  while medial (inside ankle plate) is shown as described above. As would be apparent, the specific configuration of the lateral side plate components not shown in  FIG. 1  would necessarily accommodate the standard configuration differences between the medial and lateral sides of the typical athletic shoe. 
         [0024]    Reference is now made to  FIG. 2  for a detailed description of an alternate embodiment of the implementation of the present invention in an athletic running shoe configuration. In this view, the eyelets associated with a typical set of shoelaces have been replaced with slide buckle configurations typically made of semi-rigid plastic material. In the view of  FIG. 2 , armored shoe  40  is again generally comprised of shoe upper  42 , shoe sole  44 , shoe toe region  46 , and shoe heel region  48 . Again, the tongue construction of the shoe is comprised of lateral tongue half  50   a  and medial tongue half  50   b.    
         [0025]    The protective plate construction in this embodiment is similar in most respects to the plate construction shown in  FIG. 1  with some modification to the specific geometries and positions for the plates. Toe plate  52  is positioned as shown and described previously as is heel plate  56 . Outside ankle plate (not shown) is positioned on the lateral side of the shoe, while inside (medial) ankle plate  58  is configured and placed as shown. Lateral side plate ribs  62   a - 62   e  are shown to extend up from a base component  60  for the side plate, while the ends of medial side plate ribs  64   a - 64   e  are shown extending up from the opposite side of the shoe. 
         [0026]    The bindings shown in  FIG. 2  comprise top outside binding  66  and bottom outside binding  68  which are attached to the relevant parts of the shoe construction by plastic attachment rivets  70 . Top inside binding  72  and bottom inside binding  74  are likewise shown extending up from the opposite side of the shoe. 
         [0027]    The attachment of the various protective panels and plates shown in both  FIGS. 1 and 2  may be accomplished by a number of mechanisms. The panels may be adhesively positioned and retained within the layers of the shoe (see cross-sectional diagram described in more detail below) or may preferably be provided with apertures through which stitching may be directed to position and retain the plates more flexibly within the shoe construction. Adhesive material would generally prevent the free sliding movement of the panels within the shoe construction, while the use of relatively loose stitching would allow the panels greater flexibility and movement within the shoe to match the movement of the wearer. These stitching apertures are shown generally as placement stitching apertures  54  in  FIG. 2 . It is understood that similar aperture placements may be implemented in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  and with the further embodiments described in more detail below. 
         [0028]    Reference is next made to  FIG. 3  which is a third embodiment of the implementation of the system of the present invention in a boot configuration. It will be understood that the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3  might be implemented with either the shoelace construction shown in  FIG. 1  or, as is shown in  FIG. 3 , with the rigid binding configuration similar to that shown in  FIG. 2 . The features added in  FIG. 3  generally include the additional binding  110  but also include the additional upper protective plate  116  and heel plate  96 . This version further incorporates the rib construction of lateral and medial side plate ribs  102  and  104 . In the preferred embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 3  incorporating the array of protective panels into a boot, the top protective plate incorporates two ribs coming from each side which are interlaced underneath the additional binding component as shown. In this manner, the same protective coverage over the tongue area of the boot may be incorporated into the uppermost section of the boot across the area of the wearer&#39;s leg immediately above the ankle. The “break” between the interlaced rib panels allows for the highest level of flexibility between the two sections at the ankle area. 
         [0029]    The embodiment shown in  FIG. 3  provides for either a one-piece or two-piece upper protective plate  116 . A two-piece plate would have a mirror image lateral side to the medial side of the structure shown in  FIG. 3  wherein the protective plate ribs  118   a  (for example) extend across the tongue area of the shoe and then back to a solid side protective plate area extending to a mid-line on the back of the shoe. A one-piece configuration would simply extend all of the way across and around the back of the shoe to form the plate ribs on the lateral side of the shoe in a solid configuration. Alternately, it may be preferable to retain greater flexibility at the mid-line on the back of the boot wherein the two-piece configuration described above would be preferable. Where some greater ankle support is required, the one-piece embodiment would be preferred. 
         [0030]    A further alternate embodiment would extend upper protective plate  116  lower over the ankle area of the medial side of the boot reducing the height of the lower heel plate  96  and side plate  98 . A further alternate embodiment would introduce a third (counting from top to bottom) protective plate immediately over the ankle bone on the shoe (again, typically on the medial side of the foot) so as to provide specific protection for the ankle bone while still providing flexibility side to side at two points in the protective panel assembly. This “floating” panel  97  situated over the ankle bone would typically be formed and shaped into a domed configuration so as to allow for movement and comfort within the boot while still providing full protection for this commonly impacted point on the foot. Appropriate stitching or adhesive placement means would be utilized in conjunction with each of the various protective plate embodiments described above. 
         [0031]    In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, using hybrid composite materials is the most effective approach as they provide a better balance of material properties. Suggested hybrid materials would preferably have an intermediate modulus carbon fiber such as T300 or AS 4  with an E glass or Kevlar 49 fiber. The carbon/E glass hybrid would be the most cost effective solution. Hybrid fabric weight should be between 179 and 270 gsm and the armor components should consist of 3 to 4 ply of the material. Component thicknesses will vary dependent on location of use within the shoe. 
         [0032]    Resin matrix systems used in the preferred embodiment will depend to some extent on the manufacturing approach. Thermoplastic systems have the advantage of being the most automation friendly but may be more expensive than thermoset systems. Automation should offset the cost difference to some extent and when considered together with the added storage and handling costs when using thermoset systems, should be the most appropriate. 
         [0033]    In addition to providing a protective system for the top and front of the foot of the wearer, the systems and arrangements of the present invention retain the same flexibility associated with the leather or fabric construction normally associated with shoes and boots. In other words, whereas a solid set of panels that might overlap in the tongue area would provide a similar level of protection, the rigidity that would result from such solid panels would not allow the shoe construction to retain the flexibility required. The ribbed construction shown in the present invention not only allows for the elimination of multiple layers of protective panels, but also allows for improved flexibility between the ribs where only the leather or fabric construction of the shoe is positioned. In this manner a complete, or nearly complete, level of protection is provided across the top front of the shoe or boot construction, while the flexibility of the shoe or boot is fully retained. 
         [0034]    Reference is next made to  FIG. 4  for a detailed description of a typical cross-sectional view of the armored shoe of the system of the present invention. The cross-section shown in  FIG. 4  may be taken at a point behind the toe section of the shoe immediately before the area where the split tongue components are structured. In this view, armored shoe  120  is seen to be comprised of upper  122 , sole  124 , and insole base  126 . Shoe upper  122  and insole base  126  are stitched to sole  124  by means of sole stitching  128  as is typical in the art. 
         [0035]    In the example shown in  FIG. 4 , composite plate/rib  130  is shown to extend up from one side of the shoe over the top of the shoe and partially across the top. A second section of composite plate/rib  131  is seen on an opposing side of the shoe as it might appear in cross-section opposite the first composite plate/rib  130 . 
         [0036]    Each of the composite plate/ribs  130  &amp;  131  incorporate vents  132  to facilitate the transfer of moisture from the foot (the interior of the shoe) outward. Such vents may preferably also be present in gel padding  134  which is configured as shown around the foot both above and below. Layered interior to gel padding  134  is reinforced padding  136 , which in the preferred embodiment, provides a wicking action to direct moisture away from the foot and outward through vents  132 . A similar structure is provided for with sole  124  of the shoe, wherein layered on insole base  126 , are optional insole plate  140  and insole padding  138 . Composite plate/ribs  130  &amp;  131  are held in place using plate stitching  133  as described above. 
         [0037]    Reference is next made to  FIG. 5  for a description of a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention wherein an array of protective panels is incorporated onto the exterior of an athletic running shoe (as an example). The perspective view shown in  FIG. 5  presents the medial (interior) side of the left shoe of a pair of running shoes, understanding that the right shoe would be a mirror image of that shown in  FIG. 5 . In a similar manner, only the medial side of the shoe is shown as the arrangement of plates and panels are generally symmetrical about the longitudinal axis of the shoe. In other words, the toe panel and the heel panel (described in more detail below) are structured in a generally symmetrical manner across the front and back of the shoe. The mid-shoe panel shown on the medial side of the shoe in  FIG. 5  is likewise generally symmetrical on the lateral (outside) side of the shoe in a manner suitable for application onto the exterior surface of the standard construction of such a shoe, accommodating variations in the curve of the sole and the side panels as necessary. 
         [0038]    In  FIG. 5 , armored shoe  150  is shown to generally comprise shoe upper  152 , shoe sole  154 , shoe toe region  156 , and shoe heel region  158 . In the specific shoe construction of this fourth embodiment of the present invention, the normal one-piece shoe tongue is replaced with a two-piece component that extends across to either side of the shoe. This two-piece tongue component is made up of lateral tongue half  160   a  and medial tongue half  160   b.    
         [0039]    The protective plate components of the fourth embodiment system of the present invention are shown positioned exterior to the construction of the shoe (the manner in which these plates are layered onto the exterior surface of the shoe is described in more detail below) and are presented in  FIG. 5  overlaying the basic components of an athletic type shoe such as that shown in the first preferred embodiment of  FIG. 1 . The basic components associated with the toe and heel regions are relatively straightforward and comprise toe plate  162  and heel plate  166 . These may be permanently adhered to the outer surface of the shoe. The sole plate is not visible in the view shown in  FIG. 5 , but is understood to effectively follow the in-sole construction of the shoe as described above with regard to the first preferred embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 . The sole plate is retained with an adhesive or other mechanism for fixing the protective plate in conjunction with the sole. Alternately, multiple sole plates may be positioned under the front part of the foot and heel part of the foot so as to retain an area of flexibility between the sole plates, again similar to the manner in which the first preferred embodiment is described above. 
         [0040]    In this fourth preferred embodiment, the most unique component is mid-shoe crossover plate  164 . This unitary protective panel comprises a single plate configured with lateral apertures to form a plurality of parallel ribs each positioned and structured across the upper of the shoe. This unitary mid-shoe plate  164  is shown to incorporate apertures  168   a  and  168   b  to effectively imitate the rib function of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention described above. In this case, however, the plate is positioned on the exterior of the shoe once the user has secured the shoe to the foot and drawn the lacing tight. Mid-shoe plate  164  is then attached to the shoe by means of a number of snap connectors  170   a - 170   d.  The structure of these snap connectors is described in more detail below in conjunction with  FIG. 6 . The array of snap connectors shown on the medial side of shoe  150  in  FIG. 5  is duplicated on the lateral side of the shoe not seen in the view of  FIG. 5 . 
         [0041]    Reference is next made to  FIG. 6  for a detailed description of a cross-sectional view of the fourth preferred embodiment of the armored shoe of the system of the present invention. The cross section shown in  FIG. 6  may be taken at a point behind the toe section of the shoe immediately before the area where the split tongue components are structured. In this view, armored shoe  180  is seen to be comprised of upper  182 , sole  184 , and in-sole base  186 . Shoe upper  182  and in-sole base  186  are stitched to sole  184  by means of sole stitching  188  as is typical in the art. 
         [0042]    In the example shown in  FIG. 6 , composite plate  190  is shown to extend up from one side of the shoe on the exterior of the shoe, over the top of the shoe, and fully across the top to the opposite edge of the sole. As described above, the edges of composite plate  190  are secured to the upper  182  of the shoe where it meets the sole  184  by means of a plurality of snap rivet connectors  200 . In this embodiment of the present invention, it is not necessary for the composite plate  130  to incorporate vents of any type as the plate is already positioned on the exterior of the shoe and need not provide for the evaporation of moisture from the interior of the shoe outward. The interior components of this fourth preferred embodiment of the shoe of the present invention are similar to those described above in conjunction with the first preferred embodiment. The layered interior is shown to preferably include gel padding  194  positioned adjacent to reinforced padding  196 , which in the preferred embodiment provides a wicking action to direct moisture away from the foot and outward from the shoe. A similar structure is provided for with sole  184  of the shoe wherein layered on in-sole base  186  are optional in-sole plate  192  and in-sole padding  198 . 
         [0043]    The present invention therefore provides an array of unique composite material plates positioned and retained within the structure of a shoe or boot so as to provide protection for the foot of the wearer while at the same time retaining the comfort and flexibility of the shoe or boot. The placement and configuration of the plates provide a means for protecting the foot while not significantly adding to the weight of the shoe or boot, or compromising its flexibility. In addition, the manner in which the plates are incorporated into the structure of the shoe allow for movement without the usual degrading friction that results from rigid or semi-rigid components rubbing against the cloth or leather material of the shoe construction. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that alternative placements, depending upon the type of the shoe, as well as alternative composite materials, may be used in the overall system. In addition, a wide variety of closure or tightening mechanisms beyond lacing and buckle-type straps are anticipated for use with the system of the present invention. The interlaced rib construction of the present invention allows for a wide variety of crossover tightening mechanisms of the shoe or boot. Other modifications to the basic configurations described as preferred embodiments in the above description are anticipated.