Ventilated shoe sole construction with improved medical support

Abstract

A ventilated shoe sole construction provides improved ventilation in the sole area of a shoe or boot, while preserving comfort and protection of the foot, as well as added support to the arch of the shoe wearer. It employs four principal components: (1) a footbed through which air may pass; (2) a sockliner through which air may pass; (3) a channeled midsole or outsole; and (4) and an air intake/exhaust device mating and communicating with the channels in the midsole or outsole to allow outside air to pass into the sole and then into the area adjacent the wearer's foot, and in turn to allow air to exhaust from the foot area, through the sole, and then to the outside of the shoe.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/783,737 filed on Mar. 17, 2006, now pending, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety into this specification.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

For health and comfort reasons, it is desirable that footwear both protects the foot and allows air to enter and leave the enclosed internal environment of a shoe or boot. Many attempts are made to make today's footwear both protective and breathable. For example, there are many shoes and boots comprised of uppers that are partially or completely lined with a breathable membrane, such as products sold under the Gore-Tex® and Sympatex® brand names. However, although the membrane is breathable, the layers of material surrounding it, as well as the adhesives and material waterproofing agents commonly used in the manufacture of such types of uppers, can substantially impede breathability. Other shoes include a breathable sockliner and holes punched in the outsole bottom, but that construction may be effective only if the shoe or boot is never worn on a surface that contains debris that may clog the holes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides improved ventilation in the sole area of a shoe or boot, while preserving comfort and protection of the foot. It employs four principal components: (1) a footbed through which air may pass; (2) a sockliner through which air may pass; (3) a channeled midsole or outsole; and (4) an air intake/exhaust device mating and communicating with the channels in the sole to allow outside air to pass into the sole, and to allow air to exhaust from the sole. The air intake/exhaust device also serves to provide added support to the arch of the wearer's foot.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The following description of the invention will make reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a medial side elevational view of a shoe constructed according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a channeled midsole incorporated in the shoe of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the midsole and outsole of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the shoe of FIG. 1, taken along line A-A of FIGS. 2 and 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the air intake/exhaust device as seen from the interior side;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the device of FIG. 5 as seen from the exterior side;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the shoe of FIG. 1, as seen from the lateral side of the shoe;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the perforated insole;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the breathable sockliner;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the channeled insole with the air intake/exhaust device shown above its ultimate position on the insole;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the outsole.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 depicts a shoe 10 having an upper portion 12, a midsole 14, and an outsole 16. The upper end of the air intake/exhaust device 20 of the present invention is seen at the top edge of midsole 14. As shown in FIG. 2, the upper surface of midsole 14 includes a grid of channels 18 preferably extending over the width and length of the midsole. The position of intake/exhaust device 20 relative to midsole 14 and channels 18 is shown by the outline of device 20 superimposed over the grid of channels 18. FIG. 3 depicts midsole 14 and the upper end of intake/exhaust device 20. Channels 22 formed in device 20 are shown in dotted line extending down from the upper end of the device. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view as seen in the direction A-A depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3. Air intake/exhaust device 20, depicted more fully in FIGS. 5 and 6, includes L-shaped body portion 24 that extends downward from the side of midsole 14 and across a portion of the midsole. Channels 22 in device 20 mate and communicate with corresponding channels 18 in midsole 14.

FIGS. 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 provide an exploded view of the shoe construction according to the present invention, depicting upper 12, midsole 14, outsole 16, insole 26, and sock liner 28. Insole 26 is perforated, and sock liner 28 is “breathable,” so that air may pass through them. Air intake/exhaust device 20 is positioned on midsole 14 so that corresponding channels 18 of midsole 14 mate and communicate with channels 22 of device 20. Channels 22 are preferably shaped to sit within midsole channels 18, the channels 18 and 22 preferably being arcuate or semi-circular in cross-section. The outline of device 20 is seen projected onto midsole 14 in FIG. 10.

In the instant construction, the foot will sit on perforated insole 26. This insole may be molded to be contoured or flat, may be covered with a fabric, may be foam or solid, may be composed of single or multiple densities, and may be made from a material like polyurethane, EVA, leather, etc., that would allow it to function as a insole or footbed.

The sockliner 28 may be a fabric that is woven, knit, or non-woven, leather or any other material that would function as a sockliner. The breathable sockliner (or a sockliner of which only certain portions are breathable) is attached to the bottom of the upper 12, in conventional fashion. The upper 12 and sockliner 28 are then attached to midsole 14, which may be made of solid or foam polyurethane, EVA, rubber, or of any material that would function as a midsole. The outsole may be leather, rubber, or any material that would function as an outsole.

Air intake/exhaust device 20 may be made from injected or formed plastic, such as TPU, PVC, EVA, Nylon, Pebax, Hytrel, Delrin, etc. It is preferably rigid in order to provide added support for the wearer's arch. The air intake/exhaust device continues upwardly beyond the edge of the midsole or outsole, or protrudes through an opening in the midsole or outsole. A portion of the air intake/exhaust device maintains contact with the surface of the upper to create a sealed environment. At the end of the channels 22 the air intake/exhaust device is a port 30 through which air and moisture vapor can pass (See FIG. 10). This port (or series of holes) may be covered by a properly sealed breathable membrane 32 such as those sold under the Gore-Tex® or Sympatex® brand names, in order to allow air and moisture vapor to pass into and out of the air intake/exhaust device while keeping any liquids or debris from entering the internal environment of the shoe.

The perforations in the insole 26, which sits above the breathable sockliner 28, are preferably aligned with the channels 18 of the midsole or outsole in order to allow air from the internal environment of the shoe to pass through the perforated insole, through the breathable sockliner, and into the channels or grooves of the midsole or outsole, one or more of which are in turn connected to the channels in the air intake/exhaust device 20. This internal air then may pass through the covered air intake/exhaust opening or port 30.

During the wearer's walking motion, the downward motion of the foot (in particular, when the shoe makes contact with the ground) forces the air surrounding the foot (in particular under the arch) through the perforation in the insole 26 and through the breathable sockliner 28, into the midsole or outsole channels 18, and then, via device channels 22, out of the port 30 of the air intake/exhaust device 20. As the foot is lifted off the ground, fresh air is drawn into the shoe passing first through the port 30, then through the air intake/exhaust channel or channels 22, through the channels in the midsole or outsole 18, through the breathable sockliner 28, through the perforated insole 26, and into the environment surrounding the foot.

Many types of footwear would benefit from a ventilation system as described above. However, certain types of footwear do not require that liquids or debris be kept from entering the internal environment of the shoe: for example, athletic shoes and tennis or basketball shoes generally do not require this additional property. Therefore, another embodiment of this device may not have a breathable membrane 32 covering its exhaust/intake opening or port 30.

The air intake/exhaust device 20 also may be constructed to provide additional support to the medial midfoot region of the wearer's foot. Often times a metal or plastic element called a ‘shank’ is attached to the midfoot of an outsole or midsole in order to rigidify the midsole or outsole in that area—specifically in cases when there is a void in the bottom of a midsole and/or outsole in between the heel and the ball of the shoe, creating a situation in which the sole bottom in this area does not make contact with the ground. This shank prevents the sole in this area from collapsing from the weight of the shoe wearer's body when the wearer steps down onto the ground, by supporting the foot, and specifically the arch of the foot. The molded plastic air intake/exhaust device 20 may be shaped and constructed to function as such a shank, thereby providing the additional benefit of support to the medial midfoot region of the foot.

The foregoing description is intended primarily for purposes of illustration. This invention may be embodied in other forms or carried out in other ways without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A shoe sole construction comprising:

a midsole or outsole having an upper surface with a plurality of ventilation channels formed thereon; and

an air intake/exhaust device having one or more device channels formed therein that mate and communicate with a corresponding one or more of the ventilation channels to allow air to pass into said ventilation channels from outside the shoe via said device channels, and to permit air to exit from said ventilation channels to the outside.

2. The shoe sole construction of claim 1, in which the air intake/exhaust device is located in the medial midfoot region of the shoe.

3. The shoe sole construction of claim 2, in which intake/exhaust device is constructed of substantially rigid material in order to provide additional support to the medial midfoot region of the wearer's foot.

4. The shoe sole construction of claim 3 in which the air intake/exhaust device includes a port region through which air enters and exits the device channels.

5. The shoe sole construction of claim 4 in which a breathable membrane is attached over the port region of the intake/exhaust device

6. The shoe sole construction of claim 5, in which air enters into and exits from the air intake/exhaust device at a location substantially at the upper edge of or above the sole of the shoe.

7. The shoe sole construction of claim 1, further comprising a perforated sockliner located above the midsole or outsole and allowing air to travel between the ventilation channels and the area adjacent the wearer's foot.

8. The shoe sole construction of claim 7, further comprising a breathable insole located between the midsole or outsole and the sockliner and allowing air to travel between the ventilation channels and the area adjacent the wearer's foot.