VIBRATION DAMPENING AND PRESSURE RELIEVING INNERSOLE FOR CYCLING SHOE

Abstract

Disclosed herein are innersoles for cycling shoes and to cycling shoes including such innersoles.

Description

RELATED CASES

Priority is hereby claimed to commonly-owned and co-pending Provisional Application No. 61/384,700 filed on Sep. 20, 2010, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an innersole for a bicycle shoe that reduces vibration and hot spots and pressure at the point of contact with the pedal.

BACKGROUND

In most athletic activities, footwear is designed to absorb shock and impact of running, walking, jumping or bouncing activities, which has been accomplished by utilizing many combinations of supporting shapes and cushioning materials.

Cycling shoes, unlike other forms of athletic footwear, have very different design consideration. During cycling, a user's cycling shoe does not impact the ground, or other surfaces, because the shoe is attached to or supported by a pedal. Therefore, the cushioning or impact absorbing characteristics of a cycling shoe are not the same as would be desirable or necessary for other athletic shoes, for which impact absorption is important, such as running, jumping or walking, during which the heel is often a primary impact site. While some cycling shoes are intended for walking purposes as well, many are designed solely for pedaling.

In addition, reduced weight is an advantage in cycling. Therefore, cycling shoes are designed to be lightweight.

During cycling, it is also desirable to maximize the energy transfer energy from a cyclist's foot, to the pedal of the bike. To facilitate energy transfer, it is desirable to maintain the cyclist's foot in fixed relation to the pedal and/or cleat. Therefore, cycling shoes are often made of stiff materials, such as carbon fiber composites, which minimizes flexing and shifting during the cycle stroke.

Unlike other sports shoes, cycling shoes have a singular, non-impact contact point, often resulting in numbness and pain. This non-impact contact region is located in the interface between the forefoot and the pedal, and is often referred to as the “hot spot” region. Long or medium distance cycling exposes the foot to continuous pressure and vibration in the hot spot, and the effect is different in kind than a force or bouncing pressure that can vary in location and over time in other activities. In cycling, even though there is no ground impact to consider, there is a repetitive and sometimes nearly constant pressure, vibration, friction and sheer forces exerted on the hot spot, as the result of the steady, repetitive movement during the pedal stroke. The problems associated with the hot spot can be exacerbated in the cleat region of clipless cycling shoes.

There is a need for a cycling innersole that can relieve pressure, reduce vibration, sheer and/or friction at the hot spot, and for a cycling shoe including such an innersole.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure is directed to an innersole for a cycling shoe with a cleat region, comprising an innersole body, a recessed region defined in the innersole body, corresponding to the cleat region of the cycling shoe, an insert disposed in the recessed region, the insert comprising a first material layer comprising a thickness of between about 0.010″ and 0.150″ and a second material layer comprising a thickness between about 0.0005″ to about 0.010″.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other features and advantages will be apparent from the following more particular description of exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the disclosure. In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a top view of a cycling shoe innersole according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the innersole shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of the innersole shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the innersole shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the innersole shown in FIG. 1, without the insert;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the innersole shown in FIG. 5, without the insert, through line 6-6;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the innersole shown in FIG. 1, through line 7-7;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the innersole shown in FIG. 1, through line 7-7;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the innersole shown in FIG. 1, through line 7-7; and

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the innersole shown in FIG. 1, through line 7-7;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure relates to an innersole for a cycling shoe, which relieves problems in the “hot spot” region, and to cycling shoes comprising such an innersole. The “hot spot region,” as used herein, means the interface region between the forefoot, cleat and/or pedal. The innersole comprises an insert disposed in the hot spot region.

Space in a cycling shoe is very limited, especially in the forefoot. Therefore, the present inserts comprises relatively thin layers of very low durometer gel. By using low durometer gels, the constant pressure and vibrations from the road transmitted up to the hot spot region can be relieved and/or dampened. The selection of gel material is different than usual innersole materials that would be designed to absorb impacts. The low durometer gels function like an added layer of fat, taking pressure from the foot, rather than relieving shocks. The very low durometer materials are capable of absorbing micro-vibrations from the road that also contribute to numbness in the hot spot region.

The size, shape and configuration of the inserts are user-selected in the present design to correspond to the size, shape and configuration of the hot spot region for a particular shoe design. Thus, in the present cycling innersoles, the cushioning area is minimized, unlike other athletic innersoles, where it is desirable to maximize the cushioning area.

FIGS. 1-7, when taken together, illustrate one exemplary innersole 10 according to the present disclosure. As shown, innersole 10 comprises an innersole body 18 with opposing top and bottom surfaces 10a,b, a forefoot region 12, an instep region 14, and a cupped heel region 16. An insert 20 is disposed in the forefoot region 12. As noted above, it is desirable for innersoles for cycling shoes to be as thin and lightweight as possible. Therefore, innersole 10 can comprise a thickness T₀ ranging from about 0.050″ to about 0.200″, more particularly about 0.080″ to about 0.150″.

Insert 20 can comprise a polymeric material layer 30 and an outer layer 40 and, in some embodiments, an optional layer 50 can be disposed adjacent to the polymeric layer 30, and opposite the outer layer 40 (as shown in FIGS. 7-9). Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 10, the adhesive material 24 can be eliminated, allowing the insert 20 to be adhered directly to the innersole body 18 in the recessed region 22.

The present inserts may be manufactured using the materials and techniques disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,827,704 and U.S. Publication Nos. US 2008/0034614 and US 2009/0255625, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

An insert thickness of about 0.090″ has been found effective for reducing or eliminating the hot spot affect in cleated cycling shoes, but the thickness maybe varied depending on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, the shoe design, cleat dimensions, pedal dimensions, material, and the like. Accordingly, inserts 20 can comprise a thickness ranging from about 0.020″ to about 0.150″, more particularly about 0.040″ to about 0.120″, more particularly still about 0.060″ to about 0.100″.

In some embodiments, a traditional sock lining material 80 may be disposed on the top surface 10a of the innersole 10 to, for example, absorb sweat. Suitable sock lining materials include, but are not limited to, polyester, nylon, polypropelene, wool, and the like, including both wovens, nonwovens, and films thereof, and combinations of the foregoing.

As shown best in FIG. 5, innersole body 18 comprises a recessed region 22 with sidewalls 22a, formed in the forefoot region 12, for receiving the insert 20 therein. Recessed region 22 comprises a depth D, which may vary depending on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, the material from which the innersole body 18 is formed, the shoe design and materials, the cleat design and dimensions, the pedal dimensions, and the like. A suitable depth D is sufficient to accommodate the thickness of the insert 20 (as shown in FIGS. 7 and 10), although it can be varied to allow the insert to be recessed (as shown in FIG. 9), or to extend outside of the recess (as shown in FIG. 8).

Alternatively, although not illustrated herein, innersole body 18 can comprise an opening or hole extending from the top surface to the bottom surface, for receiving the insert 20 therein, and in such an embodiment, the sidewalls of the insert 20 could be attached to the sidewalls of the opening or hole, using a variety of techniques, such as gluing, bonding, welding, and the like.

The innersole body 18 can be formed from any material comprising sufficient structural integrity to be formed into predetermined shapes, including polymeric materials; sufficient softness and/or pliability to provide comfort against a foot; and that is capable of withstanding the environment in which it is intended to be used, without substantial degradation. Suitable materials for innersole body 18 include, but are not limited to, polyurethane, polyethylene, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), including open or closed cell foams thereof, and combinations of the foregoing.

The recessed region 22 can be formed in the forefoot region 16 using a variety of techniques, including during molding, or by molding the innersole body 18 without the recessed region, and forming the recessed region by compressing the material in that region, to create the recessed region.

Suitable materials for layers 30 and 40 of the insert 20 are described in the above-referenced applications. The gel can comprise one or more layers of any material or combination of materials having sufficient structural integrity to be formed into predetermined shapes, and that is capable of withstanding the environment in which it is intended to be used, without substantial degradation. Examples of suitable materials include viscoelastic polymeric materials, and the like. Examples of suitable polymeric materials include, but are not limited to, thermosetting polymeric materials, elastomeric polymeric materials, thermoplastic materials, including thermoplastic elastomeric materials, and combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing. Some possible polymeric materials include, but are not limited to, polyurethane, silicone, and/or the like, and combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing materials.

In such instances, it has been found that viscoelastic polymeric gels are suitable. In one exemplary embodiment, the gel insert comprises a polyurethane gel material with a durometer below 60 Shore 00. In another exemplary embodiment, the gel insert comprises a gel material with a 00 Shore 60 or below. Even lower durometer ranges have been used depending on the level and type of vibration dampening desired and the amount of pressure relief.

One example of a suitable gel is a polyurethane gel comprising a durometer ranging from about 0.01 Shore 00 to less than or equal to about 70 Shore A, more particularly less than 70 Shore 00, more particularly still less than 60 Shore 00. The durometer of the polymer can be determined by those of ordinary skill in the art using tools such as durometers or penetrometers.

Formation of the gel can take place by a variety of methods known to those of skill in the art. For example, formation of a polyurethane gel can comprise reacting suitable pre-polymeric precursor materials e.g., reacting a polyol and an isocyanate in the presence of a catalyst.

The gel can comprise a thickness of about 0.010″ and 0.150″, more particularly about 0.040″ and 0.110″, and more particularly still about 0.060″ and 0.100″.

In many embodiments, the low durometer gel has a film, fabric, laminate or other material covering its bottom surface where it comes in contact with the bottom of the bicycle shoe. This can also be desirable since the low durometer gel exposed can in many cases be sticky. Alternatively, it can be covered by a fabric, non-woven, other film, or film laminate or any proper covering material.

The optional outer layer can comprise any material capable of providing sufficient elasticity to prevent tearing and/or stretching when a force is applied thereto; sufficient structural integrity to be formed into predetermined shapes; and that is capable of withstanding the environment in which it is intended to be used (e.g., repetitive sliding and the like), without substantial degradation. The outer layer also can be selected to facilitate the handling of the polymer layer, which can comprise adhesive characteristics in some instances. Therefore, after molding, the outer layer can be selected to comprise a relatively non-tacky surface and a relatively smooth feel to the human touch.

Some possible materials for the outer layer include polyolefins, polystyrenes, PVC, latex rubber, and thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs), and/or the like, and combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing materials. Some possible TPE materials include polyurethane, silicone, and/or the like, and combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing materials.

Other possible materials for the outer layer include, but are not limited to, fabrics, paper, plastic (e.g., polyester, nylon, polyolefin, Teflon, silicon, EVA, Vinyl, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and the like) metal, metallized plastic, and/or the like, and combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing materials. Polyurethane film can be desirable due to its combination of durability and elasticity and softness and flexibility.

The outer layer can comprise an elongation of about 100 percent (%) to about 1500%, more particularly about 200% to about 1000%, and more particularly still about 300% to about 700%”.

While PU film or other elastic or somewhat elastic films can be used as the outer layer, other durable materials can be used for the outer layer including knit, woven and nonwoven fabrics, leather, vinyl or any other suitable material. In some cases the heating or otherwise forming or pre-stretching of materials with more limited stretch can aid in their use.

The use of actives in the inner or outer layer or the foam itself can be desirable, such as the addition of silver or copper based actives to act as an antimicrobial or antifungal agent.

The bottom or top surface of the gel can in some embodiments be covered by a thin film such as a thin TPE film or 0.0005″ to 0.010″ thick or more preferably between 0.0006″ to 0.005″ thick.

Any number of thicknesses of film can be used, but polyurethane film thicknesses of between 0.001 and 0.010″ may be desirable. Thicker films are more durable, but they may add to the weight of the innersole.

Outer layer can comprise any thickness capable of allowing the products to be molded without sticking to the mold. The thickness of the outer layer can be varied depending upon the application and the desired thickness for a particular application can be determined using routine experimentation by those of ordinary skill in the art. The outer layer can comprise a thickness ranging from about 0.2 milli-inch (hereinafter “mil”) to about 60 mil, more particularly from about 0.5 mil to about 30 mil, and more particularly still from about 1.0 mil to about 15 mil. For example, in instances in which the hand-feel of the products is important, it has been found that this can be achieved with relatively thin outer layers. Therefore, in such products it can be desirable to use the thinnest outer layer possible without sacrificing durability. For example, for applications in which a relatively thin outer layer is desirable, it can comprise a thickness ranging from about 0.2 milli-inch to about 6 mil, more particularly from about 0.5 mil to about 3 mil, and more particularly still from about 0.6 mil to about 2 mil.

When the durometer of the polymerized layer is such that it is tacky, the tacky material can be exposed if the outer layer is punctured, making the products difficult to handle. In such instances, it can be desirable to use a thicker outer layer, which can provide increased durability in comparison to thinner outer layers. For example, when the present materials are used in vibration dampening applications, it can be desirable for the thickness of the outer layer to be about 50 to about 60 mil.

It may be desirable to include dimples or thin and thick areas of the gel. Small grooves or channels or raised areas can be molded into the gel on its top or bottom surface to affect the vibration dampening and pressure relief properties as well as the air flow across the gel in the shoe. Deeper channels or perforations in the gel can be desirable for added breathability or air flow. Deep molded “fingers” or protrusions in the gel can provide thickness with elimination of some unnecessary weight and can help move to reduce sheer and also eliminate vibration, which are important in reducing the numbness and “hot spots”.

It may be desirable for the area covered by the insert to be sufficient to cover the maximum adjustment points of the cleat adjustment through the ranges of sizes for which it is to be used. Therefore, the dimensions above allow for the fact that the rider can adjust the cleat position forward in a slide built into the base of most cycling shoes. In some embodiments, multiple size shoes may be fitted from the same innersole shape by trimming off the front of the innersole to fit the particular shoe. Detailed measurements showing the dimensions from the back of the heel to the frontmost cleat attach point in a variety of sizes of mens and womens cycling shoes are shown below in Tables A and B. The dimensions were measured from the rear of the heel to the cleat, and the dimensions for the gel area as shown in the tables has been found suitable for this purpose, but other dimensions can be utilized.

TABLE A
WOMEN'S MEASUREMENTS
			Slide ¾ in	Slide ¾ in
	SIZE		SIDIS	SHIMANO
	36			5½	in
	37	5½	in	5¾	in
	38	5¾	in	6	in
	39	6	in
	40			6¼	in
	41			6½	in
	42	6½	in	6½-6 10/16
	43	6 11/16 (6¾ in)

TABLE B
MEN'S MEASUREMENTS
	Slide 1 2/16 in
	SIZE		SIDIS	SHIMANO
	40	5⅞	in	6¼ in (4″ to toe)
	41	5 15/16	in
	42	6	in
	43
	44	6½	in
	45
	46			7 2/16 in
	47	7	in
	48
	49	7½	in

It should be noted that the terms “first,” “second,” and the like herein do not denote any order or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another, and the terms “a” and “an” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced items. Similarly, it is noted that the terms “bottom” and “top” are used herein, unless otherwise noted, merely for convenience of description, and are not limited to any one position or spatial orientation. In addition, the modifier “about” used in connection with a quantity is inclusive of the stated value and has the meaning dictated by the context (e.g., includes the degree of error associated with measurement of the particular quantity).

Compounds are described herein using standard nomenclature. For example, any position not substituted by an indicated group is understood to have its valency filled by a bond as indicated, or a hydrogen atom A dash (“-”) that is not between two letters or symbols is used to indicate a point of attachment for a substituent. For example, —CHO is attached through the carbon of the carbonyl group. Unless defined otherwise herein, all percentages herein mean weight percent (“wt. %”). Furthermore, all ranges disclosed herein are inclusive and combinable (e.g., ranges of “up to about 25 weight percent (wt. %), with about 5 wt. % to about 20 wt. % desired, and about 10 wt. % to about 15 wt. % more desired,” are inclusive of the endpoints and all intermediate values of the ranges, e.g., “about 5 wt. % to about 25 wt. %, about 5 wt. % to about 15 wt. %”, etc.). The notation “+/−10% means that the indicated measurement may be from an amount that is minus 10% to an amount that is plus 10% of the stated value.

Finally, unless defined otherwise, technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as is commonly understood by one of skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

While the disclosure has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the disclosure. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the disclosure without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this disclosure, but that the disclosure will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An innersole for a cycling shoe with a cleat region, comprising:

an innersole body;

a recessed region defined in the innersole body, corresponding to the cleat region of the cycling shoe;

an insert disposed in the recessed region, the insert comprising a first material layer comprising a thickness of between about 0.010″ and 0.150″ and a second material layer comprising a thickness between about 0.0005″ to about 0.010″.

2. The cycling shoe of claim 1, wherein the first material comprises a polymeric gel with a durometer ranging from about 0.01 Shore 00 to 70 Shore 00.

3. The cycling shoe of claim 1, comprising a thickness of less than about 0.300″.