FR3082706A1 - SOLE OF A SHOE - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a shoe sole, comprising a main part called "midsole" under which is a wear layer. On the midsole is attached a piece (4) in one piece, harder, which has: in the region corresponding to the heel, a part having the general shape of an elongated U (10) disposed on the periphery of the midsole (3) being introduced into a peripheral groove formed in the midsole and protruding from the latter to allow an interlocking of the heel; in the region corresponding to the front part of the foot, at least two strips (1 1a; 13; 14; 11b) oriented in the longitudinal direction of the sole and joined at the front to a rounded part (1 1c) which follows the general shape of the front edge of the foot; and in the region corresponding to the midfoot, a transverse bridge (12) which closes the U-shaped part (10) and to which said at least two strips are connected by their ends opposite to the front part (11c).

Description

Description

Title of the invention: SHOE SOLE The present invention relates to a shoe sole, in particular for a walking or running shoe.

In recent years, the various walking or running shoes had soles which had in their rear part, at the heel, a pad made of a deformable material. This material can deform and thus absorb shock at the heel.

However, this configuration of shoe does not respect a natural approach in which the cushioning of the stride is not supported by the calcaneus, the bone which is under the heel, but by the arch of the foot middle part of the foot.

In order to improve performance, it is also desirable to improve the stability of the foot while making it possible to provide good dynamism to the latter which is the part of the foot which is stressed when the latter leaves the ground during a stride.

The Applicant Company has sought to propose a new sole which allows the user to have a more natural gait by stabilizing the heel in the shoe while retaining good stability and good dynamism for the front part of the foot.

EP 2 299 862 relates to a shoe sole, in particular for a running shoe. The sole includes in particular a shank which extends from the forefoot of the sole passing through an arched zone to a heel zone having an opening for the reception of the polyurethane material from a part of midsole. The shank has two curved fingers in the forefoot area as well as a central little finger. The shank has a hard zone and a tender zone and the fingers are able to flex around a line of flexion between the hard zone and the tender zone. In the heel area, an elasticity comfort element higher than that of polyurethane is placed above the opening of the shank.

This running shoe seeks above all to ensure the comfort of the user by placing in its rear part an element of comfort and does not seek to energize the stride of Γ user.

The present invention therefore relates to a shoe sole, in particular a walking shoe or a running shoe, said sole comprising a main part called a "midsole" under which is a wear layer, characterized in that, on the midsole, there is added a piece in one piece which has:

- In the region corresponding to the heel of the foot, a part having the general shape of an elongated U arranged at the periphery of the midsole by being introduced into a peripheral groove formed in said midsole and protruding therefrom to allow nesting of the heel; and

- in the region corresponding to the front part of the foot, at least two strips oriented in the longitudinal direction of the sole and joined at the front to a rounded part which follows the general shape of the front edge of the foot; and

- In the region corresponding to the midfoot, a transverse bridge which closes the elongated U-shaped part for nesting the heel and to which said at least two slats are connected by their ends opposite to the rounded front part, said slats, said front part rounded and said transverse bridge being introduced into grooves made in said midsole and filling said grooves to reconstitute the surface of the midsole, said insert having a hardness greater than that of the midsole so that, in its corresponding part at the front part of the foot, it helps the midsole to regain its initial shape and therefore it helps propel the runner or walker when pressing the forefoot on the ground.

In particular, two longitudinal strips can be arranged in the middle part of the region of the part corresponding to the front part of the foot.

According to a particular embodiment, the rounded part of the part which follows the general shape of the front edge of the foot can be extended, on each side, by a strip connecting to the respective end of the branches of the part in elongated U and also constituting a strip arranged in the vicinity of a respective lateral edge of the sole.

The midsole has in particular a Shore A hardness of 35 to 55 and the insert has in particular a Shore A hardness of 40 to 60, the difference in Shore A hardness between that of the midsole and that of the insert being at least 10.

For example, the midsole can have a Shore A hardness of 40 and the insert a Shore A hardness of 50.

The midsole can be made of a material of comfort capable of absorbing vibrations, being chosen in particular from ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) and polyurethane (PU) copolymers.

The insert on the midsole can be of a material chosen from ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers (EVA), polyurethane (PU), carbon, and composites of plastic reinforced with fibers, in particular carbon fibers.

In particular embodiments:

- the wear layer has notches / flex slots; and or

- is integrated in and / or on the intermediate layer at least one stabilization reinforcement, in particular of the inner part of the foot.

The present invention also relates to a method of manufacturing a sole as defined above, according to which a wear layer is superimposed, an intermediate sole in and / or on which is integrated where appropriate at least one stabilization reinforcement and the part as defined above in its relative position relative to the midsole, then pressing the assembly to secure the different layers and form the sole.

Other embodiments of the manufacturing process can be envisaged, being conventional in the field of manufacturing soles.

To better illustrate the object of the present invention, there will be described below, by way of indication and not limitation, a particular embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawing.

In this drawing:

- [Fig. 1], [Fig. 2] and [Fig. 3] are views respectively of the inner side, from below and the outer side of a sole according to the present invention;

- [Fig. 4] is a sectional view along IV-IV of [Fig. 2];

- [Fig. 5], [Fig. 6], [Fig. 7] are views respectively of the outer side, from above and the inner side of the insert on the midsole of [Fig. 1], [Fig. 2] and [Fig. 3];

- [Fig. 8] is a sectional view along VIII-VIII of [Fig. 2]; and

- [Fig. 9] is a sectional view along IX-IX of [Fig. 2].

If we refer to [Fig. 1], [Fig. 2] and [Fig. 3], it can be seen that a sole 1 has been shown for a walking / running shoe (here for a left foot) which successively comprises:

- a wear layer or outer sole 2 with a thickness of the order of 4 mm, the role of which is to prevent abrasion of the sole during walking / running;

- a midsole 3 with a thickness of the order of 16-23 mm, of low rigidity, the role of which is to cushion the supports of the foot of the user; and

- a part 4 attached to the intermediate sole 3, of greater rigidity than the latter and whose shape, incorporation in the intermediate sole 3 and the role are developed below.

The wear layer 2 and the midsole 3 are conventional components of the soles of walking / running shoes.

The wear layer 2 is, as can be seen in [Fig. 2], a non-continuous layer, comprising notches 2a on the outside and up to the middle of the heel and longitudinal 2b and transverse slots 2c, which may also have notches 2d.

In the example shown, the inner part of the midsole 3 in the rear half-half is stabilized by the reinforcements 5 formed by strips 5a, 5b of a material of the thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) type filling slots practiced in the intermediate sole, namely a central longitudinal slot 6a from which radiate generally transverse slots 6b opening to the outside, the lamellae 5a, 5b being joined at their upper part by a layer 5c covering in this zone the layer intermediate 3 (see [Fig. 1]). It can also be noted that the slots 6a, 6b are extended by corresponding slots made in the wear layer 2.

In the upper surface of the intermediate layer 3, are practiced:

- an elongated U-shaped peripheral notch in the rear part (of which the two lateral branches 7a and 7b can be seen in [Fig. 9]);

- an elongated U-shaped groove, close to the periphery, in the front part, the two lateral branches 8a, 8b of which are substantially in the extension of the branches 7a, 7b respectively (see [Fig. 8]);

- A transverse groove in the form of a bridge located in the middle part of the midsole 3; and

- two longitudinal grooves 9a, 9b (see [Fig. 8]) joining the above-mentioned transverse groove and the front part in an arc of the peripheral groove of the front part.

The part 4 as such is shown in [Fig. 5], [Fig. 6] and [Fig. 7]. It has a rear portion 10 having the shape of an elongated U and the edge of which is raised as can also be seen in [Fig. 1], [Fig. 3] and [Fig. 9], and a front part 11, also in the form of an elongated U oriented in the opposite direction to the previous one and connecting, by its branches 11a, 11b, to the branches respectively 10a, 10b.

Fa rear part 10 is closed by a transverse bridge 12 separating the latter from the front part 11. Two longitudinal strips 13 and 14 join the bridge 12 and the arc-shaped front part 1 le of part 11.

Fa part 4 is for example EVA of Shore A hardness of 50 while the midsole 3 is EVA, Shore A hardness of 40 [0028] In the mounting position, part 4 is introduced into the grooves / receiving ribs which are formed in the upper surface of the intermediate sole 3, the peripheral rim of the part 10 remaining projecting.

It is thus constituted, in the rear part, with the bridge 12, a ring-shaped or cup-shaped part which maintains / locks the heel and stabilizes the supports of the foot during walking / running, and in the front part, a system of four sipes which will help propel the runner or the walker as indicated above.

Claims (1)

[Claim 1] [Claim 2] [Claim 3] claims Shoe sole (1), in particular a walking shoe or a running shoe, said sole comprising a main part called a “midsole” (3) under which there is a wear layer (2), characterized by the fact that, on the midsole (3), is attached a piece (4) in one piece which has: - in the region corresponding to the heel of the foot, a part having the general shape of an elongated U (10) disposed at the periphery of the intermediate sole (3) by being introduced into a peripheral groove made - - in said intermediate sole ( 3) and projecting therefrom to allow an interlocking of the heel; and - in the region corresponding to the front part of the foot, at least two strips (lia; 13; 14; 11b) oriented in the longitudinal direction of the sole (1) and joined at the front to a rounded part (11c) which follows the general shape of the front edge of the foot; and in the region corresponding to the midfoot, a transverse bridge (12) which closes the elongated U-shaped part (10) for nesting the heel and to which said at least two lamellae are connected (11a; 13; 14; 11b) by their ends opposite to the rounded front part (11c), said strips ((11a; 13; 14; 11b), said rounded front part (11c) and said transverse bridge (12) being introduced into grooves made in said midsole ( 3) and filling said grooves to reconstitute the surface of the midsole (3), said insert (4) having a hardness greater than that of the midsole (3) so that, in its part corresponding to the front part of the foot, it helps the midsole (3) to regain its initial shape and therefore it helps the propulsion of the runner or walker when pressing the forefoot on the ground. claim 1, characterized by the fact that two longitudinal strips (12, 13) are arranged in the middle part of the region of the part (4) corresponding to the front part of the foot. Sole (1) according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the rounded part (1 le) of the part (4) which follows the general shape of the front edge of the foot is extended, on each side, by a strip (1a; 11b) connecting to the respective end of the branches (10a; 10b) of the elongated U-shaped part (10) and also constituting a strip arranged in the vicinity of a respective lateral edge of the sole (1 ). [Claim 4] Sole (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the intermediate sole (3) has a Shore A hardness of 35 to 55 and the insert (4) has a Shore A hardness of 40 to 60 , the difference in Shore A hardness between that of the midsole and that of the insert being at least 10. [Claim 5] Sole (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the intermediate sole (3) has a Shore A hardness of 40 and the insert (4) a Shore A hardness of 50. [Claim 6] Sole (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the intermediate sole (3) is made of a comfort material capable of absorbing vibrations, being in particular chosen from ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers (EVA) ) and polyurethane (PU). [Claim 7] Sole (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the part (4) attached to the intermediate sole (3) is made of a material chosen from ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers (EVA), the polyurethane (PU), carbon, and fiber-reinforced plastic composites, especially carbon fibers. [Claim 8] Sole (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the wear layer (2) has notches (2a; 2d) / slots (2b, 2c) of flexion. [Claim 9] Sole (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that there is integrated in and / or on the intermediate layer (3) at least one stabilization reinforcement (5), in particular of the inner part of the foot. 1/7