WO1996005747A1

WO1996005747A1 - Outsole with ground contacting bulges

Info

Publication number: WO1996005747A1
Application number: PCT/DE1995/001128
Authority: WO
Inventors: Otmar Kaiser; Richard Fumy
Original assignee: Adidas Ag
Priority date: 1994-08-23
Filing date: 1995-08-21
Publication date: 1996-02-29
Also published as: AU3252595A; EP0778739A1; DE9413588U1

Abstract

An outsole has a bottom sole made of rubber or the like with ground contacting hollow bulges (3, 3') oriented downwards and arranged transversely to the longitudinal axis (A) of the sole over the sole width. An upper layer (5) that covers the bottom sole forms air chambers (4, 4') in the bulges. The bulges (3, 3') have a substantially flat treading surface (7, 7') whose size approximately corresponds to the base surface (6, 6') of the bulges at the upper layer (5, 5'). The air chambers (4, 4'9) are subdivided by a plurality of supporting walls (8, 8') into individual chambers in communication with each other.

Description

Outsole with bulges serving as running parts

description

The invention relates to an outsole, in particular for sports shoes, with the features according to the preamble of claim 1.

In a known outsole of this type (US Pat. No. 2,627,676), the bulges which extend across the sole width each have a cross section which leads to a relatively narrow tread area. For example, the cross-section is semicircular or triangular, with theoretically only a linear contact and in practice, depending on the weight of the user, only a narrow strip as a tread surface. Even in the case of a cross-sectionally hexagonal configuration of the bulges of this known sole, it is left with a relatively narrow tread surface of each bulge, which moreover is variable depending on the respective load.

With this known outsole, good damping when treading can be achieved, but the described deformation behavior of the bulges leads to an impairment of the support function required by an outsole, which is intended especially for sports shoes. Because the bulges across their width depending on the height the local load can be deformed unevenly and are also able to perform lateral, ie transverse to the sole longitudinal direction, creates a disturbing feeling of swimming for the runner.

In another known outsole (EP-PS 215 974), a sole layer, which can also form the running side, has air chambers running transversely to the longitudinal direction of the sole, the tread surface of which corresponds approximately to the width of the air chamber due to a rectangular cross section of the air chambers. The damping ability of this outsole is essentially determined by the air pressure prevailing in the air chambers, which can be adjusted via a valve by blowing in or discharging air. At low air pressure, the damping ability is relatively good, but the management function leaves something to be desired. At higher air pressure, the air chambers are stabilized more, but the damping effect suffers.

The object of the present invention is to design an outsole of the type mentioned in such a way that it is independent of the amount of load, e.g. due to the weight of the runner, it has a favorable damping and at the same time management function.

According to the invention, this is achieved by the configuration according to claim 1.

The tread surface corresponding to the base area of the bulges ensures that the size of the latter can change insignificantly at most irrespective of the strength of the deformation and is therefore largely independent of weight. Furthermore, the support walls distributed over the sole width in the bulges ensure that the bulges also experience an at least approximately constant deformation between their medial and lateral ends and thereby the Flatness of the tread surface is also ensured in the middle area of the outsole. Since the support walls subdivide the air chambers of the bulges into a plurality of individual chambers, but leave them in flow connection, it is avoided that a higher pressure can build up in the individual chambers due to greater local deformation, which could give the feeling of an uneven appearance across the sole width . At the same time, however, the possible air exchange can be subject to a certain throttling if the connecting openings between the individual chambers mentioned, which are kept free of the supporting walls, are dimensioned accordingly, so that in the event of uneven ground pressure (e.g. in the case of bumpy ground), a certain air cushion effect also occurs, although the air pressure prevailing in the air chambers generally does not play a decisive role in the function sought according to the invention. Overall, the resulting relatively large and evenly flat tread surface results in a resulting guiding function, which is promoted by the lateral supporting function of the supporting walls.

The retaining walls can have different configurations. According to a preferred embodiment, the support walls are rectilinear and run essentially transversely to the bulges, the connecting openings at the front and rear ends of the support walls being kept free. Again, a paired arrangement of this type of support walls is particularly preferred, the support walls of each pair being connected to one another at their front and rear ends and the cavity formed in this way between them being open toward the barrel side - to this extent with the formation of a recess. Since a corresponding number of recesses is produced in each bulge in accordance with the number of pairs of supporting walls of this type, this results in a type of profiling of the running side, which ensures slip resistance. According to another advantageous embodiment, the support walls are formed by cylindrical or frustoconical walls, the enclosed interior of which is also open towards the barrel side and therefore forms cup-shaped profile recesses. These support walls are expediently offset in relation to one another in the longitudinal direction of the sole over the sole width, so that the individual chambers they produce form an undulating course over the sole width.

Further advantages and features of the invention result from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings and from further subclaims. The drawings show:

1 shows a top view of the running side of a first embodiment of the outsole according to the invention;

2 shows a side view of the outsole from the medial side II;

3 shows a partial section along the line III-III in Fig.l;

4 shows a plan view analogous to FIG. 1 of a modified embodiment;

5 shows a side view of the outsole from the medial side V, and

6 shows a partial section analogous to FIG. 3 along the line VI-VI in FIG. 4.

According to the illustration in FIG. 1, the outsole has a front sole part 1 and a heel part 2, each of which is connected to a sole plate, not shown, for example glued to it. This sole plate can be a separate, relatively hard but resilient Material (e.g. composite material) existing sole layer, but also a midsole consisting of pressure-elastic material, e.g. PU or EVA. The front sole and heel part 1 or 2 can also be connected directly to the shoe upper, which is twisted onto the insole, via its lasting edge.

The front sole 1 according to FIG. 1 forms a lower sole which has three bulges 3 which run across the sole width and are directed parallel to one another. The bulges 3 are arranged obliquely to the longitudinal direction of the sole indicated by the dash-dotted line A, so that their respective medial end 3a is closer to the tip of the sole than the opposite lateral end 3b. The bulges 3 are hollow and covered by a sole layer 5 connected to the top of the front sole 1, so that air pockets 4 corresponding to the bulges 3 are thereby formed. The cross section of the bulges 3 is slightly trapezoidal, i.e. the width of the base area 6 of each bulge 3 measured in the longitudinal direction A of the sole is only insignificantly greater than the corresponding width of the tread area 7.

Each bulge 3 contains pairs of supporting walls 8 which are arranged in an evenly distributed manner in the transverse direction of the sole and which are at a short distance (for example approximately 3-4 mm) from one another in each pair and are connected to one another at their front and rear ends via a rounded wall 9. The support walls 8 and their connecting walls 9 enclose a profile recess 10 which is open towards the running side 7 of each bulge. In the exemplary embodiment shown, this recess 10 is of slightly conical design (in particular to facilitate removal from the mold during the manufacture of the sole) and has a base on the running side towards the cutting edge-shaped projection 12. The projection 12 has a height of about 1/3 of the depth of the recess 10 and is used because of its deformability and Mobility to loosen and throw away accumulated dirt. For this purpose, the projection 12 is either formed in one piece with the bottom of the recess 10 or connected to the sole layer 5. In the latter case, the bottom of the recess 10 either has a correspondingly dimensioned opening for the passage of the projection 12 or is formed by the sole layer 5. In both cases, the bottom of the recess 10 or the sole layer 5 is designed as a movable membrane, at least in the bottom region of each recess 10, in order to ensure the mobility of the projection 12, which is necessary for the loosening of dirt that has penetrated.

The central bulge 3 has on its rectilinear front and rear longitudinal edges a series of notches 14 which are each arranged between the recesses 10. Corresponding notches are formed on the rear edge of the front or on the front edge of the rear recess 3. The tread surface 7 of each bulge 3 extends - only interrupted locally by the recesses 10 and the notches 14 - continuously from the lateral to the medial sole edge. As a result, the bulges 3 have a stabilizing effect on the front sole 1 against bending deformation in the transverse direction thereof. However, in this connection the recesses 10 and the notches 14 increase the extensibility of each bulge 3 in the transverse direction of the sole, so that the stabilizing effect can be controlled by a suitable choice of the number and width of the recesses 10 and the notches 14. In the exemplary embodiment shown, six recesses 10 or pairs of supporting walls 8 are provided in the middle and naturally longest bulge 3, through which seven individual chambers are created in the bulge. The two edges of the bulge, however, are provided with five or six notches 14. The support walls 8 and their connecting walls 9 are firmly connected to the sole layer 5, for example glued or vulcanized to the latter. They take up only a part of the width of the recess 3 in such a way that at their front and rear ends a connection opening 16 is kept free, via which the individual chambers formed between the pairs of supporting walls 8 are connected to one another.

The heel part 2 shown in FIG. 1 has a bulge 20 or 21, which is oriented essentially parallel to the longitudinal direction A of the sole, on the lateral or medial sole edge, the structure of which is basically the same as that of the bulges 3. At the rear end of the bulges 20 and 21 there is a heel spot 22, which also forms an air chamber 4, which is subdivided into interconnected individual chambers by support walls protruding from the rear edge 23 and recesses 24 formed by these. The heel spot 22 is beveled towards its rear edge 23 (FIG. 2).

In the embodiment according to FIGS. 4 to 6, the bulges 3 'differ from those of the previously described embodiment only in that the support walls 8' are frustoconical and the interior enclosed by them is open to the running side 7 '. In this way, cup-shaped recesses 10 'are formed, from the bottom of which a pin 12' provided for the corresponding purpose projects. The recesses 10 'are arranged on each bulge 3' in a double row and are mutually "on a gap".

In this embodiment, the medial edge of the sole is specifically designed for support against overpronation. For this purpose, the rear bulge 3 'on the front sole is shortened and the space obtained as a result of this is occupied by a bulge 30 which extends along the edge of the sole. This has three pairs of retaining walls formed recesses 31. The pairs of supporting walls are oriented approximately perpendicular to the medial sole edge 3a 'and are each connected to a vertical column 32 projecting from the medial sole edge 3a'. The pillars 32 jump with their almost completely circular tread

34 slightly (approx. 0.5 mm) compared to the tread area

35 of the bulge 30 before.

The heel part 2 'is constructed analogously to the heel part 2, but the medial bulge 37 corresponds in its design to the bulge 30 just described, i.e. is equipped with pairs of supporting walls stiffened by columns g. It stretches forward into the joint area to control pronation of the foot.

In both exemplary embodiments, the wall thickness of the bulges 3 or 3 'is approximately 2-3 mm, but that of the supporting walls 8,8' is less, e.g. 1 - 2 mm. The material is rubber or a rubber-like material with a Shore hardness of approx. 40A to 60A.

Within the scope of the invention, it is possible to deviate from the exemplary embodiments described above. So the bulges can be performed exactly parallel to it instead of the oblique course to the transverse direction of the sole. The number of retaining walls can be changed, but should not be significantly less than the number selected in the exemplary embodiments. The projections 12 or 12 'present in the profile recesses can also be omitted depending on the type of use of the footwear. For weight reasons, these projections can also be hollow, instead of the solid design shown, if their size allows it.

Claims

Outsole with bulges that serve as running parts

1. Outsole with an under sole made of rubber or the like, which has hollow bulges (3, 3 ') serving as running parts, directed downward on one side and largely arranged transversely to the longitudinal direction of the sole (A) across the sole width, and with one the undersole top covering sole layer (5), through which air chambers (4, 4 ') are formed in the bulges, characterized in that the bulges (3, 3') each have an essentially flat tread surface (7, 7 '), the size of which is approximately corresponds to the base area (6, 6 ') of the bulges on the sole layer (5, 5'), and that the air chambers (4, 4 ') are divided into interconnected individual chambers by a plurality of supporting walls (8, 8').

2. outsole according to claim 1, d a d u r c h g e k e n n z e i c h n e t that the bulges are limited to the front sole (1).

3. outsole according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the bulges are linearly limited at their front and rear edges.

4. outsole according to one of claims 1 to 3, d a d u r c h g e k e n n z e i c h n e t that the bulges extend at a small acute angle to the transverse direction of the sole such that the medial end (3a) of each bulge is closer to the sole tip than the lateral end (3b).

5. outsole according to one of claims 1 to 4, d a d u r c h g e k e n n z e i c h n e t that the cross section of the bulges is trapezoidal.

6. outsole according to one of claims 1 to 5, d a d u r c h g e k e n n z e i c h n e t that the support walls (8, 8 ') are integrally formed with the midsole.

7. outsole according to one of claims 1 to 6, d a d u r c h g e k e n n z e i c h n e t that the support walls (8, 8 ') transverse to the bulges (3, 3') only over part of their width.

8. outsole according to claim 7, d a d u r c h g e k e n n z e i c h n e t that the support walls (8) are straight and at their front and rear ends each form a connection opening (16) between the individual chambers.

9. outsole according to claim 7 or 8, d a d u r c h g e k e n n z e i c h n e t that the support walls (8) are arranged in pairs.

10. outsole according to claim 9, characterized in that the paired support walls (8) are each connected at their front and rear ends and form a chamber (10) between them.

11. outsole according to claim 10, d a d u r c h g e k e n n z e i c h n e that the chamber (10) is open on the running side and a

Recess on the running side.

12. Outsole according to one of claims 1 to 6, d a d u r c h g e k e n n z e i c h n e that the support walls (8 ') are cylindrical or conical and only extend over part of the width of the bulges (3').

13. Outsole according to claim 12, so that the chamber (10 ') enclosed by the supporting walls (8') is open on the barrel side and forms a cup-shaped recess on the barrel side.

14. outsole according to claim 11 or 13, d a d u r c h g e k e n e z e i c h n e t that in the bottom of the recess (10, 10 ') a cutting or peg-shaped projection (12, 12') is formed.