Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
036027000 | Spring heel | 39 |
20080209762 | Spring cushioned shoe - A spring cushioned shoe is disclosed. The shoe includes a sole assembly that has a first encapsulating spring enclosure with spring disposed within a vacuity of the heel region and a second encapsulating spring enclosure with spring disposed within a vacuity of the toe region. The springs are, e.g., wave springs that extend to the upper and lower boundaries of the encapsulating spring enclosure. | 09-04-2008 |
20080216348 | Footwear for the Diet Equipped with the Buffering Means - The present invention relates to a health and diet footwear with buffering means that has a plurality of spring members mounted on the lower portion thereof, thereby obtaining substantially higher exercising effects as compared to a general footwear. The health and diet footwear with buffering means of the invention can detachably mount fixed plates on a sole by means of screws and have a plurality of spring members disposed between the fixed plates disposed on the upper ends of the spring members and a support plate disposed on the lower ends of the spring members by means of detachable mounting or spiral coupling, so that the spring members can be easily and rigidly coupled therebetween. Further, when a part of the spring members is damaged or broken, it can be exchanged individually. Therefore, this invention can couple the fixed plates and the support plate in a more rigid and easier manner when compared with the conventional practice, which allows a wearer to wear the footwear of this invention more stably for a long time. | 09-11-2008 |
20080256827 | Sole Unit for Footwear and Footwear Incorporating Same - The present invention discloses a sole unit for shoes, sandals, boots, and other articles of footwear. The sole unit comprises at least one spring unit having at least a top wall and a bottom wall that define an opening to allow the top and bottom walls to converge under force, absorbing energy on impact and releasing energy on rebound. Variations in the longitudinal profile, transverse profile, spring-wall thickness, and spring-wall shape permit control over spring force in response to compression. A spring unit may further comprise one or more dampeners to modify the energy-storing properties of the spring unit. A spring unit may further comprise one or more bumpers that come into contact at predetermined distances when compressing the spring unit, to further modify the dynamic response of the spring under a load. | 10-23-2008 |
20090064536 | ENERGY STORAGE AND RETURN SPRING - A spring shoe, and also in particular a spring, as well as a method of returning energy to a user, are provided. In one embodiment, a method and apparatus stores foot strike energy and releases it after a slight delay, when it will exert a force on the user which includes a forward component. This is accomplished in an embodiment by a spring in the sole which has a decreasing spring force, such that the force required to compress the sole decreases for all or part of the compression displacement as the spring is compressed. | 03-12-2009 |
20090107006 | Shoe with springs - A shoe with springs is disclosed. The shoe includes a sole, two or more fixing plates fixed to the sole, a supporting plate in contact with ground, two or more coil springs mounted between the sole and the supporting plate, and a cover formed in a bellows shape to be folded and unfolded according to contraction and expansion of the coil springs. The cover includes coupling protrusions at an upper end and a lower end. The sole and the supporting plate are formed with coupling grooves along side surfaces, in which the coupling protrusions of the cover are fitted. The coil springs are configured such that a diameter is gradually increased from an upper end portion to a lower end portion. Therefore, the coil springs are shielded by the cover and a coupling structure of the coil springs is improved to prohibit bending of the coil springs in a lateral direction, thereby increasing safety and protecting a user or a bystander from physical damage or injury. | 04-30-2009 |
20090126224 | DIFFERENTIAL-STIFFNESS IMPACT-ATTENUATION MEMBERS AND PRODUCTS INCLUDING THEM - A differential-stiffness impact-attenuation member includes at least one spring element. The spring element has dimensions in height, length and width directions. The height dimension extends from a top surface to a bottom surface. The length dimension extends from a front end to a back end. At least one of the top and bottom surfaces is adapted for mounting. The impact-attenuation member has a first stiffness characteristic in the height direction at the front end of the spring element and a second stiffness characteristic in the height direction at the back end of the spring element. The spring element may define a cavity. A tension element may engage the spring element and be located at least partially within the cavity. The impact-attenuation member may engage at least one of a foot-covering member, a foot-supporting member and a surface-contacting member associated with a foot-receiving device. | 05-21-2009 |
20090282697 | FOOTWEAR SOLE - Disclosed herein is a footwear sole. The footwear sole includes a coupling seat, a connector and a locking pin. The coupling seat protrudes from the lower surface of a rear midsole, and includes a through hole in a central portion thereof, a locking recess formed around the through hole, and at least four pin slits formed at regular intervals. The connector is coupled to the top of the coil spring, and includes a locking protrusion corresponding to the locking recess, an internal threaded part, and a spring seat provided along an edge of an upper surface of the connector. The locking pin is provided at an end of the top of the spring, and protrudes to be fitted into an associated pin slit. | 11-19-2009 |
20100132221 | Article of Footwear or Other Foot-Receiving Device Having a Fluid-Filled Bladder with Support and Reinforcing Structures - Impact-attenuating elements, e.g., for use in footwear or other foot-receiving device products, may include: (a) a base member, such as a fluid-tight and/or other fluid-filled or fluid-containing enclosure element; (b) a support element integrally and contiguously formed in a surface of the base member; and/or (c) a spring device engaged with the support element. The support element and its corresponding spring device (if any) may include a non-planar surface (e.g., substantially parabolic shaped, cylindrically shaped, etc.) that extends in a direction into the base member and toward its opposite surface. The support element and its corresponding spring device (if any) also may include reinforcing structure(s), such as raised ribs extending along a surface of the support element and/or spring device. | 06-03-2010 |
20100199517 | Cushioning apparatus for ambulatory use - According to the principles of the first embodiment of the present invention, a midsole of a shoe comprising an integral midsole, an outer sole with transparent discs, a board last of tractable stiffness; a mechanical spring located within the midsole; and, an upper shoe body. The shoe being capable of providing line-of-sight viewing of the internally mounted contrivances for structural monitoring throughout the life of the shoe so as to improve durability, process of making comfort and acceptability. | 08-12-2010 |
20100223810 | OUTER SOLE HAVING RESILIENT MID-SOLE WITH FLOATING HINGES - An outer sole includes an upper sole, a tread layer disposed below the upper sole, and a resilient mid-sol disposed between the upper sole and the tread layer. The mid-sole resists compression under load, and comprises at least one floating hinge extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of the sole. Each floating hinge includes an upper resilient convex leaf spring, a lower resilient convex leaf spring, and a U-spring joining the leaf springs together. Each leaf spring has a root and a head opposite the root. Each U-spring has a pair of integrally-formed legs, each upper leaf spring is integrally formed at the root thereof with the upper sole, and each lower leaf spring is integrally formed at the root thereof with the tread layer. The leaf springs of each floating hinge are integrally joined at their heads to one of the legs of the associated U-spring. | 09-09-2010 |
20100236093 | SHOES HAVING IMPACT ABSORPTION PART - The present invention relates to a shoe, and more particularly to a shoe including a mid-sole groove formed at a mid-sole, a texon hole formed at a texon, and an impact absorption member inserted between the mid-sole and the texon hole so that the shoe can absorb impact exerted on user's knees and ankles while the user walks or exercises, thereby protecting them. | 09-23-2010 |
20100269368 | RUNNING SHOE - A running shoe stores the shock during landing as energy and releases the stored energy when kicking off the toe portion, thereby making running and walking more efficient. The running shoe includes a shoe main body | 10-28-2010 |
20100281709 | Elastic Shoes For Cushioning Against Impact - The invention relates to a shoe provided with an outsole including an anti-distorting portion formed to extend from a rear portion to a front portion of the outsole to prevent the shoe from distorting, a shock-absorbing portion disposed at the rear portion of the outsole to absorb the external force applied to the heel portion of the wearer's foot when landing, and an elasticity-enhancing portion disposed at the front portion of the outsole in order to supplement actuating force using elastic force when leaving the ground. The shoe is advantageous in that it is possible to prevent the shoe from distorting while actions of landing and leaving the ground are repeated, to decrease the shock of the maximum load applied to the heel portion of the wearer's foot, and to supplement the actuating force with elastic recovery force when advancing. | 11-11-2010 |
20100281710 | Full Suspension Footwear - A method and apparatus for enhancing the ability of a human to run and jump with comfort comparable to running barefoot on a trampoline and with control comparable to that of the unaided human form, yet with freedom from ankle-turning roll moments associated with substantial ground contact member (GCM) extension downwardly away from the sole of the foot including, a resiliently urged GCM constrained to two degrees of freedom: translation away from the sole of the user's foot and rotation about a longitudinal axis at ground level. The apparatus relates flexure of a GCM toe pressure member to comparable flexure of user's toes at the metatarsal joints. The apparatus also incorporates lower leg to ankle pivot bracing, and extends the GCM in downward direction parallel to the lower leg while mimicking user ankle articulation with parallelism-maintaining rotation about a downwardly resiliently urged transverse pivot axis similar to the user's own ankle joint for extended travel. | 11-11-2010 |
20100307023 | Impact-Attenuation Systems For Articles Of Footwear And Other Foot-Receiving Devices - Impact-attenuation systems, e.g., for use in footwear, can help control foot positioning during a step cycle, e.g., to help reduce or eliminate misorientation of the foot, and the fatigue and/or strain that may result from such misorientation. Articles of footwear including such impact-attenuation systems may include: (a) an upper member; and (b) a sole structure engaged with the upper member. The sole structure may include: (i) a first impact-attenuating member located in a heel portion of the foot-supporting member, and (ii) a second, separate impact-attenuating member located at a rear, lateral heel portion. The second impact-attenuating member may be designed and/or configured to provide less resistance to an impact force as compared with the first impact-attenuating member. | 12-09-2010 |
20100319215 | HUMAN LOCOMOTION ASSISTING SHOE - Embodiments of footwear, in particular, a shoe, sandal or boot, may reduce the effort and improve the performance of walking, running, hiking, marching, and various other gaits as well as jumping, hopping, and other motion involving the ankle and lower leg and Achilles tendon, through integration of force-carrying mechanisms within footwear that manage the forces and energy associated with such motion by productively harvesting and storing energy during dorsiflexion motion and releasing and returning energy during plantar flexion. One structural element of such footwear may comprise a top collar yoke having anterior and posterior gussets forming a channel and a shoe comprising a rotation zone supporting the channel and an elastomeric zone forming a tension spring via an elastomeric overlay or otherwise providing a spring-like member approximately parallel to and to assist the Achilles tendon during locomotion. | 12-23-2010 |
20110119953 | ENERGY-RETURN SHOE SYSTEM - An energy-return shoe system includes a shoe portion having a sole. The sole has a toe area and a heel area. The sole is capable of bending at a point between the toe area and the heel area. A lower sole has a toe area and a heel area and is bendable at a point between the toe area and the heel area. A heel mechanism interfaces the shoe heel area to the lower sole heel area and holds the shoe heel sole area in horizontal synchronization with the lower heel sole area thereby maintaining a same horizontal position between the heel areas and allowing front and rear ends of the heel areas to close and open at the same rate. A spring or other device pushes the heel areas away from each other, thereby absorbing energy upon impact and releasing the energy on step-off. | 05-26-2011 |
20110162231 | ENERGY-RETURN SHOE SYSTEM - An energy-return shoe system includes a shoe portion. A shaft runs longitudinally along a lower sole and the shaft is rotatable along its axis. A mechanical interface between the shaft and the shoe portion keeps the shoe portion in horizontal synchronization with the shaft, thereby shoe portion maintains horizontal position with respect to the shaft and a forward set of points on each of the shoe portion and the shaft converge and diverge to and from each other at the same rate as a rearward set of points on each of the shoe portion and the shaft. | 07-07-2011 |
20110203132 | Shoe Spring and Shock Absorbing System - Footwear with a powerful arch spring made with spring boards that can be utilized by the heel and ball of the foot areas during impact for efficient energy storage and return during walking, running and other forms of self-propelled locomotion. The spring boards can extend into the toe area of the footwear to create a toe spring with efficient energy storage and return. Embodiments of the present invention combine the spring boards which are excellent for storing and returning energy with a shock absorbing material which can also function as a secondary spring in order to achieve high efficiency energy returns while maintaining comfort and stability with the footwear. | 08-25-2011 |
20110225842 | Elastic Heel of The High-Heeled Shoes - An elastic heel of the high-heeled shoes comprises a heel and a base layer. A flat-crouched elastic sheet provides its first portion to stretchingly form on a top end of the hollow or solid heel and its second portion to correspondingly rivet on an end section of the base layer via some rivets penetrating through holes and apertures, thence allowing an elastic space with a short interstice for a reciprocal movement to be defined therebetween. Whereby, a pressure caused by contacting the bottom of the heel with the ground could be directly transferred to the flat-crouched elastic sheet fixed on the top end thereof, therefore the compression of the sheet provides a cushion effect for absorbing shocks and preventing impact via the reliance generated therefrom. | 09-22-2011 |
20110308105 | GRAVITY FOOTWEAR AND SPRING UNIT - The supporting element of gravity footwear, made up in the form of a shoe, a boot etc. with accumulation of energy, caused by deflecting, comprising flexure spring, the topmost of the shoe equipped with fixing device, joined to the spring, sole and other elements of the shoe, is made up in the form of a heel, or a heel and a sole, or a sole, gravitational effect on the spring is communicated by a cuff and/or a stiff cover as well as out of any other soft suspending element, wherein the distance between the ends of the spring when load is not applied to the spring is greater than the distance between a point of suspending and the lowest point of the user's foot, the spring is equipped with a fixing device. The heel is a supporting element within the spring unit, jointly used with conventional footwear as a device, intended to accumulate energy and comprising a flexure spring, joined through the element, which communicates gravitational effect on the spring and the user's foot. When the spring is compressed the sole is an additional supporting element. | 12-22-2011 |
20110314695 | Shock absorbing outsole - An outsole for shoes includes a top part and a bottom part, the top toe portion of the top part and the bottom toe portion are glued to each other and a chamber is defined between the top and bottom heel portions of the top and bottom part. The top heel portion has multiple top protrusions extending from underside thereof and the bottom heel portion has multiple bottom protrusions extending from a top surface thereof. The top and bottom protrusions are located in the chamber. The respective distal ends of the top and bottom protrusions are glued to each other. The deformation of the top and bottom protrusions absorbs shocks from the ground. | 12-29-2011 |
20120036735 | SHOE, PARTICULARLY SPORTS SHOE - The invention relates to a shoe, particularly to a sports shoe, with a sole ( | 02-16-2012 |
20120096741 | FOREFOOT CATAPULT FOR ATHLETIC SHOES - An athletic shoe includes an upper, an outsole, a pair of hinged plates, and a spring. The pair of hinged plates are attached between the outsole and the upper in a forefoot portion of the shoe, and the spring biases the plates apart, so that energy is stored and returned during a propulsion phase of a gait cycle in a human step. Foam may be disposed between the plates. A shroud may enclose an outer periphery of the plates. An adjustable torsion spring may be disposed in a hinge portion of the plates, and one or more wave springs may be disposed between the plates. | 04-26-2012 |
20120137541 | SHOCK ABSORBING UNIT, SOLE AND SHOE HAVING THE SAME - A shock absorbing unit, a sole and a shoe having the shock absorbing unit are provided. The shock absorbing sole includes a first holding member mounted on an outsole, a first locking part placed on the first holding member and having on an upper surface an annular seating part, an elastic member seated in a receiving part of the first locking part, a second locking part mounted on the elastic member and having on a lower surface an annular seating part, a second holding member placed on the second locking part, an upper sole placed on the second holding member and having a second receiving part for the second holding member, and a supporting member having a receiving part that receives the elastic member and connected at opposite ends to the first and second locking parts. | 06-07-2012 |
20120204442 | RESILIENT SHOE WITH PIVOTING SOLE - An improved resilient shoe sole includes an outsole having a substantially inelastic side wall with a heel cavity. A substantially inelastic platform is located below the heel cavity, and a connector connects the platform with the side wall. The connector has a particular length and thickness to maintain the platform substantially below the sidewall when the shoe sole is not under a wearer's weight. When brought under forces of a wearer's weight, the connector bends and stretches as the spring compresses to allow the platform to deflect into the heel cavity. As weight is removed, the connector and spring cause the platform to deflect out of the heel cavity, biasing the platform below the side wall. | 08-16-2012 |
20120246969 | SHOE SOLE WITH ENERGY RESTORING DEVICE - The present disclosure describes a performance enhancing shoe sole that includes an anterior support structure and a posterior support structure that are connected by a first support structure. The anterior support structure and posterior support structure are flexible bent spring structures. The first support structure provides a plantar interface that includes a midfoot arch. The shoe sole is positionable in a shoe to provide shock absorption and controlled energy return from the posterior support structure to the first support structure. The shoe sole is an interconnected bent spring system that can be a single ribbon of flexible material defining multiple pivot angles or a multi-layered cantilevered flexible bent spring. The shoe sole can also include inserts that dampen shock. | 10-04-2012 |
20120285040 | SPRING SHOE SOLE DEVICE - A shoe sole device comprises two cantilever springs that are each comprised of a top member, a bottom member, and a fulcrum where the top member and bottom member are joined. One cantilever spring is positioned within a user's forefoot area, the other cantilever spring is positioned within the user's heel area, and the fulcrums of both cantilever springs are positioned within the user's midfoot area. The shoe sole device may further include a spring dampening system that includes cushion components positioned in-between the top member and the bottom member of one or both cantilever springs. The cantilever springs may also be adjoined at the fulcrums. The top members of one or both cantilever springs may include at least one rib structure for mechanical support. The shoe sole device may be a removable and replaceable shoe sole insert or insole, or it may be positioned within a shoe's midsole. | 11-15-2012 |
20130118028 | FUNCTIONAL SHOE HAVING A CUSHIONING FUNCTION AND AN AIR CIRCULATION FUNCTION - A functional shoe pertains to a cushioning function and an air circulation function, which integrally performs the cushioning function and the air circulation function. The functional shoe includes: an insole ( | 05-16-2013 |
20130145649 | Full Suspension Footwear - A method and apparatus for enhancing the ability of a human to run and jump with comfort comparable to running barefoot on a trampoline and with control comparable to that of the unaided human form, yet with freedom from ankle-turning roll moments associated with substantial ground contact member (GCM) extension downwardly away from the sole of the foot including, a resiliently urged GCM constrained to two degrees of freedom. The apparatus relates flexure of a GCM toe pressure member to comparable flexure of user's toes at the metatarsal joints. The apparatus also incorporates lower leg to ankle pivot bracing, and extends the GCM in downward direction parallel to the lower leg while mimicking user ankle articulation with parallelism-maintaining rotation about a downwardly resiliently urged transverse pivot axis similar to the user's own ankle joint for extended travel. | 06-13-2013 |
20140041253 | Shoe Spring and Shock Absorbing System - Footwear with a powerful arch spring made with spring boards that can be utilized by the heel and ball of the foot areas during impact for efficient energy storage and return during walking, running and other forms of self-propelled locomotion. The spring boards can extend into the toe area of the footwear to create a toe spring with efficient energy storage and return. Embodiments of the present invention combine the spring boards which are excellent for storing and returning energy with a shock absorbing material which can also function as a secondary spring in order to achieve high efficiency energy returns while maintaining comfort and stability with the footwear. | 02-13-2014 |
20140090270 | SHOES, DEVICES FOR SHOES, AND METHODS OF USING SHOES - A shoe includes a first plate and a second plate that are located in a forefoot portion of the shoe between an upper and an outsole of the shoe, and one or more springs for biasing the first plate and the second plate apart from each other. A device for a shoe includes a first plate and a second plate that are installable in a forefoot portion of the shoe, and an energy return member positioned between the first plate and the second plate. A method of using a shoe includes applying, with a foot, a force on at least one of two plates that is positioned in a forefoot portion of a shoe, so as to move the two plates together and increase a loading of a spring, and launching the foot due to the two plates being moved apart by the spring as the foot is being lifted. | 04-03-2014 |
20140173931 | ADJUSTABLE SPRING DEVICE F0R WALKING AND RUNNING - An adjustable spring device for walking and running is attachable to the user's footwear. The device includes —an upper sole coupled to the footwear, —a lower elastic sole, and —a support bracket configured as a curvilined confined band that includes a flat top fastened to the upper sole, and a concaved bottom fastened to the lower sole. The lower sole is furnished with a plurality of slots, preferably straight-lined, and aligned at a predetermined angle, cut from the periphery towards the longitudinal axis of lower sole and ending at predetermined points thereof. The slots are preferably so arranged that, if the predetermined points are linked by four straight lines extending therethrough, the four lines will form a rhomb-shaped figure having two vertexes positioned at the front and the rear ends of the lower sole. Means for variable adjustment of the support bracket are provided, creating comfortable energy exchange conditions. | 06-26-2014 |
20140237851 | SHOES, DEVICES FOR SHOES, AND METHODS OF USING SHOES - A shoe includes a first plate and a second plate that are located in a portion of the shoe between an upper and an outsole of the shoe, and a nest formed as a bag filled with one or more gasses located between the first plate and the second plate. The shoe may further include one or more springs located in cavities in the gas filled nest for biasing the first plate and the second plate apart from each other. Pods may be located within the openings in the center of the springs, and the pods may be filled with one or more gasses. The pods may protrude from a bottom or a top surface of the nest. Spring sandwiches including one or more springs positioned between plates may be constructed and placed in various portions of a shoe. The shoe may also include piping with lights. | 08-28-2014 |
20140298679 | APPARATUS FOR ENHANCED HUMAN-POWERED LOCOMOTION - A foot or shoe-borne apparatus comprises a spacer and spring assembly that can be oriented in two orientations. In the first orientation, the assembly is under the sole of a user's foot or shoe such that the assembly acts against the ground for enhanced locomotion for that foot or shoe. In the second orientation, the assembly is positioned away from the sole of the foot or shoe, thereby enabling ordinary use of that foot or shoe. | 10-09-2014 |
20140325870 | RESILIENT STABILIZER AND CONNECTING MEMBER FOR A CUSHIONING DEVICE IN AN ARTICLE OF FOOTWEAR - A stabilizer and connecting member is provided for a cushioning device in an article of footwear, comprising a top platform with a diameter larger than a central portion, a corresponding bottom platform and a resilient central portion. | 11-06-2014 |
20150026996 | SHOE SOLE WITH ENERGY RESTORING DEVICE - The present disclosure describes a performance enhancing shoe sole that includes an anterior support structure and a posterior support structure that are connected by a first support structure. The anterior support structure and posterior support structure are flexible bent spring structures. The first support structure provides a plantar interface that includes a midfoot arch. The shoe sole is positionable in a shoe to provide shock absorption and controlled energy return from the posterior support structure to the first support structure. The shoe sole is an interconnected bent spring system that can be a single ribbon of flexible material defining multiple pivot angles or a multi-layered cantilevered flexible bent spring. The shoe sole can also include inserts that dampen shock. | 01-29-2015 |
20150089834 | SHOE SOLE WITH ENERGY RESTORING DEVICE - The present disclosure describes a performance enhancing shoe sole that includes an anterior support structure and a posterior support structure that are connected by a first support structure. The anterior support structure and posterior support structure are flexible bent spring structures. The first support structure provides a plantar interface that includes a midfoot arch. The shoe sole is positionable in a shoe to provide shock absorption and controlled energy return from the posterior support structure to the first support structure. The shoe sole is an interconnected bent spring system that can be a single ribbon of flexible material defining multiple pivot angles or a multi-layered cantilevered flexible bent spring. The shoe sole can also include inserts that dampen shock. | 04-02-2015 |
20160051010 | SHOE SOLE WITH ENERGY RESTORING DEVICE - The present disclosure describes a performance enhancing shoe sole that includes an anterior support structure and a posterior support structure that are connected by a first support structure. The anterior support structure and posterior support structure are flexible bent spring structures. The first support structure provides a plantar interface that includes a midfoot arch. The shoe sole is positionable in a shoe to provide shock absorption and controlled energy return from the posterior support structure to the first support structure. The shoe sole is an interconnected bent spring system that can be a single ribbon of flexible material defining multiple pivot angles or a multi-layered cantilevered flexible bent spring. The shoe sole can also include inserts that dampen shock. | 02-25-2016 |