Abstract
A high-heeled shoe having a sole and a heel of at least 4 cm height provided thereto, wherein the heel is provided with a damping element. The damping element has different effective damping cross sections along the heel's longitudinal axis and/or is freely deformable in at least one direction perpendicular to the heel's longitudinal axis.
Claims
1. A high-heeled shoe comprising: a sole and a heel, the heel being at least 4 centimeters (cm) in height, wherein the heel has a longitudinal axis intersecting a top and a bottom of the heel, the heel being provided with a damping device, wherein the heel has a top portion and a bottom portion separated by a vertical midpoint along the longitudinal axis, wherein the damping device comprises at least one damping element and a guiding element extending through the at least one damping element, wherein the at least one damping element is arranged entirely within the top portion of the heel, wherein the guiding element is mounted in the top portion of the heel by means of a piston-cylinder connection so as to be movable in the heel's longitudinal direction and extends over at least 60% of the heel's height, wherein at least one of a heel diameter and a heel width is no larger than 4 cm in the region of the at least one damping element, wherein the at least one damping element has different effective damping cross-sections along the heel's longitudinal axis and is freely deformable in at least one direction perpendicular to the heel's longitudinal axis, wherein a ratio of a largest cross-sectional area to a smallest cross-sectional area of the at least one damping element in a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis is at least 1.3, and wherein a total volume of the least one damping element ranges between 0.5 and 15.0 cm.sup.3.
2. The high-heeled shoe according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the largest cross-sectional area to the smallest cross-sectional area of the at least one damping element in a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis is at least 1.5.
3. The high-heeled shoe according to claim 1, wherein the at least one damping element is visible from outside or arranged in a chamber of the heel.
4. The high-heeled shoe according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the heel diameter and heel width is no larger than 2 cm in the region of the at least one damping element.
5. The high-heeled shoe according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the heel diameter and heel width is no larger than 1.5 cm in the region of the at least one damping element.
6. The high-heeled shoe according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of heel height to at least one of the heel diameter in the region of the at least one damping element and the heel width in the region of the at least one damping element is at least 2.5.
7. The high-heeled shoe according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of heel height to at least one of the heel diameter in the region of the at least one damping element and the heel width in the region of the at least one damping element is at least 4.0.
8. The high-heeled shoe according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of heel height to at least one of the heel diameter in the region of the at least one damping element and the heel width in the region of the at least one damping element is at least 5.0.
9. The high-heeled shoe according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of heel height to at least one of the heel diameter in the region of the at least one damping element and the heel width in the region of the at least one damping element is at least 7.5.
10. The high-heeled shoe according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of heel height to at least one of the heel diameter in the region of the at least one damping element and the heel width in the region of the at least one damping element ranges between 2.5 and 15.0.
11. The high-heeled shoe according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of heel height to at least one of the heel diameter in the region of the at least one damping element and the heel width in the region of the at least one damping element ranges between 4.0 and 12.0.
12. The high-heeled shoe according to claim 1, wherein the at least one damping element has a height of at least 1 cm in an axial direction of the heel.
13. The high-heeled shoe according to claim 1, wherein the at least one damping element has a height of at least 2 cm in an axial direction of the heel.
14. The high-heeled shoe according to claim 1, wherein the at least one damping element has a height of at least 3 cm in an axial direction of the heel.
15. The high-heeled shoe according to claim 1, wherein the at least one damping element has a height of at least 4 cm in an axial direction of the heel.
16. The high-heeled shoe according to claim 1, wherein the at least one damping element comprises a gel pad or solid, compressible material.
17. The high-heeled shoe according to claim 1, wherein the at least one damping element is selected from the group consisting of: an elastomer, a thermoplastic synthetic material, cork, foam, latex and gel.
18. The high-heeled shoe according to claim 1, wherein the total volume of the at least one damping element ranges between 1.75 and 5.0 cm.sup.3.
19. The high-heeled shoe according to claim 1, wherein the total volume of the at least one damping element ranges between 1.5 and 4.0 cm.sup.3.
20. The high-heeled shoe according to claim 1, wherein the piston-cylinder connection comprises at least one means for noise reduction which reduces the generation of noise when at least one of the heel being loaded and load being taken off the heel occurs.
21. The high-heeled shoe according to claim 20, wherein the piston-cylinder connection comprises at least one buffer configured such that the abutment of the piston against an axial end of the cylinder is at least one of prevented and damped, wherein the buffer is made of a polymeric material.
22. The high-heeled shoe according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the piston and the cylinder comprise a low-friction surface.
23. The high-heeled shoe according to claim 22, wherein at least one of the piston and the cylinder are provided with a sleeve made of a low-friction material.
24. The high-heeled shoe according to claim 1, wherein the piston-cylinder connection comprises an anti-rotation protection which counteracts or prevents a rotation of the piston in the cylinder.
25. The high-heeled shoe according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the largest cross-sectional area to the smallest cross-sectional area of the at least one damping element in a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis is at least 4.0.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) Preferred embodiments of the high-heeled shoe according to the present invention are described in the following with reference to the Figures. The Figures show:
(2) FIG. 1 a schematic side view of a high-heeled shoe comprising a damping means in the heel according to an embodiment of the invention;
(3) FIG. 2a a detail of a cross-sectional view along the line II-II of FIG. 1, showing a mounting option for a damping means in a high-heeled shoe according to the present invention;
(4) FIG. 2b a cross-sectional view of the damping element of a high-heeled shoe according to the present invention along the line III-III of FIG. 2a;
(5) FIG. 2c a cross-sectional view of the damping element of a high-heeled shoe according to the present invention along the line IV-IV of FIG. 2a;
(6) FIG. 3 a schematic side view of a high-heeled shoe comprising a damping means in the heel according to a further embodiment of the invention;
(7) FIG. 4 a detail of a cross-sectional view similar to the one of FIG. 2a, showing a further mounting option for a damping means in a high-heeled shoe according to the present invention;
(8) FIGS. 5a-5c schematic rear views of various embodiments of the damping means of a high-heeled shoe according to the present invention;
(9) FIG. 6a-6d schematic cross-sectional views of further embodiments of the damping means of a high-heeled shoe according to the present invention;
(10) FIG. 7a-7m exemplary shapes of damping elements for use in high-heeled shoes according to the present invention;
(11) FIG. 8a a schematic rear view of a piston-cylinder connection according to a first embodiment for use in a high-heeled shoe according to the present invention;
(12) FIG. 8b a cross-sectional view along the line V-V of FIG. 8a showing the structure of the piston-cylinder connection;
(13) FIG. 8c a cross-sectional view along the lines VI-VI of FIG. 8a;
(14) FIG. 8d a detail E of the cross-sectional view of FIG. 8b;
(15) FIG. 9a a schematic rear view of a piston-cylinder connection according to a further embodiment for use in a high-heeled shoe according to the present invention;
(16) FIG. 9b a cross-sectional view along the line VII-VII of FIG. 9a showing the structure of the piston-cylinder connection;
(17) FIG. 9c a cross-sectional view along the line VIII-VIII of FIG. 9a;
(18) FIG. 9d a detail F of the cross-sectional view of FIG. 9b;
(19) FIG. 10a a perspective, schematic view of a piston-cylinder connection according to a further embodiment of the invention for use in a high-heeled shoe according to the present invention;
(20) FIG. 10b a perspective, longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the piston-cylinder connection of FIG. 10a turned by 90;
(21) FIG. 11 a perspective, longitudinal cross-sectional view of a piston-cylinder connection according to a further embodiment for use in a high-heeled shoe according to the present invention.
(22) FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a high-heeled shoe according to a first embodiment of the invention. The high-heeled shoe 1 essentially comprises an outsole 6, an insole 7, a soft inner sole 8 and a sock 9 as well as a heel in the region 10 of the foot's heel. Between the insole 7, the inner sole 8 and the sock 9 and/or as a component of one of the soles, pads 31 can be arranged in the foot's heel region 10, pads 32 in the midfoot region and/or pads 33 in the ball region. These pads can be made of gel or an equally soft material. The foot's heel region 10 can be flattened or lowered through a specific sole shaping. The heel can comprise a heel tip at its lower end.
(23) FIGS. 1 and 2a show, in particular, that the heel of the illustrated high-heeled shoe 1 is preferably provided with a lower heel part 2 and an upper heel part 3 as well as a damping means 20 comprising a damping element 21. The damping element is arranged between the lower heel part 2 and the upper heel part 3 and is visible from outside. The damping element 21 preferably comprises different effective damping cross sections A.sub.1, A.sub.2, . . . , A.sub.i along the heel's longitudinal axis and is freely deformable in a direction perpendicular to the heel's longitudinal axis towards the outside, preferably essentially along its entire height in the heel's axial direction.
(24) As can be taken from FIGS. 2b and 2c, the different effective damping cross-sections A.sub.1, A.sub.2, . . . , A.sub.i can have different surface areas. Alternatively to the above or in combination therewith, the different damping cross-sections A.sub.1, A.sub.2, . . . , A.sub.i can also differ in shape. Should the damping element 21 have a spherical shape as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1, the cross-sectional surface around the center of the sphere (FIG. 2b) is substantially larger than, for instance, in the pole region (FIG. 2c). In this way, the stiffness and the damping of the damping element can be precisely adjusted.
(25) The damping means 20 can further comprise a transmitting and/or guiding element 22. Said element can be firmly attached to the lower heel part 2 and can terminate in a bore or recess 4 in the upper heel part 3 such that the forces acting in the heel's longitudinal direction between the lower heel part 2 and the upper heel part 3, are, in essence, transmitted via the damping element 21 only. If the transmitting and/or guiding element 22 is guided laterally in the recess 4 of the upper heel part, forces and/or shocks which do not act in the heel's longitudinal direction can be directly transmitted from one heel part to the other via the element 22. Since the transmitting and/or guiding element 22 is guided through the damping element 21, a lateral breakaway of the damping element 21 under load in the heel's longitudinal direction is prevented.
(26) Alternatively or additionally, a sleeve 25 can be provided in the recess 4 of the upper heel part 3 or in a corresponding recess in the lower heel part 2 (not depicted), which extends downwardly from the upper heel part and provides a larger surface for guiding the transmitting and/or guiding element 22. The connection between the transmitting and/or guiding element 22 and the lower heel part 2 and/or the upper heel part 3 can be provided by a form-fit, a bonding and/or frictional engagement, for example.
(27) Alternatively or additionally, the damping element 21 can be directly firmly attached to the lower heel part 2 and/or the upper heel part 3, e.g. by gluing.
(28) In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2a, the guiding element 22, in an exemplary manner, is held in the recess 4 by means of a spring 24 which can also be replaced by a very elastic plastic material. As shown in FIG. 4, the guiding element 22 can be alternatively or additionally prevented from sliding out by means of an enlargement at the upper end of the guiding element 22, namely a head 26. If the head 26 is an integral part of the guiding element 22, the guiding element can, for instance, be pushed through the upper heel part 3 from the side of the foot's heel andafter threading the damping element 21 thereonbe connected and/or screwed together with the lower heel part 2 and/or the heel tip 5. The guiding element 22 can also comprise a thread or a push fitting at the upper end so that the head 26 is screwed or fitted onto the guiding element 22 after the guiding element 22 has been inserted in the upper heel part 3 from below and guided to the recess 4. Further types of connection which guarantee the required degree of freedom and a simple replacement of the damping element 21 are also possible.
(29) A further embodiment of a high-heeled shoe 1 according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 3. The basic set-up of the shoe 1 is similar to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2a-2c, but differs in the shape of the damping element 21 of the damping means 20. As depicted in FIG. 3, the damping element 21 is formed by two truncated cones 21a, 21b which are placed on top of each other. The two truncated cones 21a, 21b forming the damping element 21 can be configured as an integral or one-piece part or as a two-piece component, i.e. as two damping elements 21a, 21b which are connected in series.
(30) The damping means of a high-heeled shoe 1 according to the present invention can comprise several damping elements 21 in parallel or serial arrangement. FIGS. 5a to 5c show rear views of heels of high-heeled shoes according to further embodiments of the invention. As can be taken from said Figures, the damping means 20 can comprise, for example, several spherical damping elements 21 or additionally damping or non-damping elements 23 made of rigid material, e.g., hard plastics or metal.
(31) The damping means 20 can also be arranged inside the heel. In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 6a, the damping means 20 is located in a chamber 11 inside the lower heel part 2 which, for example, can be at least partially designed as a sleeve for this purpose. At least one damping element which is freely deformable in at least one direction perpendicular to the heel's longitudinal axis and/or comprises different effective damping cross sections along the heel's longitudinal axis is provided inside the heel. The damping element can, for example, be provided in the form of one or more gel pads or other elastic materials 21.
(32) The sleeve-like lower heel part 2 can, for example, be made of hard plastics or metal and serves as guiding element. However, an additional guiding element 22 extending through the damping elements 21 can also be provided, as previously described in connection with the embodiment of FIG. 1. Preferably, stabilizing elements 27 made of rigid material, such as medium-hard or hard plastics or metal, are placed inside the sleeve between the damping elements 21 for transmitting force and stabilizing the heel. The stabilizing elements 27 can abut on the sleeve's margin and support the sleeve. In combination with the sleeve-like lower heel part 2, the heel's stability can thus be ensured.
(33) In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6a, the sleeve-like lower heel part 2 can be held via a spring 24 in a, for example, annular recess 4 of the upper heel part 3, as described above.
(34) As shown in FIG. 6b, the lower heel part 2 of a high-heeled shoe according to the present invention can essentially consist of the heel tip 5 only, which is directly connected to the guiding element 22. In this case the space between the heel tip 5 and the upper heel part 3 can be completely taken up by one or several damping elements 21. Alternatively, a combination of one or more damping elements and the stabilizing elements can be provided.
(35) FIG. 6c shows a rear view of the heel of a high-heeled shoe according to the present invention. As can be seen from this embodiment, the damping means can also comprise a combination of diverse damping elements, such as gel pads, polymer dampers (or other elastic materials) 28. Polymer dampers 28 and/or gel pads can comprise different effective damping cross sections along the heel's longitudinal axis. Stabilizing elements 27 made of rigid material can be provided between the individual polymer dampers 28 and/or the gel pads in order to ensure stability of the heel.
(36) As shown in FIG. 6d, the damping element 21 of a high-heeled shoe according to the present invention can also be composed of several, for example cylindrical elements having similar or different diameters. The embodiments shown in FIGS. 6c and 6d can be designed with or without a guiding element.
(37) FIGS. 7a to 7m show examples of further shapes for damping elements to be used in high-heeled shoes according to the present invention. All of these shapes have at least two different effective damping cross sections. It is particularly preferred that the damping elements intended for use in the present invention comprise considerably more different effective damping cross sections.
(38) Preferably, the high-heeled shoe according to the present invention further comprises a piston-cylinder connection 40 by which the transmitting and/or guiding element is mounted in the upper heel part such that it can move in an axial direction of the heel. Further embodiments of piston-cylinder connections 40 according to the present invention are depicted in FIGS. 8a to 8d, 9a to 9d, 10a, 10b and 11. For reasons of clarity, the damping means according to the present invention and the lower heel part are not depicted in these Figures.
(39) A first embodiment of the piston-cylinder connection 40 according to the present invention is schematically shown in FIGS. 8a to 8d. As illustrated in FIG. 8a, the piston-cylinder connection 40 preferably comprises a surrounding cylinder 125 and a piston which is essentially formed by the guiding element 122. At that, the surrounding cylinder 125 is connected with or formed by the upper heel part, which is why the cylinder can also be described as cylindrical opening in the upper heel part. The piston is preferably connected with a guiding element 122 which runs through the damping element according to the present invention, as described above. In the shown embodiment, the piston is formed integrally with the guiding element 122. It is further shown that the guiding element 122 can comprise an external thread 141 at its lower end, through which a lower heel part 2 can be screwed onto the guiding element 122. Moreover, an optional internal thread 143 enables the mounting of the heel tip (see FIG. 8b). As can be taken from FIG. 8c which shows a cross section of the piston-cylinder connection 40 of FIG. 8a along the line VI-VI, the surrounding cylinder 125 and the guiding element 122 preferably have a circular cross section according to this embodiment.
(40) FIG. 8b shows an intersection along the line V-V of FIG. 8a illustrating the mounting of the guiding element 122 in the surrounding cylinder 125, which allows for movement in an axial direction. As can be seen best from the enlarged detail view of FIG. 8d, a pin 145, which is pushed through an elongate opening 144 in the upper region of the guiding element 122 and is mounted in or on the cylinder 125, prevents the guiding element 122 from sliding out of the cylinder 125 further than a maximum position when the heel is lifted. In addition, the guiding element 122 is prevented from rotating with respect to the upper heel part, which counteracts a loosening of the screwed-on lower heel part and/or the heel tip.
(41) Due to its axial moveability, the guiding element 122 is shifted upwardly in the heel's longitudinal direction when the heel is loaded and the damping element according to the present invention deforms correspondingly (not depicted in FIG. 8d). The piston-cylinder connection 40, therefore, is provided with an upper buffer 151 which is preferably made of elastic plastics. Said buffer prevents the bumping or undamped bouncing of the piston against the cylinder's axial upper end and, thus, reduces the generation of noise when the heel is loaded. Alternatively, the upper buffer 151 can be made of polymers (e.g., thermoplastics, elastomers, thermoplastic synthetic materials), polyurethane, natural rubber, rubber or rubber-like plastics, foams and/or cork or cork compounds (e.g., cork-latex compounds).
(42) In addition to the buffer 151, a sleeve 147 (e.g., made of industrial ceramics or plastics) is provided as a means of noise reduction in order to further reduce the generation of noise when striking the ground with and/or lifting a high-heeled shoe according to the present invention. The opening 144 of the guiding element 122 and/or the pin 145 can be provided with a DLC coating or another friction-reducing coating in order to reduce sliding friction between these components.
(43) FIGS. 9a to 9d show a further embodiment of a piston-cylinder connection 40 for use in a high-heeled shoe according to the present invention. Identical reference signs relate to elements which correspond to those of previously described embodiments. As shown in FIG. 9a, the piston-cylinder connection again comprises a surrounding cylinder 125 and a piston which is formed by the guiding element 122.
(44) FIG. 9b shows the section along the line VII-VII of FIG. 9a, wherein FIG. 9d depicts detail F. The surrounding cylinder 125 is open at its lower end as can be seen from these Figures. Hence, the upper end region of guiding element 122 which comprises an enlarged cross-sectional area or head 126 can be inserted into the surrounding cylinder. Subsequently, an end piece 127 which comprises a through-hole for the guiding element 122 is slid over said guiding element and attached to the cylinder (e.g. by screwing, welding, gluing, soldering, nailing or by using engaging mechanisms). The end piece 127 thus prevents the upper end region of the guiding element 122 from sliding out of the cylinder 125.
(45) The piston-cylinder connection according to FIGS. 9a to 9d comprises an upper buffer 151 in a clearance 149 between the guiding element 122 and the cylinder 125. As previously described, said upper buffer can form an upper end stop and reduce the generation of noise when the heel strikes the ground. Moreover, a lower buffer 152 is provided between the head 126 of the guiding element 122 and the end piece 127 of the cylinder. In the given example, the lower buffer has an annular configuration and can, for example, be made of an elastomer. The lower buffer reduces the generation of noise when the heel of the high-heeled shoes according to the present invention is lifted from the ground, when the load is taken off the heel and the guiding element returns to its extended position due to the elastic resetting of the damping means (not depicted in the Figures).
(46) In order to further reduce the generation of noise, the inner wall of the cylinder 125 and/or the outer wall of the upper part of the guiding element 122 inserted therein can be fully or partially provided with a friction-reducing coating (e.g., plastics or DLC).
(47) As shown in FIG. 9c, the inner wall of the cylinder 125 just as the outer wall of the head 126 comprise non-circular profiles at the upper end of the guiding element 122. Hence, the contact between the inner wall of the cylinder 125 and the outer wall of the guiding element 122 prevents the rotation of the guiding element 122. Consequently, the guiding element 122 is protected against rotating in the heel.
(48) FIGS. 10a and 10b exemplary show a further embodiment of the piston-cylinder connection in which the rotation of the guiding element 122 with respect to the cylinder 125 is prevented by the pin 145 which is firmly attached to the guiding element 122 and accommodated in an axial groove 156 of the cylinder. The upper buffer 151 can have different shapes (spheres, cylinders, etc.) and thicknesses and is at least to a certain degree freely deformable in a direction transverse to the heel's longitudinal axis in the clearance 149 between the upper end of the guiding element 122 and the cylinder 125. Hence, the upper buffer 151 does not only minimize the generation of noise when the heel strikes the ground, but to a certain extent also supports the damping effect of the damping element of the high-heeled shoe according to the present invention (not shown in FIGS. 10a and 10b). The shape of the buffer can influence the specific damping properties, as described above with respect to the damping element. Since the stiffness of the upper buffer 151 increases considerably when abutted on the inner wall of the cylinder 125, the cylinder further provides an upper end stop which restricts the upwards movement of the guiding element. In the embodiment shown, the lower end piece of the cylinder 125 forms an integral part of the cylinder. The upper end of the cylinder 125 is sealed by a lid 160.
(49) FIG. 11 shows a further embodiment of the piston cylinder connection 40 for use in a high-heeled shoe according to the present invention, in which the upper buffer 151 is configured as hollow cylinder.
(50) Thus, the present invention as well as the embodiments described in more detail provide high-heeled shoes with a stable and functioning damping means which allows for a slender design of damping heels. At the same time, the damping properties can be flexibly adjusted to the wearer's requirements and individual walking pattern and adapted to the cushion and shoe design in order to optimize the standing and walking pattern as well as the wearing comfort. In addition, particularly advantageous configurations of the heel structure are disclosed by means of a piston-cylinder connection, which impede the generation of audible sounds and have a long service life, thus overcoming considerable problems which, until now, opposed the use of damped high-heeled shoes in practice.
