Sole for a running shoe

Abstract

A sole for a running shoe having a midsole (1), the midsole (1) having a soft-elastic top layer (2) and a soft-elastic bottom layer (3), a flexurally elastic incompressible plate (4) being arranged in the vertical direction (V) between the top layer (2) and the bottom layer (3), and the bottom layer (3) having a plurality of channels (31a, 31a, 31b, 31c) extending in the transverse direction (Q), the channels (31a, 31b, 31c) of the bottom layer (3) being deformable vertically (V) and/or horizontally in the longitudinal direction (L) under the action of forces acting vertically (V) and/or in the longitudinal direction (L) and occurring during running.

Claims

1. A sole for a running shoe having a midsole (1), the midsole (1) comprising: a soft-elastic top layer (2) and a separate soft-elastic bottom layer (3), wherein a flexurally elastic incompressible plate (4) extending from an inner sidewall to an outer sidewall of the midsole (1) and exposed along at least one the inner sidewall and the outer sidewall from a heel area, across a midfoot area, and through a forefoot area of the sole such that the plate continuously descends along the at least one of the inner sidewall and outer sidewall from the heel area to the midfoot area and continuously ascends from the midfoot area through the forefoot area, the flexurally elastic incompressible plate (4) is in a vertical direction (V) arranged between and divides the top layer (2) and the separate bottom layer (3), and wherein the top layer (2) comprises a plurality of channels (21a, 21b, 21c) extending in a transverse direction (Q), and wherein the bottom layer (3) comprises a plurality of channels (31a, 31b, 31c) extending in the transverse direction (Q), wherein the channels of the top layer (2) are separated from the channels of the bottom layer by the flexurally elastic incompressible plate (4) and wherein the channels of the bottom layer (3) are delimited by the soft-elastic bottom layer (3) and by the flexurally elastic incompressible plate (4), wherein 10 to 35% of a surface of the flexurally elastic incompressible plate (4) is exposed by the channels in the bottom layer (3), and wherein the channels (31a, 31b, 31c) of the bottom layer (3) are deformable vertically (V) and/or horizontally in a longitudinal direction (L) under action of forces acting vertically (V) and/or in the longitudinal direction (L) and occurring during running.

2. The sole according to claim 1, wherein the channels (21a, 21b, 21c) of the top layer (2) are horizontally offset in the longitudinal direction (L) with respect to the channels (31a, 31b, 31c) of the bottom layer (3).

3. The sole according to claim 2, wherein the channels (21a, 21b, 21c) of the top layer (2) are arranged horizontally offset in the longitudinal direction (L) relative to the channels (31a, 31b, 31c) of the bottom layer (3) in such a way that the channels (21a, 21b, 21c, 31a, 31b, 31c) of the top layer (2) and the bottom layer (3) do not overlap in the vertical direction (V).

4. The sole according to claim 1, wherein the channels (21a, 21b, 21c) of the top layer (2) are deformable vertically (V) and/or horizontally in the longitudinal direction (L) until closure under the action of forces acting vertically (V) and/or in the longitudinal direction (L) occurring during running.

5. The sole according claim 1, wherein the channels (31a, 31b, 31c) of the bottom layer (3) are formed by channel-shaped elements (32a, 32b, 32c) oriented in the transverse direction (Q) and are configured to project downwardly toward the ground (B).

6. The sole according to claim 1, wherein the channels (21a, 21b, 21c) of the top layer (2) are delimited by the soft-elastic top layer (2) and by the flexurally elastic incompressible plate (4).

7. The sole according to claim 1, wherein the channels (31a, 31b, 31c) of the bottom layer (3) and/or the channels (21a, 21b, 21c) of the top layer (2) are elongated in cross-section in the longitudinal direction (L) of the middle sole (1).

8. The sole according to claim 1, wherein the channels (31a, 31b, 31c) of the bottom layer (3) have a height in the vertical direction (V) of 0.2 to 1.0 cm and the channels (21a, 21b, 21c) of the top layer (2) have a height in the vertical direction (V) of 0.2 to 0.5 cm.

9. The sole according to claim 1, wherein the bottom layer (3) is attached to the flexurally elastic incompressible plate (4).

10. The sole according to claim 9, wherein the bottom layer (3) is glued to the flexurally elastic incompressible plate (4).

11. The sole according to claim 1, wherein at least one channel of the plurality of channels of the bottom layer has a front wall with an edge in a region of the flexurally elastic incompressible plate.

12. The sole according to claim 1, wherein at least one channel of the plurality of channels of the bottom layer comprises an angle between a front wall of the at least one channel and the flexurally elastic incompressible plate that is less than the angle between a rear wall of the channel of the at least one channel and the flexurally elastic incompressible plate.

13. The running shoe comprising the sole according to claim 1.

14. A method of manufacture of the running shoe of claim 1 by attaching an upper to the sole.

15. The sole of claim 1, wherein the channels (31a, 31b, 31c) in the heel area include a thicker wall thickness than the channels (31a, 31b, 31c) in a forefoot area.

16. A sole for a running shoe having a midsole (1), the midsole (1) comprising: a soft-elastic top layer (2) and a separate soft-elastic bottom layer (3), wherein a flexurally elastic incompressible plate (4) extending from an inner sidewall to an outer sidewall of the midsole (1) and exposed along at least one the inner sidewall and the outer sidewall from a heel area, across a midfoot area, and through a forefoot area of the sole such that the plate continuously descends along the at least one of the inner sidewall and outer sidewall from the heel area to the midfoot area and continuously ascends from the midfoot area through the forefoot area, the flexurally elastic incompressible plate (4) is in a vertical direction (V) arranged between and divides the top layer (2) and the separate bottom layer (3), and wherein the top layer (2) comprises a plurality of channels (21a, 21b, 21c) extending in a transverse direction (Q), and wherein the bottom layer (3) comprises a plurality of channels (31a, 31b, 31c) extending in the transverse direction (Q), wherein the channels of the top layer (2) are separated from the channels of the bottom layer by the flexurally elastic incompressible plate (4) and wherein the channels in the top layer (2) do not overlap in the vertical direction with the channels in the bottom layer (3), and wherein the channels of the bottom layer (3) are delimited by the soft-elastic bottom layer (3) and by the flexurally elastic incompressible plate (4), wherein channels in the top layer (2) and/or the bottom layer (3) extend in each of the heel area (FB), the midfoot area (MFB), and the forefoot area (VFB), wherein 10 to 35% of a surface of the flexurally elastic incompressible plate (4) is exposed by the channels in the bottom layer (3), and wherein the channels (31a, 31b, 31c) of the bottom layer (3) are deformable vertically (V) and/or horizontally in a longitudinal direction (L) under action of forces acting vertically (V) and/or in the longitudinal direction (L) and occurring during running.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Aspects of the invention are explained in more detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the following figures and the accompanying description.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of a sole for a running shoe according to one embodiment of the invention:

(3) FIG. 2 shows a view of the bottom side of a sole according to the invention for a running shoe according to a further embodiment of the invention;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a schematic section in the transverse direction (along AA according to FIG. 2) of a sole according to the invention for a running shoe according to a further embodiment of the invention;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a section of a channel of the sole shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(6) The embodiment of a sole for a running shoe shown in FIG. 1 comprises a midsole with a soft-elastic top layer 2 and a soft-elastic bottom layer 3. A flexurally elastic incompressible plate 4 is in the vertical direction V arranged between the 20 top layer 2 and the bottom layer 3. This results in a sandwich structure which, when viewed from the ground B, comprises the bottom layer 3 as the first layer, followed by the flexurally elastic incompressible plate 4 and finally the top layer 2. The flexurally elastic incompressible plate 4 thus generally forms an intermediate layer which is arranged between the top and bottom layer. The flexurally elastic incompressible plate 4 extends 5 substantially completely from the inner side to the outer side of the midsole and is also visible from the outside. As shown in FIG. 1, flexurally elastic incompressible plate 4 is visible and extends along a sidewall from a heel area, across a midfoot area, and through a forefoot area of the sole such that the plate continuously descends along the sidewall from the heel area to the midfoot area and continuously ascends from the midfoot area through the forefoot area. The plate thus separates the top layer 2 substantially completely from the bottom layer. The bottom layer 3 comprises a plurality of channels 31a, 31b, 31c (for the sake of clarity, the further channels are not designated) which extend in the transverse direction Q and which are deformable vertically (in the vertical direction V) 10 and/or horizontally in the longitudinal direction L under the action of forces acting vertically (in the vertical direction) and/or horizontally in the longitudinal direction L and occurring during running until closure. Furthermore, in this embodiment shown, the top layer 2 further comprises a plurality of channels 21a, 21b, 21c (for the sake of clarity, the further channels are not designated) extending in the transverse direction Q, at least some 15 of the channels of the top layer 2 being deformable vertically (in the vertical direction V) and/or horizontally in the longitudinal direction L under the action of forces acting vertically (in the vertical direction) and/or in the longitudinal direction L and occurring during running until closure. Furthermore, in this embodiment shown, the top layer 2 further comprises a plurality of channels 21a, 21b, 21c (for the sake of clarity, the further channels are not designated) extending in the transverse direction Q, at least some of the channels of the top layer 2 being deformable vertically (in the vertical direction V) and/or horizontally in the longitudinal direction L under the action of forces acting vertically (in the vertical direction) and/or in the longitudinal direction L and occurring during running until closure. As shown in FIG. 1, the channels 21a, 21b, 21c of the top layer 2 are arranged horizontally in the longitudinal direction L offset relative to the channels 31a, 31b, 31 c of the bottom layer 3, and in such a way that the channels of the top layer do not, in the vertical direction V, overlap with the channels of the bottom layer. In other words, no channel of the top layer lies in vertical direction V above a channel of the bottom layer. In the illustrated embodiment, the channels 31b, 31c of the bottom layer 3 are formed by channel-shaped elements 32a and 32b. In cross-section, the channel-shaped elements 32a, 32b, 32c are substantially U-shaped. In the channels 31b and 31c, the angle formed by the flexurally elastic incompressible plate 4 and the front wall of the respective channels is smaller than the angle formed by the flexurally elastic incompressible plate and the rear wall of the respective channels. The channel-shaped elements 32a and 32b have a recess 33a between them, which is configured to make the midsole more flexible for rolling movement. The recess 33a is thereby arranged in vertical direction V below the channel 21c of the top layer 2, which additionally facilitates the rolling movement and the bending of the flexurally elastic incompressible plate, since the recess 33a defines a predetermined bending point and the channel 21c closes, respectively can be closed, when the plate 4 is bent in vertical direction and/or in longitudinal direction. The channels of the top layer 2 and the bottom layer 3 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 are delimited by the flexurally elastic incompressible plate 4, thereby partially exposing the plate. The channels 21a, 21b and 21c of the top layer are delimited in the vertical direction at their respective bottom sides by the plate 4 and the channels 31a, 31b and 31c are delimited in the vertical direction at their respective top sides by the plate 4. Thus, in general, at least part of the channel wall of the channels of the top layer 2 and/or the channels of the bottom layer 3 is formed by the flexurally elastic incompressible plate 4. As shown in the side view of FIG. 1, both the channels 21a, 21b and 21c of the top layer 2 and the channels 31a, 31b, 31c of the bottom layer are elongated, i.e., the channel walls have a greater distance from each other in the longitudinal direction L than in the vertical direction V. The midsole 1 is bent upward at an angle of 25 to 35 relative to the ground B in the vertical direction V in the forefoot area. In addition, the heel portion of the midsole is raised in the vertical direction V. Channel 31a, which is the channel of the bottom layer 3 closest to the heel edge 5, is arranged such that it is located directly below the wearer's heel when worn.

(7) FIG. 2 shows the bottom side of a midsole 1 facing the ground in the worn state, with heel area FB, midfoot area MFB and forefoot area VFB. A groove 6, which is directed towards and open towards the ground, extends from the heel area FB into the midfoot area MFB. On a part of the midsole 1, respectively on the bottom layer 3, outsole 7 is arranged. It can be seen that no outsole is attached in the midfoot area of the midsole in the lateral area on the lateral inner side of the midsole. The outsole 7 has a structured design. In the embodiment shown, the structuring is designed as a cross structure. In this case, structuring with sharper edges and more pronounced structuring is provided in the lateral area of the lateral outer side than in the lateral area of the lateral inner side of the sole.

(8) FIG. 3 shows a cross-section in the transverse direction Q along the channel 31b extending in the transverse direction Q (see A-A in FIG. 2). The groove 6 is essentially V-shaped and the channel 31b in the bottom layer 3 is open towards the channel 6. The sandwich structure of bottom layer 3, flexurally elastic incompressible plate 4 and top layer 2 is also visible. The flexurally elastic incompressible plate 4 is arranged in the vertical direction V between the top layer and the bottom layer of the midsole 1. Dotted lines indicate the channel 21c of the top layer 2, which is not visible in the cross-section.

(9) FIG. 4 shows an enlarged section of channel 31b of bottom layer 3. The channel 31b comprises a rear wall 311 and a front wall 312. The front wall 312 of the channel 31b comprises edge 313 that divides the front wall into first and second regions. The first region, which directly abuts the flexurally elastic incompressible plate 4, is substantially perpendicular to the plate 4. The second region of the front wall 312, which adjoins the first region at the edge 313, is arranged at a smaller angle to the flexurally elastic incompressible plate 4 than the first region.