Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B13/00—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units
  • A43B13/02—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units characterised by the material
  • A43B13/12—Soles with several layers of different materials
  • A43B13/125—Soles with several layers of different materials characterised by the midsole or middle layer
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B13/00—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units
  • A43B13/14—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units characterised by the constructive form
  • A43B13/141—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units characterised by the constructive form with a part of the sole being flexible, e.g. permitting articulation or torsion
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B13/00—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units
  • A43B13/14—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units characterised by the constructive form
  • A43B13/18—Resilient soles
  • A43B13/181—Resiliency achieved by the structure of the sole
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B7/00—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements
  • A43B7/14—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts
  • A43B7/1405—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts with pads or holes on one or more locations, or having an anatomical or curved form
  • A43B7/1415—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts with pads or holes on one or more locations, or having an anatomical or curved form characterised by the location under the foot
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B13/00—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units
  • A43B13/14—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units characterised by the constructive form
  • A43B13/18—Resilient soles
  • A43B13/187—Resiliency achieved by the features of the material, e.g. foam, non liquid materials
  • A43B13/188—Differential cushioning regions

Definitions

• the present invention relates to the field of shoe technology, in particular to a sole for a running shoe.
• a sole which, on the one hand, can dampen forces acting horizontally on the sole and the shoe during running, and on the other hand, exhibits no or at least less material fatigue even after prolonged use.
• the occurrence of a "swimming effect" is avoided.
• the damping effect in the heel area is increased compared to the prior art, while a lower damping effect is provided in the forefoot area compared to the heel area, so that during push-off, the impact is reduced. Significantly less force is lost, and this force is practically entirely available for the impression process.
• Such channel arrangements have the advantage that, due to the narrowing of the channel opening along the main longitudinal axis of the respective channel from the posterior to the anterior border, both vertically and horizontally acting forces occurring during running can be efficiently dampened.
• the channels are typically completely filled with material in the lateral and medial areas of the midsole, i.e., at least laterally and/or medially.
• the soft, elastic midsole is limited.
• the channels in cross-section along a cross-sectional plane in the longitudinal direction (L) of the midsole and perpendicular to the transverse direction (Q) of the midsole are completely enclosed by the midsole.
• the channel walls can therefore be formed entirely by the midsole in the lateral area.
• the channels in the side view of the sole can thus be described as transverse openings in an otherwise preferably one-piece midsole.
• the midsole has no segmentation, i.e., it is segmentation-free. This can significantly improve the durability of the sole, as the midsole is generally much more stable compared to a segmented midsole. Furthermore, fatigue of the soft, elastic midsole over the service life of the sole or running shoe is avoided or at least significantly reduced. This allows the advantageous cushioning effect of the midsole to be maintained consistently over a long period.
• the longitudinal axis of a channel runs parallel to the longitudinal direction of the channel, i.e., the direction in which the channel extends in a slit-like shape, and in cross-section runs along the aforementioned cross-sectional plane through the center of the channel.
• the longitudinal axis lies in the V,L plane of the midsole; that is, it does not run transversely across the midsole, but rather longitudinally and/or vertically across it.
• the longitudinal axis may pass through the points on the channel walls that are furthest apart in cross-section along the aforementioned cross-sectional plane.
• the channel walls of a channel may be further apart along the longitudinal axis of the channel than along any other axis along the V,L plane of the corresponding channel.
• a slot-shaped channel to be one which, in cross-section along the plane of the cross-section in the longitudinal direction of the midsole and perpendicular to the transverse direction of the midsole, has an elongated, narrow contour and thus provides an elongated, narrow opening in the midsole.
• the width of such a channel is therefore greater than its height. Consequently, the extent of such a channel along one spatial direction is greater than along a different spatial direction within the same spatial plane, particularly in the V,L plane.
• a channel which has the cross-sectional shape of a square or a regular circle is therefore not slot-shaped.
• the front and rear boundaries of the channel each define its limits along the main longitudinal axis at its anterior end, i.e., the end closest to the toe of the sole, and at its posterior end, i.e., the end closest to the heel edge. From the heel edge in the longitudinal direction to the toe of the sole, the anterior end of a channel is therefore positioned in front of the posterior end.
• the main longitudinal axis of such a channel must necessarily run parallel to the base of the midsole, or, when worn, parallel to the ground.
• the main longitudinal axis of one or more channels has an angle of >0° to ⁇ 90°, particularly 5° to 80°, with respect to the base of the sole or, when worn, the ground.
• the front and rear boundaries can, for example, be curved in cross-section along the cross-sectional plane. These are concave towards the center of the channel, respectively.
• the channels, in particular all channels, of the midsole can generally be divided in cross-section along the longitudinal direction and perpendicular to the transverse direction of the midsole from their respective end located closest to the heel edge, or the rear end region, in the longitudinal direction towards their respective
• the channels of the midsole preferably do not run vertically upwards or parallel to the longitudinal direction from their respective end closest to the heel edge, or the rear end, to their respective end closest to the heel edge, or the front end.
• none of the channels of the midsole run vertically downwards in cross-section along the longitudinal direction and perpendicular to the transverse direction of the midsole from their respective end closest to the heel edge, or the rear end, to their respective end closest to the heel edge, or the front end.
• the main longitudinal axis of the respective channels in particular of all channels of the midsole, therefore rises vertically from the heel edge to the heel edge or is parallel to the longitudinal direction. However, the main longitudinal axis of the respective channels does not descend vertically from the heel edge to the heel edge.
• the canals are designed such that the lateral and/or medial opening of the canals narrows along the main longitudinal axis from the posterior border to the anterior border over a large part of the canal along the main longitudinal axis, in particular over at least 30%, in particular over at least 50%, in particular over at least 70%, in particular over at least 90%, of the total width of the canal in cross-section along the longitudinal direction and perpendicular to the transverse direction along the main longitudinal axis.
• the channels are designed such that they assume an S-shape when completely closed, in particular when the side openings are completely closed.
• the channels in the midsole are typically located at least in the heel area and optionally in the midfoot and/or forefoot area of the sole. In some embodiments, the channels are located in the heel, midfoot, and forefoot areas.
• the longitudinal direction L of the sole is described by an axis from the heel area to the forefoot area and thus extends along the longitudinal axis of the sole.
• the transverse direction Q of the sole runs transversely, i.e., perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and substantially parallel to the underside of the sole, or substantially parallel to the ground. Thus, the transverse direction runs along a transverse axis of the midsole.
• the vertical direction V in connection with the present invention, denotes a direction from the underside, or base surface of the sole, towards the insole and the surface, or, in the operational state, towards the wearer's foot, and thus runs along a vertical axis of the midsole.
• the lateral side of the sole is the outer boundary of the sole, which, when worn, rests against the outer instep of the wearer's foot.
• the medial side of the sole, or midsole denotes the outer inner boundary of the sole, which is located opposite the lateral side.
• the midsole can typically be divided longitudinally, i.e., along the direction of movement when worn, into a heel area, a forefoot area, and a midfoot area located directly between the heel and forefoot areas.
• the forefoot area for example, extends from the toe of the sole, against the longitudinal direction, to 30–45% of the total longitudinal length of the midsole.
• the heel area for example, extends from the edge of the heel, longitudinally, to 20–30% of the total longitudinal length of the midsole.
• the midfoot area lies directly between the heel and forefoot areas, so that its longitudinal length constitutes the remaining portion of the total length, specifically 15–50%.
• the midsole typically has a base area that borders it in the opposite direction to the midsole's vertical axis and a surface that borders it in the vertical direction. It is understood that, when walking (i.e., in its operational state), the base area faces the ground and the surface surface faces the wearer's foot, or the insole.
• a sole according to the present invention can consist of the midsole or merely comprise it.
• a sole according to the invention can, in some embodiments, comprise further components, such as an insole and/or an outsole made of an abrasion-resistant and/or profiled material.
• Elastic, and in particular soft-elastic, materials for soles are well known to those skilled in the art.
• materials with a Young's modulus of approximately 0.0001 to 0.2 GPa, particularly 0.001 to 0.1 GPa can be used, which, within the meaning of the present invention, can be considered elastic or soft-elastic materials.
• such materials can include polymer foams.
• EVA polyurethane
• TPU thermoplastic polyurethane
• eTPU expanded thermoplastic polyurethane
• polyamides e.g., PA-11, PA-12, nylon, polyether block amide ( PEBAX® ), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), or mixtures thereof.
• PEBAX® polyether block amide
• PET polyethylene terephthalate
• PBT polybutylene
• a channel is understood to be a recess, which is typically tubular in shape.
• a channel is wholly or partially bounded by its channel walls, except at the lateral openings.
• the channels are empty.
• the channels can be open and continuous, i.e., a channel is preferably not a blind hole.
• a channel, and in particular all channels of the midsole extend continuously from the lateral side of the midsole to the medial side of the midsole.
• the channels run essentially parallel to each other.
• the channels are arranged longitudinally from the heel edge to the toe of the sole, one behind the other, and vertically, at least two or more channels are offset from each other.
• the channels are arranged in the lateral and/or medial region of the midsole in at least one first and one second horizontal plane.
• the first and second horizontal planes are vertically offset from each other.
• a horizontal plane of the sole describes a plane that is essentially parallel to the underside of the sole, or essentially parallel to the ground. It should also be understood that the horizontal plane can be slightly curved. This can be the case, for example, if the sole, as is typical for running shoes, is slightly curved upwards vertically at the forefoot and/or heel.
• the deformability of the channels for example, the vertical joining of the channel walls and/or the shearing of the channel in the longitudinal direction. This can include [various conditions].
• the upper and lower channel walls can touch under the influence of the forces occurring during running, so that the corresponding channel is deformed until it becomes laterally blocked.
• the elastic midsole is formed in one piece.
• the elastic midsole thus preferably consists of a single material and is therefore more stable than a midsole consisting of several components, in particular components glued or welded together.
• the channels have lateral openings on the lateral and medial sides of the midsole.
• the channels are deformable vertically and/or horizontally in the longitudinal direction under the influence of forces acting vertically and/or longitudinally during running, until the lateral openings close. These openings can close, and in particular close completely, due to the forces occurring during running, by the channel walls touching.
• the channels located in the heel area, the midfoot area, and/or the forefoot area can be designed to completely close the lateral openings due to the forces occurring during running.
• the forces occurring during running are typically due to the weight of the wearer, which can be, for example, between 40 and 120 kg, and in particular between 50 and 100 kg.
• the upper and lower canal walls can touch under the influence of the forces occurring during running.
• the channels are arranged such that the respective longitudinal principal axis of the channels has a component in the vertical direction of the midsole and a component in the longitudinal direction.
• Such slot-shaped channels, as well as their corresponding longitudinal principal axes, therefore extend in the side view of the The sole, or in cross-section along the cross-sectional plane in the longitudinal direction of the midsole and perpendicular to the transverse direction of the midsole, viewed from the base of the midsole, is defined both longitudinally towards the toe of the sole and vertically towards the surface of the midsole.
• Such designs have the advantage that, due to the special arrangement of the channels combined with the narrowing opening towards the front boundary of the channel, particularly horizontal forces occurring during walking can be efficiently dampened, as the shearing of the channel walls is facilitated, making it possible for the lateral openings to close almost completely under shear.
• the channels are designed essentially mirror-symmetrically to their main longitudinal axis, running along the cross-sectional plane in the longitudinal direction of the midsole and perpendicular to the transverse direction of the midsole, or in the side view of the midsole. This ensures that no floating effect occurs when the openings are closed, or that this effect is significantly reduced, as the channel walls lie precisely against each other. This results in a stable stance for the wearer.
• the channels each have two opposing flanks that converge along the main longitudinal axis.
• the flanks can extend essentially linearly in cross-section from the rear boundary to the front boundary along the aforementioned cross-sectional plane, continuously approaching the main longitudinal axis.
• the midsole has a base surface that bounds it in the opposite direction to the vertical direction of the midsole and a surface that bounds it in the vertical direction.
• the main longitudinal axis of the respective channels is arranged such that it defines the base surface and/or a tangent to it (in the case that the base surface is not a flat surface, but rather a plane surface).
• the sole is curved vertically, particularly in the area of the toe and/or heel edge, i.e., convex relative to the ground when worn (the person skilled in the art understands that the tangent is drawn at the intersection between the base and the main longitudinal axis), and intersects the surface at an angle of 5° to 85°, particularly 30° to 85°, and particularly 40° to 75°.
• angles of 30° and more are preferable because high cushioning is required in this area and the heel area is not directly involved in the push-off process during running.
• the characteristic of an acute angle between the main longitudinal axis of a channel and the base of the midsole can also be replaced by the obtuse angle between the main longitudinal axis of the respective channel and the perpendicular to the channel through its center.
• the perpendicular to the channel accordingly runs through the center of the channel and is perpendicular to the base of the midsole, or intersects it at an angle of approximately 90°.
• the obtuse angle between the main longitudinal axis and the perpendicular to the respective channel of at least one channel located in the heel area is greater than the obtuse angle between the perpendicular to the respective channel and the main longitudinal axis of at least one channel located in the midfoot and/or forefoot area.
• the feature of the acute angle between the longitudinal main axis of a channel and the base of the midsole can be replaced by the feature of the obtuse angle between the longitudinal main axis of the respective channel and the channel perpendicular.
• the obtuse angle between the main longitudinal axis and the respective perpendicular of at least one channel arranged in the forefoot area, in particular of all channels arranged in the forefoot area is between 90° and 175°, in particular 90° and 165°.
• an obtuse angle lies between 90° and 180° and an acute angle lies between 0° and 90°.
• the channels along the cross-sectional plane in the longitudinal direction of the midsole and perpendicular to the transverse direction of the midsole each have a pentagonal, hexagonal, and/or teardrop-shaped, in particular lanceolate, contour. It is also possible for one or more channels of the midsole to have a different contour than other channels of the midsole. In particular, the midsole can have up to five channels with different contours.
• a teardrop-shaped contour is defined as a shape that essentially consists of an isosceles triangle and an adjoining circular segment. Those skilled in the art understand that these contours also include shapes with rounded corners, i.e., a rectangle with rounded corners.
• a teardrop-shaped contour is particularly preferred, especially when the portion of the circular segment of the teardrop shape is oriented towards the base. This allows for particularly high horizontal cushioning of forces acting in a horizontal direction during walking. Furthermore, a teardrop-shaped contour allows for a particularly controlled closure of the channels, thus preventing a floating effect. This is because channels with a teardrop-shaped contour are designed to assume an S-shape when closed. Therefore, it follows that channels with a teardrop-shaped contour are primarily used in the heel area.
• channels with a different contour along the cross-sectional plane in the longitudinal direction of the midsole and perpendicular to the transverse direction of the midsole in particular a rectangular, pentagonal, and/or hexagonal contour, may be provided.
• At least some or even all of the channels are designed to completely close their lateral openings under the forces generated during walking. This achieves good cushioning through the collapse of the channels upon impact, while simultaneously ensuring a secure stance at the moment of maximum load due to the complete closure, as further lateral and/or longitudinal displacement is prevented.
• the midsole is divided into a heel area, a forefoot area, and a midfoot area located between the heel and forefoot areas.
• the channels described in the embodiments above are arranged at least in the heel area and/or the midfoot area. Preferably, these channels are arranged at least in the heel area, since this is where the greatest stress occurs during impact.
• the longitudinal axis of a channel intersects the base surface, or a tangent at the intersection of the longitudinal axis and the base surface, at an acute angle.
• the acute angle between the longitudinal axis and the base surface, or the corresponding tangent, of at least one channel located in the heel region is greater than the acute angle between the base surface and the longitudinal axis of at least one channel located in the midfoot and/or forefoot region.
• the elongated contour of the channel and the fact that the acute angle between the base and the main longitudinal axis of at least one channel is larger in the heel area than in a channel in the midfoot and/or forefoot area result in a significantly increased cushioning effect in the heel area, while the smaller acute angle between the base and the main longitudinal axis in the forefoot and/or midfoot area results in a reduced cushioning effect, which leads to a greater impact during push-off. Since impact absorption occurs almost entirely via the forefoot and optionally the midfoot, minimal energy is lost through cushioning.
• the increased acute angle of the channel(s) in the heel area ensures not only vertical cushioning but also significant horizontal cushioning against forces acting horizontally during running.
• all channels in the heel area of the midsole exhibit a larger acute angle between the base plate and its respective longitudinal axis than all channels in the forefoot and/or midfoot areas.
• the characteristic of an acute angle between the longitudinal axis of a channel and the base of the midsole can also be replaced by the obtuse angle between the longitudinal axis of the respective channel and the perpendicular line through the center of the respective channel.
• the perpendicular line thus runs through the center of the channel and is perpendicular to the base of the midsole, or intersects it at an angle of approximately 90°.
• the center of the channel generally lies on the longitudinal axis.
• the obtuse angle between the longitudinal axis and the perpendicular line of at least one channel located in the heel area is greater than the obtuse angle between the perpendicular line of the respective channel and the longitudinal axis of at least one channel located in the midfoot and/or forefoot area.
• the acute angle between the main longitudinal axis and the base of a channel arranged in the heel area, in particular of all channels arranged in the heel area is between 35° and 85°, preferably between 40° and 75°.
• the relatively large angle not only achieves good vertical cushioning, but also significant horizontal cushioning, since the channels can be closed by the horizontal forces acting during running, in particular by contact between the channel walls.
• the obtuse angle between the main longitudinal axis and the respective perpendicular of a channel arranged in the heel area, and in particular of all channels arranged in the heel area is between 110° and 175°, more specifically between 125° and 170°, and preferably between 125° and 165°. This relatively large angle not only achieves good vertical cushioning but also significant horizontal cushioning, as the channels can be closed by the horizontal forces acting during running, particularly by contact between the channel walls.
• the acute angle between the main longitudinal axis and the base surface decreases from the channel closest to the heel edge of the midsole to the channel closest to the toe of the sole, particularly at least over a partial area from the heel edge into the midfoot region.
• the acute angle can be consistently 0°, meaning the main longitudinal axis of the channels in the forefoot region is then parallel to the base surface. This causes the channels to slope downwards from the heel edge towards the toe of the sole when viewed from channel to channel.
• the acute angle between the main longitudinal axis and the base surface, or the obtuse angle between the main longitudinal axis and the respective channel perpendicular decreases continuously from the channel closest to the heel edge of the midsole towards the tip of the sole, at least in the heel area or exclusively in the heel area.
• the midsole additionally features channels in the forefoot area.
• These channels have a substantially rectangular contour along the cross-sectional plane in the longitudinal direction of the midsole and perpendicular to the transverse direction of the midsole.
• these can be described as channels of the second type. They differ from the channels of the first type described above in that they do not have narrowing lateral openings towards the front.
• the midsole always has channels of the first type, but may optionally also have channels of the second type. These are preferably arranged in the forefoot area because the cushioning effect of channels of the second type is less than that of channels of the first type.
• the acute angle between the main longitudinal axis and the base of at least one channel arranged in the forefoot region, in particular of all channels arranged in the forefoot region is between 0° and 15°, in particular 0° and 5°, in particular 0° and 2°.
• An angle of 0° This means that the longitudinal main axis of the channel and the base surface are essentially parallel to each other. In the case of a curved base surface, this parallelism refers to a tangent to the base surface, which lies vertically below the channel.
• the obtuse angle between the main longitudinal axis and the respective perpendicular of at least one channel arranged in the forefoot region, and in particular of all channels arranged in the forefoot region is between 90° and 100°, and in particular between 90° and 95°.
• An obtuse angle of 90° means that the main longitudinal axis of the channel and the base surface are substantially parallel to each other. In the case of a curved base surface, this parallelism refers to a tangent to the base surface that lies vertically below the channel.
• the main longitudinal axis of at least one channel arranged in the forefoot area is arranged essentially parallel to the base surface.
• the acute angle between the main longitudinal axis and the base of a channel arranged in the midfoot area is between 0° and 35°, preferably between 0° and 25°.
• the midfoot area represents an intermediate zone where, on the one hand, a certain degree of cushioning is still required upon impact, but on the other hand, the cushioning effect must not be too great, since the anterior part of the midfoot area, viewed longitudinally towards the toe of the sole, is already used for pushing off the ground.
• the acute angle is particularly preferred.
• the angle between the main longitudinal axis and the base of a channel that directly adjoins a channel in the heel area is greater than 0°, for example, between 10° and 35° or 10° and 25°.
• the acute angle between the main longitudinal axis and the base of the channel located closest to the heel edge of the midsole in the midfoot area decreases continuously towards the toe of the sole in the heel area.
• the obtuse angle between the main longitudinal axis and the respective perpendicular of a channel arranged in the midfoot area is between 90° and 120°, preferably between 90° and 115°.
• each channel has a principal lateral axis.
• This principal lateral axis is typically perpendicular to the respective principal longitudinal axis of the channel and runs through the center of the channel.
• the principal lateral axis lies in the V,L plane, meaning it does not run transversely.
• the height, i.e., the direct distance between the channel walls, along the principal lateral axis of a channel located in the forefoot is less than the height along the principal lateral axis of a channel located in the midfoot and/or heel. This results in a high level of cushioning in the heel area. Simultaneously, the cushioning effect in the forefoot area is significantly less, thus reducing energy loss during push-off.
• the channels have a height of 0.1 cm to 1.5 cm, preferably 0.1 cm to 1 cm, along the main lateral axis.
• the channels each have a width of 0.5 cm to 3 cm, preferably 0.5 cm to 2 cm, along the main longitudinal axis.
• the width describes the distance between the channel walls of a channel along the main longitudinal axis and thus in In some embodiments, the greatest extent in the cross-sectional plane is along the longitudinal direction and transverse to the transverse direction of the sole.
• some, and in particular all, of the channels in the midsole can taper in the transverse direction from the lateral side to the medial side of the midsole.
• the open area of such a channel decreases in cross-section along a plane parallel to the longitudinal direction and perpendicular to the transverse direction of the midsole, from the lateral side to the medial side.
• This has the advantage of increasing the stability of the sole, especially during impact, without significantly reducing its cushioning properties.
• some, and in particular all, of the channels in the midsole can taper in the transverse direction from the medial side to the lateral side of the midsole.
• the channels in the forefoot area taper laterally from the lateral side to the medial side of the midsole, and that the channels in the heel area taper laterally from the medial side to the lateral side of the midsole, and vice versa.
• the channels in the midfoot area can taper laterally from the lateral side to the medial side of the midsole, or from the medial side to the lateral side of the midsole.
• Another aspect of the invention relates to a shoe, in particular a running shoe with a sole according to one of the embodiments described here.
• Another aspect of the invention relates to the use of a sole according to one of the embodiments described here for the manufacture of a shoe, in particular a running shoe.
• a sole according to the invention for a running shoe is shown, which has an elastic midsole 1.
• the midsole 1 is bounded against the vertical direction V by the base surface 2 and in the vertical direction V by the surface 3.
• the The midsole 1 is divided into a heel area FB, a midfoot area MFB, and a forefoot area VFB. As shown, these three areas are arranged sequentially in the longitudinal direction, with the midfoot area MFB positioned between the heel area FB and the forefoot area VFB.
• the midsole 1 comprises several channels 41, 42, 43 (for clarity, only three of the channels are labeled) extending transversely Q and longitudinally L of the midsole 1. These channels can generally be arranged substantially parallel to each other in the transverse direction Q.
• Each channel has a lateral and a medial opening in the midsole. Furthermore, each channel has an anterior and a posterior boundary in cross-section along a cross-sectional plane in the longitudinal direction L of the midsole 1 and perpendicular to the transverse direction Q of the midsole 1 (see figure).
• Figures 2a and 2b ) and a longitudinal principal axis (411) (for clarity, only the longitudinal principal axis of canal 41 is shown).
• canal 41 extends in the aforementioned cross-sectional plane, the V,L plane, along the longitudinal principal axis 411 from its posterior to its anterior border in a slit-like manner, such that the lateral and/or medial opening of canal 41 narrows along the longitudinal principal axis 411 from the posterior to the anterior border.
• the longitudinal principal axis 411 passes through the center point M of canal 41.
• Canal 41 is arranged such that its longitudinal principal axis 411 extends both in the longitudinal direction L and in the vertical direction V.
• the longitudinal principal axis 411 has a vector component other than zero in the longitudinal direction L and a vector component other than zero in the vertical direction V.
• the slot-shaped channel 41 extending from the base surface 2 in both the vertical direction V and the longitudinal direction L in the lateral view of the midsole 1. Furthermore, it follows from the Figure 1 It is evident that the channels 41 are essentially mirror-symmetrical with respect to their principal longitudinal axis, i.e., the principal longitudinal axis forms an axis of symmetry of the channel cross-section in the V,L plane.
• the principal longitudinal axis 411 of the channel 41 intersects the base 2 at the intersection point S.
• the acute angle ⁇ -41 between the longitudinal axis 411 and the tangent to the base 2 at point S lies between 5° and 85°.
• the channel 41 has a lateral axis 412 perpendicular to it, which also passes through the center point M of the channel 41. From the heel edge 5 to the toe 6, the height, i.e., the distance between the channel walls, decreases along the lateral axis.
• the height along the lateral axis of a channel 43 located in the forefoot region (VFB) is less than the height along the lateral axis of a channel 41, 42 located in the midfoot region (MFB) and/or in the heel region (FB).
• the width of the channel 41 corresponds to the distance between the anterior and posterior boundaries of the channel 41 along the longitudinal axis 411.
• FIG. 1 shows an enlarged view of channel 41 in the transverse direction Q.
• Channel 41 has an anterior boundary 413 and a posterior boundary 414.
• the dashed lines, which are arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 411, indicate the boundaries of the anterior boundary 413 and the posterior boundary 414.
• the anterior and posterior boundaries are curved or swept in cross-section in the V,L plane and are concave, particularly towards the center of the channel.
• two opposing flanks 415, 416 run converging along the longitudinal axis 411. These flanks are essentially linear in cross-section along the V,L plane.
• the shape of channel 41 along the V,L plane can be described as teardrop-shaped, specifically lanceolate.
• the teardrop-shaped contour essentially consists of an isosceles triangle, in this case with a rounded apex, and a spherical segment, in this case a hemisphere. Due to the special design of the channel with its lateral openings that narrow along the main longitudinal axis 411, both a horizontal force F H , acting against the longitudinal direction L, and a vertical force can be absorbed. This means that the force F acting in the vertical direction V can be efficiently dampened because this leads to a partial or complete closure of the lateral openings by the flanks 415 and 416 of the channel 41 moving towards each other.
• FIG. 2b An alternative channel shape of channel 41' is shown. This also has a front boundary 413' and a rear boundary 414', which in this case are not curved along the V,L plane, but can be described by the legs of an isosceles triangle. Between the front and rear boundaries 413' and 414' are the opposing flanks 415' and 416', which converge along the main longitudinal axis 411' from the rear boundary 414' to the front boundary 413' and thereby narrow the lateral opening of the channel 41'.
• FIG. 3a The figure shows a running shoe with a midsole according to the invention in its unloaded state.
• the channels close, particularly in the longitudinal direction L, forming an essentially S-shaped channel. This allows for efficient damping of both horizontal and vertical forces occurring during running.
• a running shoe with a midsole 1 according to the invention is shown in a further embodiment of the invention.
• the midsole 1 shown has channels 41 and 42 in the heel area FB and partially also in the midfoot area MFB (for clarity, only three channels are labeled in total). These channels have a hexagonal contour in cross-section along the V,L plane, i.e., along the cross-sectional plane in the longitudinal direction L of the midsole and perpendicular to the transverse direction Q of the midsole. This contour is an irregular hexagon.
• the main longitudinal axis 421 of channel 42 runs in the V,L plane through the The center of canal 42 runs parallel to the longitudinal direction, i.e., the direction in which the canal extends. Furthermore, the main longitudinal axis passes through the points on the canal walls furthest apart in cross-section along the aforementioned cross-sectional plane.
• the canals in the forefoot region, and partially also canals in the midfoot region, have a rectangular contour with rounded corners, as shown, for example, for canal 43.
• These canals located in the forefoot region are canals of the second type; that is, their lateral openings do not narrow along the respective main longitudinal axis from the posterior to the anterior border, since the two opposite flanks of such a canal run parallel to each other longitudinally.
• FIG. 5a Another embodiment of a sole with a midsole 1 according to the present invention is shown.
• the midsole 1 is bounded opposite the vertical direction V by the base surface 2 and in the vertical direction V by the surface 3. Furthermore, the midsole 1 is divided into a heel area FB, a midfoot area MFB, and a forefoot area VFB. As shown, these three areas are arranged one after the other in the longitudinal direction, with the midfoot area MFB being located between the heel area FB and the forefoot area VFB.
• the midsole 1 comprises several channels 41, 42, 43 extending in the transverse direction Q of the midsole 1 and arranged one after the other in the longitudinal direction L of the midsole 1 (for clarity, only three of the channels are labelled).
• the channels 41, 42, 43 each have an elongated contour in cross-section along a cross-sectional plane in the longitudinal direction L of the midsole 1 and perpendicular to the transverse direction Q of the midsole. In the coordinate system shown, this cross-sectional plane is the V,L plane.
• Each channel 41, 42, 43 in cross-section has a longitudinal principal axis 411, 421 along the cross-sectional plane in the longitudinal direction L and perpendicular to the transverse direction Q (for clarity, only the longitudinal principal axes of two of the channels are shown).
• the acute angle ⁇ -41 between the longitudinal axis 411 and the base 2, or the tangent at the intersection of the longitudinal axis 411 and the base 2, of the channel 41 located in the heel region FB is larger than the acute angle ⁇ -42 between the base 2 (or the tangent at the intersection of the longitudinal axis 411 and the base 2) and the longitudinal axis 421 of at least the channel 42 located in the midfoot region MFB.
• the angle between the longitudinal axis and the base decreases continuously from channel to channel from the heel edge 5 to the toe 6 into the midfoot region and is essentially 0° in the forefoot region, i.e., the longitudinal axis of the channels in the forefoot region VFB is parallel to the base 2.
• the channels in the heel region and some channels in the midfoot region are channels of the first type.
• the canals in which the lateral openings narrow along the main longitudinal axes from the anterior to the posterior boundary are shown.
• the rectangular canals in the forefoot region have flanks arranged parallel to each other, which are also parallel to the base surface 2.
• These canals thus represent canals of the second type.
• the canals also each have a main lateral axis 422 (for clarity, only the main lateral axis 422 of canal 42 is shown), which is perpendicular to the main longitudinal axis and also intersects the canal center.
• the height of a canal is defined as the distance between the canal walls along the main lateral axis.
• the height along the main lateral axis of the forefoot area VFB of the channel 43 is less than the height along the main lateral axis of a channel 41, 42 arranged in the midfoot area MFB and/or in the heel area FB.
• the channels in the forefoot area VFB have a rectangular contour in cross-section along the cross-sectional plane in the longitudinal direction L of the midsole 1 and perpendicular to the transverse direction Q of the midsole 1.
• FIG 5b is the embodiment of the Figure 5a shown, Instead of the acute angles ⁇ -41 and ⁇ -42 between the longitudinal principal axis 411 and 421 and the base 2,
• the angle ⁇ -41 between the longitudinal axis 411 and 421 and the base 2 is shown, or rather, the tangent at the intersection of the longitudinal axis 411 and 421 and the base 2.
• the obtuse angle ⁇ -41 between the longitudinal axis 411 and the perpendicular 413 of the canal 41 is shown.
• the perpendicular passes through the midpoint M-41 of the canal 41, which lies on the longitudinal axis 411 and from which, in particular, the front and rear ends, or the front and rear end regions, of the canal 41 are equidistant.
• the perpendicular is perpendicular to the base 2, or rather to the tangent (see tangent T-41) that lies against the base 2 at the intersection of the perpendicular (see perpendicular 413) with the base 2.
• the obtuse angle ⁇ -42 between the longitudinal main axis 421 of the canal 42 and the canal perpendicular 423 of the canal 42 is shown.
• the obtuse angle ⁇ -41 of the canal 41, which is located in the heel region FB, is larger than the obtuse angle ⁇ -42, which is located in the midfoot region MFB.
• a running shoe with a midsole 1 is shown.
• the main longitudinal axis 421 of the channel 42 runs in the V,L plane through the center of the channel 42 and is parallel to the longitudinal direction, i.e., the direction in which the channel extends. Furthermore, the main longitudinal axis runs through the points on the channel walls that are furthest apart in cross-section along the aforementioned cross-sectional plane.
• the channels are arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction L from the heel edge 5 to the toe 6 of the sole and are arranged in at least a first and a second horizontal plane in the lateral and/or medial region of the midsole 1.
• the first and second horizontal planes are vertically offset from each other.
• Channel 41 is arranged in the first horizontal plane
• channel 42 is arranged in the second horizontal plane, which is vertically offset from it.

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• 2021
  • 2021-01-29 CH CH00089/21A patent/CH718291A2/de unknown
• 2022
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