CN120154168A

CN120154168A - Sole support and sole structure having the same

Info

Publication number: CN120154168A
Application number: CN202510644722.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 郑永先; 成芳; 林振祥; 刘俊达; 王冠云; 任磊; 汪芷淇
Original assignee: Anta China Co Ltd
Current assignee: Anta China Co Ltd
Priority date: 2025-05-20
Filing date: 2025-05-20
Publication date: 2025-06-17

Abstract

The present invention relates to a sole support and a sole structure having the same. The sole support is for a sole structure. The sole support is divided longitudinally into a toe area, a forefoot area, a midfoot area, and a heel area. The sole support includes a head portion having a lateral width in a toe region, a raised portion protruding upward in a forefoot region, a support portion having a lateral width in a heel region, a pair of side bars laterally opposed to each other, the side bars bridging the raised portion and the support portion, the pair of side bars forming a hollow portion, the pair of side bars forming a lowermost end of the sole support in the forefoot region with an arcuate apex, the raised portion being force-transmitting connected to the pair of side bars, converting a downward force applied to the raised portion into a force that laterally tilts the pair of side bars, the pair of side bars not exceeding the raised portion in a longitudinal direction, and a first deformation unit formed in the pair of side bars and having mechanical non-dissimilarity configured to redirect lateral tilting forces applied to the pair of side bars to a force that vertically lifts the support portion.

Description

Sole support and sole structure with same

Technical Field

The technology described in this invention relates to the field of athletic shoes. More particularly, aspects of the present invention relate to sole supports that dynamically vary the deformability of the athletic shoe and/or other characteristics including boosting performance under the weight of the wearer. Another aspect of the invention also relates to an article of footwear (e.g., athletic shoe) having such a sole support.

Background

It is well known that articles of footwear, including athletic footwear conventionally, generally include two primary portions, an upper and a sole structure. The upper is configured to provide a covering for a foot of a wearer that securely receives, wraps, and positions the foot with respect to the sole structure. In addition, the upper may have a function of protecting the foot and providing satisfactory ventilation, thereby cooling the foot and removing perspiration. The sole structure is secured to a lower surface of the upper and is generally positioned between the foot and any contact ambient ground. In addition to attenuating ground reaction forces and absorbing energy, the sole structure may provide traction and control potentially harmful foot motions (such as excessive rollover).

The sole structure generally includes multiple layers that may be generally referred to as an "insole," midsole, "and" outsole. An insole (which may also constitute a sockliner) is a thin member located within the upper and adjacent to a plantar surface of the foot to enhance athletic footwear comfort (e.g., to wick moisture away and provide a soft, comfortable feel). The midsole, which is traditionally attached to the upper along the entire length of the upper, forms the middle layer of the sole structure and serves a variety of purposes that include controlling foot motions and attenuating impact forces. The sole forms the ground-contacting element of footwear and is typically made of a durable, wear-resistant material that includes texturing or other features for improved traction.

It would be advantageous for a consumer of athletic footwear if the athletic footwear could provide some assistance during an exercise, such as running, so as to reduce the effort consumption of the wearer or to delay the fatigue of the runner. For this reason, manufacturers of large athletic shoes have focused on improving the design of sole structures to achieve this. It has been proposed to embed supports of considerable rigidity, for example, made of carbon fibers, in the midsole to increase the thrust of the sports shoe.

In fig. 1 of the present application an athletic shoe 1 with such a support design is shown, wherein the athletic shoe 1 comprises, from top to bottom, an upper 2 and a sole structure positioned below the upper 2, wherein the sole structure comprises an insole (not shown), a midsole 3, and a ground-contacting outsole 4. A sole support 5, which is made of carbon fiber material, for example, is embedded in the midsole 3 in the forefoot region of the sports shoe 1. As can be seen in the left-hand view of fig. 1, the black line in the midsole 3, like a spoon shape, is a sole support 5 of considerable rigidity, which spoon shape of the sole support 5 is such that a fulcrum forming a see-saw effect (teeter-totter effect) during movement is created at its lowermost end, and the front end of the sole support 5 is shaped to be raised so as to be able to create a rolling characteristic during movement.

Such a sole support design has proven to be a reasonably efficient design for facilitating the running performance of the wearer. When the wearer or the runner stands with the center of gravity forward, the front sole of the foot generates forward downward force (such as the downward arrow on the right in the left drawing), and the rear end of the sole support 5 (approximately at the heel) generates upward reaction force (such as the upward arrow on the left in the left drawing), so as to help the heel of the runner to lift upwards, and the front sole of the runner has a design of a lifting curved surface, so that the front sole of the runner can naturally roll forward without bending, and the seesaw effect of the sole support 5 is continued, so that the heel obtains forward upward rebound force (such as the upward arrow on the right drawing), further more force feedback is obtained, long running performance is improved, and the thighs and the lower legs of the wearer are more labor-saving during exercise.

Manufacturers of large athletic shoes have now proposed numerous designs for sole supports that create a see-saw effect. For example, the applicant of the present application disclosed in both of the previously filed chinese patent applications CN114343288A, CN115281418a and CN114668226a designs of different types of sole supports for forming the see-saw effect, the disclosures of which in the previously published chinese patent applications are hereby incorporated by reference herein. While these disclosed sole supports are effective in improving the athletic performance of the consumer, the midsole thickness of running shoes for running events must not exceed 40 millimeters as new rules of competition are established by the international track and field assembly, which limits the boosting performance provided by previously designed sole supports to the midsole thickness.

In view of the above, there remains an unmet need in the art for an effective improvement in the propulsion or boosting performance of athletic shoes by optimizing the design of sole supports that meets current regulations and regulations.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention aims to provide a sole support by means of which the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art are at least partially overcome.

The present invention is also directed to a sole structure employing the improved sole support described above.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a sole support for use in a sole structure and having a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction that are mutually perpendicular, and a vertical direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the transverse direction, wherein the sole support is divided in sequence from front to back along the longitudinal direction into a toe region, a forefoot region, a midfoot region and a heel region, the sole support comprising a head portion located in the toe region and having a width in the transverse direction, a ridge portion located in the forefoot region and projecting vertically upwards, a support portion located in the heel region and having a width in the transverse direction, a pair of side straps arranged in the transverse direction in opposite relation to each other, wherein the side straps extend from the ridge portion to the support portion along the longitudinal direction, a hollow portion located at least in the midfoot region is configured between the side straps of the pair, wherein the ridge portion is configured in an arcuate apex manner at a lowermost end of the sole support, the ridge portion is connected to the pair of side straps to transform a force applied to the ridge portion into a force exerted on the ridge portion in the lateral direction, the ridge portion is configured to deform the ridge portion in the transverse direction, the ridge portion is not configured to extend in the transverse direction to the longitudinal direction;

Wherein the ridge is connected to the head by a connecting strip on one side and is force-transmitting connected to the pair of side strips by a connecting strip on the other side, the pair of side strips not extending beyond the connecting strip on the other side such that there is no side strip between the connecting strips on both sides of the ridge.

The sole support according to the present invention not only can realize the teeterboard effect to provide a pushing force to the runner, but also can convert a downward acting force applied to the bulge into a jacking force for lifting the bearing plate upward through mechanical linkage feedback among the bulge, the side strips and the first deformation unit, thereby providing an additional pushing force or pushing force to the runner independently of the teeterboard effect to promote the athletic performance of the runner.

In some embodiments, the ridge is connected to the head by a connecting strip and is force-connected to the pair of side strips by a further connecting strip, the pair of side strips not extending beyond the further connecting strip.

In some embodiments, an aperture is formed between the head and the ridge, the aperture having a width in the lateral direction that is at least 50% of the width of the head, and at least a portion of a perimeter of the aperture is defined by the connecting strip connecting the ridge with the head.

In some embodiments, the support is formed with an opening having a lateral width that is at least 50% of the lateral width of the support.

In some embodiments, the head is formed with a groove extending in the longitudinal direction from a foremost edge, the groove dividing the head portion into two portions arranged in a lateral direction.

In some embodiments, the sole support has a first cross bar bridging between the pair of side bars at the hollow portion, the first cross bar having a second substantially centered deformation unit having mechanical non-anisotropy and configured to undergo adduction deformation upon rolling forces from the pair of side bars.

In some embodiments, the sole support has a second rail bridging between the pair of side rails at the hollow portion, the second rail being spaced apart from the first rail in the longitudinal direction, the second rail having a generally centered third deformation unit having mechanical non-anisotropy and configured to undergo adduction deformation upon being subjected to a side-rolling force from the pair of side rails, preferably the second rail being arranged parallel to the first rail.

In some embodiments, the sole support has a fourth deformation element between the first rail and the second rail, the fourth deformation element having a mechanical non-anisotropy and being configured to produce a torsional deformation direction opposite the first deformation element.

In some embodiments, the first deformation unit and the fourth deformation unit are each configured as a thinned portion of the side bar extending in torsion in the longitudinal direction, the second deformation unit and the third deformation unit are each configured as a thinned portion extending in the respective transverse bar, wherein the thinned portion has a length of the longitudinal torsion extension in the range of 5 to 7 mm, preferably 6 mm, the ratio of the width of the thinned portion to the width of the adjoining non-thinned portion is in the range of 9:10 to 10:15, preferably 12:16, the thinned portion of the first deformation unit has an inclination angle in the range of 20 to 30, preferably 25, with respect to the transverse direction, and the thinned portion of the fourth deformation unit has an inclination angle in the range of 60 to 70, preferably 65.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sole structure comprising a midsole and a sole support built into the midsole, wherein the sole structure has a heel lift in the range of 4mm to 10mm, wherein the sole support is the sole support described above.

Additional features and advantages of the application will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following, or may be learned from the practice of the application.

Drawings

Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the principle of operation of a known sole structure with a sole support, illustrating how the sole support achieves a see-saw effect;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a sole support according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a top view of a sole support according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a side view of a sole support according to an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view at a of fig. 3, showing in detail the configuration of the thinned portion;

FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of the side bar of FIG. 2 taken at B, showing in detail the angle of inclination of the side bar thereto;

fig. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of the side bar of fig. 2 taken at C, showing in detail the angle of inclination of the side bar thereto.

Description of the reference numerals

1-Sports shoe, 2-vamp, 3-midsole, 4-sole, 5-sole support, 51-toe area, 52-forefoot area, 521-metatarsal joint area, 522-metatarsal area, 53-midfoot area, 54-heel area, 10-head, 11-groove, 20-aperture, 30-bulge, 31-connecting strip, 31 a-first connecting strip, 31 b-second connecting strip, 40-side strip, 41-first deformation unit, 42-fourth deformation unit, 43-hollow portion, 50-bearing portion, 501-opening, 60-first rail, 61-second deformation unit, 70-second rail, 71-third deformation unit

Detailed Description

Referring now to the drawings, illustrative aspects of the presently disclosed subject matter will be described in detail. Although the drawings are provided to present some embodiments of the invention, the drawings are not necessarily to scale and certain features may be exaggerated, removed, or partially sectioned to better illustrate and explain the present disclosure. The position of part of components in the drawings can be adjusted according to actual requirements on the premise of not affecting the technical effect. The appearances of the phrase "in the drawings" or similar language in the specification do not necessarily refer to all figures or examples.

Certain directional terms used hereinafter to describe the drawings, such as "inner", "outer", "above", "below" and other directional terms, will be understood to have their normal meaning and refer to those directions as they would be when viewing the drawings. Unless otherwise indicated, directional terms described herein are generally in accordance with conventional directions as understood by those skilled in the art.

The terms "first," "second," and the like, as used herein, do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another.

Definition of terms

In this context, where "mechanical nonreciprocal" means an asymmetric transfer of mechanical quantities between two points in space. Unlike a typical "mechanically reciprocal" material, which has substantially the same deformation law or change response under the action of two opposing forces, a "mechanically nonreciprocal" material or mechanical structure has substantially different deformation law or change response when the same forces are applied in two different directions. By way of example only, some studies have been made by those skilled in the art with respect to the design of mechanical non-reciprocity structures, for example, paper "Corentin C,Dimitrios S,Andrea A.Static non-reciprocity in mechanical metamaterials.[J].Nature,2017,542(7642):461-464." designed a fishbone non-reciprocity structure that breaks the reciprocity of nonlinear static systems and enables asymmetric output of displacements. Paper "Xiang W,Zhihao L,Shuxu W,et al.Mechanical nonreciprocity in a uniform composite material.[J].Science(New York,N.Y.),2023,380(6641):192-198." discloses a nonreciprocal hydrogel structure having an asymmetric response to shear forces, such materials exhibiting a modulus of elasticity that is greater than 60 times greater when sheared in one direction than in the opposite direction, and is incorporated herein by reference. Due to the structural design of "mechanical non-reciprocity", efficient conversion of a force applied in one direction into a force in another direction can be achieved, thereby achieving a force redirection.

In this context, the terms "first deformation unit", "second deformation unit", "third deformation unit" up to "fifth deformation unit" are only used to distinguish between deformation units located at different positions, which expression per se does not mean that these deformation units have to be of the same or different structure. One embodiment has a fourth deformation unit (as described below), but this does not necessarily mean that the second and/or third deformation unit must also be present. It is fully disclosed and includes embodiments which have, for example, a first deformation unit and a fourth deformation unit, but do not have, for example, a second deformation unit.

As used herein, the term "athletic shoe" concept may be applied to a wide range of footwear suitable for use in a variety of everyday or athletic situations, including, but not limited to, walking shoes, running shoes, casual shoes, tennis shoes, soccer shoes, football shoes, basketball shoes, cross-training shoes, nailing shoes, golf shoes, and the like.

The term "longitudinal" refers to a direction that extends a length of a component. For example, the longitudinal direction of the athletic shoe extends between a forefoot region and a heel region of the athletic shoe. The terms "forward" or "forward" are used to refer to the general direction from the heel region toward the forefoot region, and the terms "rearward" or "rearward" are used to refer to the opposite direction, i.e., the direction from the forefoot region toward the heel region. In some cases, a component may be identified with a longitudinal axis and forward and rearward longitudinal directions along the axis. The longitudinal direction or axis may also be referred to as a front-to-back direction or axis.

The term "transverse" refers to a direction that extends a component a certain width. For example, the lateral direction of the athletic shoe extends between a lateral side and a medial side of the athletic shoe. The lateral direction or axis may also be referred to as a lateral direction or axis or a medial-lateral direction or axis.

The term "vertical" or "vertical" refers to a direction that is substantially perpendicular to both the lateral and longitudinal directions. For example, in the case where the sole structure rests flat on a ground surface, the vertical direction may extend upward from the ground surface. It will be appreciated that each of these directional adjectives above may be applied to a separate component of the sole structure. The term "upward" or "upwardly" refers to a vertical direction pointing toward the top of the component. The terms "downward" or "downward" refer to a vertical direction, opposite the upward direction, that is directed toward the bottom of the component, and may be directed generally toward the bottom of the sole structure of the athletic shoe.

Meanwhile, for the sake of consistency and convenience, directional adjectives may be used in the entire present detailed description corresponding to the illustrated embodiments. Those skilled in the art will recognize that terms such as "above," "below," "upward," "downward," "top," "bottom," and the like may be used descriptively with respect to the figures, and do not represent limitations on the scope of the invention, as defined by the claims. The term "horizontal" refers to a plane extending in a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction and perpendicular to the vertical direction.

Unless the context clearly or clearly indicates otherwise, all numerical values of parameters (e.g., amounts or conditions) in the specification and claims should be understood to be modified in all instances by the term "about" or "approximately" whether or not "about" or "approximately" actually occurs before the numerical value. "about" means that the recited value allows some slight imprecision (with some approach to an exact value; approximately or moderately close to this value; nearly). If the imprecision provided by "about" or "approximately" is not otherwise understood in the art with this ordinary meaning, then "about" or "approximately" as used herein is intended to at least mean variations that may be caused by ordinary methods of measuring and using these parameters.

Sole support

The basic structure of the sole support according to various embodiments of the present invention will be described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. The sole support 5 according to the invention can preferably be designed as a plate-like structure made of carbon fiber-reinforced composite material and be arranged in the midsole of the sole structure of an athletic shoe. In this context, one of the main functions of the sole support is to provide a higher boosting force than in the prior art during the movement performed by wearing the sports shoe, while having a considerably better stability to be able to distribute the stresses and impacts to which the movement is subjected, and further to reduce the deformations and wear of the sole. Furthermore, it is believed that the elasticity and flexibility of the sole support 5 of the present invention also helps the runner to better control the direction and strength of movement, and thus better perform in athletic activities.

It is well known that a consumer or runner's foot wearing athletic footwear may generally be divided into at least four areas, namely, the toe, forefoot, midfoot and hindfoot. According to the anatomical analysis of foot function during exercise, the forefoot region contains two important structures of the foot, namely the forefoot transverse arch and the metatarsophalangeal joints, wherein the forefoot transverse arch consists of first to fifth metatarsal heads. The forefoot transverse arch and metatarsophalangeal joints are important weight bearing areas and force transfer areas of the human body during walking, running, jumping and redirection. According to the related research results, the forefoot transverse arch and the metatarsophalangeal joints bear and absorb the impact of the ground reaction force during the braking phase of the movement, and the force generated by the hip knee ankle during the pedaling phase of the movement can be transferred from the hindfoot to the forefoot transverse arch area and released in the area, so that the body is pushed off the ground.

The individual components of the sole support 5 according to the invention are schematically shown in fig. 2 to 4. The sole support 5 is shown here by way of example with a longitudinal direction x in the longitudinal direction and a transverse direction y in the width direction and a vertical direction z in the height direction, and the three-dimensional configuration of the sole support 5 is constructed in three dimensions x-y-z. As shown in the figures, the sole support 5 is here in turn divisible in the longitudinal x-direction from front to back into a toe region 51, a forefoot region 52, a midfoot region 53 and a heel region 54. The forefoot region 52 of the sole support 5 can be subdivided here further in the longitudinal direction into a metatarsophalangeal joint region 521 and a metatarsal region 522.

As shown in fig. 2 to 4, the sole support 5 here has a total length in the longitudinal direction x, for example in the range of approximately 20 to 30 cm, and a maximum width in the transverse direction y, for example in the range of approximately 10 to 15 cm. As an example here, for example, in fig. 2, the toe region 51 may be located within a range extending rearward from the foremost edge of the sole support 5a length, where the length range may be 5-10% of the total length of the longitudinal direction x. Successively, the forefoot region 52 of the sole support 5, which is located behind the toe region 51, extends rearwards for a length in the range of approximately 25-30% of the total length of the longitudinal direction x. The metatarsophalangeal joint region 521 occupies about 40% of the length of the forefoot region 52, and the metatarsal region 522 occupies about 60% of the length of the forefoot region 52.

As shown in fig. 4, in order to create the see-saw effect illustrated in fig. 1, the sole support 5 has in the region of the forefoot region 52 a bottommost or bottommost point which can be curved in the form of an apex embedded in the midsole, so that the forefoot region 52 forms a certain tilting angle a with respect to the ground plane or horizontal active surface. I.e. the sole support 5 extends arcuately downwards from the foremost head 10 to the bottommost end in the fore-palm region 52, wherein the angle between the extension line and the ground plane is the tilting angle a. At this bottommost end, the sole support 5 may have a thickness h1 of 5 mm.

As a possible way, the sole support 5 may be pre-curved in its fore-sole region 52, preferably at an angle between 20 ° and 50 ° compared to a horizontal line passing through the bottommost end of the sole structure (as shown in fig. 4). In other words, in a resting state without any bending or buckling forces, the half sole region 52 of the sole support 5 may bend upwards at an angle (which may be between 20 ° -50 °) from this bottommost end. In some embodiments, the starting point for measuring the lift angle a is located within the range of the metatarsophalangeal joint region 521. It is believed that this improves the bending stiffness of the sole support 5. This is because the lift angle a in this region and range is positioned to meet the best needs of long runners in terms of raw and anatomical aspects for the sole support 5. Torsional movement during landing of the shoe may be allowed and energy loss around the metatarsal joints may be avoided.

Further, it has been found to be advantageous to design the tilting angle a to be between 20 ° and 60 °, further preferably 25 ° and 35 °. This allows the sole support 5 to be raised more upwardly by about 2 mm at the front end than in the prior art, and better meets the requirements of about 6 mm for foam in the outsole. A reasonable compromise is provided between the required stiffness (performance during pedalling off for the runner-in particular when trying to bend the sole support 5 to an angle-and sufficient flexibility (to provide sufficient wearing comfort during shoe landing). The kick-off herein refers to an action in which a runner needs to push his (or her) foot off the ground at each step while running, and the landing refers to an action in which the runner falls on the ground with his (or her) foot at the end of each step.

As further shown in fig. 3 and 4, the heel region 54 extends forward in the longitudinal direction x, for example, from the rearmost side of the sole support 5, over a length range which here accounts for 30-40% of the total length of the longitudinal direction x. Midfoot region 53 extends directly between heel region 54 and forefoot region 52 such that the length of midfoot region 53 along longitudinal direction x forms the remainder of the overall length, e.g., from 20% to 30% of the overall length.

As better shown in fig. 2 and 3, the forefoot region 52 bridges the toe region 51 and the midfoot region 53, which are turned up opposite to each other, in a continuous transition, so that the above-described raising angle a is formed between the forefoot region 52 and the toe region 51, and a bending angle b is formed between the forefoot region 52 and the midfoot region 53, where the bending angle b may be an angle between the direction of extension of the midfoot region 53 itself and a horizontal line extending through the bottommost end of the sole support 5, where the angle may be between 10 ° and 30 °, and preferably 20 ° and 25 °.

The continuous transition from the lift angle a to the bend angle b in the half-sole region 52 in fig. 4 is steeper. The curvature design shown in fig. 4 is believed to be more beneficial to the deformation effect of the sole support 5.

Without being bound by theory, it is found through computer simulation tests and practical comparison tests that in the ranges of the tilting angle a and the bending angle b, when the sole support 5 is placed on the midsole in the sole structure and deformed by the user stepping on the ground, the sole support can apply upward and forward elastic force to the user, and can apply larger force at the initial stage of the deformation, keep the force applied stably, and help the user to apply force in a more labor-saving and more effective manner, so that the user can obtain faster speed.

As shown in fig. 1 to 3, the sole support 5 according to the invention comprises a head 10 located in the toe area 51, which head 10 is also at the foremost end of the sole support 5. Wherein the head 10 extends substantially in the lateral direction y over 70% to 80% of the entire width of the sole support 5 for corresponding to the toe or phalangeal portion of a runner when the foot of the runner is supported by the sole support 5. It is also possible to provide the region of the head 10 located in the toe region 51 with a generally centrally arranged recess 11, wherein the recess 11 extends from the foremost edge of the head 10 generally in the longitudinal direction x backwards for a certain length, wherein the length of the recess 11 may for example be in the range of 10 to 20 mm, preferably the length of the recess 11 is about 15 mm. Without being bound by theory, it is found through computer simulation tests and actual comparison tests that such grooves 11 have a certain promoting effect on improving the deformation effect of the sole support 5. Preferably, in the region of the head 10, the sole support 5 has a thickness h2 of about 1.5 mm.

The sole support 5 further comprises a support portion 50 located in the heel region 54, wherein the support portion 50 is adapted to correspond to the heel of the runner when the foot of the runner is supported by the sole support 5, so as to feed back the boosting or propulsive force generated by the sole support 5 to the runner. The support 50 here extends approximately in the transverse direction from the inside to the outside over 45% to 55% of the entire width of the sole support 5. Preferably, the sole support 5 has a thickness h3 of about 1.5 mm in the region of the support 50 near the rear edge. As shown in fig. 1 and 2, an opening 501 having a certain width may be formed in the supporting portion 50, and a lateral width of the opening 501 may occupy 50% to 80% of a lateral width of the supporting portion 50. The opening 501 is here arranged substantially centrally in the region of the support 50 in the transverse direction, and the opening 501 does not extend in the longitudinal direction to the rear edge of the support 50. Such an opening 501 is believed to have a certain promoting effect on the adjustment of the deformation of the support 50.

As shown in fig. 1 to 3, in order to further improve the boosting effect and/or stability of the sole support 5, the sole support 5 according to the invention is further provided with a raised portion 30 raised in the vertical z-direction by a certain height in the fore-sole region 52. In the exemplary embodiment, ridge 30 is shown as being oval disk-shaped. At least a substantial portion of the ridge 30 is preferably located entirely within the metatarsophalangeal joint region 521 of the forefoot region 52 or in the vicinity of the forefoot transverse arch and is force-fit connected by means of a plurality of connecting strips 31 to the head 10 and to the side strips 40, respectively, which will be described in more detail below. Specifically, when the ridge 30 is subjected to a downward force exerted by the runner, it distributes or evenly spreads the force via the connecting strip 31 to the pair of side strips 40 in force-transmitting connection therewith, as well as to the support 50 connected to the side strips 40, thereby improving the stability of the sole support 5. Specifically, by means of the connecting strip 31, the vertically downward force from the ridge 30 can be converted into a force acting on the pair of side strips 40 to roll in the lateral direction y.

The pair of side bars 40 are disposed laterally opposite each other with a hollow portion 43 configured therebetween. The side rail 40 extends in the longitudinal direction x past the midfoot region 53 and bridges the bulge 30 in the forefoot region 52 and the support 50 in the heel region 54. The pair of side strips 40 defines a lateral boundary of the sole support 5 in the region through which they extend. Thus, in contrast to known single-plate carbon plate structures, a portion of the forefoot region 52 and a majority or all of the midfoot region 53 of the sole support 5 according to the invention are hollow or hollowed out. As shown in fig. 3, the pair of side bars 40 herein may be designed to have an arcuate shape that varies in relief and extends in torsion, thereby having the lift angle a and the bend angle b described in detail above. The lateral spacing of the pair of side strips 40 at the half-palm region 52 is substantially greater than the lateral dimension of the support portion 50, so that the pair of side strips 40 and the support portion 50 are generally Y-shaped.

In order to provide the sole support 5 with a desired stiffness to prevent torsional deformation under stress, the pair of side straps 40 preferably have an orientation in the fore-aft region 52 such that the vertical height of the side straps 40 is significantly greater than the lateral width. For example, as shown in fig. 2, the side rail 40 extends vertically in the half-palm area 52. For connection to the substantially plate-shaped support 50, the side rail 40 is oriented at least in the midfoot region 53 such that the vertical height of the side rail 40 corresponds substantially to the lateral width. In this case, as shown in fig. 2, the side rail 40 is twisted in the midfoot region 53 to reduce its vertical height until it adjoins the plate-shaped support 50. Here, "twisted" means that the vertically upper surface of the side rail 40 is offset closer to the longitudinal center line of the sole support 5 relative to the bottom surface or further from the longitudinal center line of the sole support 5 at the same point, so that the side rail 40 forms a non-perpendicular angle with respect to the horizontal plane at this point.

In this embodiment, in order to provide the sole support 5 with desirable physical properties, it may be made of carbon fiber material, since the carbon fiber material has a certain elasticity and is sufficiently rigid to better meet the needs of the runner. Alternatively, of course, the sole support 5 may be made of a material selected from bamboo or wood. In a preferred embodiment, the sole support 5 may additionally comprise reinforcing fibres in order to increase the stiffness and thus the energy available for pressure relief. It may for example be selected from glass fiber mixed carbon fibers, bamboo fibers, hemp fibers, cellulose fibers, palm fibers and mixtures thereof.

From the above, it follows that the sole support 5 can form, via the pair of side bars 40 with undulating variations, an arc-shaped vertex (for example bottommost in the above) shown in greater detail in fig. 4, in the lower region of the toe-plantar joint front. The arc-shaped peak can be used as a fulcrum for implementing a teeter-totter effect during a running process of a runner to thereby enhance a lever and rolling efficiency for providing a forefoot-midfoot/hindfoot during the running process and convert a downward force applied to a forefoot of the foot by the runner into an upward and forward boosting or propulsive force applied to a heel of the runner at the bearing 50 to thereby provide a propulsive assist function for saving energy of the runner.

As described above, the pair of side bars 40 twist to some extent during extension from the spine 30 to the support 50, and particularly during extension of the midfoot region 53. As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the side rail 40 is formed with a first deformation unit 41 in the midfoot region 53 and at a torsion-generating section near the bearing 50, the first deformation unit 41 having mechanical non-reciprocity. The first deformation unit 41 is designed here to redirect the forces acting on the side rails 40, each of which is inclined in the transverse direction x, as a lifting force which lifts the support 50 upwards. As a result, the sole support 5 of the present invention can not only achieve the teeter-totter effect to provide a pushing force to the runner during the running of the ground, but also can provide an additional pushing force or propulsive force to the runner to enhance the athletic performance of the runner independently of the teeter-totter effect through mechanical linkage feedback among the ridge portion 30, the connecting bar 31, the side bars 40, and the first deforming units 41, particularly the deformation of the first deforming units 41 with mechanical non-reciprocity, converting the downward force applied to the ridge portion 30 into a lifting force that lifts the supporting portion 50 upward.

In the embodiment shown, the inclination of the side strip 40 at the section forming the first deformation unit 41 is configured such that the vertical top surface of the side strip 40 is offset relative to the bottom surface here away from the longitudinal center line of the sole support 5, as shown in fig. 6. In other words, in this inclined section, the lateral strip is inclined in the vertical direction from the bottom upwards along a longitudinal centre line away from the sole support 5, so that the lateral strip 40 forms an inclined angle β with the horizontal plane, which is in the range 20 ° to 30 °, preferably 25 °.

According to the embodiment shown, the first deformation unit 41 may be a weakening or thinning extending the side rail 40 a certain length L in the longitudinal direction x, wherein the weakening or thinning is designed such that its transverse width lies in the range of approximately 9:10 to 10:15, preferably 12:16, compared to the transverse width of the section of the side rail 40 which is not thinned. The length L of the weakening or thinning is, however, in the range of 5mm to 7 mm, preferably 6 mm.

As a result of computer simulation and physical deformation experiments by the inventor, it is known that the length, the thinning ratio and the inclination angle of the weak portion or the thinned portion as the first deformation unit 41 have a certain influence on the mechanical non-reciprocity thereof, that is, the efficiency or the ratio of converting the downward acting force applied to the bulge portion 30 into the jacking force for tilting the supporting portion 50 upward is affected.

In general, the longer the weakened or thinned portion, the first deformation unit 41 can allow the sole support 5 to provide a greater or more powerful boosting force or upward jacking force to the receiver 50. At the same time, the thinner the weakening or thinning is designed, i.e. the smaller the thinning ratio, for example at 16:12, the greater or more powerful boosting or upward jacking force to the bearing 50 can be provided by the first deformation unit 41. At the same time, the smaller the angle of inclination between the weakening or thinning with respect to the transverse direction, for example at an angle of inclination of 25 °, the first deformation unit 41 allows the sole support 5 to provide better deformation properties and a more satisfactory boosting effect.

As a preferred aspect of the invention, the hollow portion 43 in the region of the midfoot region 53 may be provided with a first cross bar 60 for bridging between the pair of side bars 40 in the lateral direction y, wherein the first deformation unit 41 is located between the first cross bar 60 and the support 50. The vertical thickness of the first cross bar 60 may be substantially the same as the vertical thickness of the side bar 40. The first cross bar 60 helps to improve the integrity of the sole support 5. Here, since the first cross bar 60 is disposed adjacent to the first deforming unit 41, in order to promote the deformation of the first deforming unit 41, a second deforming unit 61, which preferably has mechanical non-reciprocity, may be provided at a substantially central section of the first cross bar 60, wherein the second deforming unit 61 is designed to be more susceptible to the adduction deformation when receiving the roll force from the side rail 40, which deformation is believed to geometrically contribute to the deformation of the first deforming unit 41, so that the conversion efficiency of the downward force applied to the bulging portion 30 into the jacking force for tilting the bearing portion 50 upward can be improved.

Here, the second deformation unit 61 may be a weak portion or a thinned portion extending the first cross bar 60 a certain length in the lateral direction y. Here, the inventors have found after experiments that the weakening or thinning is designed such that its width lies in the approximate range of 9:10 to 10:15, preferably in the range of 12:16, compared to the width of the section of the first cross bar 60 which is not thinned. The length of the weakening or thinning is, however, in the range of 5 mm to 7 mm, preferably 6 mm. Without being bound by theory, through computer simulation tests and actual comparative tests, the secondary effect of such second deformation units 61 on the deformation of the first deformation units 41 of the lateral strip 40 is most pronounced and the overall stressing effect of the sole support 5 is most satisfactory when the width of the weakened or thinned portion of the first transverse strip 60 is at 12:16 compared to the width of the section not subjected to thinning.

It is also possible that the hollow portion 43 in the region of the half-sole region 52 is provided with a second transverse strip 70 for bridging the pairs of side strips 40 in the transverse direction x, with the second transverse strip 70 being arranged side by side, preferably parallel, with the first transverse strip 60 in the longitudinal direction x. Similarly, a third deformation element 71, preferably with mechanical non-reciprocity, may be provided in a substantially central section of the second cross bar 70, wherein the third deformation element 71 is designed to be more prone to adduction deformations when subjected to a roll force from the side bar 40, which deformations are believed to geometrically contribute to the deformation of the first deformation element 41, so that a conversion efficiency of the downward force applied to the bulge 30 into a lifting force tilting the support 50 upwards may be provided.

The second cross bar 70 is spaced from the raised portion 30 at which the opposed inner sides of the pair of side bars 40 may flare appropriately in a direction away from the longitudinal centerline of the sole support 5 such that the spacing between the pair of side bars 40 increases. This contributes to a better rearward transmission of the structural forces of the sole support 5.

The third deformation unit 71 may have substantially the same design as the second deformation unit 61, for example, it may also be a weakening or thinning of the second transverse strip 70 extending a certain length in the transverse direction y, wherein the weakening or thinning is designed such that its width lies in the range of approximately 9:10 to 10:15, preferably 12:16, compared to the width of the non-thinned section of the second transverse strip 70. The length of the weakening or thinning is, however, in the range of 5mm to 7 mm, preferably 6 mm.

In addition, a fourth deformation unit 42, preferably with mechanical nonreciprocity, may be provided at the section of the side rail 40 between the first and second rails 60, 70, wherein the fourth deformation unit 42 is designed to geometrically contribute to the tilting deformation of the side rail 40 when subjected to a force from the connecting rail 31 connected between the bulge 30 and the side rail 40, thereby transmitting a greater or higher proportion of the force to the first deformation unit 41, which in turn may provide a conversion efficiency of the downward force applied to the bulge 30 into a lifting force causing the support 50 to tilt up.

As best shown in fig. 2 and 3, the tilt direction of the side rail 40 at the fourth deformation unit 42 is opposite to the tilt direction of the side rail 40 at the first deformation unit 41, such that the side rail 40 presents a twisted design therebetween. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, at the fourth deformation unit 42, the inclination produced by the side rail 40 is configured such that the vertical top surface of the side rail 40 is offset here with respect to the bottom surface near the longitudinal center line of the sole support 5. In other words, in this inclined section, the lateral strip is inclined in the vertical direction from the bottom upwards along a longitudinal centre line close to the sole support 5, so that the lateral strip 40 forms an inclined angle γ with the horizontal plane, which is in the range 60 ° to 70 °, preferably 65 °.

The fourth deformation unit 42 may also be a weakening or thinning of the side rail 40 extending a certain length in the longitudinal direction x, wherein the weakening or thinning is designed such that its width lies in the range of approximately 9:10 to 10:15, preferably 12:16, compared to the width of the non-thinned section of the side rail 40. The length of the weakening or thinning is, however, in the range of 5mm to 7mm, preferably 6 mm.

For clarity, the connecting strip 31 is divided into a first connecting strip 31a connected between the ridge 30 and the side strip 40 and a second connecting strip 31b connected between the ridge 30 and the head 10. As shown in detail in fig. 2-4, two laterally opposing first connecting strips 31a are connected between the spine 30 and the pair of side strips 40 on the side of the spine 30 adjacent to the midfoot region 53, and two laterally opposing second connecting strips 31b are connected between the spine 30 and the head 10 on the side of the spine 30 adjacent to the head 10. Here, the pair of side bars 40 does not extend beyond the two first connecting bars 31a. In other words, the side strip 40 is not present between the first connecting strip 31a of the ridge portion 30 and the second connecting strip 31b of the other side. In addition, the thickness from the arc-shaped transition portion between the first connection bar 31a and the second connection bar 31b of the bottom surface of the ridge portion 30 to the top surface of the ridge portion 30 can be appropriately thinned, thereby enhancing the deformation amount of the ridge portion 30. The side of the ridge 30 facing the head 10 may also be immediately adjacent to the aperture 20, with a portion or all of the aperture 20 being formed in the half-sole region 52, wherein the recess 11 in the head 10 does not extend to the aperture 20. Two second connecting strips 31b, while connecting the ridge 30 to the head 10, also configure a part of the periphery of the aperture 20.

The manner of operation of the various embodiments and variants thereof according to the present invention will be described in detail below:

taking the sole support 5 for jogging shoes or professional running shoes as an example, if the ground level is taken as a reference, the whole sole support 5 in the sole structure of the running shoe will be in the form of a "soup ladle" with a low front and a high rear, and when the runner wears such sports shoes and touches the ground with the half sole of his foot to achieve support, the half sole of the foot will exert a forward downward force at least in the toe region 51 and the half sole region 52. Since the sole support 5 is designed as a single piece having a shape of a drop of a certain arc from front to rear, a bend, which can be used as a fulcrum, is formed in the half sole region 52. As a result, the rear portion of the sole support 5 will sink, thereby causing the support 50 near its rear end (generally at the heel) to tilt up by a height H1 (generally about 20 mm to 40 mm) to assist in lifting the heel of the runner upward. Meanwhile, the design of the upward curved surface is arranged at the front part, so that the half sole of a runner can naturally roll forward under the condition of not bending and continues the teeterboard effect of the supporting piece 5, the heel can obtain the rebound force obliquely forward, and further more force feedback is obtained. The above boosting or propulsion aid effect is well known to the person skilled in the art.

In addition, during the time when the runner immediately thereafter pushes off the ground with force, the runner's forefoot will exert a downward force F1 against at least a majority of the raised portion 30, preferably located entirely adjacent the metatarsophalangeal joint region 521 of the forefoot region 52 or the transverse arch. The above-mentioned downward force F1 will then transmit a force by means of the connecting strip 31 to the pair of side strips 40 which are force-connected thereto. These forces will be transferred to the fourth deformation unit 42 and the second 70 and first 60 cross bars for connecting the pair of side bars 40. Due to the non-reciprocity of the deformation units and their geometrical and linkage mechanisms with respect to each other, the downward force F1 from the runner is finally redirected into an obliquely inward and upward force F2 acting at the first deformation unit 41 and by means of the non-reciprocity of the first deformation unit 41 the above upward force F2 is redirected such that the support 50 connected to the first deformation unit 41 continues to rise upwards by the lifting force F3 of the height H2 (approximately a height of 20 to 40 mm) on the basis of the tilting height H1. As a result, such designs may provide additional boost or propulsive force to the runner to enhance the athletic performance of the runner, independent of the see-saw effect.

Sole structure

In the present invention, the sole structure is utilized in conjunction with an upper to form an article of footwear. Wherein the sole structure is comprised of at least three major parts, a midsole, a sole support, and an outsole, respectively, that are bonded together by a certain adhesive. In the present invention, the overall sole structure is configured as a sole for a low-front, high-rear conventional running shoe, with a heel lift typically between 4 and 10 millimeters.

In the sole structure of the present application, the sole is primarily intended to provide cushioning protection and rebound of the sole. The midsole may be a unitary sheet-like member with an upper surface adjacent the foot bottom and contoured to cover the projected shape of the foot bottom and a lower surface adjacent the ground. The middle sole can be a plurality of layers and the like, is generally divided into an upper layer and a lower layer, and is bonded together, and the lower layer can be a whole or two independent parts of a half sole and a heel. Also, the present application is not particularly limited to the structural design at the medial side of the shoe, etc.

The main preparation materials of the midsole can be ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), polyurethane (PU), thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) or Thermoplastic Polyethylene (TPE) and other foaming materials, and if the midsole is formed by combining multiple layers, the component materials of the two layers are not necessarily the same materials, and any one or more materials can be adopted. Illustratively, the midsole has a hardness of between 35 and 50 degrees (Shore C) and a material density of less than 0.2g/cm3. Preferably, the midsole of the sole structure of the present invention is formed by combining upper and lower layers of components and a sole support member positioned between the layers. And if the midsole is a one-piece sheet member, the sole support described above may be independently embedded at the upper and lower surfaces thereof.

In addition, the sole structure also comprises a shoe outsole compounded on the midsole near the ground, and the shoe outsole mainly plays a role in wear resistance and improves the use durability of the shoe. The sole is typically formed of a wear resistant material, which may be rubber or other wear resistant material. The sole may be a single unitary piece or may be divided into two sections, a forefoot section and a heel section, each of which may be formed in multiple pieces. The hardness of the outsole can be 60-70 degrees (Shore A), and the anti-slip performance is that the dry slip friction coefficient is more than or equal to 0.7, and the wet slip friction coefficient is more than or equal to 0.5.

In the sole structure formed by combining the midsole, the sole support and the outsole, the front half sole of the sole structure is higher than that of the traditional running shoes, the appearance of the whole sole is fitted with that of the sole support, the half sole forms an arc shape, the forward pedaling off is facilitated, and the thickness of the inner edge surface of the sole of the whole combination is not more than 40 mm.

Sports shoes

On the basis, the invention also provides a sports shoe, which comprises the running shoe sole and an upper fixedly combined with the running shoe sole. Such athletic shoes may also be referred to as racing or jogging shoes, and the like. The invention designs the insole built-in sole support piece with the non-reciprocal deformation unit by combining the biomechanics characteristics of human body running, and achieves the aim of maximally improving running economy of running shoes on the basis of ensuring the shock absorption of running shoes. In the above-described running sole structure capable of improving running efficiency, the sports shoe may employ conventional upper parts and the like, without particular limitation.

It should be understood that although the present disclosure has been described in terms of various embodiments, not every embodiment is provided with a separate technical solution, and this description is for clarity only, and those skilled in the art should consider the disclosure as a whole, and the technical solutions in the various embodiments may be combined appropriately to form other embodiments that will be understood by those skilled in the art.

The foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. Any equivalent alterations, modifications and combinations thereof will be effected by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and principles of this invention, and it is intended to be within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A sole support for use in a sole structure and having a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction that are perpendicular to each other, and a vertical direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction, wherein the sole support is divided into a toe region, a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region in sequence from front to back along the longitudinal direction, the sole support comprising:

a head portion located in the toe region and having a width in the lateral direction;

The bulge part is positioned in the half sole area and protrudes vertically upwards;

A support located in the heel region and having a width in the lateral direction;

A pair of side straps oppositely disposed in the lateral direction, wherein the side straps extend in the longitudinal direction from the raised portion toward the support portion, a hollow portion is configured between the pair of side straps at least in the midfoot region, wherein the pair of side straps configure a lowermost end of the sole support in the forefoot region in the manner of an arcuate apex, the raised portion being force-fit connected to the pair of side straps to convert a vertically downward force applied to the raised portion into a force that laterally tilts the pair of side straps, wherein the pair of side straps do not extend beyond the raised portion in the longitudinal direction;

a first deforming unit formed at the hollow portion at the pair of side bars, the first deforming unit having a mechanical non-anisotropy and configured to redirect a force acting on the pair of side bars to roll in the lateral direction as a lifting force that lifts the bearing portion vertically;

2. The sole support according to claim 1, characterized in that an aperture is formed between the head and the ridge, the width of the aperture in the lateral direction being at least 50% of the width of the head, and at least a part of the periphery of the aperture being defined by the connecting strip connecting the ridge with the head.

3. The sole support according to claim 1, wherein the receiving portion is formed with an opening having a lateral width that is at least 50% of the lateral width of the receiving portion.

4. A sole support according to claim 1, wherein the head is formed with a recess extending in the longitudinal direction from a foremost edge, the recess dividing the head portion into two portions arranged in a transverse direction.

5. The sole support of claim 1, wherein the sole support has a first cross bar bridging between the pair of side bars at the hollow portion, the first cross bar having a second substantially centered deformation unit having mechanical non-dissimilarity and configured to undergo adduction deformation when subjected to side bar roll forces from the pair of side bars.

6. A sole support according to claim 5, characterized in that it has, in the hollow portion, a second rail bridged between the pair of side rails, the second rail being arranged spaced apart from the first rail in the longitudinal direction, the second rail having a substantially central third deformation unit having a mechanical non-anisotropy and being configured to undergo adduction deformation upon rolling forces from the pair of side rails, preferably the second rail being arranged parallel to the first rail.

7. The sole support of claim 6, wherein the sole support has a fourth deformation element between the first rail and the second rail, the fourth deformation element having a mechanical non-anisotropy and configured to produce a torsional deformation direction opposite the first deformation element.

8. The sole support of claim 7, wherein the first deformation unit and the fourth deformation unit are each configured as a thinned portion of the side rail that torsionally extends in the longitudinal direction, and the second deformation unit and the third deformation unit are each configured as a thinned portion that extends over a respective cross rail, wherein:

The longitudinal torsion extension length of the thinning part is 5 mm to 7 mm;

The ratio of the width of the thinned portion to the width of the adjacent non-thinned portion is in the range of 9:10 to 10:15;

The thinned portion of the first deformation unit has an inclination angle in a range of 20 ° to 30 ° with respect to the lateral direction;

The thinned portion of the fourth deformation unit has an inclination angle in a range of 60 ° to 70 ° with respect to the lateral direction.

9. A sole structure comprising a midsole and a sole support built into the midsole, wherein the sole structure has a heel lift in the range of 4 millimeters to 10 millimeters, characterized in that the sole support is the sole support of any one of claims 1 to 8.