Energaire Corporation

Other

George S. Cole & Associates, Incorporated

George S Cole

Harry W Edwards

Karl M Schmidt

Stuart E Jenkins

Michelle R Schmidt

Karl M Schmidt, Deceased

A vehicle's operator can signal both the intended relative braking effort, and changes thereto, using a signal with a proportionately scaled and reactive display. A sensor measuring the current proportionate intensity of the intended and applied braking effort is attached to a vehicle's braking system. This sensor sends a signal to the associated external display (which may comprise multiple, separated areas). Each display area then shows that portion of its area commensurate with, or proportional to, the intensity of the intended and applied braking effort. The sensor, signal, and display(s) regularly repeat this at rapid intervals, thereby keeping the display responsive to and in accordance with the current intended and applied braking effort. In one enhancement, the outer limit of the display is activated when any braking effort is made, to enable rapid evaluation by any viewer between the relative effort applied and the potential full effort.

Vehicle braking signal system with varying area display

A thrust-producing bladder for a shoe sole and heel structure is provided. The bladder includes a sole portion, a heel portion, first and second metatarsal pockets disposed in the sole portion for underlying the metatarsal ball area of a foot for which the bladder is sized, and first and second heel pockets disposed in the heel portion for underlying the heel area of a foot for which the bladder is sized. The bladder also includes a first restricted passageway providing fluid communication between the first metatarsal pocket and the first heel pocket and a second restricted passageway providing fluid communication between the second metatarsal pocket and the second heel pocket. Fluid is sealed in the pockets and passageways, whereby at rest a foot on the bladder is cushioned comfortably on the fluid in the pockets and in motion the fluid alternates between the first metatarsal pocket and the first heel pocket and between the second metatarsal pocket and the second heel pocket, so as to provide shock absorption and to produce an alternating lifting effect by the pockets which provide forward thrust both in the heel portion and in the sole portion that facilitates moving. The bladder can be disposed between a midsole and an outsole of sole and heel member of a shoe.

Thrust producing multiple channel-multiple chamber shoe and bladder

A shoe sole and heel structure is provided. The structure includes an outsole having interior and exterior surfaces, and a bulge projecting from the exterior surface, with the bulge defining a first cavity opening at the interior surface. The structure also includes a midsole overlying the outsole. The midsole has an outsole-facing surface and a foot-facing surface and a second cavity opening at the outsole-facing surface. The first cavity cooperates with a portion of the midsole to define a first pocket and the second cavity cooperates with a portion of the outsole to define a second pocket. The structure also includes a passageway disposed between the first and second pockets for fluid communication between the first pocket and the second pocket. The interior surface of the outsole is hermetically attached to the outsole-facing surface of the midsole to form a member having a heel portion and a sole portion and so that fluid at atmospheric pressure is permanently located in the space jointly defined by the first and second pockets and the passageway. One of the pockets can be disposed in the heel portion and the other of the pockets can be disposed in the sole portion so that in striding fluid alternates through the passageway between the pockets so as to provide shock absorption and an alternate lifting effect by the pockets which provide forward thrust both in the heel portion and the sole portion that facilitates moving.

Heel and sole structure with opposite cavities

A generally U-shaped bulge having a bight portion and elongated leg portions and defining a correspondingly-shaped cavity is molded into the heel portion and/or the metatarsal portion of the outer bottom member of a shoe, the cavities tapering in depth and width from the bight portion to the distal ends of the leg portions. The bulge is disposed and oriented so as to provide a cushioning and lifting effect, and the leg portions are spaced apart a distance substantially greater than their width and are disposed closer to the peripheral edge of the member than to the longitudinal axis thereof for providing improved lateral stability. The bulges may communicate with associated cavities by narrow passageways or may function independently of other bulge structures formed in the member.

Heel/metatarsal structure having tapered stabilizing bulges

A valve cartridge is provided. The valve cartridge includes a cartridge retainer having a cartridge axis and a generally cylindrical sidewall having first and second openings and first and second pinch tubes disposed within the cartridge retainer. The pinch tubes respectively have tube axes substantially parallel to the cartridge axis and axial bores therethrough. The valve cartridge also includes first and second poppets disposed in the first and second openings and movable in a direction not parallel with the tube axes for engagement respectively with the pinch tubes, and an actuator rotatable about and movable along the cartridge axis and encircling the cartridge retainer. The actuator has an interior surface engaging the first and second poppets and having a cylindrical portion having an inside diameter which, when engaged with the poppets, holds the poppets against the pinch tubes for closing the bores, and an eccentric portion tapering outwardly from the cylindrical portion which, when engaged with the poppets, permits variations in the cross sectional areas of the axial bores to control the rates of flow through the pinch tubes.

Faucet valve with external cam and pinch tubes

A plurality of bulges is molded into the heel portion or metatarsal portion of the bottom member of a shoe, the bulges respectively defining cavities. At least one restricted passageway is molded into the portion between the cavities. A sealing member is attached to the outer member by adhesive, whereby air at atmospheric pressure is permanently located in the space jointly defined by the passageway and the cavities.

Heel/metatarsal structure having premolded bulges

A shoe sole and heel member has a sole portion and a heel portion. Bulges are molded into the heel portion and the metatarsal region of the sole portion defining heel and metatarsal cavities. Passageways between the cavities enable air to move back and forth therebetween. A sealing member is attached to the sole and heel member to hermetically seal the air in the cavities and the passageways. In one embodiment, a single U-shaped heel cavity communicates with a single metatarsal cavity through a Y-shaped passageway. Rigid stabilizers laterally flank the cavity-defining bulges. In another embodiment the heel cavity has forward and rearward portions interconnected by a narrow channel, the portions respectively communicating through separate passageways with opposite sides of the metatarsal cavity, with oppositely-directed one-way valves in the passageways. In a third embodiment, there are two separate metatarsal cavities and two separate heel cavities respectively intercommunicating through two passageways.

Thrust producing shoe sole and heel improved stability

A pinch tube proportioning valve includes support structure defining an elongated valve cavity having a longitudinal axis and a pair of spaced resilient valve tubes disposed in the cavity and respectively providing communication between two fluid supply conduits and a fluid outlet. A control cam cartridge is receivable in the valve cavity between the valve tubes. The cartridge includes a cylindrical housing closed at one end and carrying at its closed end a guide pin extending axially up through the housing and receivable in an axial bore in an elongated tapered cam member, which is telescopically received in the open end of the housing. Diametrically opposed openings are formed in the side wall of the housing for receiving the valve tubes to permit engagement thereof by the cam member, which is axially and rotatably movable to control proportioning and flow rate through the valve tubes.

Pinch tube proportioning valve and control cam cartridge therefor

A pinch valve includes a generally tubular housing including coupling members respectively defining coaxial passages therethrough and adapted for coupling to associated conduits. The passages have tapered seating surfaces which respectively receive the opposite ends of a flexible, resilient, tubular valve member. A two-part housing body is ultrasonically welded together for clamping the coupling members in position and defining a cavity receiving the valve member and an opening into the cavity, the body pivotally supporting a valve lever which projects out of the opening and is movable between an open position leaving the valve member unconstricted and a closed position pinching the valve member closed. In a dual-valve embodiment, two of the valves are supported in parallel relationship at opposite ends of a bridge member.

Pinch valve

The valve has flexible resilient tubes which respectively communicate with the fluid supply conduits and which are pinched by control members to control fluid flow. Each tube has a reduced-diameter center or neck portion intermediate its ends which is engaged by the control member. The internal cross section of the neck portion is circular when relaxed and when pinched closed does not require any greater cross-sectional space than do the tube ends. Single-control and dual-control embodiments are disclosed. In the dual-control embodiment the two tubes are carried in a single cartridge assembly which is removable as a unit.

Valve with resilient tubes having constricted portions

In one embodiment, the sole-and-heel structure includes an outer member having a sole portion and a heel portion. A bulge is molded into the heel portion and a bulge is molded into the sole portion in the metatarsal region thereof. A thin sealing member is attached to the outer member with adhesive to hermetically seal the cavities defined by the two bulges. A passageway between the two cavities enables air to move back and forth during movement of a person wearing shoes incorporating such sole-and-heel structure.

Sole-and-heel structure having premolded bulges

A simplified, economical and improved single control proportioning valve for liquids which is devoid of a conventional valve body and which responds accurately to actuation of the single control despite no requirement for close tolerances in the component parts. The proportioning valve has a simple support adapted to be mounted on a sink, a pair of supply pipes for pressurized liquids associated with the support, a pair of spaced resilient tubes, corresponding ends thereof being in communication with the discharge ends of the supply pipes, a spout on the support communicating with the other ends of the resilient tubes, an elongated control cam extending between and in engagement with the resilient tubes to vary the internal cross sectional areas of the tubes, the cam being rotatable and axially movable and having a cylindrical valve-closing length and an eccentric conical valve-opening length that controls rate of flow and proportioning, and dual bearing means on the support for the cam at opposite end portions of the cam, the dual bearing means being effective to stabilize the cam against disruptive lateral and axial movements which in the absence of the dual bearing means tend to result from pressures exerted on the cam by the resilient tubes due to the pressurized liquids therein. The disclosed valve also includes structure which cooperates to mix thoroughly the proportioned fluids, and to reduce noise to an acceptably low level.

Single control proportioning valve for liquids

A thrust producing shoe sole and heel having fluid-proof cavities located in the heel portion and in the sole portion which underlies the metatarsal ball area of a foot for which the sole and heel is sized, the cavities being connected by restricted passageways. The material underlying the cavities at the bottom of the sole and heel is resilient and wear-resistant. Fluid is contained within the cavities and passageways in such pressure and amount as to cause bulges below the normal bottoms of the sole and heel, whereby at rest a foot on the sole and heel is cushioned comfortably on the fluid in the bulges, and in walking and running, fluid under bulge producing pressure alternates through the passageways between the cavities, producing shock absorption and an alternate lifting effect by the sole and heel bulges which provides forward thrust both in the heel portion and in the metatarsal ball area that facilitates walking and running. The shape and disposition of the heel bulges and of the metatarsal ball area bulges are such that the sole and heel of the invention exhibits superior lateral stability.

Growing community of inventors

Pebble Beach, CA, United States of America

George S Cole