Energaire Corporation

Medical Materials Corporation

Stuart E Jenkins

Harry W Edwards

Karl M Schmidt

George S Cole

Tuan Nguyen Le

Douglas R Fitchmun

Michelle R Schmidt

Karl M Schmidt, Deceased

K Michael Schmidt, Deceased

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 construction is provided. The construction includes a structure having an exterior ground-contacting surface, an elongated midsole disposed in the structure above the ground-contacting surface to avoid contact with the ground in use, the midsole having an outer periphery. The structure also includes a first flexible bulge formed therein and projecting from the exterior ground-contacting surface for contact with the ground in use and defining a first pocket, wherein at least a portion of the first pocket extends outwardly beyond the outer periphery of the midsole or imaginary extensions thereof whereby the portion does not underlie the midsole. The construction further includes fluid disposed in the first pocket, whereby at rest a foot in a shoe incorporating the structure is cushioned comfortably on the fluid in the first pocket.

Sole and heel structure with peripheral fluid filled pockets

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, the bulge defining a cavity opening at the interior surface, and a midsole overlying the outsole, the midsole having an outsole-facing surface and a foot-facing surface. The structure also includes a hermetic attachment between the interior surface of the outsole and the outsole-facing surface of the midsole to form a member having a sole portion and a heel portion, wherein the cavity cooperates with a portion of the midsole to define a pocket. The structure further includes an expandable bladder, a tube defining a passageway in the member providing fluid communication between the pocket and the bladder, and fluid permanently disposed in the space jointly defined by the pocket, the bladder and the passageway, whereby at rest a foot in a shoe incorporating the structure is cushioned comfortably on the fluid in the pocket and bladder. Either the pocket or the bladder can be disposed in sole portion with the other disposed in the heel portion.

Thrust producing sole and heel structure with interior and exterior

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 shoe sole and heel construction is provided. The construction includes a structure having an exterior ground-contacting surface, a flexible bulge formed in the structure and projecting from the exterior ground-contacting surface for contact with the ground in use and defining a first pocket. The construction also includes a second resiliently expansible pocket formed in the structure and disposed to avoid contact with the ground in use and a passageway formed in the structure and communicating with each of the first and second pockets. Fluid is permanently confined in a space jointly defined by the pockets and the passageway whereby when an external force is applied to the bulge, fluid is forced from the first pocket through the passageway to expand the second pocket and when the external force is removed, the expanded second pocket resiliently forces fluid back to the first pocket.

Sole and heel structure with premolded bulges and expansible cavities

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 thermoplastic thermoformable resin material defines a core of a thermoformable thermoplastic composite material. First and second layers of fabric material are disposed against opposite sides of the core. An additional layer of a fabric material is positioned on the first fabric layer to impart a particular color to the composite material. A resin envelopes and impregnates the different fabric layers and bonds these layers to the core. The fabric layers have a total thickness sufficient to impart strength and rigidity to the fabric material. The core is sufficiently thick to provide for a shaping of the composite material at an elevated temperature to any desired configuration without any rippling or buckling of the composite material. Additional layers of a thermoplastic thermoformable resin material may be disposed on the outer layers of the fabric material. They impregnate the fabric layers, provide a continuity with the core and provide a smooth external surface to the composite material. The core and the additional resin layers may be an acrylic. The two fabric layers may be made from carbon and may be woven or formed from discrete particles. The additional fabric layer may be woven from a warp and a woof. The warp may be made from a high strength fiber and the woof may be formed from a colored fiber. Another embodiment of the composite material may be formed from the core, one additional layer of the fabric material and the colored fabric. The invention also relates to methods of forming the composite material.

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Thousand Oaks, CA, United States of America

Stuart E Jenkins