The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 30, 1997
Filed:
Jan. 02, 1996
Karl M Schmidt, Woodside, CA (US);
Stuart E Jenkins, Thousand Oaks, CA (US);
Harry W Edwards, Barrington, IL (US);
Energaire Corporation, Pebble Beach, CA (US);
Abstract
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.