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:
Aug. 31, 2004
Filed:
Aug. 12, 2002
Jerome A. Turner, Irvine, CA (US);
John W. Thomas, Irvine, CA (US);
American Sporting Goods Corporation, Irvine, CA (US);
Abstract
The present invention comprises a multilayered heel construction for footwear. A fluid-filled bladder is incorporated into the heel of footwear. The bladder defines an internal cavity which is adapted to enclose a fluid at atmospheric pressure. The internal cavity defines a peripheral channel adjacent the periphery of the bladder and a plurality of intersecting channels orientated transversely to the longitudinal axis of the footwear. The intersecting channels are in communication with the peripheral channel of the interior cavity. The bladder is positioned at the heel of the footwear and is positioned intermediate an upper footbed support. The lower surface of the multilayered heel assembly defines a concave, cantilever surface. The combination of the bladder, the upper footbed support and the lower cantilever surface improve shock absorption and the stability of the footwear.