Springing element for shoe soles, shoe sole and shoe having such element

Abstract

The invention related to a springing element for shoe soles, consisting of at least one resilient cap-like member. According to the invention, the element has at least one notch, particularly a central cross-shaped notch, to divide the cap into at least four independent sectors communicating with each other along the base edge. The notch advantageously acts as a means for limiting the resilience range of the sectors whereby, upon reaching a certain flexing limit, the edges of the sectors come to mutual contact and restrict the range. Pumping means are further provided to increase air circulation inside the shoe and air exchange with the outside, as well as means for locally increasing the massage-like action of the dome on the sole of the foot. The invention also related to a shoe sole, and to a shoe having such element.

1 . A springing element for shoe soles, consisting of at least one resilient cap- or dome-like member wherein it has at least one notch, but preferably two transverse notches which form a cross-shaped notch, which notch divides the cap into at least four independent limbs or sectors communicating with each other along the base edge of the cap.  
     
     
         2 . An element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the cross-shaped notch is positioned at the center, to divide the cap into four identical sectors.  
     
     
         3 . An element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the two notches which form the cross-shaped notch have the same width.  
     
     
         4 . An element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein it has means for limiting the resilience range of the sectors defined by the cross-shaped notch.  
     
     
         5 . An element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said means for limiting the resilience range are provided by the facing edges of the sectors along the notches in combination with the width thereof whereby, when a certain flexing compression is reached, at least some or all of the edges of the sectors come to contact with each other, thereby restricting the elastic range.  
     
     
         6 . An element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein it may have any size and shape, particularly the shape of a sector of a spheroid, with an elongated and essentially elliptic plan shape.  
     
     
         7 . An element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein it has a plan shape with a longer and a shorter symmetry axes, the longer axis being preferably oriented in the longitudinal direction of the shoe or in the front to back direction of the foot.  
     
     
         8 . An element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, wherein it has the shape of a cone or truncated cone or combinations of shapes of cones, truncated cones and/or sectors of a sphere or spheroid.  
     
     
         9 . An element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein its height dimensions are greater than its length dimensions, i.e. parallel to the support base.  
     
     
         10 . An element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein it is made of one or more relatively rigid but intrinsically elastic materials, such as plastic and/or metal.  
     
     
         11 . An element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein it has a multilayer laminar composition, or is made of a single homogeneous material.  
     
     
         12 . An element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein it has a smaller size as compared with a shoe sole.  
     
     
         13 . An element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein its thickness is substantially of the same order of magnitude as the thickness of a sole.  
     
     
         14 . An element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein it has a flat base edge, i.e. an outer peripheral annular flange for supporting and/or fastening the element.  
     
     
         15 . An element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein it has means for enhancing the flexibility of one or more sectors.  
     
     
         16 . An element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said means consist of one or more lateral facing widened parts or recesses of the notch edges.  
     
     
         17 . An element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said recesses are obtained by providing a number of holes, particularly four, each at an end of each of the notches which form the cross-shaped notch, and whose diameter is slightly greater than the width of each notch.  
     
     
         18 . An element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein it is provided in combination with a sole, one or more of said springing elements being arranged in predetermined patterns between two superposed sole layers, i.e. an upper layer, underfoot, and a lower layer, which forms the actual sole.  
     
     
         19 . An element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the springing elements are disposed with the convex side turned toward the underfoot, so as to provide a massage-like action on the sole of the foot, as desired.  
     
     
         20 . An element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the springing members are distributed evenly over the surface of the sole or are more concentrated or solely disposed in a few partial areas of the sole, depending on the way strains are arranged over the surface of the sole, and/or in response to particular therapeutic massage requirements.  
     
     
         21 . An element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the members are more or solely concentrated in the heel and/or plantar zones.  
     
     
         22 . An element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein means are provided for locally increasing the massage-like action of the dome on the sole of the foot.  
     
     
         23 . An element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said means consist of a pushbutton-like element, positioned at the crossing point of the two notches which form the cross-shaped notch, which has such a size as to lay over the corner area of each sector to simultaneously act on all sectors.  
     
     
         24 . An element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said pushbutton is held in position by a stem which starts from an intermediate, particular central point of the bottom face of the button, which stem extends perpendicularly downwards to an extent which essentially corresponds to the thickness of the sectors and ends by a widened retaining head which rests on the bottom faces of the sectors.  
     
     
         25 . An element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein elastically compressible support means are provided between the bottom face of the pushbutton and the sector area whereon it lays, which means are made of a rubber material or the like, and particularly consist of at least one O-ring element.  
     
     
         26 . An element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said pushbutton may have any suitable shape but preferably has a top dome-like face, so that the massage-like action may be better concentrated.  
     
     
         27 . An element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein it may consist of combinations of two or more cap-like elements, made of the same and/or different materials and having the same or different curvatures, alternated in a predetermined order.  
     
     
         28 . An element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein associated pumping means are provided to increase air circulation inside the shoe, which means are controlled by the compression stroke run by the springing element.  
     
     
         29 . An element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said means consist of an additional dome-like element, made of a resilient material, which is relatively soft and airtight, such as rubber or the like.  
     
     
         30 . An element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the pumping element is complementary in shape to the springing element and is enclosed therein, in such a manner as to rest on the inner walls of the springing element.  
     
     
         31 . An element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each springing element of a shoe sole or only some of them have the internal pumping member.  
     
     
         32 . A springing element wherein it is a combined element, composed of a plurality of springing elements or members as claimed in  claim 1 , which members are joined together by a structure.  
     
     
         33 . An element as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein the springing members are interconnected so that they form composite springing elements having an extension equal to the whole sole or only corresponding to a few areas of the sole.  
     
     
         34 . An element as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein each springing member is formed by superposing two or more different caps or domes made of different materials or having different characteristics and/or shapes or in that the composite springing elements are formed by superposing composite springing elements provided with a plurality of coincident springing members having different shapes and/or materials and/or characteristics.  
     
     
         35 . An element as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein, in a combined springing element, the springing members may be equal or different both individually and in groups, as regards materials, elastic properties and sizes.  
     
     
         36 . An element as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein the springing members which form the combined element are interconnected by bridges of material in the form of flat ribs or the like, particularly made of the material which forms the springing members.  
     
     
         37 . An element as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein the bridges for connecting the springing members are at least partly grooved, like connecting channels, with the concavity turned downwards, i.e. having the same orientation as the concavity of the springing members.  
     
     
         38 . An element as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein at least some of the pumping members are interconnected by a structure of bridges of material, particularly of the same material as the pumping members.  
     
     
         39 . An element as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein the pumping members are interconnected by grooved bridges having the form of connecting channels, whose concavity has the same orientation as the pumping members, to form a combined air pumping element.  
     
     
         40 . An element as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein the combined springing element and the combined pumping element have complementary shapes, so that the former may be laid over the latter to cause the pumping action thereof.  
     
     
         41 . An element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein one or more of the springing elements may be disposed on a support plate.  
     
     
         42 . An element as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein the combined springing element having channel-like connecting elements may be disposed on a support plate.  
     
     
         43 . An element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the support plate is a saddle member to be slidably engaged on another support and guide member, which may be permanently fastened to the top face of the shoe sole.  
     
     
         44 . An element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the support plate has, at each of its two opposite side edges, a saddle member to be slidably engaged in one of two opposite side edges of the guide member, which preferably has an essentially flat shape.  
     
     
         45 . An element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the sliding plate and/or the support element have means for removably locking the position of the plate.  
     
     
         46 . An element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said means are at least two lugs, but preferably two rows of lugs, and preferably having a rounded shape, disposed on the bottom face of the support plate, each row being provided in the proximity of one of the two saddle-like side edges, and two corresponding rows of recesses, disposed on the top face of the support element, or vice versa, so that the support plate is snap-fitted at predetermined locations.  
     
     
         47 . An element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the support element is arranged to be secured inside an enclosure of a sole, particularly in the heel zone, which enclosure has such a size as to allow the sliding plate to slide from front to back.  
     
     
         48 . An element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the support element is secured to the sole in a lifted position, particularly by means of fastening feet, to allow the support plate to slide.  
     
     
         49 . A shoe, including a sole part which is formed by the combination of at least two superposed layers, the underfoot and the actual sole, and an upper part, wherein one or more springing elements as claimed in  claim 1  are provided between the underfoot and the sole.  
     
     
         50 . A shoe as claimed in  claim 49 , wherein one or more springing elements are oriented with the longer axis in the longitudinal direction of the shoe or in the front-to-back direction of the foot.  
     
     
         51 . A shoe as claimed in  claim 49 , wherein the springing members are distributed evenly over the surface of the sole or are more concentrated or solely disposed in a few partial areas of the sole, depending on the way strains are arranged over the surface of the sole, and/or in response to particular therapeutic massage requirements.  
     
     
         52 . A shoe as claimed in  claim 49 , wherein the springing elements are more or solely concentrated in the heel and/or plantar zones.  
     
     
         53 . A shoe as claimed in  claim 49 , wherein the springing elements extend in a lifted position relative to the lower layer of the sole, essentially to an extent corresponding to the resilience range thereof.  
     
     
         54 . A shoe as claimed in  claim 49 , wherein the springing elements are at least partly provided in recessing enclosures or recesses of the sole.  
     
     
         55 . A shoe as claimed in  claim 49 , wherein the springing elements are at least partly secured in such a manner that they can be moved, particularly in the front-to-back direction, to customize the micromassage action.  
     
     
         56 . A shoe as claimed in  claim 49 , wherein the underfoot is removably anchored to the sole, at least in the zones of the enclosures for the movable springing elements, so that these enclosures may be accessed for displacement and adjustment thereof.  
     
     
         57 . A shoe as claimed in  claim 49 , wherein it has a heel that causes the sole, and the shoe, to be slanted.  
     
     
         58 . A shoe as claimed in  claim 49 , wherein the springing element/s may be slanted, particularly in the heel zone, with reference to the horizontal bearing surface, and more particularly, have the same inclination as the sole.  
     
     
         59 . A shoe as claimed in  claim 49 , wherein the springing element/s have a different, particularly opposite inclination, with respect to the sole.  
     
     
         60 . A shoe sole, including two superposed layers, the underfoot and the actual sole, wherein one or more springing elements as claimed in  claim 1  are provided between the two layers.  
     
     
         61 . A shoe sole as claimed in  claim 60 , wherein the one or more springing elements are disposed with the longer axis oriented in the longitudinal direction of the sole.  
     
     
         62 . A shoe sole as claimed in  claim 60 , wherein the springing elements are distributed evenly over the surface of the sole or are more concentrated or solely disposed in a few partial areas of the sole, depending on the way strains are arranged over the surface of the sole, and/or in response to particular therapeutic massage requirements.  
     
     
         63 . A shoe sole as claimed in  claim 60 , wherein the elements are more or solely concentrated in the heel and/or plantar zones.  
     
     
         64 . A shoe sole as claimed in  claim 60 , wherein the springing elements extend in a lifted position relative to the lower layer of the sole, essentially to an extent corresponding to the resilience range thereof.  
     
     
         65 . A shoe sole as claimed in  claim 60 , wherein the springing elements are at least partly provided in recessing enclosures or recesses of the sole.  
     
     
         66 . A shoe sole as claimed in  claim 60 , wherein the springing elements are at least partly secured in such a manner that they can be moved, particularly in the front-to-back direction, to customize the micromassage action.  
     
     
         67 . A shoe sole as claimed in  claim 60 , wherein the underfoot is removably anchored to the actual sole, at least in the zones of the enclosures for the movable springing elements, so that these enclosures may be accessed for displacement and adjustment thereof.  
     
     
         68 . A shoe sole as claimed in  claim 60 , wherein it has a heel that causes the sole, and the shoe, to be slanted.  
     
     
         69 . A shoe sole as claimed in  claim 60 , wherein the springing element/s may be slanted, particularly in the heel zone, with reference to the horizontal bearing surface, and more particularly, have the same inclination as the sole.  
     
     
         70 . A shoe sole as claimed in  claim 60 , wherein the springing element/s have a different, particularly opposite inclination, with respect to the sole.  
     
     
         71 . (cancelled)