Footwear sole assembly having spring mechanism

Abstract

A sole assembly which includes a heel cradle configured to cradle a heel of a human foot when the human foot is rested within the heel cradle, a rigid upper plate including a first part connected to the heel cradle and a second part located farther from the heel cradle than is the first part, a lower plate including a first part of which is connected to the first part of the upper plate and including a second part which is connected to the second part of the upper plate, an oblong gap located between the upper plate and lower plate and between the first and second parts of the upper and lower plates. A sole assembly including an upper plate and a lower plate stiffer than the upper plate and attached to the upper plate so as to form an oblong gap. Also, a shoe including the sole assembly.

1 . A sole assembly comprising: 
 a heel cradle configured to cradle a heel of a human foot when the human foot is rested within the heel cradle;    an upper plate including a first part connected to the heel cradle and a second part located farther from the heel cradle than is the first part;    a lower plate including a first part which is connected to the first part of the upper plate and including a second part which is connected to the second part of the upper plate;    an oblong gap located between the upper plate and lower plate and between the first and second parts of the upper and lower plates shaped such that a gap dimension between the upper and lower plates in a first direction, measured from the first part of the upper plate to the second part of the upper plate, is greater than a gap dimension between the upper and lower plates in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction.    
     
     
         2 . The sole assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one insert attached to at least one of the upper plate and lower plate.  
     
     
         3 . The sole assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one insert is located in the lower plate.  
     
     
         4 . The sole assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one insert includes a material with a stiffness greater than a stiffness of a material comprising the lower plate.  
     
     
         5 . The sole assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one insert comprises at least one of carbon fiber and poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide.  
     
     
         6 . The sole assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the insert is located nearer to a medial side of the lower plate than to a lateral side.  
     
     
         7 . The sole assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the upper plate and lower plate are comprised of different materials.  
     
     
         8 . The sole assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the lower plate comprises carbon fiber.  
     
     
         9 . The sole assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the lower plate comprises poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide.  
     
     
         10 . The sole assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the heel cradle comprises a different material than the upper plate.  
     
     
         11 . The sole assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the heel cradle and upper plate are a continuous piece of material.  
     
     
         12 . The sole assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the heel cradle is vented.  
     
     
         13 . The sole assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the heel cradle is partially directly supported by the upper plate and partially directly supported by a cushion material.  
     
     
         14 . The sole assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the upper plate is asymmetrical about a vertical plane that passes through a center of the heel cradle and a center of a toe of the sole assembly.  
     
     
         15 . The sole assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the lower plate is asymmetrical about a vertical plane that passes through a center of the heel cradle and a center of a toe of the sole assembly.  
     
     
         16 . The sole assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the lower plate has vertical protrusions that support walls of the heel cradle.  
     
     
         17 . The sole assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the lower plate includes a cavity.  
     
     
         18 . The sole assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the upper plate includes a cavity at least partially overlapping the cavity of the lower plate.  
     
     
         19 . The sole assembly of  claim 1 , wherein a medial side of the lower plate is stiffer than a lateral side of the lower plate.  
     
     
         20 . The sole assembly of  claim 19 , wherein a medial side of the upper plate is stiffer than a lateral side of the upper plate.  
     
     
         21 . The sole assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the upper plate varies from a portion of a medial side to a portion of a lateral side.  
     
     
         22 . The sole assembly of  claim 21 , wherein the thickness of the lower plate varies from a portion of a medial side to a portion of a lateral side.  
     
     
         23 . A shoe comprising: 
 an upper portion; and    a sole assembly including, 
 a heel cradle configured to cradle a heel of a human foot when the human foot is rested within the heel cradle;  
 an upper plate including a first part connected to the heel cradle and a second part located farther from the heel cradle than is the first part;  
 a lower plate including a first part which is connected to the first part of the upper plate and including a second part which is connected to the second part of the upper plate;  
 an oblong gap located between the upper plate and lower plate and between the first and second parts of the upper and lower plates shaped such that a gap dimension between the upper and lower plates in a first direction, measured from the first part of the upper plate to the second part of the upper plate, is greater than a gap dimension between the upper and lower plates in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction.  
   
     
     
         24 . A sole assembly comprising: 
 an outsole located on a side of the sole assembly and configured to support the sole assembly;    a cushion material located next to the outsole,    means for cradling a heel of a human foot when the human foot is rested within the means for cradling; and    means for storing energy generated during walking connected to the means for cradling.    
     
     
         25 . A sole assembly comprising: 
 an upper plate including a first part and a second part and having a first stiffness;    a lower plate having a second stiffness greater than the first stiffness and including a first part which is connected to the first part of the upper plate and including a second part which is connected to the second part of the upper plate,    an oblong gap located between the upper plate and lower plate and between the first and second parts of the upper and lower plates shaped such that a gap dimension between the upper and lower plates in a first direction, measured from the first part of the upper plate to the second part of the upper plate, is greater than a gap dimension between the upper and lower plates in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction.    
     
     
         26 . The sole assembly of  claim 25 , wherein the upper plate and lower plate are comprised of different materials.  
     
     
         27 . The sole assembly of  claim 26 , wherein the upper plate comprises TPU and the lower plate comprises carbon fiber.  
     
     
         28 . The sole assembly of  claim 26 , wherein the upper plate comprises TPU and the lower plate comprises poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide.  
     
     
         29 . The sole assembly of  claim 26 , wherein the upper plate has a greater thickness in the vertical direction than the lower plate.  
     
     
         30 . The sole assembly of  claim 29 , wherein the thickness of the upper plate is 3 mm and the thickness of the lower plate is 1.5 mm.  
     
     
         31 . The sole assembly of  claim 26 , wherein the lower plate includes an insert.  
     
     
         32 . The sole assembly of  claim 31 , wherein the insert is disposed on a medial side of the lower plate and comprises a material having a different stiffness than material of the lower plate.  
     
     
         33 . The sole assembly of  claim 25 , wherein the upper plate and lower plate include wings projecting toward a toe region of the sole assembly.  
     
     
         34 . The sole assembly of  claim 33 , wherein a wing on a medial side of the upper and lower plates is longer than a wing on a lateral side.  
     
     
         35 . The sole assembly of  claim 25 , wherein the lower plate includes a cavity.  
     
     
         36 . The sole assembly of  claim 35 , wherein the upper plate includes a cavity at least partially overlapping the cavity of the lower plate.