Sole for a running shoe

Abstract

A sole for a running shoe having a midsole ( 1 ), the midsole ( 1 ) having a soft-elastic top layer ( 2 ) and a soft-elastic bottom layer ( 3 ), a flexurally elastic incompressible plate ( 4 ) being arranged in the vertical direction (V) between the top layer ( 2 ) and the bottom layer ( 3 ), and the bottom layer ( 3 ) having a plurality of channels ( 31 a, 31 a, 31 b, 31 c ) extending in the transverse direction (Q), the channels ( 31 a, 31 b, 31 c ) of the bottom layer ( 3 ) being deformable vertically (V) and/or horizontally in the longitudinal direction (L) under the action of forces acting vertically (V) and/or in the longitudinal direction (L) and occurring during running.

1 . A sole for a shoe having a midsole ( 1 ), the midsole ( 1 ) comprising:
 a soft-elastic top layer ( 2 ) and a separate soft-elastic bottom layer ( 3 ), wherein a flexurally elastic incompressible plate ( 4 ) extends from an inner side to an outer side of the midsole ( 1 ) along at least one edge of the sole without marked projections or depressions and from a heel area, across a midfoot area, and through a forefoot area, the flexurally elastic incompressible plate ( 4 ) divides the top layer ( 2 ) and the bottom layer ( 3 ), and wherein the top layer ( 2 ) comprises a plurality of channels ( 21   a ,  21   b ,  21   c ) extending in a transverse direction (Q), and wherein the bottom layer ( 3 ) comprises a plurality of channels ( 31   a ,  31   b ,  31   c ) extending in the transverse direction (Q), wherein the channels of the top layer ( 2 ) are separated from the channels of the bottom layer by the flexurally elastic incompressible plate ( 4 ) and wherein the channels of the bottom layer ( 3 ) are delimited by the soft-elastic bottom layer ( 3 ) below and by the flexurally elastic incompressible plate ( 4 ) above, and wherein the channels ( 31   a ,  31   b ,  31   c ) of the bottom layer ( 3 ) are deformable vertically (V) and/or horizontally in a longitudinal direction (L) under action of forces acting vertically (V) and/or in the longitudinal direction (L) and occurring during running.   
     
     
         2 . The sole according to  claim 1 , wherein the channels ( 21   a ,  21   b ,  21   c ) of the top layer ( 2 ) are horizontally offset in the longitudinal direction (L) with respect to the channels ( 31   a ,  31   b ,  31   c ) of the bottom layer ( 3 ). 
     
     
         3 . The sole according to  claim 2 , wherein the channels ( 21   a ,  21   b ,  21   c ) of the top layer ( 2 ) are arranged horizontally offset in the longitudinal direction (L) relative to the channels ( 31   a ,  31   b ,  31   c ) of the bottom layer ( 3 ) in such a way that the channels ( 21   a ,  21   b ,  21   c ,  31   a ,  31   b ,  31   c ) of the top layer ( 2 ) and the bottom layer ( 3 ) do not overlap in the vertical direction (V). 
     
     
         4 . The sole according to  claim 1 , wherein the channels ( 21   a ,  21   b ,  21   c ) of the top layer ( 2 ) are deformable vertically (V) and/or horizontally in the longitudinal direction (L) until closure under the action of forces acting vertically (V) and/or in the longitudinal direction (L) occurring during running. 
     
     
         5 . The sole according  claim 1 , wherein the channels ( 31   a ,  31   b ,  31   c ) of the bottom layer ( 3 ) are formed by channel-shaped elements ( 32   a ,  32   b ,  32   c ) oriented in the transverse direction (Q) and are configured to project downwardly toward the ground (B). 
     
     
         6 . The sole according to  claim 1 , wherein the channels ( 21   a ,  21   b ,  21   c ) of the top layer ( 2 ) are delimited by the soft-elastic top layer ( 2 ) and by the flexurally elastic incompressible plate ( 4 ). 
     
     
         7 . The sole according to  claim 1 , wherein the flexurally elastic incompressible plate ( 4 ) extends entirely from the inner side to the outer side of the midsole ( 1 ). 
     
     
         8 . The sole according to  claim 1 , wherein the channels ( 31   a ,  31   b ,  31   c ) of the bottom layer ( 3 ) and/or the channels ( 21   a ,  21   b ,  21   c ) of the top layer ( 2 ) are elongated in cross-section in the longitudinal direction (L) of the middle sole ( 1 ). 
     
     
         9 . The sole according to  claim 1 , wherein the bottom layer ( 3 ) is attached to the flexurally elastic incompressible plate ( 4 ). 
     
     
         10 . The sole according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one channel of the plurality of channels of the bottom layer has a front wall with an edge in a region of the flexurally elastic incompressible plate. 
     
     
         11 . The sole according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one channel of the plurality of channels of the bottom layer comprises an angle between a front wall of the at least one channel and the flexurally elastic incompressible plate that is less than the angle between a rear wall of the channel of the at least one channel and the flexurally elastic incompressible plate. 
     
     
         12 . The sole of  claim 1 , wherein the channels ( 31   a ,  31   b ,  31   c ) in the heel area include a thicker wall thickness than the channels ( 31   a ,  31   b ,  31   c ) in a forefoot area. 
     
     
         13 . A sole for a shoe having a midsole ( 1 ), the midsole ( 1 ) comprising:
 a soft-elastic top layer ( 2 ) and a separate soft-elastic bottom layer ( 3 ), wherein a flexurally elastic incompressible plate ( 4 ) extends from an inner side to an outer side of the midsole ( 1 ) and along at least one edge of the sole along a general contour of a runner's foot and from a heel area (FB), across a midfoot area (MFB), and through a forefoot area (VFB), the flexurally elastic incompressible plate ( 4 ) arranged between the top layer ( 2 ) and the separate bottom layer ( 3 ), and wherein the top layer ( 2 ) comprises a plurality of channels ( 21   a ,  21   b ,  21   c ) extending in a transverse direction (Q), and wherein the bottom layer ( 3 ) comprises a plurality of channels ( 31   a ,  31   b ,  31   c ) extending in the transverse direction (Q), wherein the channels of the top layer ( 2 ) are separated from the channels of the bottom layer by the flexurally elastic incompressible plate ( 4 ) and wherein the channels in the top layer ( 2 ) do not overlap in the vertical direction with the channels in the bottom layer ( 3 ), and wherein the channels of the bottom layer ( 3 ) are delimited by the soft-elastic bottom layer ( 3 ) and by the flexurally elastic incompressible plate ( 4 ), wherein channels in the top layer ( 2 ) and/or the bottom layer ( 3 ) extend in each of the heel area (FB), the midfoot area (MFB), and the forefoot area (VFB), and wherein the channels ( 31   a ,  31   b ,  31   c ) of the bottom layer ( 3 ) are deformable vertically (V) and/or horizontally in a longitudinal direction (L) under action of forces acting vertically (V) and/or in the longitudinal direction (L) and occurring during running.   
     
     
         14 . The sole of  claim 13 , wherein the flexurally elastic incompressible plate ( 4 ) extends along the at least one edge of the sole without marked projections or depressions. 
     
     
         15 . The sole of  claim 13 , wherein the midsole is curved upward in the forefoot area in a vertical direction and the flexurally elastic incompressible plate ( 4 ) is bent upwards through the forefoot area. 
     
     
         16 . The sole according to  claim 13 , wherein the flexurally elastic incompressible plate ( 4 ) extends entirely from the inner side to the outer side of the midsole ( 1 ). 
     
     
         17 . The sole according to  claim 13 , wherein the channels ( 31   a ,  31   b ,  31   c ) of the bottom layer ( 3 ) and/or the channels ( 21   a ,  21   b ,  21   c ) of the top layer ( 2 ) are elongated in cross-section in the longitudinal direction (L) of the middle sole ( 1 ). 
     
     
         18 . The sole according to  claim 13 , wherein the bottom layer ( 3 ) is attached to the flexurally elastic incompressible plate ( 4 ). 
     
     
         19 . A sole for a shoe having a midsole ( 1 ), the midsole ( 1 ) comprising:
 a soft-elastic top layer ( 2 ) and a separate soft-elastic bottom layer ( 3 ), wherein a flexurally elastic incompressible plate ( 4 ) extends from an inner side to an outer side of the midsole ( 1 ) and along at least one edge of the sole along a general contour of a runner's foot and from a heel area (FB), across a midfoot area (MFB), and through a forefoot area (VFB), the flexurally elastic incompressible plate ( 4 ) arranged between the top layer ( 2 ) and the separate bottom layer ( 3 ), and wherein the top layer ( 2 ) comprises a plurality of channels ( 21   a ,  21   b ,  21   c ) extending in a transverse direction (Q), and wherein the bottom layer ( 3 ) comprises a plurality of channels ( 31   a ,  31   b ,  31   c ) extending in the transverse direction (Q), wherein the channels of the top layer ( 2 ) are separated from the channels of the bottom layer by the flexurally elastic incompressible plate ( 4 ), and wherein the channels of the bottom layer ( 3 ) are delimited by the soft-elastic bottom layer ( 3 ) below and by the flexurally elastic incompressible plate ( 4 ) above, wherein channels in the top layer ( 2 ) and the bottom layer ( 3 ) extend in at least one of the heel area (FB), the midfoot area (MFB), and the forefoot area (VFB).   
     
     
         20 . The sole of  claim 19  wherein the channels in the top layer ( 2 ) and the channels of the bottom layer ( 3 ) extend in each of the heel area (FB), the midfoot area (MFB), and the forefoot area (VFB).