ANTISPATTER HEEL FOR SHOE SOLE

TALON ANTI-ECLABOUSSURES POUR SEMELLES DE CHAUSSURES

English Abstract

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Abstract of the Disclosure
A shoe sole is formed in the heel with a cavity that is
compressible to relatively small volume when the heel is pressed
down and that is normally of somewhat larger volume. Structure
associated with the cavity and exposed at an outer surface of
heel expels liquid from the cavity when the heel is pressed down
and aspirates liquid in contract with the outer surface when the
heel is lifted. An elastically compressible sponge body fills
the cavity. This cavity can be a pocket open at the outer
surface of the heel or it can be offset from the surface of the
heel in which case at least one passage extends between the
cavity and the heel outer surface. The cavity can also be empty
and offset form the surface of the heel with at least one passage
extending between the cavity and the heel outer surface.

Claims

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I CLAIM:
1. In a shoe having a sole with a heel, the improve-
ment wherein:
the heel is formed with a cavity that is compressible
to relatively small volume when the heel is pressed down and that
is normally of somewhat larger volume; and
means associated with the cavity and exposed at an
outer surface of heel for expelling liquid from the cavity when
the heel is pressed down and for aspirating liquid in contact
with the outer surface when the heel is lifted.
2. The improved shoe sole defined in claim 1 wherein
the means is a sponge body filling the cavity.
3. The improved shoe sole defined in claim 2 wherein
the cavity is a pocket open at the outer surface of the heel.
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4. The improved shoe sole defined in claim 2 wherein
the cavity is offset from the surface of the heel and the means
is at least one passage extending between the cavity and the heel
outer surface.
5. The improved shoe sole defined in claim 1 wherein
the cavity is empty and is offset from the surface of the heel
and the means is at least one passage extending between the
cavity and the heel outer surface.
6. In a shoe having a sole with a heel, the improve-
ment wherein:
the heel is formed with an internal cavity that is
compressible to relatively small volume when the heel is pressed
down and that is normally of somewhat larger volume;
a compressible sponge body fills the cavity; and
at least one passage extends from the cavity to an
outer surface of heel for expelling liquid from the body when the
heel is pressed down and for aspirating liquid in contact with
the outer surface through the passage into the body when the heel
is lifted.
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7. The improved shoe sole defined in claim 6 wherein
the body is an open-cell polyurethane foam.
8. The improved shoe sole defined in claim 7 wherein
the foam has a density of between 450kg/m3 and 550kg/m3.
9. The improved shoe sole defined in claim 6 wherein
the body is felt.
10. The improved shoe sole defined in claim 6 wherein
the outer surface has a vertical rear surface at which the
passage opens.
11. The improved shoe sole defined in claim 6 wherein
the outer surface has a horizontal bottom surface at which the
passage opens.
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Description

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ANTISPATTER HEEL FOR ~HOE SOLE
SPECIFIC~TIO~
Field o the I~e~tlon
: ~he present inven~ion relates to a shoe sole. More
partiaularly this inven~ion concern~ a heel ~or ~u~h a ~hoe 801~.
Ba~kground o~ the In~ention
: A standard ehoe sole.has is.entirely made of a r~la-
: tively hard but flexible wear-resistant materia}. The mater1.al
may be a neoprene-type synthetic rubber, leather, or even a
closed cell foam. The sole must resist wear while protecting the
wearer's ~oot ~rom anything on the ground.
German patent document 2,800,593 describes a sho~ sole
which iB provided with openings in the ground-enqaging lower
surface whioh are open internally in the shoe through an air-
permeable lay~r of as leather, fabric, a kni~, or a ~elt. Whilesuch a structure provides Pxcellen~ aeration of t~e wearer'~
foot, it mean~ that any water ~he wearer s~eps in will soak right
into the shoe to his or har foo-
In German patent do~umen~ 2,731,533 a sports shoe is
descri~ed having a sole made o~ a block of rubber with a d~mpinglayer of fin~-pore rubberO The s019 iS formed with polygonal-

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shaped grooves which only extend through a portion of th~ mainbody of the rubber shoe, not into the damping layer.
All such shoe6 have the considerable disadvantage that
if the wearer steps in a puddle, the liquid hang~ on the heel of
the shoe and will be thrown up on the back of the wearer's leg as
he or she llfts this ~oot. Thus even though the footwear may
protect the wearer's feet from getting we~, water spattered up in
this manner will land on the wearer's legs and/or clothing.
Ob~ects o~ the Invention
It is therefore an object of the present invention to
provide an improved shoe sole.
Another ob~ect is the provision of such an improved
shoe sole which overcomes the above-given disadvantages, that is
which prevents water that is being stepped on from being picked
up and thrown up on the wearer's legs.
'~
~ Summary~of the In~ention
,; :
A shoe sole according to this invention is formed in
the heel with a cavity that is compressible to relati~ely small
volume when the heel is pressed down and that is normally of
somewhat larger volumeO Structure associated with tha cavity and
exposed at an outer surface of heel expels liquid ~rom th~ cavity
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when the heel i9 pressed down and a~pirates liguid in contact
with the outQr surPace when the heel is li~'t~d.
~ hus as the person put~ his foot down, invariably hael
first, the cavity structure will be compreEi~ed and any llquid
therein will be expelled. A8 the foot is raised the cavity
~tructure will elastically reassum~ lts original ~hape, thereby
aspira~ing any liquid on the sur~ace of the heel 50 that: thi~
liquid cannot be thrown up onto the back of the wearer's leg.
According to another ~eature of this invention an
~lastically compressible ~ponge body ~ill8 the cavity. This
cavity oan be a pocket opan at the outer sur~ace of ths heel or
it can be offset from the sur~ace o~ the heel in which case ~t
lea~t one passage extends between ~he cavity and ~h~ heel outer
sur~ace.
Th~ cavity according to this invention can also b~
empty and offsst ~rom the sur~ace of the h~el with at lsast ons
passag2 extending between the cavity and the heel outer surface.
In acc~rdance with thi~ invention,the body is an open-cell
polyurethane foam having a density o~ between 450kg/m3 and
5SOkg/m3. It can al60 be made o~.a bibulous materiaI such as
felt. ~he outer surface can have a vertical rear surface at
which the passage opens and/or a horizonta} bottom surfa~ at
which the passage opens. In a situation with bo~h advantags~ the
pa~sag~ can open at the corner between the rear upright and the
bottom horizontal sur~aces.
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Brief Descrip~ion of the Dr~wing
The above and other objects, features, and a~vantage~
will becom more readily apparent from the following, reference
being made to the accompanying drawing in which:
Fig. 1 i~ a side view partly in section through a shoe
according to this invention: and
Figs. 2 and 3 are views like Fig. 1 of alternative
arrange~ent~ in accordance with the invention.
Specific Description
As seen in Fig. 1 a shoe sole 1 on a shoe 2 has a heel
3 provided with a moisture-trapping device 4 here con~tituted by
an open-cell polyurethane sponye body 6 ~illing a pocket 5 formed
at the rear of the heel 3. The sponge 6 is compre~sed and
squeezed fairly dry as the wearer's ~oot lands on the rear edge
of the heel 3, then expands and sucks in any water adhering to
the heel 3 as the shoe 2 is raised~ As a result there will be no
free water on the heel 3 that can be tossed up on the back of the
wearer's leg.
In Fig. 2 a heel 3' has a device 4' comprised o~ a
cavity 7 formed in the heel 3' but cover2d downward by a plate 13
formed with throughgoing perforations 9 that open at thP bottom
of the heel 3'. In addition the caYity 7 i~ open backwardly at a
rear surface 10 of the shoe and is filled by another polyurethane

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sponge 8 o~ a relativ~ly high density of about 500kg/~3l The
- plate 13 can be replaceable and relatively durable to avoid
- excessiv2 wear to ~he sponge 7, even made Or me~al i~ desircd.
This deviae ~' ~unction~ identically to the device 4 o~ ~lg. 1.
In Fig. 3 a heel 3" i8 equipped with a dev~ce 4" that
i~ ~ormed simply as a normally empty cavity 11 that opens via one
or more passages 12 a~ the lower rear edge o~ the heel 3"0 The
heel 3" i~ ¢ompres~ed ~o that the cavity 11 expels any moi~ture
on the down step while a~pirating any moisture a~ it i~ rais~d,
an ln Flgs. 1 and Z.
:
.

Representative Drawing