Athletic shoe with removable resilient element
View Patent ↗An athletic shoe is provided with a selectively adjustable shock-absorbing element. In one preferred aspect, a plate is provided with a plurality of independently moveable portions in contact with the shock-absorbing element. In another aspect, a plate is provided at an angle relative to a coil spring. A method is provided for adjusting a shock-absorbing spring.
1. A shoe comprising:
an upper, the upper having a heel region, the heel region having a vertical central axis and an interior portion;
an upper wall located beneath at least a portion of the heel region of the upper, at least a portion of the upper wall being in a plane generally perpendicular to the vertical central axis of the heel region, the upper wall having a peripheral portion and an interior portion, wherein the interior portion of the upper wall has a plurality of movable portions, the interior portion capable of being deflected relative to the peripheral portion in a direction approximately parallel with the vertical central axis of the heel region;
a bottom surface, at least a portion of which is ground-engaging;
a spring having a vertical mid-longitudinal axis, at least a portion of the spring being located between at least a portion of the interior portion of the upper wall and at least a portion of the bottom surface, the spring capable of being compressed and decompressed in communication with the deflection of the interior portion of the upper wall in a direction parallel with the mid-longitudinal axis of the spring; and
a platform located beneath at least a portion of the spring, at least a portion of the platform being in a plane approximately parallel with at least a portion of the upper wall, the platform capable of being moved by the wearer of the shoe along a line approximately parallel with the vertical central axis of the heel region of the upper from a first position to a second position.
2. The shoe of claim 1 , wherein the spring is the only spring located beneath the heel region of the upper.
3. The shoe of claim 1 , wherein the vertical mid-longitudinal axis of the spring is approximately parallel with the vertical central axis of the heel region of the upper.
4. The shoe of claim 3 , wherein the vertical mid-longitudinal axis of the spring is approximately coincidental with the vertical central axis of the heel region of the upper.
5. The shoe of claim 1 , wherein the platform has an outer perimeter that includes a threaded portion.
6. The shoe of claim 5 , wherein the threaded portion of the outer perimeter of the platform is capable of mating with a threaded portion of an element of the shoe proximate the bottom surface of the shoe.
7. The shoe of claim 6 , wherein the element includes a lower wall located at least in part beneath at least a portion of the interior portion of the upper wall, the interior portion of the lower wall containing an opening, the opening being defined at least in part by the threaded portion of the element.
8. The shoe of claim 6 , wherein the threaded portions are the only threaded portions of the shoe proximate any portion of the spring.
9. The shoe of claim 1 , wherein the spring is adapted to absorb shock independent of air or fluid pressure.
10. The shoe of claim 1 , wherein the spring is a mechanical spring.
11. The shoe of claim 1 , wherein the platform has a central longitudinal axis, the central longitudinal axis of the platform being generally coaxial with the vertical mid-longitudinal axis of the spring.
12. The shoe of claim 1 , wherein the platform is adapted to rotate to move the spring from the first position to the second position.
13. The shoe of claim 1 , wherein the platform is removable from the shoe through an opening in the bottom surface of the shoe to provide access to the spring.
14. The shoe of claim 13 , wherein the spring is removable through the opening in the bottom surface of the shoe following removal of the platform.
15. The shoe of claim 1 , wherein the platform is adapted to move independently of the spring.
16. The shoe of claim 1 , wherein the spring has a generally cylindrical profile.
17. The shoe of claim 1 , wherein the spring is a coil spring.
18. The shoe of claim 1 , wherein the interior portion of the upper wall has a plurality of independently movable portions.
19. The shoe of claim 18 , wherein the independently movable portions surround the vertical central axis of the heel region of the upper.
20. The shoe, of claim 18 , wherein the independently movable portions are separated by slots therebetween.
21. The shoe of claim 18 , wherein the independently movable portions are Interconnected by webbing.
22. The shoe of claim 18 wherein at least one of the independently movable portions of the interior portion of the upper wall has varying degrees of thickness.
23. The shoe of claim 18 , wherein each of the independently movable portions of the interior portion of the upper wall has a lower surface, the lower surface of each of the movable portions being oriented away from the heel region of the upper.
24. The shoe of claim 23 , wherein the lower surface of at least one of the independently movable portions includes a groove adapted to receive an upper portion of the spring.
25. The shoe of claim 24 , wherein a soft material is inserted between the groove and the upper portion of the spring to permit smoother compression and decompression of the spring.
26. The shoe of claim 24 , wherein a soft material is inserted between at least a portion of the platform and a lower portion of the spring to permit smoother compression and decompression of the spring.
27. The shoe of claim 18 , wherein at least one of the independently movable portions has a generally trapezoidal shape.
28. The shoe of claim 1 , wherein the interior portion of the upper wall has an opening therethrough.
29. The shoe of claim 28 , wherein the spring is in air communication with the interior portion of the heel region of the upper through the opening in the interior portion of the upper wall.
30. The shoe of claim 1 , wherein the spring is in air communication with the outside of the shoe.
31. The shoe of claim 28 , wherein the vertical central axis of the heel region of the upper passes through the opening.
32. The shoe of claim 31 , wherein the vertical central axis of the heel region of the upper passes through the approximate center of the opening.
33. The shoe of claim 1 , wherein a cross-section of the spring is round in shape.
34. The shoe of claim 1 , wherein a cross-section of the spring has at least one substantially planar surface.
35. The shoe of claim 1 , wherein the platform is adapted to secure the spring between at least a portion of the platform and the interior portion of the upper wall.
36. The shoe of claim 1 , wherein the platform is adapted to cause a change in the amount of tension in the spring.