Shoe having carbon fiber composite spring soles and upper support

Abstract

A shoe incorporating carbon fiber composite components to provide performance improvements in lighter weight, better shock absorption, traction by use of spikes, better support, substantial bounciness by being resistant to deformation and provides active ventilation. The shoe of this invention utilizes carbon fiber composite's to easily fabricate the designs.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A shoe comprising:
 an upper body including a back support, a mid support, a front toe section, and a bottom outsole;   a sole interconnected to a bottom portion of said upper body;   a first spring and a second spring, at least one of said first spring and said second spring made of carbon fiber composite material, each of said first spring and said second spring having a thin cross-section and formed of a folded spring design comprising an upper plate and a lower plate pivotally connected together at one end thereof and disposed from each other at another end thereof forming a gap there between;   said first spring and said second spring being disposed within said sole;   said first spring being located within a front end of said sole having said pivotally connected portion adjacent said mid support and said second spring being located within a back end of said sole having said pivotally connected portion adjacent said mid support;   wherein, as a foot pushes down on said first and second springs during a stride, a force is exerted upon said first spring and said second spring and said upper plate of each of said first spring and said second spring may be substantially compressed against said lower plate, respectively, when the force is applied; and   wherein, as the force is removed during the stride, said upper plate of each of said first spring and said second spring moves upward to form said gap and creating bounciness within the shoe.   
     
     
         2 . The shoe as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 air pockets formed within said gap between said upper plate and said lower plate of each said first spring and said second spring, respectively; and   a valve to said air pockets interconnected such that air can be introduced to said sole and exhausted through said valve when a stride is taken.   
     
     
         3 . The shoe sole as defined in  claim 1 , wherein both said upper plate and said lower plate of said first spring and said second spring, respectively, are made of carbon fiber composite material. 
     
     
         4 . The shoe as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of air holes located in said sole to permit air to be exhausted from and enter into the sole. 
     
     
         5 . The shoe as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said carbon fiber composite comprises fibers run substantially in the longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         6 . The shoe as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said back support, said mid support and said front toe section are made of carbon fiber composite material. 
     
     
         7 . A shoe comprising:
 an upper body including a back support, a mid support, a front toe sections and a bottom outsole;   a sole interconnected to a bottom portion of said upper body;   a plurality of springs configured from said sole, said sole and said plurality of springs made of carbon fiber composite material, each of said springs having a thin cross-section and formed of a folded compact spring design comprising an upper plate cut from said sole and forming a gap at one end of each of said springs;   wherein, as the foot pushes down on said springs during a stride, a force is exerted upon said springs such that said upper plate of each said spring may be substantially compressed within said sole, and as the force is removed during the stride said upper plate of each said spring moves upward to form said gap and creating bounciness within the shoe.   
     
     
         8 . The shoe as defined in  claim 7 , further comprising:
 air pockets formed between said upper plate and said sole; and   a valve interconnected to said air pockets such that air can be introduced to said sole and exhausted through said valve when a stride is taken.   
     
     
         9 . The shoe as defined in  claim 7 , wherein each said upper plate of said plurality of springs comprises a coiled plate design cut from said sole. 
     
     
         10 . The shoe as defined in  claim 7 , wherein said plurality of springs are distributed according to a foot pressure pattern. 
     
     
         11 . The shoe as defined in  claim 7 , wherein said back support, said mid support and said front toe section are made of carbon fiber composite material. 
     
     
         12 . A shoe comprising:
 an upper body including a back support, a mid support, a front toe sections and a bottom outsole;   a sole interconnected to a bottom portion of said upper body;   one or more individual springs configured from said sole, said sole and said springs made of carbon fiber composite material, at least one of said springs formed of a compression coil spring design, said material having a thin cross section and forming a gap between a top part and a bottom part of said springs;   wherein, as the foot pushes down on said springs during a stride, a force is exerted upon said springs such that said upper plate of each said spring may be substantially compressed within said sole, and as the force is removed during the stride said upper plate of each said spring moves upward to form said gap and creating bounciness within the shoe.   
     
     
         13 . The shoe as defined in  claim 12 , further comprising:
 air pockets formed between said upper plate and said sole; and   a valve interconnected to said air pockets such that air can be introduced to said sole and exhausted through said valve when a stride is taken.   
     
     
         14 . The shoe as defined in  claim 12 , wherein said one or more springs are distributed according to a foot pressure pattern. 
     
     
         15 . The shoe as defined in  claim 12 , wherein said back support, said mid support and said front toe section are made of carbon fiber composite material. 
     
     
         16 . A removable sole cushion for a shoe comprising:
 a plurality of springs configured from said sole cushion, said sole cushion and said plurality of springs made of carbon fiber composite material, each of said springs formed of a folded compression spring design, said material having a thin cross-section and forming a gap between a top and a bottom portion of each of said springs;   wherein, as the foot pushes down on said springs during a stride, a force is exerted upon said springs such that said upper plate of each said spring may be completely compressed within said sole, and as the force is removed during the stride said upper plate of each said spring moves upward to form a gap and creating bounciness within the sole.   
     
     
         17 . The removable sole cushion as defined in  claim 16 , wherein said plurality of springs comprise a compression coil spring design with said thin cross-section made of carbon fiber composite. 
     
     
         18 . The removable sole cushion as defined in  claim 16 , wherein said plurality of springs comprise a compression leaf spring design with said thin cross-section made of carbon fiber composite. 
     
     
         19 . The removable shoe sole cushion as defined in  claim 16 , wherein said plurality of springs are distributed according to foot pressure pattern. 
     
     
         20 . The removable shoe sole cushion as defined in  claim 16 , further comprising a plurality of air holes located in said sole cushion to permit air to be exhausted from and enter into said sole cushion. 
     
     
         21 . The shoe as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said outsole is a carbon fiber spike outsole comprising hardened carbon fiber spikes distributed and imbedded in a rubber composite base;
 wherein said fiber spikes are substantially aligned with each other and substantially upright to the ground; and   wherein, as the foot pushes down on said first and second springs during a stride on a hard surface, said carbon spikes are pushed out to grip the hard surface, creating additional traction.   
     
     
         22 . The shoe as defined in  claim 7 , wherein said outsole is a carbon fiber spike outsole comprising hardened carbon fiber spikes distributed and imbedded in a rubber composite base;
 wherein said fiber spikes are substantially aligned with each other and substantially upright to the ground; and   wherein, as the foot pushes down on said plurality of springs during a stride on a hard surface, said carbon spikes are pushed out to grip the hard surface, creating additional traction.   
     
     
         23 . The shoe as defined in  claim 12 , wherein said outsole is a carbon fiber spike outsole comprising hardened carbon fiber spikes distributed and imbedded in a rubber composite base;
 wherein said fiber spikes are substantially aligned with each other and substantially upright to the ground; and   wherein, as the foot pushes down on said one or more individual springs during a stride on a hard surface, said carbon spikes are pushed out to grip the hard surface, creating additional traction.   
     
     
         24 . The removable sole cushion as defined in  claim 16 , wherein the removable sole cushion is positioned within a shoe having an outsole in the form of a carbon fiber spike outsole comprising hardened carbon fiber spikes distributed and imbedded in a rubber composite base;
 wherein said fiber spikes are substantially aligned with each other and substantially upright to the ground; and   wherein, as a foot pushes down on said shoe during a stride on a hard surface, said carbon spikes are pushed out to grip the hard surface, creating additional traction.   
     
     
         25 . The shoe as defined in  claim 21 , wherein said hardened carbon fiber spikes have a cross-sectional size of less than 5 mm in thickness or diameter. 
     
     
         26 . The shoe as defined in  claim 22 , wherein said hardened carbon fiber spikes have a cross-sectional size of less than 5 mm in thickness or diameter. 
     
     
         27 . The shoe as defined in  claim 23 , wherein said hardened carbon fiber spikes have a cross-sectional size of less than 5 mm in thickness or diameter. 
     
     
         28 . The removable shoe cushion as defined in  claim 24 , wherein said hardened carbon fiber spikes have a cross-sectional size of less than 5 mm in thickness or diameter. 
     
     
         29 . The shoe as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said thin cross-section is less than 5 mm in thickness. 
     
     
         30 . The shoe as defined in  claim 7 , wherein said thin cross-section is less than 5 mm in thickness. 
     
     
         31 . The shoe as defined in  claim 12 , wherein said thin cross-section is less than 5 mm in thickness. 
     
     
         32 . The removeable sole cushion as defined in  claim 16 , wherein said thin cross-section is less than 5 mm in thickness.