WO2019023314A1

WO2019023314A1 - Ball and socket shoes

Info

Publication number: WO2019023314A1
Application number: PCT/US2018/043628
Authority: WO
Inventors: Daniel Kim
Original assignee: Daniel Kim
Priority date: 2017-07-25
Filing date: 2018-07-25
Publication date: 2019-01-31

Abstract

The present application is describes a shoe outsole that includes a plurality of spherical holes at its bottom.

Description

BALL AND SOCKET SHOES

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The invention relates to shoes, which have removable balls or spheres placed into sockets created on the bottom of the outsoles of shoes. Briefly, the present invention includes the following: grooves or sockets for the balls such that a sphere may be inserted into the socket on the bottom of the outsoles of the shoes. The ball is held in place in the socket such that the ball can rotate within it, and the ball does not separate from the socket even if the bottom of the shoe touches a stationary surface. The socket is made of resilient material. The spherical objects may be loosely trapped in the sockets.

[0002] Accordingly, this invention comprises an outsole that includes a carrier cavity or socket for at least one spherical object. The carrier cavity may be made of resilient material, which is hollow having circular and tapered side walls, allowing the object to be pressed into or removed from the socket, in which the dimensions of the inlet/outlet or opening is smaller than the diameter of the object so as to hold the object in place in the carrier cavity; and wherein depth of the side walls, and the socket opening are sufficient to entrap loosely each spherical object.

[0003] Objects can be removed or introduced by forcing the object through an opening lip causing the side walls of the hollow carrier to flex apart wide enough to release or insert the object. The opening lip may hold the object within the carrier cavity such that the sphere does not fall out of the carrier cavity.

[0004] As used herein, a socket or carrier cavity is a hollow member into which an object fits, preferably loosely.

[0005] The present invention is directed to ball and socket outsole of shoes, which may or may not contain removable spheres inserted in the socket in the outsole of the shoes.

[0006] Balls or spheres may or may not be of uniform size or hardness or composition. The balls or spherese may be made of different diameters and different hardness or composition.

[0007] The outsole may be a single unit piece with various spheres embedded into various cavities or sockets. The carrier cavity that holds the sphere is hollow and can be opened at the bottom and top, and each sphere is secured inside the carrier cavity, and yet a portion of the surface of the sphere may be exposed through the hole and jut out of the carrier cavity while secured inside the carrier cavity. [0008] Optionally, the outsole can be divided into two pieces or more and mounted together where the top piece may assist in securing/positioning the spheres into each of the carrier cavities.

[0009] The present invention has the following structural characteristics: circular carrier cavities or sockets or holes (2) are made on base of the outsole (3); removable balls or spheres (1) are inserted into the sockets or carrier cavities (2); the cavities are made on the undersurface of or through each base piece (6). Optionally, the top piece (4) may be mounted on top of the base piece to secure the spheres to the cavities. The upper (5) is placed mounted on the outsole.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The aforementioned aspects and other features of the present invention will be explained in the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0011] FIG. 1 is the top view in which the sphere is placed in the cavity of the outsole.

[0012] FIG. 2 shows variously sized spheres that may be placed into the cavities.

[0013] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the undersurface of the outsole in which the spheres are placed in the cavities.

[0014] FIG. 4 is view of the undersurface of the outsole with empty holes or cavities.

[0015] FIG. 5 is top view of the outsole of FIG. 4.

[0016] FIG 6 shows undersurface view of the the outsole of FIG. 4 filled with spheres.

[0017] FIG. 7 shows side view of the outsole filled with spheres.

[0018] FIG. 8 shows top view of the base piece and top piece with cavities filled with spheres.

[0019] FIG. 9 shows top view of the top piece mounted over the base piece with spheres placed in the cavities between the base piece and the top piece.

[0020] FIG. 10 shows a shoe upper connected to an outsole.

[0021] FIG. 11 shows several views of an outsole in which the spheres are placed in the cavities.

[0022] FIG. 12 shows several views of the outsole, cavity and spheres and a variety of spheres that may be used. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] The present invention will be described in detail by way of preferred embodiments with reference to accompanying drawings.

[0024] For ease of reference, the elements are set forth as follows:

[0025] Ball - 1

[0026] Socket - 2

[0027] Outsole - 3

[0028] Top piece - 4

[0029] Upper - 5

[0030] Base piece - 6

[0031] The purpose of the present invention is to be able to make shoes having spheres placed in the outsole to custom shape or custom fit shoes to a person. Human feet are varied in their structure, and one size does not fit everyone comfortably. By strategically placing spheres of different size and hardness in the outsole, it is possible to create a custom fitted shoe that is uniquely comfortable for each person.

[0032] As is shown in Figures 1 to 12, the ball (1) is placed into a cavity or socket (2) that is made in the outsole (3). If multiple layers of outsole are desired to be used, then a top piece (4) can be mounted on a base piece (6). And an upper is attached to the outsole.

[0033] The spheres may be made of resilient material of varying hardness, and depending on the location of the spheres relative to the bottom of the foot that the ball would affect, the hardness and size of the ball would be varied, thus controlling the comfort level of the shoes.

[0034] Figure 12 shows examples of how variously sized spheres may be placed in the outsole to accommodate various heal structures.

[0035] Throughout this application, the insert is referred to as a ball or sphere. Applicant contemplates other geometric shapes such as oblong, triangle, hexagon and so forth, so long as the inserted object is able to be trapped within the cavity in the outsole. The inserted objects may have a variety of shapes and rigidity or hardness in the outsole. [0036] Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific embodiments of the invention specifically described herein.

Claims

We claim

1. A shoe outsole comprising a plurality of spherical holes.

2. The shoe outsole of claim 1, wherein the side wall of the holes are uniformly tapered so that the diameter of the holes on the underside is smaller than on the topside.

3. A shoe, wherein the outsole of the shoe comprises spherical balls inserted into cavities, and wherein a part of the ball juts outside of the cavity and some of them touch a surface when the shoe is placed squarely on the surface.

4. The shoe of claim 3, wherein the spherical balls have varying diameter.

5. The shoe of claim 4, wherein the spherical balls have varying hardness.

6. A method of making the shoe of claim 3, comprising making a plurality of holes in the outsole of a shoe, wherein the side walls of the holes are uniformly tapered so that a ball placed in the cavity is trapped in the hole.

7. The method of claim 6, comprising placing spherical balls in the cavities and placing a layer material over the top side of the outsole.

8. The method of claim 7, comprising attaching an upper to the outsole.

9. The method of claim 6, comprising placing spherical balls in the cavities and mounting a top piece over a base piece in order to secure the spherical balls in the base piece, wherein the top piece comprises holes that are smaller in diameter than base piece holes on the top side, and wherein the placement of holes overlap between the base piece and the top piece.

10. The method of claim 9, comprising attaching an upper to the outsole.