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US-12622483-B2 - Soles for sports shoes

US12622483B2US 12622483 B2US12622483 B2US 12622483B2US-12622483-B2

Abstract

Improved soles and insoles for shoes, in particular sports shoes, are described. In an aspect, a sole for a shoe, in particular a sports shoe, with at least a first and a second surface region is provided. The first surface region comprises expanded thermoplastic polyurethane (“TPU”). The second surface region is free from expanded TPU.

Inventors

  • Stuart David Reinhardt
  • Darren Michael Wood
  • Angus Wardlaw
  • Timothy Kelvin Robinson
  • John Whiteman

Assignees

  • ADIDAS AG

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20230607
Priority Date
20120413

Claims (12)

  1. 1 . A sole for a shoe comprising: at least a first surface region and a second surface region, wherein the first surface region extends over a length of the sole and comprises an expanded thermoplastic polyurethane, wherein adjacent thermoplastic polyurethane particles are directly bonded to one another at their surfaces to form a granular but closed plastic foam structure free of gaps passing therethrough, wherein the granular but closed plastic foam varies in thickness from a forefoot region toward a heel region; wherein the second surface region is free from expanded material; and wherein the second surface region is arranged at a rim of the sole or is an outsole.
  2. 2 . The sole according to claim 1 , wherein the second surface region comprises ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), rubber, polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyamide, polyether block amide (PEBA), polyoxymethylene (POM), polyethylene (PE), polyoxyethane (POE), ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM), or combinations thereof.
  3. 3 . The sole according to claim 1 , wherein the sole for a shoe has a weight of less than 100 g.
  4. 4 . The sole according to claim 1 , wherein the first surface region comprises less than 40% of the sole for a shoe.
  5. 5 . The sole according to claim 1 , wherein the first surface region comprises from 10 to 30% of the sole for a shoe.
  6. 6 . The sole according to claim 1 , wherein the first surface region comprises a recess.
  7. 7 . The sole according to claim 1 , wherein the second surface region is arranged at a rim of the sole for a shoe.
  8. 8 . The sole according to claim 1 , wherein the sole for a shoe further comprises a third partial region.
  9. 9 . A shoe comprising the sole of claim 1 .
  10. 10 . The shoe of claim 9 , wherein the shoe has a weight of less than 100 g.
  11. 11 . A sole for a shoe comprising: at least a first surface region and a second surface region, wherein the first surface region extends over a length of the sole and comprises an expanded thermoplastic polyurethane, wherein adjacent thermoplastic polyurethane particles are directly bonded to one another at their surfaces to form a granular but closed plastic foam structure free of gaps passing therethrough, wherein the expanded thermoplastic polyurethane varies in thickness from a forefoot region toward a heel region; wherein the second surface region comprises thermoplastic polyurethane and is free from expanded material; and wherein the second surface region is arranged at a rim of the sole or is an outsole.
  12. 12 . The sole according to claim 11 , wherein the sole for a shoe further comprises a third partial region.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/908,945, filed Jun. 23, 2020 (“the '945 application”), now allowed, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/724,318, filed Oct. 4, 2017 (“the '318 application”), now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,716,358, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/473,168, filed on Aug. 29, 2014 (“the '168 application”), now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,820,528, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/860,823, filed on Apr. 11, 2013 (“the '823 application”), now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,788,606, which is related to and claims priority benefits from German Patent Application No. DE 10 2012 206094.4, filed on Apr. 13, 2012, entitled SOLES FOR SPORTS SHOES (“the '094 application”), and European Patent Application No. 13151596.7, filed on Jan. 17, 2013, entitled SOLES FOR SPORTS SHOES (“the '596 application”). The '945, '318, '168, '823, '094, and '596 applications are hereby incorporated herein in their entireties by this reference. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to soles for shoes, in particular soles for sports shoes, comprising expanded thermoplastic polyurethane. BACKGROUND By means of soles, shoes are provided with a variety of different properties that may, depending on the specific type of shoe, be realized to different extents. Primarily, shoe soles usually serve protective purposes. By means of their stiffness, which is increased when compared to the stiffness of the shoe upper, shoe soles protect the respective wearer's foot from injuries caused for example by sharp objects that the wearer of the shoe steps upon. Moreover, a shoe sole usually protects the shoe from excessive abrasion by means of its increased abrasion-resistance. Further, shoe soles may increase the grip of a shoe on the respective ground and may thus facilitate quick movements. It may be a further function of a shoe sole to provide a certain stability. In addition, a shoe sole may provide a cushioning, for example to damp the forces that occur when the shoe contacts the ground. Finally, a shoe sole may protect the foot from dirt or splash water or it may provide a multitude of further functionalities. In order to meet this plethora of functionalities, various materials are known in the prior art out of which shoe soles may be manufactured. For example, shoe soles may be manufactured from ethylene-vinyl acetate (“EVA”), thermoplastic polyurethane (“TPU”), rubber, polypropylene (“PP”) or polystyrene (“PS”). Each of these different materials provides a specific combination of different properties that are more or less well suited for soles of specific types of shoes, depending on the particular requirements of the respective type of shoe. For example, TPU is very abrasion-resistive and tear-resistant. Moreover, EVA provides a high stability and relatively good cushioning properties. It is a common disadvantage of the aforementioned materials that shoe soles made from of these materials have to be manufactured separately and subsequently have to be attached to the shoe upper, e.g. by gluing or sewing. From WO 2008/087078, WO 2007/082838, WO 2010/136398, and WO 2005/066250, expanded TPU is known, which may be used for manufacturing shoe soles. For example, WO 2005/066250 describes that a shoe sole formed out of expanded TPU may be attached to a shoe upper without additional gluing means. Further, WO 2005/066250 discloses that the expanded TPU is foamed in a tool in contact with the shoe upper and, thus, a sole made of expanded TPU is provided that adheres to the shoe upper. In addition, WO 2005/066250 describes the possibility of pre-manufacturing an outsole of thermoplastic elastomer (e.g. polyvinyl chloride (“PVC”), thermoplastic rubber, TPU) and, after its curing, providing expandable TPU in the form of foam to a cavity between the outsole and the shoe upper. Hence, the outsole does not need to be glued to the shoe upper. However, the disclosure of WO 2005/066250 describes the disadvantage that the properties of the sole are influenced by the sole of expanded TPU continuously over the entire surface. A fine control of the sole properties is not possible according to WO 2005/066250. It is therefore desirable to provide improved soles for shoes, in particular sports shoes. It is further desired to provide improved possibilities to construct such soles from expanded TPU. SUMMARY The terms “invention,” “the invention,” “this invention” and “the present invention” used in this patent are intended to refer broadly to all of the subject matter of this patent and the patent claims below. Statements containing these terms should be understood not to limit the subject matter described herein or to limit the meaning or scope of the patent claims below. Embodiments of the invention covered by this patent are defined by the claims below, not this summary. This summary is