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  Impact-attenuating elements and customizable products containing such elementsUSPTO Application #: 20060130365Title: Impact-attenuating elements and customizable products containing such elements Abstract: Impact-attenuating elements for footwear or the like may include (a) a first impact-attenuating material (e.g., foam) in a first region; and (b) a second impact-attenuating material in a second region (e.g., foam of a higher density). At least one characteristic of the impact-attenuating characteristics (e.g., support) provided by the impact-attenuating element may be controlled by changing a position or orientation of at least a portion of the impact-attenuating element in the footwear. For example, the “firmness” of the support provided by the impact-attenuating element may be changed by rotating or flipping the impact-attenuating element so that foam of a different density is provided at different areas of the foot. (end of abstract)
Agent: Banner & Witcoff - Washington, DC, US Inventors: Susan L. Sokolowski, Martin Lotti, Jane Savage, Linda Allen, Maria Joy Kozo USPTO Applicaton #: 20060130365 - Class: 03603500R (USPTO) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060130365. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
RELATED APPLICATION DATA [0001] This application claims priority benefits based on U.S. Provisional Patent Appln. No. 60/714,518 filed Nov. 29, 2004 (converted to a provisional application from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/998,156). This provisional patent application is entirely incorporated herein by reference. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The invention relates generally to impact-attenuating elements. Such elements may be provided in a wide variety of different products, e.g., in footwear products and other foot-receiving devices, such as in the heel and/or toe areas of footwear products. BACKGROUND [0003] Conventional articles of athletic footwear have included two primary elements, namely an upper member and a sole member or structure. The upper member provides a covering for the foot that securely receives and positions the foot with respect to the sole structure. In addition, the upper member may have a configuration that protects the foot and provides ventilation, thereby cooling the foot and removing perspiration. The sole structure generally is secured to a lower portion of the upper member and generally is positioned between the foot and the ground. In addition to attenuating ground reaction forces, the sole structure may provide traction and control foot motions, such as pronation. Accordingly, the upper member and the sole structure may operate cooperatively to provide a comfortable structure that is suited for a variety of ambulatory activities, such as walking and running. [0004] The sole member or structure of athletic footwear generally has exhibited a layered configuration that includes a comfort-enhancing insole, a resilient midsole formed from a polymer foam material, and a ground-contacting outsole that provides both abrasion-resistance and traction. The midsole is the primary sole structure element that attenuates ground reaction forces and controls foot motions. Suitable polymer foam materials for the midsole include ethylvinylacetate or polyurethane that compress resiliently under an applied load to attenuate ground reaction forces. Conventional polymer foam materials are resiliently compressible, in part, due to the inclusion of a plurality of open or closed cells that define an inner volume substantially displaced by gas. SUMMARY [0005] The following presents a general summary of aspects of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of at least some aspects of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is not intended to identify key or critical elements of the invention or to delineate the scope of the invention. The following summary merely presents some concepts of the invention in a general form as a prelude to the more detailed description provided below. [0006] Aspects of this invention relate to impact-attenuating elements, systems and products in which they are used (such as footwear, other foot-receiving devices, and the like), and methods of manufacturing foot-receiving devices including such elements, systems, and products. In at least some examples, impact-attenuating elements in accordance with this invention may include: (a) a first impact-attenuating material included in a first region (e.g., foam having a first density); and (b) a second impact-attenuating material included in a second region (e.g., foam having a higher density than that of the first material). The two impact-attenuating materials may face and/or contact one another along an interface. The first and second regions of impact-attenuating materials, in at least some examples of the invention, may combine to form at least a portion of an integral structure (e.g., a cylindrically shaped member) and may be oriented with respect to one another such that at least one impact-attenuating characteristic of the impact-attenuating element may be controlled by changing a position or orientation of at least a portion of the impact-attenuating element in the foot-receiving device. [0007] Additional aspects of this invention relate to foot-receiving devices, such as pieces of footwear, that include one or more impact-attenuating elements, e.g., of the types described above. Foot-receiving devices in accordance with at least some examples of this invention may include: (a) a foot-covering member (e.g., an upper member); (b) a foot-supporting member (e.g., a sole member) engaged with the foot-covering member (directly or indirectly), wherein the foot-supporting member includes a foot-contacting surface; and (c) an impact-attenuating element located between the foot-covering member and the ground-contacting element and/or engaged (directly or indirectly) with at least one of the foot-covering member or the foot-supporting member. The impact-attenuating element(s) may be movably and/or removably mounted with respect to at least one of the foot-covering member or the foot-supporting member, and they may be designed such that changing a position or orientation of at least a portion of the impact-attenuating element with respect to at least one of the foot-covering member or the foot-supporting member results in a change of at least one impact-attenuating characteristic of the impact-attenuating element. Structural elements may be included as part of the impact-attenuating element and/or the foot-receiving device to enable varying the impact-attenuating characteristic(s) of the impact-attenuating element and/or fixing the position or orientation of the impact-attenuating element with respect to the foot-receiving device structure. [0008] Still additional aspects of the invention relate to the production and/or use of foot-receiving devices including impact-attenuating elements, e.g., of the types described above. Such methods may include, for example: (a) providing a foot-receiving device including a foot-covering member and a foot-supporting member engaged (directly or indirectly) with the foot-covering member; and (b) engaging an impact-attenuating element with at least one of the foot-covering member or the foot-supporting member, wherein the impact-attenuating element is movably or removably mounted with respect to at least one of the foot-covering member or the foot-supporting member so as to enable changing a position or orientation of at least a portion of the impact-attenuating element with respect to at least one of the foot-covering member or the foot-supporting member to thereby change at least one impact-attenuating characteristic of the impact-attenuating element. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0009] A more complete understanding of the present invention and certain advantages thereof may be acquired by referring to the following description in consideration with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numbers indicate like features, and wherein: [0010] FIG. 1 illustrates an example impact-attenuating element structure useful in some example aspects of this invention; [0011] FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate inclusion of an impact-attenuating element structure in a piece of footwear in which the impact-attenuating element is oriented for walking; [0012] FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate inclusion of an impact-attenuating element structure in a piece of footwear in which the impact-attenuating element is oriented for running or jogging; [0013] FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate inclusion of an impact-attenuating element structure in a piece of footwear in which the impact-attenuating element is oriented for cross-training; [0014] FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate an example of shapes and changes in orientation of an impact-attenuating element structure in a piece of footwear; [0015] FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate an example of shapes and changes in orientation of another impact-attenuating element structure in a piece of footwear; [0016] FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate an example of shapes and changes in orientation of still another impact-attenuating element structure in a piece of footwear; and [0017] FIG. 8 illustrates an example footwear structure including multiple impact-attenuating elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0018] In the following description of various examples of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration various example systems and environments in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other specific arrangements of parts, example systems, and environments may be utilized and structural and functional modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Also, while the terms "top," "bottom," "side," "front," "back," and the like may be used in this specification to describe various example features and elements of the invention, these terms are used herein as a matter of convenience, e.g., based on the example orientations shown in the figures. Nothing in this specification should be construed as requiring a specific three dimensional orientation of structures in order to fall within the scope of this invention. 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