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Tennis shoesTennis shoes description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20050257402, Tennis shoes. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to tennis shoes. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improvement in the bottom faces of the tennis shoes. BACKGROUND ART [0002] In the rally of tennis, a player makes a stroke while heavily moving in a court. The player predicts the direction of a ball from the stroke of an opponent and moves toward a target spot. Feet kick a ground to carry out the movement. When approaching the target spot, the player stops the kicks and recovers the balance of the stroke. Then, the feet of the player take a slide on the ground. The body of the player is moved forward by the slide at a short distance. Most of the movement to the target spot is carried out by kicking and the movement in a final stage is performed by the slide. The player reaching the target spot makes a stroke. Next, the player inverts the body to kick the ground, thereby moving to a next target spot. [0003] It is preferable that the tennis shoes and the ground do not cause the slip in the movement carried out by the kicks. A nonslip performance is required for the tennis shoes. On the other hand, it is preferable that the tennis shoes and the ground should slip properly in the movement carried out by the slide. A sliding performance is required for the tennis shoes. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. Hei 7-213304 has disclosed tennis shoes in which the planar shape of the projection of a bottom face is devised to cause the nonslip performance and the sliding performance to be consistent with each other. [0004] Also in the tennis shoes disclosed in the publication described above, the nonslip performance and the sliding performance are not sufficiently consistent with each other. It is an object of the present invention to provide tennis shoes which are excellent in the nonslip performance and the sliding performance. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION [0005] Tennis shoes according to the present invention comprise a large number of ridges arranged on bottom faces. The ridge has a cross section taking an asymmetrical shape. A ratio (.mu.a/.mu.b) of a coefficient of friction .mu.a in one direction of the bottom face to a coefficient of friction .mu.b in a reverse direction is 0.3 to 0.9. The tennis shoes are excellent in a sliding performance in one direction and a nonslip performance in a reverse direction. [0006] Tennis shoes according to another invention comprise a large number of lateral ridges extended in a transverse direction on bottom faces. The lateral ridge has a cross section taking an asymmetrical shape. A ratio (.mu.a/.mu.b) of a coefficient of friction .mu.a in a toe direction of the bottom face to a coefficient of friction .mu.b in a heel direction is 0.3 to 0.9. The tennis shoes are excellent in a sliding performance in the toe direction and a nonslip performance in the heel direction. [0007] The lateral ridge includes a contact surface, and a toe side wall surface and a heel side wall surface which are linked to the contact surface. It is preferable that a difference (.theta.b -.theta.a) between an inclination angle .theta.a of the toe side wall surface and an inclination angle .theta.b of the heel side wall surface should be 10 degrees to 60 degrees. The lateral ridge has a preferable height of 1 mm to 8 mm. [0008] It is preferable that the tennis shoes should comprise a longitudinal ridge in addition to the lateral ridge. The longitudinal ridge is extended in a longitudinal direction. The lateral ridge is mainly formed in a region provided on a toe side from a center of the bottom face in the longitudinal direction at an outside of a center in a transverse direction. The longitudinal ridge is mainly formed in a region provided on the toe side from the center of the bottom face in the longitudinal direction at an inside from the center in the transverse direction. The tennis shoes are excellent in a sliding performance and a nonslip performance in a forward movement and the nonslip performance in the change of a direction. [0009] Tennis shoes according to yet another invention comprise a large number of lateral ridges and a large number of longitudinal ridges on bottom faces thereof. A ratio R1 of a contact area of the lateral ridges to a total contact area in a toe portion is 40% to 70%. A ratio R2 of a contact area of the longitudinal ridges to the total contact area in an inside portion is 70% to 100%. The tennis shoes are excellent in the nonslip performance and the sliding performance. [0010] It is preferable that the lateral ridge should take an asymmetrical sectional shape in a longitudinal direction of the shoes and the longitudinal ridge should also take an asymmetrical sectional shape in a transverse direction of the shoes. A coefficient of friction .mu.a in a toe direction of the bottom face and the contact surface is smaller than a coefficient of friction .mu.b in a heel direction. A ratio (.mu.a/.mu.b) of .mu.a to .mu.b is 0.3 to 0.9. [0011] It is preferable that the ratio R1 should be 45% to 65% and the ratio R2 should be 75% to 95%. It is preferable that the ratio R1 should be 50% to 60% and the ratio R2 should be 80% to 90%. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0012] FIG. 1 is a side view showing a tennis shoe according to an embodiment of the present invention, [0013] FIG. 2 is a bottom view showing the tennis shoe in FIG. 1, [0014] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a part of a sole in FIG. 2 as seen from below, [0015] FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view showing a part of the sole in FIG. 2, [0016] FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a part of the sole of a tennis shoe according to another embodiment of the present invention, [0017] FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing a part of the sole of a tennis shoe according to yet another embodiment of the present invention, [0018] FIG. 7 is a bottom view showing the sole of a tennis shoe according to a further embodiment of the present invention, [0019] FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view showing a part of the sole in FIG. 7, [0020] FIG. 9 is a bottom view showing the sole of a tennis shoe according to a further embodiment of the present invention, Continue reading about Tennis shoes... Full patent description for Tennis shoes Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Tennis shoes patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Tennis shoes or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Insole Next Patent Application: Magnetically operable studs for footwear Industry Class: Boots, shoes, and leggings ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Tennis shoes patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.11704 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Computers: Graphics , I/O , Processors , Dyn. Storage , Static Storage , Printers pbckp |
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