(54) REMOVABLE ROUNDED MIDSOLE
STRUCTURES AND CHAMBERS WITH
COMPUTER PROCESSOR-CONTROLLED
VARIABLE PRESSURE
(75) Inventor: Frampton E. Ellis, III, Arlington, VA (US)
(73) Assignee: Anatomic Research, INC, Jasper, FL (US)
( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.
(21) Appl. No.: 11/190,087
(22) Filed: Jul. 26, 2005
(65) Prior Publication Data
US 2005/0268487 Al Dec. 8, 2005
Related U.S. Application Data
(63) Continuation of application No. 09/527,019, filed on Mar. 16, 2000, now abandoned.
(60) Provisional application No. 60/140,360, filed on Jun. 23, 1999, provisional application No. 60/133,114, filed on May 7, 1999, provisional application No. 60/130,990, filed on Apr. 26, 1999, provisional application No. 60/125,949, filed on Mar. 24, 1999, provisional application No. 60/125,199, filed on Mar. 18, 1999, provisional application No. 60/124,662, filed on Mar. 16, 1999.
(51) Int. CI.
A43B 13/00 (2006.01)
(52) U.S. CI 36/25 R; 36/100; 36/15
(58) Field of Classification Search 36/25 R,
36/29, 22 R, 43, 30 R, 31, 100, 101, 15 See application file for complete search history.
This invention relates generally to footwear such as a shoe, including an athletic shoe, with a shoe sole, including at least one removable midsole section formed by a midsole portion, wherein the removable midsole section is non-orthotic. The removable midsole section is inserted within the shoe upper, the sides of which hold it in position. The shoe sole includes a concavely rounded side or underneath portion, which may be formed in part by the removable midsole section. The removable midsole section may extend the length of the shoe sole or may form only a part of the shoe sole and can incorporate cushioning or structural compartments or components. The removable midsole section provides the capability to permit replacement of midsole material which has degraded or has worn out in order to maintain optimal characteristics of the shoe sole. The shoe sole can, in another embodiment, include at least one compartment containing a fluid, a flow regulator, a pressure sensor to monitor the compartment pressure, and a control system such as a computer processor capable of automatically adjusting the pressure in the compartment(s) in response to the impact of the shoe sole with the ground surface.
22 Claims, 63 Drawing Sheets
