US 12,225,967 B2
Midsole for a shoe
Peter John Davis, Bredebro (DK)
Assigned to ECCO Sko A/S, Bredebro (DK)
Appl. No. 16/763,480
Filed by ECCO SKO A/S, Bredebro (DK)
PCT Filed Nov. 13, 2018, PCT No. PCT/EP2018/081001
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 12, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/092262, PCT Pub. Date May 16, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 17201296 (EP), filed on Nov. 13, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2020/0329811 A1, Oct. 22, 2020
Int. Cl. A43B 13/18 (2006.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01)
CPC A43B 13/181 (2013.01) [A43B 13/186 (2013.01); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A midsole insert for a shoe, where the midsole insert is 3D printed from an elastic polymeric material, the midsole insert comprising:
a sole facing surface;
a foot facing surface;
a plurality of walls provided in a forefoot area, a midfoot area, and a heel area of the midsole insert, the plurality of walls configured in a first position substantially perpendicular to the sole facing surface of an entire area of each of the forefoot area, the midfoot area, and the heel area of the mid sole and extending from the sole facing surface to the foot facing surface where each wall has a height,
wherein the plurality of walls defines a plurality of cells, each cell having:
a central axis substantially parallel to the plurality of walls, and
a radius defined from a respective cell wall to the central axis,
wherein the plurality of walls includes a plurality of parallel layers of the elastic polymeric material stacked on top of one another,
wherein the plurality of walls, in a second position, are configured to elastically deform upon application of an external force so that deformation provides a change in at least one of the radius of the cell to which the external force is applied and the height of a wall corresponding to the cell to which the external force is applied,
wherein the plurality of walls is further configured to return to the first position upon removal of the external force,
wherein the plurality of walls further comprises a peripheral wall, the peripheral wall extending continuously around a periphery of the midsole insert from a posterior end in the heel area to an anterior end in the forefoot area and being configured to contact a surface of an outsole or an upper;
at least one reinforcement part extending from a wall of the plurality of walls to an opposing wall of the plurality of walls, the at least one reinforcement part configured to provide structural stability to the wall and the opposing wall; and
wherein the midsole insert is loose.