SHOCK-ABSORBING HEEL WITH PNEUMATIC CYLINDER AND ELASTIC-RIGID BLOCK Russian patent published in 2007 - IPC A43B21/28 

FIELD: light industry, in particular, manufacture of medium-heel and high-heel shoes with shock-absorbing means.

SUBSTANCE: shoe has top, bottom, and heel equipped with cavity (blind hole) in its body. There is pneumatic cylinder embedded within lower part (at walking side) of heel and provided with piston sliding therein, said cylinder being filled with gas so that vertical axis of pneumatic cylinder is aligned with vertical axis of heel. Stop ring provided within lower part of cylinder is adapted for preventing piston from offsetting to the level below predetermined position on returning thereof. Valve provided within upper part of cylinder is adapted for preliminary pumping of gas into pneumatic cylinder cavity. Elastic-rigid block is axially disposed between piston and movable tap, said block consisting of rigid rod of movable tap and elastic cylindrical bushing having central through opening adapted for accommodation therein and sliding of rigid rod of movable tap. Cylindrical bushing is connected, for example by glue, to piston and movable tap to provide for shock-absorbing. Top surface of movable tap is contacting with lower surface of cylindrical bushing. Protruding rod of movable tap is contacting with inner surface of opening provided within cylindrical bushing. Protruding rod is shorter in height than cylindrical bushing by design value, with vertical gap being formed between protruding rod and lower surface of piston. Outer diameter of cylindrical bushing is slightly smaller than inner diameter of pneumatic cylinder with the result that diameter of cylindrical bushing, that is increasing on compression of the latter, does not wedge within cavity of pneumatic cylinder. Inner diameter of opening of cylindrical bushing corresponds to diameter of protruding rod which is contacting with its outer walls with inner wall of lower part of pneumatic cylinder. Upon contacting of foot heel portion with support, when shin-bone and thigh bone are straightened, response of rigid support through movable tap, elastic-rigid block, piston and precompressed air within pneumatic cylinder is transmitted to heel portion of foot to thereby absorb shock transmitted to human body.

EFFECT: reduced impact load transmitted to human body during walking at heel-to-rigid support contacting phase.

3 cl, 3 dwg, 1 tbl