INSULATED PAC BOOT ASSEMBLY AND ASSOCIATED MANUFACTURING METHOD

Abstract

A footwear assembly comprising an upper connected to a sole assembly, the sole assembly having a midsole fixed to a bottom portion of the upper, the midsole being fixed to an outsole, wherein the midsole is sandwiched between the outsole and the upper, the upper having ankle, vamp, and heel portions defined by a plurality of interconnected panels, a top of the ankle portion defining an opening to an interior area, and a lower part of the ankle portion being connected to the vamp and heel portions; the vamp portion having a waterproof vamp panel securely connected along a bottom edge to the the sole assembly, a top edge portion being connected to one or more reinforcement panels, the vamp panel being a waterproof, co-molded, heat-embossed laminate structure comprising an inner open-cell foam layer sandwiched between inner and outer surface layers and of DWR coated fabric material, wherein the inner surface layer faces inwardly toward the interior area, and the outer surface layer is opposite the inner surface layer and faces outwardly away from the interior area.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to footwear, such as pac boots, and associated manufacturing methods.

BACKGROUND

Insulated, waterproof or water resistant footwear is often used in cold environments for many industrial and professional uses, as well as for outdoor recreational activities. One common type of such footwear includes insulated pac boots. These pac boots are often worn by workers in very cold, icy, snowy environments so as to keep their feet relatively warm and dry in such environmentally hostile conditions. Conventional pac boots include thick layers of insulations within an upper that includes a rubber bottom half and a leather or fabric top half. The rubber bottom half provides a waterproof portion that keeps the wearer's foot dry. The rubber, however, has poor insulative properties, so additional insulation layers are often needed. These pac boots are typically heavy, inflexible, and do not fit the wearer's foot very well. Accordingly, there is a need for improved lightweight, insulative, waterproof and/or water resistant pac boots.

SUMMARY

Boot assemblies and associated manufacturing methods in accordance with the present disclosure provide footwear, such as insulative, waterproof or water resistant boots that overcome drawbacks of the prior art and that provide other benefits.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a lateral isometric view of a footwear assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a medial isometric view of the footwear assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a lateral side elevation view of the footwear assembly of Figure

FIG. 4 is a medial side elevation view of the footwear assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged isometric view of a vamp panel of the footwear assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a top view of a heat embossed vamp panel shown prior to assembly in the footwear assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the vamp panel of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure describes footwear assemblies and methods of manufacturing the footwear assemblies in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention. Several specific details of the invention are set forth in the following description and the Figures to provide a thorough understanding of certain embodiments of the invention. One skilled in the art, however, will understand that the present invention may have additional embodiments, and that other embodiments of the invention may be practiced without several of the specific features described below.

FIGS. 1-5 show a pac boot 10 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. While the figures and the following discussion show and refer to a pac boot, it is to be understood that other embodiments within the scope of the present invention can include boots, shoes, and other footwear, not just pac boots.

The pac boot 10 of the illustrated embodiment includes an upper 12 connected to a sole assembly 14. The sole assembly 14 includes a midsole 16 fixed to the bottom portion 18 of the upper 12. The midsole 16 is fixed to an outsole 20, such that the midsole 16 is sandwiched between the outsole 20 and the upper 12. The midsole 16 and the outsole 20 can be constructed of conventional materials and can be fixed together in a conventional manner.

The upper 12 is configured to receive a wearer's foot through a top opening 22 and to securely retain the foot in an interior area 24 of the upper 12. The upper 12 has an ankle portion 26, a vamp portion 28, and a heel portion 30, which are defined by a plurality of interconnected panels 32. The panels 32 can be interconnected via stitching, gluing, or other joining techniques. The upper 12 also includes a tongue 34 connected to the vamp portion 28, lace keepers 36 (i.e., eyelets, hooks, etc.) connected to the vamp and ankle portions 28 and 26, a boot lace 38, and an internal lining 30 that defines at least a portion of the surface facing the wearer's foot when in the interior area 24.

The top of the ankle portion 26 defines the opening to the interior area 24 and is formed by panels 42 of durable material, such as heavy-duty fabric, leather, or other suitable materials. The lower part of the ankle portion 26 is connected to the vamp portion 28 and the heel portion 30.

The vamp portion 28 of the illustrated embodiment is positioned adjacent to a forefoot area 44 and an arch area 46 of the sole assembly 14. The vamp portion 28 covers the top and sides of the wearer's foot, including the arch area, the instep, the forefoot and toes. In other embodiments, the vamp portion 28 may terminate at or forward of the arch area. The vamp portion 28 includes a waterproof vamp panel 50 securely connected along its bottom edge 52 to the forefoot area 44 and the arch area 46 of the sole assembly 14. The top edge portion 54 of the illustrated vamp panel 50 is connected to one or more reinforcement panels 56. These reinforcement panels 56 can be connected to the tongue 34 and lace keepers 36. In other embodiments, the tongue 34 and/or lace keepers 36 may be fixed directly to the vamp panel 50 without the use of reinforcement panels.

The vamp panel 50 is a waterproof, co-molded, heat-embossed laminate structure comprising an inner open-cell foam layer 60 sandwiched between surface layers 62 and 64. In the illustrated embodiment, the open-cell foam layer 60 is a polyurethane open-cell foam. The outer surface layers 62 and 64 include an inner surface layer 62 and an outer surface layer 64, respectively, of DWR (Durable Water Repellant) coated fabric material, such as a woven polyester, nylon, blend thereof, or other fabric coated with DWR. The inner surface layer 62 faces inwardly toward the interior 24 of the upper 12, and the outer surface layer 64 is opposite the inner surface layer and faces outwardly away from the interior area 24. In the illustrated embodiment, the outer surface layer 64 define an outermost surface of the pac boot in the vamp portion 28, such that the vamp panel 50 is directly exposed to the exterior environment in which the pac boot 10 is worn. Accordingly, the vamp panel 50 may be directly exposed to snow, rain, water, mud, dirt, ice, etc., during use of the pac boot 10. In other embodiments, the foam layer 60 can be made of other suitable open cell materials, and the surface layers 62 and 64 can be made of other suitable materials, such as leather or sufficiently durable woven or non-woven material.

An embodiment of the vamp panel 50 is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 before the vamp panel is finished and is integrated with the rest of the upper 12. Prior to assembling the vamp panel 50, the open-cell foam layer 60 and the surface layers 62 and 64 are each cut or otherwise formed with a selected shape generally corresponding to the outer peripheral shape of the laminated vamp panel. The laminated vamp panel 50 is formed by laying up the foam layer 60 between the surface layers 62 and 64. In at least one embodiment, an adhesive material can be applied to the foam layer 60 and/or the surface layers 62 and 64 to help bond the surface layers to the foam layer. The adhesive can be a heat activated adhesive.

The lay-up of layers is then compressed in a heated, embossing press having opposing contoured, heated press plates so as to apply selected heat and pressure to the lay-up of layers. The press applies sufficient heat and pressure to the layers so that the surfaces of the open cell foam layer 60 facing the surface layers 62 and 64 is substantially uniformly melted across these surfaces. This melted surface of the open-cell foam material flows together to form a uniform, water-impermeable skin on the foam that securely bonds with the surface layers 62 and 64. In the embodiment wherein additional adhesive is used, the heat from the press plates also activates the adhesive, which can flow together with the melted surfaces of the foam layer. After the heat and pressure are applied, the surface layers 62 and 64 are permanently laminated to the foam layer. The uniform, water-impermeable skin on the foam provides a waterproof barrier that prevents water from passing into and/or through the foam layer 60. Accordingly, the vamp panel 50 is a very lightweight, flexible, waterproof panel made of fabric and open cell foam material.

In the illustrated embodiment, the heated plates of the press have a selected embossing pattern formed therein. When the lay-up of layers are heated and pressed, the pattern is permanently embossed into the vamp panel 50 to form one or more embossed features 66. In the illustrated embodiment, the embossed features 66 include a contoured toe cap 68, a lateral side design 70, and a medial side design 72. Other embodiments can include other or different embossed features 66. The embossed features 66 can be decorative (such as one or more logos or other design integrated into the vamp panel 50). The embossed features 66 can also be configured to provide some structural aspects to portions of the vamp panel 50. For example, the embossed features 66 may provide bend or flex patterns for at least portions of the vamp panel 50.

As seen in FIG. 7, the bottom surface 74 of the vamp panel 50 can include filler material 76 that fills in portions of the embossed relief on the bottom surface 74 of the panel. This filler material 76 can provide for a generally planar arrangement on the vamp panel's bottom surface 74 (which is not visible to the user when viewing the fully assembled pac boot 10 (FIG. 1)). This generally planar arrangement can add to the comfort of the pac boot 10 in the upper 12. The filler material of the illustrated embodiment is a silicone, although other materials can be used.

As seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the heel portion 30 of the illustrated embodiment is connected to the vamp panel 50 and to the heel area 42 of the sole assembly 14. The heel portion 30 defines a heel pocket within the boot's interior area 24 to snugly receive and retain the wearer's heel. The heel portion 30 includes heel panels 78 on the lateral and medial side adjacent to the sole assembly . These heel panels 78 are made of a heat embossed, waterproof laminate having substantially the same layers and construction as the vamp panel discussed above. The use of the heat embossed waterproof laminate in the heel portion 30 helps keep the weight of the pac boot 10 very low while maintaining a highly durable, waterproof boot.

The illustrated embodiment is at least a light weight, insulative, partially waterproof pac boot that includes the waterproof vamp panel as discussed above. In other embodiments, the footwear in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure can include substantially fully waterproof footwear that includes the embossed, waterproof vamp panel. For example, the pac boot or other footwear can include a waterproof barrier in the ankle portion, the heel portion, and the vamp portion to provide fully waterproof footwear. The waterproof barrier can be a thin booty made of a waterproof material, such as a breathable waterproof membrane, and the booty can be disposed within the upper between an innermost liner or layer and the external layer of the foot wear. In yet another embodiment, the footwear can be constructed of waterproof components, including the vamp panel, and any seams between the waterproof components can be taped or otherwise sealed to provide a fully waterproof upper. In another embodiment, at least a lower portion of the upper, including the vamp portion and the heel portion, can be made with a waterproof construction, and the top part of the upper can be made of leather, fabric, or other water resistant material.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, but that various modifications may be made without deviating from the invention. Additionally, aspects of the invention described in the context of particular embodiments or examples may be combined or eliminated in other embodiments. Although advantages associated with certain embodiments of the invention have been described in the context of those embodiments, other embodiments may also exhibit such advantages. Additionally, not all embodiments need necessarily exhibit such advantages to fall within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A footwear assembly, comprising an upper connected to a sole assembly, the sole assembly having a midsole fixed to a bottom portion of the upper, the midsole being fixed to an outsole, wherein the midsole is sandwiched between the outsole and the upper, the upper having ankle, vamp, and heel portions defined by a plurality of interconnected panels, a top of the ankle portion defining an opening to an interior area, and a lower part of the ankle portion being connected to the vamp and heel portions; the vamp portion having a waterproof vamp panel securely connected along a bottom edge to the the sole assembly, a top edge portion being connected to one or more reinforcement panels, the vamp panel being a waterproof, co-molded, heat-embossed laminate structure comprising an inner open-cell foam layer sandwiched between inner and outer surface layers and of DWR coated fabric material, wherein the inner surface layer faces inwardly toward the interior area, and the outer surface layer is opposite the inner surface layer and faces outwardly away from the interior area.