1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a waterproof shoe, more particularly to a shoe having a waterproof, breathable lining mounted within an upper.
2. Description of the Related Art
As shown in
In order to provide long lasting waterproofness of a waterproof breathable liner, U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,382 suggests a shoe in which a waterproof breathable lining is bonded adhesively to an inner side of an upper and to an outer side of an inner liner. The lower area of the waterproof breathable lining has a border section which is turned back and bonded to the side having a functional layer. While the waterproof breathable lining can withstand the mechanical stress produced by the wearer's foot, the arrangement thereof is complicated. In addition, since the lining extends to the bottom of the upper, a considerable amount of waterproof breathable material is needed to fabricate the lining, thereby increasing the production cost.
An object of the invention is to provide a waterproof breathable shoe of the above-mentioned type, which is durable and which can be produced in a simple manner.
Another object of the invention is to provide a waterproof breathable shoe including a waterproof breathable lining which does not extend to the bottom of an upper and which can therefore be fabricated at a reduced cost.
Accordingly, a waterproof shoe according to the present invention comprises: an upper; a waterproof breathable lining sleeve mounted inside the upper and having a top end and a bottom end, the lining sleeve being made of an air-permeable waterproof material, and attached to the bottom end of the lining sleeve; and a cup member made of an air-impermeable waterproof material and including a cup bottom which has a toe region and a heel region connected to the toe region, and a cup wall which projects laterally and upwardly from the cup bottom and extends around the toe region and the heel region.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:
The present invention will be illustrated with reference to
Referring to
The upper 10 is made of leather or a fabric material. The inner liner 20 has a sock-like shape and is disposed inside the upper 10. The top end of the inner liner 20 is sewn to the top end of the upper 10.
The cup member 30 is connected to the bottom end of the upper 10 and is made of a waterproof material. Examples of the materials useful to make the cup member 30 include ethyl vinyl acetate copolymer, polyurethane, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, expandable polyethylene, and neoprene rubber. The cup member 30 has a cup bottom 31 and a cup wall 32 which extends laterally and upwardly from the cup bottom 31 and which has an open top end 33. The cup bottom 31 includes a toe region 34 and a heel region 35, and the cup wall 32 extends around the toe region 34 and the heel region 35. The cup member 30 may be fabricated by using any suitable process. In this embodiment, the cup member 30 is a three-dimensional molded body which is produced by using a molding method.
The waterproof breathable lining sleeve 40 is disposed between the inner liner 20 and the upper 10. The lining sleeve 40 is made of a waterproof breathable material having a waterproof, air permeable membrane. An example of such a waterproof, air permeable membrane is a thermoplastic membrane which is well-known under the trademark of Goretex. The lining sleeve 40 has an open top end 41 sewn to the top end of the upper 10 and to the top end of the inner liner 20, and an open bottom end 42 adhered to the cup wall 32 of the cup member 30 in a fluidly sealing manner. In particular, the waterproof sealing member 50 which is in the form of a waterproof sealing tape, is disposed along the bottom end 42 of the lining sleeve 40 and is adhered to the outer surface of the cup wall 32 and the outer surface of the lining sleeve 40. Alternatively, the waterproof sealing member 50 may be a waterproof adhesive attached to the bottom end 42 of the lining sleeve 40 and to the top end 33 of the cup member 30.
In assembly, the top end of the inner liner 20 is first sewn to the top end of the upper 10, and the bottom end 42 of the lining sleeve 40 is adhered to the cup wall 32 of the cup member 30 by means of the waterproof sealing member or tape 50. Then, the open top end 41 of the lining sleeve is attached to the inner liner 20 and the upper 10 near the top ends thereof. Afterward, the bottom end of the upper 10 is lasted over the bottom side of the cup bottom 31, and the filler layer 70 is provided within the opening confined by the bottom end of the upper 10 below the cup bottom 31. Finally, the outsole 60 is attached to the bottom end of the upper 10.
The shoe described hereinbefore provides the following advantages:
1. Except the top and bottom ends 41 and 42 which are attached to the upper 10 and the cup member 30, all part of the lining sleeve 40 is in a loose state which is free of adhesive or any other attachment means. As such, the lining sleeve 40 can provide a good breathing effect.
2. Since the bottom end 42 of the lining sleeve 40 is connected to the cup member 30, the lining sleeve 40 need not extend to the bottom end of the upper 10. This alleviates the risk of damaging the lining sleeve 40 due to the mechanical stress produced at the bottom of the upper 10 by the bottom of the wearer's foot, or the forces induced during the lasting process of the upper.
3. Since the lining sleeve 40 does not extend to the bottom end of the upper 10, the amount of the waterproof breathable material needed to fabricate the waterproof breathable lining sleeve 40 can be reduced and the cost thereof can be kept to a minimum.
4. Because the cup member 30 may be fabricated from a material having a degree of stiffness, the cup member 30 can be used as an insole for lasting the bottom end of the upper 10. This facilitates the process of making the shoe and reduces the cost of production.
5. Since the cup member 30 may be a molded body which can be formed into a shape in conformity with that of a last, the cup member 30 will not produce any excess material which need to be trimmed and removed during a lasting process, thereby simplifying the production and reducing the cost thereof.
While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20040143996 A1 | Jul 2004 | US |