Patent Application
20180317598
The present invention relates to a shoe having a single-piece sole construction, in which efficient air circulation in the shoe and thereby directly on the foot of the user of the shoe is made possible with every step of the walking movement of the user and, in particular, to a production method for such a shoe.
A shoe consists of two main parts, namely the upper part, called the upper, and the lower part, the sole. The upper can comprise an inner upper (lining), intermediate upper (intermediate lining), and outer upper (upper leather). An upper connected with an insole is called a mounted upper. The sole can comprise a single-part or multi-part outsole. Furthermore, the sole can be configured as a flat sole or as a sole having a heel.
Nowadays, shoes are known that are equipped with devices in the sole that are supposed to promote air circulation in the shoe, thereby reducing the internal moisture in the shoe, in order to improve the foot comfort of the wearer of the shoe. This known shoe type generally provides for hollow connections, which are accommodated in the sole interior and connected with one another. According to a widespread variant in the state of the art, air is supposed to be guided from the outside to the inside by way of openings in the sole. The openings are sealed off with membranes in order to provide protection against water. However, it has been shown that efficient supply of fresh air is not possible in this way.
According to another variant, it can be provided to draw in air from the outside by means of an air pump device, by way of an air channel, the open end of which is guided upward in an upper. The disadvantage of this type of shoe consists in the lack of efficiency of the air circulation in the shoe, due to inefficient drawing in of air by means of the air pump device, in other words due to lack of a pumping effect.
For example, it is proposed in WO 00/01266 to introduce an air pump device into a cavity of a heel of an outsole, which device is supposed to draw air in from the outside and pump it through the sole body, by way of an air channel that is guided upward along the rear upper of a shoe. However, it has been shown that the pump mechanism works so inefficiently, simply due to the stress on the air pump device caused in the shoe by the heel of a user during the walking movement, that no significant ventilation of the shoe interior is possible.
In WO 2008/156860, a ventilation device for insertion into a shoe is described, in which ventilation of a shoe interior, into which shoe the ventilation device is inserted, is supposed to be achieved using a rotating pump that is articulated onto a flange. However, the ventilation device with the movable pump device is very complicated, in terms of design, and is very susceptible to failure from a mechanical aspect.
In WO 2012/126489, a sole construction having an air pump device is described, which allows relatively good air ventilation. However, the production of this sole construction, in which the air pump device is integrated into an upper and lower sole part, is relatively complicated and complex.
The present invention is therefore based on the task of providing the simplest, most reliable and most cost-advantageous production method possible for a shoe with air circulation and a shoe having a sole construction, which shoe guarantees more efficient and more lasting air circulation with the simplest possible structural design, something that it was not possible to achieve in the state of the art until now.
The task mentioned above is accomplished by means of a method for producing a shoe, having the following steps. A mounted upper and a single-piece sole construction having a solid sole body and one or more (outer) recesses in the solid sole body are provided. The mounted upper comprises an insole connected with it.
The insole can be perforated to the effect that depending on the position of the air pump device, openings can be provided in the joint region and/or in the ball region (forefoot region). Ventilation of the inner shoe takes place by means of these openings. The insole can have a material in the heel region and/or in the joint region, which material is harder than the material in the ball region, if the air pump device is provided in the heel region. The recesses are provided in at least one surface of the solid sole body. The solid sole body does not have any cavities in its interior and is injection-molded in one piece. Preferably, the sole body consists of soft and springy material. EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate), PU (polyurethane), injection-molded or vulcanized rubber or TR (thermoplastic rubber) are particularly suitable for this purpose. Preferably, the Shore hardness values of these materials should lie between 45 and 65 Shore A.
In particular, the air pump device can be provided in the heel region of the shoe and thereby of the sole construction, and in this case, an outer outsole of the sole construction, in other words the part of the sole construction that comes into contact with the ground during walking or running movements, can have an elevation in the heel region. This elevation can also be provided in a wedge in the heel region of the sole construction (in other words in addition to the heel itself). Alternatively, the air pump device can be positioned in the joint region or in the ball region. While the sole construction is provided in one piece with a solid sole body, this of course does not preclude that further elements, for example for profile formation, are/can be affixed to the outer wall of the sole construction, for example on the running surface of the sole construction. For example, the solid sole body can have recesses on the running surface, into which inserts composed of material that is more friction-wear-resistant than the material of the solid sole body, for example rubber, TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) or compact PU, or PVC, can be inserted.
Furthermore, an air pump device, a first air channel that extends at least partially (for example completely) within the upper and is configured for feeding air to the air pump device, a second air channel that is configured for conducting air away from the air pump device, a first valve that is associated with the first air channel and configured for allowing air to pass through only in the direction from outside of the sole construction to the air pump device, and a second valve that is associated with the second air channel and is configured for allowing air to pass through only in the direction away from the air pump device, are provided.
Furthermore, the method comprises the step of connecting, particularly directly connecting the single-piece sole construction with the mounted upper, in such a manner that the air pump device, the second air channel, and the second valve are positioned (directly) between the insole and the single-piece sole construction, in the one or the multiple recesses. Here, “direct” connection refers to a connection in which no further soles that lie in between are provided between the upper or the insole and the sole construction. In this regard, it is explicitly not excluded that the air pump device and, if applicable, the second or the second and first valve are attached using a plastic layer applied to the insole, before being connected to the underside of the insole (that is the side of the insole facing the sole construction). Direct connection can take place by means of gluing or injection-molding the sole construction onto the upper with insole. In the case of gluing, the sole construction is configured in advance, for example by means of injection-molding, and then glued onto the upper with insole. In the case of connection by means of injection-molding (direct sole application), the upper with insole can be set onto a corresponding sole application machine, the injection molds can be closed, and the sole construction composed of a suitable material, for example PU, can be injection-molded onto the upper with insole.
The method according to the state of the art is advantageous, as compared with the state of the art, to the effect that the entire production process is simplified and can be used for all methods of lasting, for example AGO, Strobel, moccasin, flexible, California.
In the case of moccasins, which have no actual insole, in the present application the corresponding lower part of the upper leather (directed toward the sole construction) is covered by the term “insole.” The mounted upper can be provided as a finished, assembled unit.
For example, the upper can be board-lasted to the (board-lasted) insole or strobel-lasted to the (Strobel) insole. The insole can be provided as a flexible gap insole and connected with the upper leather of the upper by means of a double seam.
The components required for shoe ventilation are provided, before the mounted upper is connected with the single-piece sole construction, in such a manner that it is made possible for the fully functional shoe to be produced after the connection process. In particular, the air pump device is provided in such a manner that it can be fully functional after the connection process.
Complicated intermediate steps, as they are required in the state of the art, by means of complex sole constructions and air pump devices, are superfluous in the method according to the invention.
Fundamentally, the air pump device can be configured simply in the form of a cavity corresponding to a recess in the single-piece sole construction, or it can be configured in the form of a lung. Here, a “lung” is understood to be a plastic device (plastic pump reservoir) configured separately, as an entity independent of the sole construction, which draws in air or expels air when activated as a result of the walking movement of a user of the shoe produced according to the invention, and which can be set into a recess of the sole construction according to the connection process described above. The use of simply a configured cavity as an air pump device simplifies the production method, reduces the production costs, and can increase the reliability and the useful lifetime of the air pump device. Use of an air pump device configured as an independent entity can improve the efficiency of the air circulation.
It should be emphasized that the lung significantly increases not only the ventilation effect but also the walking comfort, because of its shock-absorbing property. In this regard, the air pressure can be regulated, particularly by means of the second valve mentioned above, to the effect that constant damping is guaranteed and “impacting” of the heel part of the sole construction under great mechanical pressure stress can be prevented.
If the connection process takes place by means of injection-molding the single-piece sole construction on, and if the air pump device is configured as a lung, the second valve and the lung or the lung with the first and second valve can be attached to the insole before the injection-molding process takes place, for example glued on or welded on. This can be done in such a manner that the air pump device and the second valve and, if applicable, also the first valve are affixed to the underside of the insole by means of a plastic layer. After the connection process, the second air channel is connected with the air pump device in functionally capable manner, by way of the second valve. In particular, in the method according to the invention, the first air channel can be connected with the air pump device by way of the first valve, by means of connecting the single-piece sole construction with the mounted upper.
If the connection process takes place by means of injection-molding the single-piece sole construction on (in other words by means of direct sole application), and if the air pump device, configured as a lung, is connected with the insole, the air pump device is put under pressure, according to a further development of the method according to the invention, before the injection-molding process, particular under a pressure of more than 70% or 80% of the pressure used during injection-molding. Before the injection-molding process, the lung can be brought into its planned shape with compressed air at approximately 1.0 to 4.0 bar. The injection-molding process in a sole application machine takes place under relatively high pressure. In order for the air pump device to be able to reliably withstand this pressure during the connection process, it can be correspondingly put under pressure.
If the connection process takes place by means of gluing a previously fabricated single-piece sole construction to the upper with insole, and if the air pump device comprises a lung, the second valve can be provided on the insole or in one of the recesses of the sole construction before the connection process. In this case, the lung can be provided in one of the recesses of the sole construction. If the connection process takes place by means of gluing a previously fabricated single-piece sole construction to the upper with insole, and if the air pump device is configured by means of a cavity corresponding to a recess in the sole construction, the second valve can be provided on the insole or in one of the recesses before the connection process. In both cases, the second air channel is connected with the air pump device, in functionally capable manner, after the connection process, by way of the second valve.
The first air channel, which serves to conduct air into the air pump device, can comprise one or more conduits and/or hoses, for example. The second air channel, which serves for conducting air out of the air pump device into the interior of the shoe, can comprise one or more conduits, for example, which are formed by means of one or more recesses in the sole construction, and/or plastic hoses having openings along the longitudinal axis of the same, and/or a woven mesh. Here, a woven mesh is understood to be a textile or plastic insert with a net-like structure, particularly what is called a MATTRESS structure.
The air pump device, which is provided in the methods described above, can draw in air from outside of the sole construction and the shoe, by way of the first air channel and the first valve, during operation. According to a further development, the method furthermore comprises attaching an air intake device (“air intake”) in the heel region or in a side region of the upper, in connection with the first air channel or comprising it. For the mounted upper, the air intake device and also the first valve can be basted on during construction of the upper, before the connection process.
Also a shoe is provided, which can be obtained by means of one of the methods described above. A shoe produced in this manner is provided, having
a mounted upper with a perforated insole;
a single-piece sole construction connected with the mounted upper, with a solid sole body and one or more recesses in the solid sole body;
an air pump device, which is provided in one of the recesses;
a first air channel connected with the air pump device, which channel extends partially within the upper;
a second air channel connected with the air pump device, which extends below the insole, within one of the recesses;
a first valve, which is associated with the at least one first air channel, and is configured in such a manner that it allows air to pass through only in the direction from outside of the sole construction to the air pump device; and
a second valve, which is associated with the at least one second air channel, and is configured in such a manner that it allows air to pass through only in the direction away from the air pump device.
By means of relieving stress on the sole construction during a walking movement of a user, air is drawn into the air pump device through the first air channel, from outside of the shoe and above the upper sole part, and by means of placing stress on the sole construction during the walking movement of the user, air is expelled/pressed out into the interior of the shoe by way of the second air channel and the perforated insole, and, as this happens, the air pump device is compressed by a pump volume that corresponds to the amount of the expelled air.
The single-piece sole construction can consist of EVA, PU, PVC, TR, rubber or microcell, or can comprise one of these materials, and can be connected with the mounted upper directly, particularly without any further intermediate sole, by gluing or by means of injection-molding it on. The sole construction can have an elevated region (direction away from the ground contacted by the running surface), for example an elevated region on a heel, on a (lower) outer running surface in the region of the air pump device, particularly if this device is provided in the heel region. The pumping effect of the air pump device can be reinforced in that the outer running surface (which stands in contact with the ground, on which the user of the shoe according to the invention, with the sole construction, is running during the course of a walking movement) has such a raised region in the region of the air pump device, which region is configured for being pressed in the direction of the air pump device under stress from the foot of a user. The elevated region can not only contribute to efficient air circulation, but also, because of the shock-absorbing function of the air pump device, in combination with the elevated region, the running comfort can be increased. This air-spring shock absorption allows healthier running, which is gentler on the joints.
The air pump device can be configured by means of a cavity, which comprises one of the recesses, or by means of a lung (see above). The second air channel can comprise one or more conduits that are formed by one or more of the recesses, and/or comprise one or more plastic hoses having openings along the longitudinal axis of the hose(s), and/or a woven mesh.
According to a further development, the air pump device is provided in a heel region of the shoe, and openings are provided in the joint and ball region, in the perforated insole, through which openings air can be expelled from the air pump device by way of the second air channel, into the interior of the shoe, and the insole is configured as a multi-component sole that is produced from a harder material in the heel region than in the ball region.
The shoe can have a heel part that is injection-molded on, glued on or basted on, which part comprises or forms an air intake device, and can comprise the first air channel. Alternatively, an air intake device can be provided laterally in the upper, in connection with the first air channel The injection-molded heel part can comprise an outer and an inner heel part. Then, air is drawn in by the air pump device from outside of the shoe, between the outer and the inner part of the injection-molded heel part.
Further properties and advantages of the invention are evident from the detailed but non-restrictive description of embodiments, which are shown using the attached drawings.
A shoe having a single-piece sole construction, which is directly connected with an upper with an insole, is disclosed in the present invention. The sole construction comprises a solid body without inner cavities, with one or more recesses being provided on the side that faces the insole. These recesses, which can be directly injection-molded with the sole construction, by means of selecting a corresponding injection mold, can serve for accommodating/forming an air pump device, for accommodating at least one valve, and for accommodating/forming an air channel, by way of which air is guided by the air pump device. The air guided in this way can get into the shoe interior by way of openings in the insole, which is perforated in the joint region or ball region of the shoe, and thereby provide the desired ventilation. The said valve and the said air channel can be positioned directly between the insole and the single-piece sole construction, in one or more recesses of the same.
In the following, embodiments of the shoe according to the invention and production methods for a shoe, according to the invention, will be described with reference to
As is shown in
The single-piece sole construction 3 is cast as a solid body/mono-block and has no cavities in its interior. In the heel region, it possesses an elevated region 4. This elevated region can be configured on a heel (in other words in addition to this heel). The single-piece sole construction 3 has one or more recesses, which can fundamentally be configured geometrically in any manner, in the upper region (in other words on the side facing the insole 2).
An air pump device 5 in the form of a cavity is configured in a recess of the single-piece sole construction 3, in the heel region. When stress on the heel region is relieved during the course of the walking movement of a user of the shoe, air is drawn into the air pump device 5 by way of an air intake device 6, an air channel 7 connected with this device, by way of a one-way valve 8. The air channel 7 can be passed through a corresponding opening in the insole 2. In particular, the air intake device 6 can be partially visible on the upper of the shoe, and can be configured in the form of a logo, pattern, trademark or the like, or comprise the latter. The air channel 7 can run between an inner lining and an upper leather of the upper 1, and can be configured in the form of a plastic hose, for example. The channel is passed through an opening in the insole 2 and is connected with the valve 8 (see
When stress is placed on the heel region, the air pump device 5 is compressed, thereby pressing air out of the device into the air conduits 10 by way of the one-way valve 9. While the one-way valve 8 allows air to pass through only in the direction toward the air pump device 5, the valve 9 allows air to pass through only in the direction away from the air pump device 5. The air conduits 10 form an air channel, by way of which air is pressed out of the air pump device 5 and finally through the openings 11 in the insole 2 into the shoe interior. The air pressed through the openings 11 then serves to ventilate a shoe interior and thereby the foot of a wearer of the shoe. In addition or alternatively to the air conduits, plastic hoses having openings along their longitudinal axis, which are connected with the valve 9, or a woven mesh can be provided in a corresponding recess of the sole construction 3 here, and also in the embodiments described with reference to
The shoe shown in Figure la can be produced as follows. The perforated insole 2 is connected with the upper 1 by means of strobel-lasting or board-lasting. The air intake device (“air intake”) 6 with the air channel 7 is affixed in the upper 1. The valves 8 and 9 are affixed (see
In
The shoe shown in
Alternatively, as is also shown in
A further embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in
The air pump device 5, which is provided by a cavity in the embodiment shown in
The shoe shown in
In
The shoe shown in
Alternatively, as is also shown in
The embodiments illustrated in
In the embodiments described above with reference to
As described above, the finished, assembled upper can be drawn onto a last and centered in a sole application machine, and connected/soled with the single-piece sole construction by means of injection-molding. This injection-molding process can take place at a pressure in a range from 1.0 to 4.0 bar. The openings in the perforated insole are covered by the last, which has a rubber-like covering. It can be advantageous to put the lung under pressure before injection-molding the single-piece sole construction on, so that it can better withstand the injection-molding process. The pressure that is applied to the lung can amount to about 70% or 80% of the injection-molding pressure.
Although the present invention was described with reference to special embodiments, it should be noted that the embodiments are merely of an illustrative nature and do not restrict the scope of protection of the invention. The method steps described can be carried out in any suitable sequence. Any possible variants, modifications, and additions and improvements in the embodiments described are possible. These variations, modifications, additions, and improvements lie within the scope of protection of the invention, as this invention is indicated in the following claims.
The contents of the following references are incorporated by reference herein:
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15163208.0 | Apr 2015 | EP | regional |
This present application is a national phase application under 35. U.S.C. § 371 of International Application No. PCT/EP2016/057079, filed Mar. 31, 2016, and claims the benefit of priority to European Patent Application No. 15 163 208.0 filed on Apr. 10, 2015, the entire contents of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2016/057079 | 3/31/2016 | WO | 00 |
