Sole Unit For Footwear and Footwear Provided Therewith

Footwear having a waterproof and water vapor permeable shaft and thereby able to give off perspiration moisture despite waterproofness in the shaft region is well known. In order that perspiration moisture can also escape in the sole region, there has been a move to a sole construction which includes an outsole having through hole openings extending through the thickness thereof and thereabove a waterproof and water vapor permeable sole functional layer, for example in the form of a membrane. One example is shown by EP 0 382 904 A2, the outsole of which includes through hole openings in the form of microperforations, with corresponding restriction of water vapor permeability.

To better meet the pronounced tendency of the human foot to sweat, EP 0 275 644 A2 proposes providing the outsole with, compared with microperforations, large through hole openings in order that a particularly high water vapor permeability may be achieved.

The larger the through hole openings in the outsole, the greater the risk that a waterproof membrane above the through hole openings in the outsole is damaged by foreign bodies, such as small stones for example, which penetrate the through hole openings, and hence is deprived of its waterproofness. EP 0 275 644 A2 therefore proposes that a protective ply composed of a mesh or felt material for example be disposed between the outsole and its through hole openings and the membrane thereabove, in order that foreign bodies which penetrate the through hole openings in the outsole may be prevented from advancing as far as the membrane.

Further examples involving large through hole openings in the outsole which are sealed by a membrane against the penetration of water to the shoe interior and where there is a protective ply underneath the membrane, to prevent the penetration of foreign bodies as far as the membrane, are known from WO 2004/028284 A1, WO 2006/010578 A1, WO 2007/147421 A1 and WO 2008/003375 A1. In all these cases, one side of the membrane, typically a foil or self-supporting sheet, is laminated with a textile backing in the form of a fine interloped material. A netlike protective ply disposed between the membrane and the through hole openings in the outsole does offer a certain amount of protection against the penetration of foreign bodies as far as the membrane. To improve the protection for the membrane, a further protective ply is disposed between the membrane and the netlike protective ply, this further protective ply comprising a felt ply for example. A system of double protection of the membrane is thereby created, involving two superposed plies which each have a separate technical protective function.

The material chosen for these plies and also their thickness and penetration resistance values must be adapted to the requirements of the particular practical embodiment. This holds for the known solutions as well as for the solutions presented by the present invention.

A further example of very large sole openings is shown by WO 2007/101624 A1, according to which the large through hole openings in the outsole are stabilized by means of stabilization bars and/or stabilization grids. These support water vapor permeable textile material, for example feltlike material, fitted into the through hole openings. The shoe sole assembly thus constructed is bonded to a shaft, the shaft bottom of which is sealed with a waterproof and water vapor permeable shaft bottom functional layer, making the entire shoe waterproof and water vapor permeable.

The textile material is particularly aptly a fibrous ply comprising at least two fibrous components which differ with regard to their melting temperatures, wherein at least a portion of a first fibrous component has a first melting temperature and a lower first softening temperature range and at least a portion of a second fibrous component has a second melting temperature and a lower second softening temperature range and the first melting temperature and the first softening temperature range are higher than the second melting temperature and the second softening temperature range, and wherein the fibrous ply is thermally consolidated, as a consequence of thermal activation of the second fibrous component with a tackifying temperature in the second softening temperature range, while maintaining water vapor permeability in the thermally consolidated region. Either the through hole opening or, where appropriate, two or more through hole openings in the outsole can be sealed with individual pieces of the textile material, or all through hole openings in the outsole are sealed with a single piece of the textile material.

The textile material has two functions in this known footwear. One function is to stabilize the sole construction, particularly because an outsole having large openings cannot itself contribute sufficiently to stabilizing the sole construction. This is because the textile material is formed with a relatively high self-stability which benefits the overall stability of the sole construction. The second function of the textile material is to protect, from damage due to foreign bodies such as for example small stones, a waterproof water vapor permeable membrane above the sole construction in the final footwear, for example as described in WO 2007/101624 A1.

The textile material aptly comprises in particular polymers selected for example from PES (polyester), polypropylene, PA (polyamide) and mixtures of polymers.

In one embodiment as per the previously mentioned WO 2007/101624 A1 reference, the textile material consists of a fibrous assembly in the form of a fleece having two fibrous components, each constructed using polyester fibers, which is mechanically consolidated thermally and additionally surface consolidated by thermal surface treatment. The first fibrous component having the higher melting temperature forms a carrier component of the fibrous assembly and the second fibrous component having the lower melting temperature forms a consolidating component. To ensure thermal stability for the entire fibrous assembly to at least 180° C., because footwear can in the course of its manufacture be exposed to relatively high temperatures, for example when an outsole is injection molded, the considered embodiment utilizes polyester fibers having a melting temperature above 180° C. for both the fibrous components. There are various variations of polyester polymers, which have various melting temperatures and correspondingly lower softening temperatures. In the considered embodiment of the feltlike material, a polyester polymer having a melting temperature of about 230° C. is chosen for the first component, while a polyester polymer having a melting temperature of about 200° C. is chosen for the second fibrous component. The second fibrous component can be a sheath core fiber, in which case the core of this fiber consists of a polyester having a softening temperature of about 230° C. and the sheath of this fiber consists of polyester having a tackifying temperature of about 200° C. Such a fibrous component, having two fibrous fractions differing in melting temperature, is also referred to as a bicomponent (bico) fiber. Further particulars concerning such textile material, which may comprise feltlike material for example, are to be found in the previously cited WO 2007/101624 A1 reference.

The accompanying FIG. 11 shows a to-be-improved sole unit 115, including an outsole 117, provided with outsole through hole openings 119 to obtain high water vapor permeability, and a barrier ply 121 which forms the upper side of the outsole 117 in the region of the outsole through hole openings 119 and which serves as mechanical protection for a waterproof water vapor permeable shaft bottom membrane situated above this barrier ply 121 in the final shoe and forming part of a shaft arrangement to be bonded to the sole unit 115. Soles of this type are typically adhered or injection molded onto the shaft arrangement. To obtain high abrasion resistance and sole stability, materials used include those such as rubber or plastic, for example polyurethane (PU), which are each a relatively hard and heavy material. This impairs the wearing and walking comfort. In addition, the outsole through hole openings 119 extend over a relatively large height, so that dirt which becomes lodged in the outsole through hole openings 119 is but difficult to remove.

JP 9-140404 A discloses a shoe which is waterproof and water vapor permeable in the sole region and is constructed using a shaft arrangement having a shaft bottom, which includes a waterproof water vapor permeable element, and a water and water vapor permeable sole assembly having a perforated outsole ply. The waterproof water vapor permeable element has a three ply construction and contains, as middle ply, a waterproof water vapor permeable membrane, the upper side of which has disposed on it a finely meshed textile ply and the underside of which has disposed on it a coarsely meshed textile ply which—although not mentioned in this reference—may offer a certain degree of mechanical protection of the usually sensitive membrane against destructive action, for example due to foreign bodies such as small stones which have penetrated through the perforation in the outsole ply. Between the outsole ply and a sole side lower shaft end region there is a midsole which is formed but circumferentially and, to reduce weight, is replaced in a central region by a material such as cork or sponge. Apart from the fact that cork tends to crumble, and thus in turn can contribute to mechanical stressing of the sensitive membranes, and sponge as well as cork can become fully saturated with water through the perforations in the outsole ply, not only impairing walking comfort but also leading to an appreciable weight increase for the sole assembly, cork and sponge are materials whose water vapor permeability is comparatively low compared with a perforated outsole ply, particularly in the case of perforation by means of large through hole openings, and hence runs counter to any water vapor permeability obtainable with an outsole ply perforated with large through hole openings. If the cork or sponge ply were provided with through hole openings corresponding to the through hole openings in the outsole ply, dirt could become lodged along the relatively large total length of the respective outsole ply through hole opening and the respectively corresponding through hole opening in the cork or sponge, and be but very difficult to remove, and, on the other hand, foreign bodies such as small stones could advance without hindrance as far as the coarsely meshed textile ply, which offers only relatively little mechanical protection. However, even such foreign bodies as do not pass through the coarsely meshed textile ply could lead to the coarsely meshed textile ply vaulting up in a way which places a local stress on the membrane to be protected.

The present invention provides a footwear sole unit which, as well as improved comfort due to lighter weight and/or higher underfoot cushioning, offers better mechanical protection for a waterproof and water vapor permeable functional layer, in the form of a membrane for example, situated above the sole unit, combined with easier removability of dirt lodged in sole through hole openings.

This is achieved by a present invention sole unit according to claim 1, whereby present invention footwear according to claim 23 can be produced. Embodiments of the invention are indicated in the dependent claims.

A water vapor permeable sole unit according to the present invention possesses an outsole ply constructed using an outsole material, possibly formed from a plurality of pieces and/or provided with outsole portions arranged thereunder, which outsole ply is thickness reduced within a circumferential region by means of a recess extending from an upper side, which is opposite a tread surface of the sole unit, of the outsole ply, and provided with outsole ply through hole openings extending through the thickness thereof. This sole unit additionally possesses a water vapor permeable barrier ply at least partly disposed in the recess of the outsole ply, extending only over a partial height of the recess and constructed using a barrier material configured against foreign bodies being forced through. This sole unit also possesses a water vapor permeable comfort ply disposed above the barrier ply in the recess and constructed using a comfort ply material having a lower hardness and/or a lower specific density than the outsole material.

Preferably, the sole unit according to the present invention is configured for bonding to a sole side lower end region of a shaft arrangement which has a shaft bottom provided with a waterproof water vapor permeable functional layer.

As a result of a portion of the volume of the recess in the outsole ply being replaced by the material of the comfort ply, which is not subject to the abrasion resistance conditions of outsole material and does not have to contribute to sole stabilization to the same extent as outsole material, the material chosen for the comfort ply can be lighter and/or softer elastic than for the outsole ply, depending on whether the sole unit to be produced is to have lower weight and/or better underfoot cushioning. The footwear designer is thus free to choose a material with regard to weight and/or underfoot comfort for a portion of the sole unit in a way which he or she is not for the material of the outsole ply.

The solution provided by the present invention has a distance between the shaft bottom membrane and the barrier ply. In other words, the shaft bottom membrane and the barrier ply are separated from each other in principle, by the comfort ply.

Since the barrier ply is disposed between the outsole ply and the comfort ply, i.e., at a distance from the shaft bottom membrane, which in the final shoe is situated above the sole unit, and with interposition of the comfort ply between the barrier ply and the shaft bottom membrane, the barrier ply can advantageously be constructed from a much coarser and/or robuster and possibly rougher material than if the barrier ply were directly adjacent to the shaft bottom membrane. This is because the comfort ply which is between the barrier ply and the shaft bottom membrane and which can be made of a relatively soft material, particularly when good underfoot cushioning is to be achieved, gives the shaft bottom membrane padded protection against a coarse and/or rough barrier ply. Therefore, the barrier ply can even be made of a material which has such a stiffness that it is capable of contributing to the stabilization of the sole unit, more particularly when good underfoot cushioning is sought by using a correspondingly soft comfort ply material.

Particularly when the barrier material is also configured for stabilization of the sole unit, one embodiment of the present invention utilizes as barrier material a thermally consolidated fibrous material having a degree of consolidation which permits high water vapor permeability. Such barrier material therefore need not be provided with through hole openings. And even if this fibrous material is provided with through hole openings, to increase water vapor permeability, these through hole openings can be fairly small compared with the through hole openings in the outsole ply and, as the case may be, comfort ply when the comfort ply consists of an actually water vapor impermeable material. At any rate, the barrier ply forms a dirt barrier against penetration into the comfort ply through hole openings of dirt which has penetrated into the outsole ply through hole openings. In other words, such dirt can only become lodged in the outsole ply through hole openings of comparatively low height, so that it is significantly easier to remove again than in the case of sole designs where the through hole openings extend through the overall thickness of the sole unit. This applies particularly to the heel region, where soles generally have a larger overall thickness.

In one embodiment, a shankpiece can be disposed underneath the comfort ply or even integrated in the comfort ply. A shankpiece is needed particularly in the case of heeled shoes to endow the shoe with the necessary torsional and flexural stability. A shankpiece may inter alia be fabricated in metal and have sharp edges, and this can in turn potentially damage the membrane in the shaft bottom region. There is no danger of this with this embodiment owing to the comfort ply. Of course, a shankpiece, should be configured such that water vapor transmission through the sole unit is impaired as little as possible.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the comfort ply is constructed using a water vapor permeable material. The material's water vapor permeability can be set sufficiently high as to make any perforation of the comfort ply unnecessary.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the comfort ply is constructed using a material selected from the materials group consisting of leather, open cell foam material, water vapor permeable textile interloped material, water vapor permeable textile fleece material, water vapor permeable felt material and combinations thereof.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the comfort ply is constructed using a multi ply drawn loop knit having loops displaced relative to each other plywise. This multi ply construction with simultaneous offsetting of the loops of the individual plies relative to each other, good mechanical penetration blockage for foreign bodies such as for example small stones, and also to a certain degree, nails, shards or the like, and hence a high mechanical protection of a shaft bottom membrane above the sole unit against damage by such foreign bodies can be achieved as well as high water vapor permeability.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the comfort ply is constructed using water vapor permeable textile material selected at least partly from the materials group consisting of polyamide, polyester and polypropylene plastics material.

Particularly when the comfort ply is constructed using a material which is not inherently water vapor permeable, there is one embodiment of the present invention wherein the comfort ply is provided with comfort ply through hole openings extending through the thickness thereof and at least partly overlapping with the outsole ply through hole openings. The highest overall water vapor permeability is achieved for the sole unit when as many as possible of the outsole ply through hole openings and of the comfort ply through hole openings are equal in size and aligned with each other.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the comfort ply is constructed using a material, which can also be a foamed material, selected from the materials group consisting of polyurethane (PU) and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA). When the sole unit is to offer particularly good underfoot cushioning, i.e., the comfort ply material is to be soft elastic, a soft elastic grade of PU can be selected from the PU spectrum, or it is possible to use EVA, known for its soft elastic properties. Particularly when it is the sole or an additional requirement that the sole unit have a low weight, a foamed plastics material can be chosen for the comfort ply. The comfort ply can ultimately also be configured as a classic intersole which is visible in the sole from the outside looking sideways.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the through hole openings of the comfort ply extend through the comfort ply at such an oblique angle relative to a tread surface of the sole unit that there result for the comfort ply through hole openings oblique wall portions which counter the penetration of foreign bodies. With this design of the comfort ply through hole openings, the comfort ply for its part acts as a barrier to the penetration of foreign bodies to a shaft bottom membrane above the sole unit.

In one embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the outsole ply through hole openings and/or comfort ply through hole openings has an area of at least 0.5 cm². However, the outsole ply through hole openings and/or comfort ply through hole openings can also have a larger area, namely at least an area of at least 1 cm²or else of at least 5 cm², or an area of at least 20 cm², or an area of at least 40 cm².

In one embodiment, the comfort ply is water vapor permeable both horizontally and vertically. In this embodiment, the comfort ply can also be formed with lateral openings to the outside, in which case at least one other sole ply of the sole unit is configured correspondingly, for example with lateral outlet openings.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the comfort ply is constructed using an at least vertically air permeable ply in the form of an air permeable spacer structure. This spacer structure can additionally also be air permeable in the horizontal direction.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the air permeable spacer structure is constructed using a sheetlike structure and a plurality of spacer elements extending away from the sheetlike structure perpendicularly and/or at an angle between 0° and 90°.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the spacer elements of the spacer structure are formed as tufts.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the air permeable spacer structure is constructed using two mutually parallel sheetlike structures connected to each other and held spaced apart in an air permeable manner by means of the spacer elements.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the spacer structures are constructed using a consolidated formed loop knit.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the spacer structures are constructed to be wave or sawtooth shaped.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the barrier ply is configured for mechanical stabilization of the sole unit.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the barrier ply is constructed using a fibrous assembly comprising at least two fibrous components which differ with regard to their melting temperature. At least a portion of a first fibrous component has a first melting temperature and a lower first softening temperature range and at least a portion of a second fibrous component has a second melting temperature and a lower second softening temperature range and the first melting temperature and the first softening temperature range are higher than the second melting temperature and the second softening temperature range. The fibrous assembly is thermally consolidated, as a consequence of thermal activation of the second fibrous component with a tackifying temperature in the second softening temperature range, while maintaining water vapor permeability in the thermally consolidated region.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the outsole ply is constructed using a material selected from the materials group consisting of rubber, PU (polyurethane), TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane), EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate), TR (technical rubber) and leather or combinations thereof. This is because the outsole ply shall have good abrasion resistance.

Thermoplastic polyurethane is the generic term for a multiplicity of different polyurethanes, which can have different properties. An outsole may comprise a thermoplastic polyurethane which has high stability and slip resistance as well as high abrasion resistance. When the comfort ply is to provide impact cushioning for the user of the shoe in relation to walking movements, an appropriately elastically resilient material can be selected therefor, for example EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) or PU (polyurethane).

In one embodiment, the outsole ply does not form the actual outsole, which has a tread surface, but only forms a midsole and underneath the outsole ply there is disposed an additional actual outsole, composed of rubber or some other sole material for example, which can be made as one piece or be formed from two or more outsole portions. This actual outsole or outsole portions should have high abrasion resistance.

The present invention also provides footwear including a shaft arrangement which includes a shaft bottom which is provided with a shaft bottom functional layer and hence is waterproof and water vapor permeable, and comprising a sole unit which is bonded to a sole side end region of the shaft arrangement according to at least one of the recited embodiments.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the shaft of the footwear is provided with a shaft functional layer which is bonded to the shaft bottom functional layer in a waterproof manner, making the footwear as a whole waterproof and water vapor permeable.

One embodiment of the present invention provides footwear having a sole unit which according to the present invention is provided with a comfort ply, and having a shaft which is provided in a sole side shaft end region with a waterproof and water vapor permeable shaft bottom functional layer, wherein the sole unit is secured to the shaft end region of the shaft arrangement provided with the shaft bottom functional layer, such that the shaft bottom functional layer is at least in the region of the comfort ply through hole openings unconnected to the comfort ply. The latter in fact yields a particularly high water vapor permeability since in the region of the comfort ply through hole openings there is no adhesive between the comfort ply and the shaft bottom functional layer to reduce water vapor permeability.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the footwear as well as the shaft bottom functional layer includes within a water vapor permeable shaft upper material a shaft functional layer which extends over a significant region of the shaft upper material and which is bonded in a waterproof manner to the shaft bottom functional layer, or is bonded thereto to form a bootie.

Such footwear is (with the exception of the foot slip-in opening) totally waterproof and yet water vapor permeable.

Definitions and Test Methods
Footwear:

Foot covering having a closed upper portion (shaft arrangement) which includes a foot slip-in opening and includes at least one sole or sole unit.

Shaft Upper Material:

a material which forms the outside surface of the shaft of the shaft arrangement and consists for example of leather, a textile, plastic or other known materials or combinations thereof, or is constructed therewith, and generally consists of water vapor permeable material. The sole side lower end of the shaft upper material forms a region adjoining the upper edge of the sole or sole unit or above a boundary plane between the shaft and the sole or sole unit.

Installation Sole (Insole):

an installation sole is part of the shaft bottom. At least one sole side lower shaft end region is secured to the installation sole.

Sole:

A shoe has at least one outsole, but can also have multiple kinds of sole plies which are arranged on top of each other and form a sole unit.

Outsole:

An outsole is that part of the sole region which touches the floor/ground or makes the main contact with the floor/ground. An outsole has at least one tread surface touching the floor.

Bootie:

A bootie is a sock type inner liner of a shaft arrangement. A bootie forms a bag type liner of the shaft arrangement, which covers the interior of the footwear essentially completely.

Functional Layer:

Waterproof and/or water vapor permeable layer, for example in the form of a membrane or of an appropriately treated or finished material, for example a textile with plasma treatment. A functional layer in the form of a shaft bottom functional layer can form at least one ply of a shaft bottom of the shaft arrangement, but can also be additionally provided as a shaft functional layer at least partly lining the shaft. Not only the shaft functional layer but also the shaft bottom functional layer can be part of a multi ply, usually two, three or four ply, membrane laminate. The shaft functional layer and the shaft bottom functional layer can each be part of a functional layer bootie. When instead of a functional layer bootie a shaft functional layer and a separate shaft bottom functional layer are used, these are sealed off waterproof relative to each other in the sole side lower region of the shaft arrangement for example. The shaft bottom functional layer and the shaft functional layer can be formed from the same or different material.

Suitable materials for the waterproof water vapor permeable functional layer are in particular polyurethane, polypropylene and polyester, including polyetherester and laminates thereof, as described in the printed publications, U.S. Pat. No. 4,725,418 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,493,870. In one embodiment, the functional layer is constructed using microporous expanded poly-tetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE), as described for example in the printed publications U.S. Pat. No. 3,953,566 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,187,390. In one embodiment, the functional layer is constructed using expanded polytetrafluoroethylene provided with hydrophilic impregnants and/or hydrophilic layers; see for example the printed publication U.S. Pat. No. 4,194,041. A microporous functional layer is a functional layer whose average pore size is between about 0.2 μm and about 0.3 μm.

Laminate:

A laminate is an assembly consisting of multiple plies durably bonded or connected to each other, generally by mutual adhering together. In the case of a functional layer laminate, a waterproof water vapor permeable functional layer is provided with at least one textile ply. The at least one textile ply, or backing, mainly serves to protect the functional layer during the processing thereof. This is referred to as a two ply laminate. A three ply laminate consists of a waterproof water vapor permeable functional layer embedded between two textile plies. The bonding between the functional layer and the at least one textile ply is effected for example by means of a continuous water vapor permeable layer of adhesive or by means of a discontinuous layer of non water vapor permeable adhesive. In one embodiment, adhesive in the form of a dot shaped pattern may be applied between the functional layer and the textile ply or both of the textile plies. The dot shaped or discontinuous application of the adhesive is chosen because a uniform layer of an adhesive which itself is non water vapor permeable would block the water vapor permeability of the functional layer.

Barrier Ply:

A barrier ply serves as barrier against the penetration of substances, particularly in the form of particles or foreign bodies, for example small stones, through to a ply of material to be protected, more particularly through to a mechanically sensitive functional layer or functional layer membrane.

Waterproof:

A functional layer/functional layer laminate/membrane including if appropriate seams provided on the functional layer/functional layer laminate/membrane is considered waterproof when it warrants a water inlet pressure of at least 1×104 Pa. Preferably, the functional layer material warrants a water inlet pressure of above 1×105 Pa. The water inlet pressure is measured by following a test method wherein distilled water at 20±2° C. is applied to a sample of 100 cm²of the functional layer with increasing pressure. The pressure increase of the water is 60±3 cm hydrohead per minute. The water inlet pressure is then equal to the pressure at which water first appears on the other side of the sample. Details of the procedure are mandated in the ISO standard 0811 from 1981.

Whether a shoe is waterproof can be tested for example using a centrifuge arrangement of the kind described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,329,807.

Water Vapor Permeable:

A material, in particular a functional layer/functional layer laminate is considered water vapor permeable when it has a water vapor permeability number Ret of below 150 m²×Pa×W−1. The water vapor permeability is tested in accordance with the Hohenstein skin model. This test method is described in DIN EN 31092 (February 94) and ISO 11092 (1993).

The water vapor permeability values of the plies of a sole unit according to the present invention, namely of the outsole ply, the barrier ply and the comfort ply, are tested with the aid of the cup method of DIN EN ISO 15496 (September 2004).

In one embodiment of the present invention, the barrier ply has a water vapor transmission rate of at least 4000 g/m²·24 h. In practical embodiments, a water vapor transmission rate of at least 7000 g/m²·24 h or of 10 000 g/m²·24 h is chosen.

In one embodiment of footwear having a shoe bottom construction comprising a sole unit constructed in accordance with the present invention and a superior shaft bottom functional layer or a shaft bottom functional layer laminate, the sole construction together with the shaft bottom functional layer or the shaft bottom functional layer laminate has a moisture vapor transmission rate (MVTR) in the range from 0.4 g/h to 3 g/h, which can be in the range from 0.8 g/h to 1.5 g/h, and is 1 g/h in a practical embodiment.

The water vapor permeability of the sole unit can be determined using the method specified in the document EP 0 396 716 B1, which was designed for measuring the water vapor permeability of an entire shoe. To measure the water vapor permeability of a shoe's sole unit only, the method of measurement described in EP 0 396 716 B1 can likewise be utilized by using the measuring setup shown in FIG. 1 of EP 0 396 716 B1 in two successive measuring scenarios, namely once when the shoe has a water vapor permeable sole unit and another time when the otherwise identical shoe has a water vapor impermeable sole unit. The difference between the two measurements can then be used to determine that fraction of water vapor permeability that is attributable to the water vapor permeability of the water vapor permeable sole unit.

Each measuring scenario proceeds using the method of measurement described in EP 0 396 716 B1, namely the consecutive steps of:

1 conditioning the shoe by leaving it in a conditioned space (23° C., 50% relative humidity) for at least 12 hours
2 removing the inlay sole (footbed)
3 inserting into the shoe a waterproof water vapor permeable lining material which is adapted to fit the shoe interior and which, in the region of the foot slip-in opening of the shoe, is sealable with a waterproof water vapor impermeable sealing plug (for example of Plexiglas and an inflatable cuff) to form a water and water vapor seal
4 filling water into the lining material and plugging and sealing the foot slip-in opening of the shoe with the sealing plug
5 preconditioning the water-filled shoe by leaving it to stand for a certain period (3 hours) while maintaining the temperature of water at a constant 35° C. The condition of the surrounding space is likewise kept constant at 23° C. and 50% relative humidity. The shoe during the test is subjected to a frontal blast from a fan at an average rate of at least 2 m/s to 3 m/s wind speed (to destroy any quiescent air layer forming around the standing shoe, which would create an appreciable resistance to water vapor passage)
6 reweighing the sealed and plugged water-filled shoe after preconditioning (weight m2 [g])
7 again letting stand and actual testing phase of 3 hours under the same conditions as in step 5
8 reweighing the sealed water-filled shoe (weight m3 [g]) after the test phase of 3 hours
9 determining the water vapor transmission rate of the shoe from the amount of water vapor which has escaped through the shoe during the test period of 3 h (m2−m3) [g] in accordance with the relation

M=(m2−m3)[g]/3[h]

After the two measuring scenarios had been carried out to measure, first, the water vapor permeability values for the entire shoe with water vapor permeable sole unit (value A) and, secondly, for the entire shoe with water vapor impermeable shaft bottom construction (value B), the water vapor permeability value for the water vapor permeable sole unit can be determined solely from the difference A−B.

It is important to avoid direct contact of the shoe or its sole with an uninterrupted surface underneath the shoe or sole during the measurement of the water vapor permeability of the shoe featuring the water vapor permeable sole unit. This can be achieved by raising the shoe or by placing the shoe on a grid structure, ensuring that the fanned air stream along the outsole is better or in fact there at all.

It is sensible that for each test setup repeat measurements be carried out on any one shoe and mean values calculated therefrom in order that a better estimate may be obtained of the scatter involved in the measurement. At least two measurements should be carried out with the measuring setup for each shoe. All measurements should be assumed to have a natural fluctuation of the measured results of ±0.2 g/h about the actual value of 1 g/h for example. Thus, measurements between 0.8 g/h and 1.2 g/h could be obtained for the same shoe in this example. Factors influencing these fluctuations may be due to the person conducting the test or due to the quality of close out at the upper edge of the shaft. Reporting a plurality of individual measurements for one and the same shoe allows a more accurate picture to be gained of the actual value.

All values for the water vapor permeability of the sole unit are based on a normally laced men's shoe of size 43 (French sizing), although this sizing is not standardized and shoes from different manufacturers can have different actual sizes.

Hardness

Hardness test to Shore A and Shore D (DIN 53505, ISO 7619-1, DIN EN ISO 868)

Principle:

The Shore hardness is the resistance to the penetration of a body of a certain shape under a defined spring force. The Shore hardness is the difference between the numerical value 100 and the penetration depth of the penetrating body in mm, divided by the scale value of 0.025 mm, under the action of the testing force.

The Shore A test is performed using a truncated cone having an opening angle of 35°, while the Shore D test utilizes a cone having an opening angle of 30° and a tip radius of 0.1 mm as penetrating body. The penetrating bodies consist of polished hardened steel.

Measuring Equation:

$HS = 100 - \frac{h}{0.025}$

$F = 550 + 75 HSA$

$F = 44.5 HSD$

h in mm, F in mN

In which:

HS is the shore hardness

HSA is the shore A hardness

HSD is the shore D hardness

Application Range:

Owing to the differing resolution of the two Shore hardness tests in various hardness ranges, materials having a Shore A hardness >80 are advantageously to be tested according to Shore D and materials having a Shore D hardness <30 according to Shore A.

Hardness Scale Use

Shore A Soft rubber, very soft plastics

Shore D Hard rubber, soft thermoplastics

The invention will now be additionally elucidated with reference to embodiments which merely constitute non-limiting examples of the implementation of the invention. In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective depiction of an embodiment of a shoe having a shaft and an inventive water vapor permeable sole unit, wherein the sole unit is not yet bonded to the shaft;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic cross sectional part depiction of a shoe as per FIG. 1 with a first embodiment of an inventive sole unit, wherein the sole unit is likewise not yet bonded to the shaft;

FIG. 3 shows a schematic cross sectional part depiction of a shoe as per FIG. 1 with a second embodiment of an inventive sole unit, wherein the sole unit is likewise not yet bonded to the shaft;

FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross sectional depiction of a third embodiment of an inventive sole unit which can be bonded to the shaft arrangement shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 shows a schematic cross sectional depiction of a fourth embodiment of an inventive sole unit which can be bonded to the shaft arrangement shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 shows a schematic depiction of a first embodiment of an air permeable ply, in the form of an air permeable spacer structure, useful as comfort ply;

FIG. 7 shows a schematic depiction of a second embodiment of an air permeable ply, in the form of an air permeable spacer structure, useful as comfort ply;

FIG. 8 shows a schematic depiction of a third embodiment of an air permeable ply, in the form of an air permeable spacer structure, useful as comfort ply;

FIG. 9 shows a schematic depiction of a fourth embodiment of an air permeable ply, in the form of an air permeable spacer structure, useful as comfort ply;

FIG. 10 shows a schematic depiction of a fifth embodiment of an air permeable ply, in the form of an air permeable spacer structure, useful as comfort ply; and

FIG. 11 shows a schematic cross sectional depiction of a sole unit to be improved by the present invention, which can likewise be bonded to the shaft arrangement shown in FIG. 1.

Terms such as, for example, up, down, right, left and so on only ever apply to the specific depiction in the respective figure and have no absolute meaning.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective obliquely upward view of an illustrative embodiment of an inventive shoe 11 having a shaft 13 and an inventive sole unit 15. FIG. 1 shows the shoe 11 at an assembly stage before the sole unit 15 is secured to the shaft 13. The shoe 11 has a foot slip-in opening 17. FIG. 1 shows with regard to the tread surface of the sole unit 15 a specific topography with regard to outsole ply through hole openings 16 which is purely illustrative and immaterial for the present invention. To obtain good water vapor permeability for the sole unit 15 and hence good perspiration moisture removal from the shoe interior via the sole unit 15, however, very large outsole ply through hole openings 16 are desirable.

As shown in FIG. 1, the lower end of the shaft 13 is sealed with a shaft bottom 19 before the sole unit 15 is bonded to the shaft 13. The shaft bottom 19 is provided with a waterproof and water vapor permeable shaft bottom functional layer, for example in the form of a shaft bottom membrane 21 (visible in FIGS. 2 and 3). Shaft 13 and shaft bottom 19 formed a shaft arrangement 22. In general, the shaft bottom membrane is processed as a component of an at least two ply laminate.

The cross sectional depictions which are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and which are for example sections through a forefoot region of footwear show different embodiments which differ from each other not only with regard to the construction of the sole unit 15 but also with regard to the construction of the shaft arrangement.

FIGS. 2 and 3 each depict a shoe wherein, firstly, the sole unit 15 is not yet bonded to the shaft arrangement 22 and wherein, secondly, the shoe 11 is shown without footbed. The embodiment shown in FIG. 2 is designed for a sole injection molded onto the shaft arrangement 22, whereas the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 is designed for a sole adhered to the shaft arrangement 22. However, this is immaterial to the present invention and could also be the other way round for the embodiments corresponding to FIGS. 2 and 3, with appropriate conforming of the close out measures.

The shaft arrangements 22 of the two embodiments shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 each include in unison a shaft 13 with a water vapor permeable shaft upper material 23, a shaft functional layer, for example in the form of a shaft membrane 25, disposed on the inside surface thereof, and a shaft liner 27 on the inside surface thereof. In both cases, the shaft bottom 19 includes a three ply shaft bottom membrane laminate 33 which includes as middle ply the shaft bottom membrane 21, which includes on one of its surfaces a supporting textile ply 35 and on its other surface a supporting net 37. It is also possible to use a shaft bottom membrane laminate having some other number of plies, for example a two ply laminate. In both cases, the entire shaft bottom 19 (FIG. 2) or to be more precise an insole 29 of the shaft bottom 19 is bonded by means of a seam 31 (for example Strobel seam or zig zag seam) to a sole side lower end region of shaft membrane 25 and shaft liner 27.

These two embodiments shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, however, differ with regard to the construction of the respective shaft bottom 19 and with regard to the construction of the respective sole unit 15. These two embodiments also differ with regard to the bonding between shaft arrangement 22 and sole unit 15.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the function of an insole 29, frequently also referred as installation sole on account of its function of installing the lower shaft end in the desired form, is formed by the three ply shaft bottom membrane laminate 33. In this embodiment, the sole side lower end of the shaft upper material 23 terminates at a certain distance before the seam 31 to form a projection of the sole side lower end of the shaft membrane 25 relative to the sole side lower end of the shaft upper material 23. This distance between shaft upper material 23 and seam 31 is overbridged by means of a netband 39 which is permeable to liquid plastic.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 2 includes a sole unit 15 which is constructed using an outsole ply 41, the surface of which is lower in the figure is configured as tread surface 42 and which has, on its upper side removed from the tread surface 42, a recess 43 which leads to a thickness reduction of the outsole ply 41 in the region of this recess 43. The outsole ply 41 is provided in the region of this recess 43 with outsole ply through hole openings 45 extending through the thickness of the outsole ply 41 at that point, to render the outsole ply 41 water vapor permeable. These outsole ply through hole openings 45 are made as large as possible in order that a correspondingly high water vapor permeability may be achieved for the outsole ply 41 and hence for the sole unit 15. Located in the recess 43 is at least a portion of a barrier ply 47 as mechanical protection for the shaft bottom membrane 21 against damage due to foreign bodies, for example small stones which pass into the outsole ply through hole openings 45. This barrier ply 47 is constructed in one embodiment using the aforementioned thermally consolidated fibrous material, so that in addition to being configured as mechanical protection for the shaft bottom membrane 21 it can also be configured as stabilization material for the sole unit 15. Within the recess 43 and on the upper side of the barrier ply 47 is a comfort ply 49 which, in the embodiment depicted in FIG. 2, is provided with comfort ply through hole openings 51 which extend through the thickness of the comfort ply 49, for example because the comfort ply 49 is constructed using a water vapor impermeable material. Depending on whether the comfort ply 49 is to assist in achieving a weight reduction for the sole unit 15, walking comfort which is improved with regard to underfoot cushioning, or both, the material used for the comfort ply 49 is lighter than the material of the outsole ply, softer than the material of the outsole ply, or both. When good underfoot cushioning is to be achieved, EVA is an example of a useful material for the comfort ply. When a weight reduction compared with the outsole ply material is to be achieved, a foamed plastic having a correspondingly low specific density is suitable. When both improved underfoot cushioning and weight reduction are to be achieved with respect to the outsole ply material, foamed EVA is suitable for example. However, there are many further versions of material which can be used.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 2 is designed particularly for footwear where the outsole is attached by injection molding. In the shoe's manufacture, the material of the outsole ply 41 is formed by means of liquid sole material of an outsole ply or some other sole ply, for example of a midsole, being injection molded to the shaft bottom 21 by means of an injection mold (not shown) which is placeable in position at the underside of the shaft arrangement 22 and in which the barrier ply 47 and the comfort ply 49 have been laid before the operation of injection molding, such that, first, the shape shown in FIG. 2 for the outsole ply 41, with the laterally high-drawn circumferential edge results, and, secondly, the injection molded outsole ply material extends laterally to such an extent that it can penetrate to the sole side lower end of the shaft upper material 23 and through the netband 39 to the lower end region of the shaft membrane 25, which is behind the netband 39 and not covered by the shaft upper material 23, in order to produce at this location a waterproof bond on the one hand between outsole ply 41 and shaft membrane 25 and on the other, reaching over the seam 31, a waterproof bond between the shaft membrane 25 and the shaft bottom membrane 21. Since only the supporting net 37, but not the supporting textile ply 35 can be penetrated by liquid sole material to such an extent that the liquid sole material can penetrate as far as the shaft bottom membrane 21 and proof the latter, the shaft bottom membrane laminate 33 in this embodiment is disposed such that its supporting net 37 lies on the downwardly facing side of the shaft bottom membrane 21.

In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 2, the outsole ply 41 and the comfort ply 49 each have through hole openings 45 and 51, respectively, which have not just the same size but also align with each other, i.e., overlap maximally. This provides particularly high water vapor permeability to the sole unit 15. In many oases, however, it will also be sufficient for the outsole ply through hole openings 45 and the comfort ply through hole openings 51 to only overlap partially, for example in order that different topographies of outsole ply 41 and comfort ply 49 may be actualized. What matters is only that, with regard to the outsole ply through hole openings 45 and the comfort ply through hole openings 51, a minimum overlap is ensured in order that water vapor permeability may be ensured for the sole unit 15. In this embodiment, the shaft bottom membrane laminate 33 is disposed such that the supporting net 37 faces downward, i.e., toward the sole unit 15, and is penetratable by sole material which is liquid in the course of the injection molding operation. Therefore, this liquid sole material, which as depicted in FIG. 2, flows in the direction of a region encompassing the netband 39, the seam 31 and a circumferential region of the shaft bottom membrane laminate 33, will penetrate not only through the netband 39 to the corresponding region of the shaft membrane but also through the supporting net 37 to the corresponding region of the shaft bottom membrane laminate 33 to seal off these two regions by including the seam 31 in the close out operation.

The embodiment depicted in FIG. 3 is designed for adhered outsoles. Therefore, a waterproof bond is created between the shaft bottom membrane 21 and the shaft membrane 25 in this embodiment in another way than that shown for the embodiment shown in FIG. 2. In addition, the shaft bottom 19 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 differs from the shaft bottom 19 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 in that the insole function is performed not by a shaft bottom membrane laminate but by an insole 29 installation sole, provided additionally to the shaft membrane laminate 33 and bonded to the shaft bottom membrane 25 and the liner 27 by a seam 31, which can again be a Strobel seam or a zig zag seam. In this embodiment, a sole side lower end region of the shaft membrane 25 and a circumferential region of the shaft bottom membrane 21 are bonded together in a waterproof manner by means of a proofing adhesive 53. Since this proofing adhesive 53 can also only penetrate through the supporting net 37 but not through the supporting textile ply 35 to the shaft bottom membrane 21 to proof the latter, the shaft bottom membrane laminate 33 in this embodiment is oriented the other way round compared with the embodiment as shown in FIG. 2, such that, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the supporting net 37 is situated on the upper side and the supporting textile ply 35 on the underside of the shaft bottom membrane 21. The shaft bottom membrane laminate 33 is situated on the underside of the insole 29, i.e., on that side of the insole 29 which faces the sole unit 15. The proofing adhesive 53 also serves to secure the shaft bottom membrane laminate 33 to the shaft arrangement 22, so that no additional adhesive is required.

In this embodiment according to FIG. 3, the sole side lower upper material end region is lasted by means of a lasting adhesive 55 to the underside of the circumferential edge of the shaft bottom membrane laminate 33. In this embodiment, the outsole ply 41 of the sole unit 15 is adhered, by means of a sole adhesive 57 applied to a circumferential region of the upper side of the outsole ply 41, to the sole side lower end region of the shaft upper material 23 and at least partly to a circumferential region of the shaft bottom 19.

The sole unit 15 shown in FIG. 3 differs from the sole unit 15 shown in FIG. 2 in the form of the outsole ply portions between the outsole ply through hole openings 45, which in the case of FIG. 2 have the form of studs and in FIG. 3 have the form of narrower bars. Overall, this is of minor importance for the function of the sole unit 15 and the function of the shoe 11. If in both cases all outsole ply through hole openings 45 together result in total areas of equal size, this will lead essentially to the same water vapor permeability.

While the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 includes a comfort ply 49 having comfort ply through hole openings 51, for example because this comfort ply 49 consists of an inherently non water vapor permeable material, the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 includes a schematically depicted comfort ply 49 which consists of an inherently water vapor permeable material, for example a textile ply, for example composed of a multi ply textile having loops displaced relative to each other plywise.

In both the embodiments depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3, the shaft bottom membrane laminate 33 (FIG. 2), which performs the insole function, or, respectively, the insole sole 29 is bonded to the lower shaft end by means of the Strobel seam 31, which is why this is often referred to as a Strobel insole.

The schematic cross sectional depictions in FIGS. 2 and 3 are only partial in the sense that, to simplify the shaft arrangement, only a left hand side shaft portion and a shaft bottom are shown in each case, but not also a right hand side shaft portion, which has to be imagined to be there as well.

FIGS. 4 and 5 each merely show a sole unit 15 which can be bonded to a shaft arrangement, which may as required be a shaft arrangement in accordance with FIG. 2 or a shaft arrangement in accordance with FIG. 3, or a similar shaft arrangement. It is a characteristic of the sole units 15 in FIGS. 4 and 5 that, unlike the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the comfort ply through hole openings 51 extend not vertically to the tread surface 42 of outsole ply 41 but at an oblique angle relative to the tread surface 42. While all comfort ply through hole openings 51 in FIG. 4 extend in the same oblique direction, the comfort ply through hole openings 51 at left in FIG. 5 and the comfort ply through hole openings 51 at right in FIG. 5 have differently directed oblique angles. This makes it possible to position the comfort ply through hole openings 51 on both sides closer to the edge of the recess 43 in the outsole ply 41 than would be possible at the edge of a side if the oblique angles of all comfort ply through hole openings 51 point in the same direction, as in the case of FIG. 4.

In the embodiments with obliquely directed comfort ply through hole openings 51, the oblique angles, the thickness of the comfort ply 51 and the diameters of the comfort ply through hole openings 51 must be harmonized with each other so as to give rise to oblique wall portions for the comfort ply through hole openings 51, which resist the penetration of foreign bodies; that is, that the comfort ply through hole openings 51 have perpendicularly to the tread surface 42 or, respectively, to the barrier ply 45 no free space into which a foreign body which has succeeded in penetrating the barrier ply 45 can pass through the comfort ply 51 without further hindrance.

As already mentioned, the comfort ply 41 can be configured as an air permeable ply in the form of an air permeable spacer structure. Iterative examples thereof are shown by FIGS. 6 to 10.

In the FIG. 6 embodiment of a comfort ply 49 constructed using a spacer structure 60 useful as air permeable ply 40, a lower sheetlike structure 64 has approximately hemispherical projections or bulges 65 curving upwardly, the upper vertices of which define an upper supporting surface. This spacer structure 60 in one embodiment consists of an initially sheetlike formed-loop knit or of a solid material which, after it has been brought, for example by a deep draw operation, into the shape shown is or becomes stiff such that it will retain this shape even under the load to which it is exposed in the course of walking with a shoe which includes a sole unit 15 equipped with this spacer structure. In addition to a deep draw operation, further measures can also be used, namely forming and stiffening via a thermoforming operation or impregnation with a synthetic resin which cures into the desired shape and stiffness.

FIG. 7 shows an illustrative example of a comfort ply 51 constructed using a spacer structure 60 which is useful as an air permeable ply 40 and the lower and upper supporting surfaces of which are formed by two mutually parallel air permeable sheetlike structures 62 and 64, which are selected from the group consisting of polyolefins, polyamides and polyesters for example, and which sheetlike structures 62 and 64 are connected together, and at the same time spaced apart, in an air permeable manner by supporting fibers 66. At least some of the fibers 66 are disposed as at least approximately perpendicular spacers between the sheetlike structures 62 and 64. The fibers 66 consist of a flexible, formable material such as polyester or polypropylene for example. Air can flow through the sheetlike structures 62 and 64 and between the fibers 66. The sheetlike structures 62 and 64 comprise open cell woven or knitted textile materials. Such a spacer structure 60 can be a spacer knit available from Tylex or from Müller Textil.

The spacer structure 60 shown in FIG. 8 has a similar construction to the spacer structure shown in FIG. 6, but consists of a formed-loop knit of loop-formingly knitted fibers or loop-formingly knitted filaments, which are brought into this form and, for example via a thermal operation or an impregnation with synthetic resin, have been consolidated in this form.

FIG. 9 shows an embodiment of a spacer structure 60 having a zig zag or sawtooth profile, for which an initially flat material has been formed such that the upper and lower vertices 60a and 60b respectively define the respectively upper and lower supporting surfaces of this spacer structure 60. The spacer structure 60 of this form can also be formed, and consolidated to the desired stiffness, by the methods already mentioned.

FIG. 10 shows a further illustrative, example of a spacer structure 60 useful as an air permeable ply 40 useful for the inventive comfort ply 51. In this embodiment, spacer elements are formed by the single lower sheetlike structure 68 not as projections or upward bulges, but as fiber tufts 70 which are upstanding on the sheetlike structure 68 and the upper free ends of which together define the upper supporting surface. The fiber tufts 70 can be applied by subjecting the lower sheetlike structure 68 to a flocking process.

Sole Unit For Footwear and Footwear Provided Therewith

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