CA2059726C - Contoured moulded footwear and method of making same - Google Patents
Contoured moulded footwear and method of making sameInfo
- Publication number
- CA2059726C CA2059726C CA 2059726 CA2059726A CA2059726C CA 2059726 C CA2059726 C CA 2059726C CA 2059726 CA2059726 CA 2059726 CA 2059726 A CA2059726 A CA 2059726A CA 2059726 C CA2059726 C CA 2059726C
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- footwear
- article
- sole
- moulding
- foot
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Fee Related
Links
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 8
- 238000000465 moulding Methods 0.000 claims description 11
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims description 6
- 238000002347 injection Methods 0.000 claims description 4
- 239000007924 injection Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- 238000001746 injection moulding Methods 0.000 claims description 4
- 238000007493 shaping process Methods 0.000 abstract description 7
- 230000000295 complement effect Effects 0.000 abstract description 4
- 229920001169 thermoplastic Polymers 0.000 description 3
- 239000004416 thermosoftening plastic Substances 0.000 description 3
- 239000012815 thermoplastic material Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000009877 rendering Methods 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29D—PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE
- B29D35/00—Producing footwear
- B29D35/06—Producing footwear having soles or heels formed and joined on to preformed uppers using a moulding technique, e.g. by injection moulding, pressing and vulcanising
- B29D35/08—Producing footwear having soles or heels formed and joined on to preformed uppers using a moulding technique, e.g. by injection moulding, pressing and vulcanising having multilayered parts
- B29D35/081—Producing footwear having soles or heels formed and joined on to preformed uppers using a moulding technique, e.g. by injection moulding, pressing and vulcanising having multilayered parts by injection moulding
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A43—FOOTWEAR
- A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
- A43B7/00—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements
- A43B7/12—Special watertight footwear
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29D—PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE
- B29D35/00—Producing footwear
- B29D35/10—Producing footwear having preformed soles or heels joined on to preformed uppers using a moulding technique, e.g. by feeding or injecting plastics material between the parts to be joined
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Epidemiology (AREA)
- General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Public Health (AREA)
- Footwear And Its Accessory, Manufacturing Method And Apparatuses (AREA)
- Injection Moulding Of Plastics Or The Like (AREA)
Abstract
The invention provides a waterproof article of footwear and method of making the same, the article comprising an upper portion having integrally moulded sides and bottom and a sole portion attached to said upper portion. The shaping of the upper and sole portions is complementary to provide a unitary fit therebetween and includes bottom and side contouring to provide support for preselected areas of the foot. The contouring of the upper and sole portions of the article results in a footwear product which is both waterproof and comfortable without the necessity of adding a shaped foot insert piece to the moulded product to provide foot support.
Description
CONTOURED MOULDED FOOTWEAR AND
METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME
205972~
5 Field of the Invention:
The invention relates to the manufacture of moulded footwear in particular to waterproof- footwear of which the upper portion and bottom thereof, upon which the foot rests, are integrally 10 moulded.
Backqround of the Invention:
Conventional injection moulding processes are well-known and 15 are commonly used to manufacture waterproof footwear such as rubber boots comprising a sole portion and an upper portion attached thereto. In the past, such manufacturing processes have produced only waterproof footwear comprising upper parts with flat insoles (i.e. the bottom insoles being that portion upon 20 which the foot rests) which are then attached, or moulded, to a sole component. Typically, the articles of footwear produced by such processes are sometimes supplemented with an added contoured foot support which is inserted into the footwear article after the moulding process has been completed to render 25 the article more comfortable in use. This added step increases the time and cost associated with the manufacturing process and is prone to produce unsatisfactory results from the customer's perspective caused by a tendency for the dislodging or movement of such inserts, over time, as the article is worn.
Thus, there is a need in the marketplace for comfortable ~.., ~ 2059726 ~waterproof footwear comprising integrally moulded uppers and soles for supporting the foot.
rv of the Invention:
The invention provides a waterproof article of footwear comprising an upper portion having integrally moulded sides and bottom and a sole portion attached to the upper portion. The shaping of the upper and sole portions is complementary to 10 provide a unitary fit therebetween and the shaping of the upper portion includes bottom and side contouring to provide support for preselected areas of the foot.
The invention further provides a method for making the 15 aforesaid article of footwear whereby side and bottom elements are integrally moulded using a thermoplastic material to form an upper portion, a sole portion is moulded ana the two portions are attached together. The moulding of the upper and sole portions is such that the shaping of the same is as described above.
20 Preferably, but not n~ c~ rily, the said moulding is by means of inj ection moulding whereby the upper and sole portions are produced one following the other such that the portions become moulded together.
25 Brief l~escri~tion of the C)rawinqs:
The subject invention will now be described in the following with reference to the drawings in which like reference numerals ' 205~726 refer, throughout, to like elements:
Figure 1 is a side view of an article of footwear in accordance with the invention.
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the complete article of 5 Figure 1 taken at section 2-2 thereof.
Detailçd ~esOEiption of the Inyention;
The waterproof article of footwear 10 of the invention 10 comprises an upper portion 20 and a sole portion 30 attached thereto. The thermoplastic upper portion 20 is, firstly, integrally moulded as a single unit comprising side 24 and bottom 26 portions without need for seams or joins (which can limit the ability of the article to be made waterproof) . The thermoplastic 15 sole portion 3 0 is, secondly, moulded so that the two portions 20, 30 become moulded together once the portions have adequately hardened within the moulding apparatus prior to removal therefrom. This procedure may be reversed ~io as to mould the sole portion fir~t and the upper portion second.
The upper 2 0 and sole 3 o portions are shaped in complementary form to provide a unitary fit when they are moulded together according to the foregoing. In addition, the upper portion 20 is shaped so as to include bottom and side contouring 25 to provide support for selected areas of the foot, for e~ample as in the article of Figure 1 which includes contouring in the area of the ball of the foot (C), the arch of the foot (B) and the heel base (A). This contouring provides support for these ~ 20r~72~
areas of the foot thereby rendering the article of footwear comfortable and suitable for long periods of use.
The bottom 35 of the sole portion 30 preferably includes 5 certain desirable features forming part of the design of the article, namely, the sole pattern as shown in the section view of Figure 2 (i.e the cut-outs 45 therein). The sole portion 30 preferably also includes a rigid bar 50 such as a metal plate within the area of the sole between the heel (A) and arch (B) 10 locations thereof to, primarily, support the arch of the foot and to provide appropriate strength to that area of the article of footwear. :
The thickness and shaping of the walls 40 of the upper 15 portion 20 are not unirorm according to the prior art 55 but, rather, vary according to a predet~rm; n~ shaping (the mould being defined accordingly) for each desired size and style of footwear article, to produce areas which provide a controlIed degree of support to preselected areas of the foot. The 6haping 20 and mould for the sole portion 30 is made to complement the shaping of the upper portion 20.
Preferably, the thermoplastic material used for the upper portion 20 is less rigid when moulded than that used for the sole 25 portion 30 so that the upper portion provides an appropriate degree of flexibility to the foot and legs of the user, upon 20~972~
wear, and the sole portion provides support, protection, durability and strength.
The article of footwear of the invention is produced by 5 means of the conventional inj ection - 1 rl; n~ technique incorporating moulding apparatus. Preferably the apparatus provides for two thermoplastic injection 6teps, one to produce the upper portion 20 and another to produce the sole portion 30, one following the other, ~in selected order) such that the 10 portions thereby become moulded together.
METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME
205972~
5 Field of the Invention:
The invention relates to the manufacture of moulded footwear in particular to waterproof- footwear of which the upper portion and bottom thereof, upon which the foot rests, are integrally 10 moulded.
Backqround of the Invention:
Conventional injection moulding processes are well-known and 15 are commonly used to manufacture waterproof footwear such as rubber boots comprising a sole portion and an upper portion attached thereto. In the past, such manufacturing processes have produced only waterproof footwear comprising upper parts with flat insoles (i.e. the bottom insoles being that portion upon 20 which the foot rests) which are then attached, or moulded, to a sole component. Typically, the articles of footwear produced by such processes are sometimes supplemented with an added contoured foot support which is inserted into the footwear article after the moulding process has been completed to render 25 the article more comfortable in use. This added step increases the time and cost associated with the manufacturing process and is prone to produce unsatisfactory results from the customer's perspective caused by a tendency for the dislodging or movement of such inserts, over time, as the article is worn.
Thus, there is a need in the marketplace for comfortable ~.., ~ 2059726 ~waterproof footwear comprising integrally moulded uppers and soles for supporting the foot.
rv of the Invention:
The invention provides a waterproof article of footwear comprising an upper portion having integrally moulded sides and bottom and a sole portion attached to the upper portion. The shaping of the upper and sole portions is complementary to 10 provide a unitary fit therebetween and the shaping of the upper portion includes bottom and side contouring to provide support for preselected areas of the foot.
The invention further provides a method for making the 15 aforesaid article of footwear whereby side and bottom elements are integrally moulded using a thermoplastic material to form an upper portion, a sole portion is moulded ana the two portions are attached together. The moulding of the upper and sole portions is such that the shaping of the same is as described above.
20 Preferably, but not n~ c~ rily, the said moulding is by means of inj ection moulding whereby the upper and sole portions are produced one following the other such that the portions become moulded together.
25 Brief l~escri~tion of the C)rawinqs:
The subject invention will now be described in the following with reference to the drawings in which like reference numerals ' 205~726 refer, throughout, to like elements:
Figure 1 is a side view of an article of footwear in accordance with the invention.
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the complete article of 5 Figure 1 taken at section 2-2 thereof.
Detailçd ~esOEiption of the Inyention;
The waterproof article of footwear 10 of the invention 10 comprises an upper portion 20 and a sole portion 30 attached thereto. The thermoplastic upper portion 20 is, firstly, integrally moulded as a single unit comprising side 24 and bottom 26 portions without need for seams or joins (which can limit the ability of the article to be made waterproof) . The thermoplastic 15 sole portion 3 0 is, secondly, moulded so that the two portions 20, 30 become moulded together once the portions have adequately hardened within the moulding apparatus prior to removal therefrom. This procedure may be reversed ~io as to mould the sole portion fir~t and the upper portion second.
The upper 2 0 and sole 3 o portions are shaped in complementary form to provide a unitary fit when they are moulded together according to the foregoing. In addition, the upper portion 20 is shaped so as to include bottom and side contouring 25 to provide support for selected areas of the foot, for e~ample as in the article of Figure 1 which includes contouring in the area of the ball of the foot (C), the arch of the foot (B) and the heel base (A). This contouring provides support for these ~ 20r~72~
areas of the foot thereby rendering the article of footwear comfortable and suitable for long periods of use.
The bottom 35 of the sole portion 30 preferably includes 5 certain desirable features forming part of the design of the article, namely, the sole pattern as shown in the section view of Figure 2 (i.e the cut-outs 45 therein). The sole portion 30 preferably also includes a rigid bar 50 such as a metal plate within the area of the sole between the heel (A) and arch (B) 10 locations thereof to, primarily, support the arch of the foot and to provide appropriate strength to that area of the article of footwear. :
The thickness and shaping of the walls 40 of the upper 15 portion 20 are not unirorm according to the prior art 55 but, rather, vary according to a predet~rm; n~ shaping (the mould being defined accordingly) for each desired size and style of footwear article, to produce areas which provide a controlIed degree of support to preselected areas of the foot. The 6haping 20 and mould for the sole portion 30 is made to complement the shaping of the upper portion 20.
Preferably, the thermoplastic material used for the upper portion 20 is less rigid when moulded than that used for the sole 25 portion 30 so that the upper portion provides an appropriate degree of flexibility to the foot and legs of the user, upon 20~972~
wear, and the sole portion provides support, protection, durability and strength.
The article of footwear of the invention is produced by 5 means of the conventional inj ection - 1 rl; n~ technique incorporating moulding apparatus. Preferably the apparatus provides for two thermoplastic injection 6teps, one to produce the upper portion 20 and another to produce the sole portion 30, one following the other, ~in selected order) such that the 10 portions thereby become moulded together.
Claims (2)
1. A method of making an injection moulded waterproof article of footwear with contouring, comprising the steps of:
(a) within one moulding cycle of molding apparatus, injection moulding a complete, seamless upper configured to completely surround the foot of the wearer, using a first mould section within said moulding apparatus, whereby said first mould section comprises contoured sides and a contoured bottom to create corresponding contoured sides and bottom in said upper;
(b) within the same moulding cycle, injection moulding a sole onto the bottom of said upper using a second mould section within said moulding apparatus whereby said sole is integrally fitted to the bottom of said upper;
whereby said sole and upper are combined to form an integral article of footwear prior to removal of the same from said moulding apparatus.
(a) within one moulding cycle of molding apparatus, injection moulding a complete, seamless upper configured to completely surround the foot of the wearer, using a first mould section within said moulding apparatus, whereby said first mould section comprises contoured sides and a contoured bottom to create corresponding contoured sides and bottom in said upper;
(b) within the same moulding cycle, injection moulding a sole onto the bottom of said upper using a second mould section within said moulding apparatus whereby said sole is integrally fitted to the bottom of said upper;
whereby said sole and upper are combined to form an integral article of footwear prior to removal of the same from said moulding apparatus.
2. An injection moulded waterproof article of footwear with contouring made according to the method of claim 1.
Priority Applications (5)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2059726 CA2059726C (en) | 1992-01-21 | 1992-01-21 | Contoured moulded footwear and method of making same |
| PCT/CA1993/000013 WO1993013928A1 (en) | 1992-01-21 | 1993-01-20 | Contoured moulded footwear and method of making same |
| AU33412/93A AU3341293A (en) | 1992-01-21 | 1993-01-20 | Contoured moulded footwear and method of making same |
| JP5512041A JPH07507936A (en) | 1992-01-21 | 1993-01-20 | Molded footwear with a predetermined shape and its manufacturing method |
| EP93901998A EP0625090A1 (en) | 1992-01-21 | 1993-01-20 | Contoured moulded footwear and method of making same |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2059726 CA2059726C (en) | 1992-01-21 | 1992-01-21 | Contoured moulded footwear and method of making same |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2059726A1 CA2059726A1 (en) | 1993-07-22 |
| CA2059726C true CA2059726C (en) | 1996-11-19 |
Family
ID=4149122
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2059726 Expired - Fee Related CA2059726C (en) | 1992-01-21 | 1992-01-21 | Contoured moulded footwear and method of making same |
Country Status (5)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP0625090A1 (en) |
| JP (1) | JPH07507936A (en) |
| AU (1) | AU3341293A (en) |
| CA (1) | CA2059726C (en) |
| WO (1) | WO1993013928A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (12)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US6675498B1 (en) | 1988-07-15 | 2004-01-13 | Anatomic Research, Inc. | Shoe sole structures |
| US6810606B1 (en) | 1988-07-15 | 2004-11-02 | Anatomic Research, Inc. | Shoe sole structures incorporating a contoured side |
| US5317819A (en) | 1988-09-02 | 1994-06-07 | Ellis Iii Frampton E | Shoe with naturally contoured sole |
| US6662470B2 (en) | 1989-08-30 | 2003-12-16 | Anatomic Research, Inc. | Shoes sole structures |
| DK1004252T3 (en) | 1989-10-03 | 2002-06-24 | Anatomic Res Inc | Shoe sole with a midsole with variations in firmness and density |
| DK0594579T3 (en) | 1990-01-10 | 2001-06-18 | Anatomic Res Inc | Shoe sole constructions |
| US7546699B2 (en) | 1992-08-10 | 2009-06-16 | Anatomic Research, Inc. | Shoe sole structures |
| WO1996039060A1 (en) * | 1995-06-05 | 1996-12-12 | Frampton Erroll Ellis, Iii | Shoe sole structures |
| EP1075801A1 (en) * | 1999-08-12 | 2001-02-14 | Cheng-Hsian Chi | Manufacturing process for a foamed integral shoe body |
| US8256147B2 (en) | 2004-11-22 | 2012-09-04 | Frampton E. Eliis | Devices with internal flexibility sipes, including siped chambers for footwear |
| US12290134B2 (en) | 2004-11-22 | 2025-05-06 | Frampton E. Ellis | Footwear or orthotic sole with microprocessor control of a structural or support element with magnetorheological fluid |
| US8125796B2 (en) | 2007-11-21 | 2012-02-28 | Frampton E. Ellis | Devices with faraday cages and internal flexibility sipes |
Family Cites Families (5)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE1215915B (en) * | 1963-05-15 | 1966-05-05 | Desma Werke Gmbh | Process for the production of plastic footwear and footwear produced therefrom |
| DE1228532B (en) * | 1963-07-25 | 1966-11-10 | Adam J Blumoer Fa | Insole with joint reinforcement |
| GB1571127A (en) * | 1976-04-02 | 1980-07-09 | Scholl Uk Ltd | Soles for footwear and footwear incorporating them |
| FR2546041A1 (en) * | 1983-05-17 | 1984-11-23 | Saint Marcel Mfg | Method for the injection of an article made of a synthetic material, mould for carrying out this method, and article such as an item of footwear obtained by this method |
| DE3341624A1 (en) * | 1983-09-07 | 1985-03-21 | Pickens Footwear Co., Jasper, Ga. | WATERPROOF FOOTWEAR AND METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION THEREOF |
-
1992
- 1992-01-21 CA CA 2059726 patent/CA2059726C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
1993
- 1993-01-20 JP JP5512041A patent/JPH07507936A/en active Pending
- 1993-01-20 WO PCT/CA1993/000013 patent/WO1993013928A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 1993-01-20 EP EP93901998A patent/EP0625090A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 1993-01-20 AU AU33412/93A patent/AU3341293A/en not_active Abandoned
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| CA2059726A1 (en) | 1993-07-22 |
| AU3341293A (en) | 1993-08-03 |
| WO1993013928A1 (en) | 1993-07-22 |
| JPH07507936A (en) | 1995-09-07 |
| EP0625090A1 (en) | 1994-11-23 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| EEER | Examination request | ||
| MKLA | Lapsed |