EP0171697B1 - Ground impression device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a printing device on the ground, more particularly constituted by the sole of a shoe having printing means. Such a device is known from document FR-A-248,360.

For printing on the ground, for example of indications or signs relating to road traffic, conventional devices are used for depositing paint on portions of soil delimited by templates, for example spraying devices, brushes, etc.

With the current development of advertising in particular, we want to use the exterior or interior floor to print, permanently or not, advertising slogans, or any distinctive verbal or figurative signs of a commercial item, service, or even the name of a political figure, an artist, etc. For this, it is desirable to have available a printing device which is simple to use, inexpensive and which also makes it possible to print with water-soluble inks for example, to allow rapid and complete erasing of the indications printed in this case provisionally.

The printing device according to the invention, aiming to achieve the aforementioned object, consisting of a sole of a shoe intended to be removably fixed under a shoe and comprising printing means implemented by a pressure exerted vertically on said sole, has the characteristics defined in claim 1.

The printing parts of the sole may have come from manufacture between the walking parts, or else be inserted in a removable manner in the form of a separate sole arranged in a housing formed in the walking sole.

The accompanying drawing illustrates schematically and by way of examples of embodiments of the printing device on the ground according to the invention.

• Figures 1, 2 and 3 are views respectively from the side partially in section, from the rear partially in section and from below of a first embodiment with the printing soleplate incorporated permanently in the rest position.
• Figures 4 and 5 are side views partially in section of the embodiment according to Figures 1 to 3, respectively in normal use and printing position.
• Figure 6 is a perspective view of a detail of a variant of the first embodiment.
• Figure 7 is a side view partially in section of a second embodiment with a removable printer sole.
• FIGS. 8 and 9 are respectively side views partially in section and from below of a third embodiment with a removable walking sole and printer sole assembly.
• Figure 10 is a side view partially in section of a fourth embodiment with a printer sole removably attached under a shoe of known type.
• Figure 11 is a side view of a variant of the fourth embodiment.
• Figures 12 and 13 are perspective views respectively from above and in cross section of a fifth embodiment with a removable assembly of the walking sole and the printing sole.
• Figures 14 and 15 are perspective views respectively from below and in cross section of a sixth embodiment with removable printer sole.
• Figures 16 and 18 are respectively perspective views from the rear and in cross section of a seventh embodiment with a removable printer sole, and Figure 17 is a variant thereof.

• - une partie supérieure 3 proche du pied de l'utilisateur et réalisée en un matériau synthétique compressible;
• - une partie inférieure de marche, c'est-à-dire en contact avec le sol en position d'utilisation, elle même divisée en une bordure 4' et une surface centrale 4 et réalisée en un matériau relativement mou, par exemple du caoutchouc ou un autre matériau plastique synthétique, et dont les caractéristiques mécaniques, plus particulièrement l'élasticité, sont telles que cette partie inférieure est partiellement compressible sous l'effet de la pression exercée par le poids d'un utilisateur; en outre, la surface centrale 4 présente des ouvertures 5 dont la forme correspond aux signes, lettres, dessins, etc. que l'on souhaite imprimer sur le sol;
• - une partie Imprimante 6 constituée par une plaque, en un matériau plus dur et moins compressible que celui de la partie de marche 4, 4' Incorporée dans ladite partie de marche et dont la face inférieure présente des portions en saillies correspondant aux éléments à imprimer et disposées dans les ouvertures 5 de la portion centrale de la partie de marche 4; enfin, la face inférieure de cette partie imprimante 6, formée par les faces inférieures des saillies que présente celle-ci, est munie d'une couche 7 en un matériau poreux approprié pour être encrée (matériau analogue à celui utilisé pour les tampons encreurs).

With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, the shoe 1 illustrated has a sole 2 formed from several parts, namely:

• - An upper part 3 close to the foot of the user and made of a compressible synthetic material;
• - a lower step, that is to say in contact with the ground in the position of use, itself divided into a border 4 'and a central surface 4 and made of a relatively soft material, for example rubber or another synthetic plastic material, the mechanical characteristics of which, more particularly the elasticity, are such that this lower part is partially compressible under the effect of the pressure exerted by the weight of a user; in addition, the central surface 4 has openings 5 whose shape corresponds to signs, letters, drawings, etc. you want to print on the ground;
• a printer part 6 constituted by a plate, made of a harder and less compressible material than that of the step part 4, 4 ′ incorporated in said step part and whose underside has projecting portions corresponding to the elements to be printed and arranged in the openings 5 of the central portion of the step part 4; finally, the lower face of this printing part 6, formed by the lower faces of the projections which the latter presents, is provided with a layer 7 of a porous material suitable for being inked (material similar to that used for the ink pads) .

In FIGS. 1 and 2, the shoe 1 is illustrated in the rest position, that is to say without pressure exerted on the upper part 3 of the sole 2. In this position, the inked area 7 of the printer part 6 is clearly set back from the underside of the tread portion 4, 4 'of said sole 2 which is alone in contact with the ground. There is therefore in this position no printing action.

Figure 4 illustrates the shoe 1 in position normal use, that is to say with a vertical pressIon from top to bottom P ₁ exerted on the sole 2 by the sole weight of the user. In this position, a certain crushing of the step 4, 4 ′ is observed, so that the inked area 7 of the printer part 6 still remains slightly behind the underside of the step part 4, 4 '; There is therefore neither in this position Intermediate printing action.

On the other hand, in the position illustrated in FIG. 5, as soon as the pressure exerted on the sole 2 reaches a value P ₂ , greater than P _i , it causes a more substantial crushing of the step part 4, 4 ', such that the inked areas 7 of the printer part 6 come into contact with the ground to print on the ground the patterns represented by the shape of the underside of the projecting portions of the printer part 6 of the sole 2. The vertical pressure P ₂ can be caused voluntarily by the user, by pressing harder on the ground with his foot, or by jumping or tapping on the ground.

In the embodiment which has been described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5, the shoe is intended to be marketed or distributed with a printing sole incorporated in the walking part and inked during manufacture, that is to say -to say that the user will not be able to modify the characters or shapes to be printed or to re-ink the underside 7 of the printer sole 6 after several uses of the printing device.

Of course, the ink can be chosen as a function of the aim sought, in particular as regards its water-soluble or insoluble nature, its normal or fluorescent color, etc.

In the variant partially illustrated in FIG. 6, a filling passage 8 is arranged at the rear of the shoe, so as to make it possible to anchor the printer part 6 of the sole 2 by means of a bottle of ink 9 having a tapered neck capable of being at least partially introduced into the filling passage 8.

The embodiment of the device according to the invention illustrated in FIG. 7 is a variant of that described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5 and the printer sole 10 of which is removable.

This removable printer sole 10 is housed in a suitable recess 11 formed between the upper part 3 and the step part 4, 4 ′ of the sole 2 ′ of the shoe 1 and is accessible from the rear; this recess 11 can be closed once the printing base 10 in position therein by means of a closing tab 12 fixed for example by means of a portion of "Velcro ^® " strip. With this embodiment, it is therefore possible to take out the printer sole 10 for example in order to re-ink the printer layer 7 covering the projections of shape which it presents. On the other hand, it is not possible to modify the characters or signs to be printed, since the shape and arrangement of these are fixed by the openings made in the step part 4 of the sole 2 '.

As for the embodiment shown in Figures 8 and 9, it differs from the previous one (Figure 7) in that it comprises a removable assembly 13 printer sole 6 - central walking part 4, coming to be housed in position service in a housing 14 formed in the sole 2 "which no longer has any fixed part, than the upper part 3 and the edge 4 'of the step part. Preferably, the central part 4 of the removable assembly 13 has on its periphery a groove or a rib, slidingly cooperating with a groove, respectively a rib, formed in the border 4 '. As before, the housing 14 is accessible from the rear of the shoe 1 "and is closable for example by means of a drip pan 12 fixed with a portion of "Velcro" strip.

The advantage of the above embodiment consists in that it is possible to completely interchange the printer sole assembly - walking part and thus modify at will the nature of the shapes to be printed on the ground. These can be supplied by the manufacturer ready for use, or on the contrary can be made up in a personalized manner by the user. For this purpose, a kit is provided comprising several plates of relatively hard material and provided on one of its faces with a porous printing layer, several plates of softer and compressible material intended to form the walking parts of the assembly. These two types of plates can be prepared by the user by making the printing projections in the plate of hard material by means of a cleaver, as well as the corresponding openings in the softer plate by means of a punch or a cookie cutter. Then the two parts must be glued to each other to make the removable assembly 13, then the porous layer 7 inked before introducing said assembly 13 into the housing 14 provided.

Finally, according to another embodiment of the invention (not illustrated), the sole of the shoe can be pierced with shaped openings opening onto the underside of said sole, and through which an ink or paint or a varnish is intended to be sprayed on the ground from sprinklers arranged in a housing arranged in the sole and actuated by means responding to a vertical pressure of a predetermined value greater than the pressure of the user in normal operation.

Referring now to FIG. 10, a shoe 21 of known type, comprising an original sole S, is removably provided with a printing device 22; more particularly, this printing device 22 is fixed under the sole S of the shoe 21 by means, for example of fasteners 23 passing above the instep and behind the upper of said shoe 21.

The printing sole 22 is identical to the sole of the shoe illustrated in FIG. 1 and is formed by two distinct parts, namely a lower step part 24, 24 ′ and a printer part 26. Likewise, the operation as printing device is the same as that described with reference to the embodiment of FIG. 1.

In the variant illustrated in FIG. 11, the printing device 22 is provided with an envelope 28 made of a flexible plastic material, this envelope being intended to be put on a shoe 21 of known type, in the manner of an overshoe .

The fifth embodiment illustrated in Figures 12 and 13 includes an Interchangeable sole 29 serving as a printing device. This sole 29 has a step part 30, in particular forming the edge of the sole, this part being made of an elastic material, for example a relatively soft rubber, which may include crushing cells. The lower surface of this step 30, intended to come into contact with the ground, is provided with a non-slip 31. The printer part 32 of the device is constituted by an ink pad made of a material harder than that of the part of step 30 and is held on an upper peripheral shoulder that it has. This pad 32 has projecting portions on its underside, which correspond to the signs to be printed on the ground and whose underside is provided with a permeable protective fabric 33; the pad 32 is further surrounded by a sealed envelope 34, except on the underside of the projecting portions. The upper face of the buffer 32 has two longitudinal guide and attachment grooves 35, the width of which decreases from bottom to top. These grooves 35 are intended to receive in the operating position longitudinal coupling ribs 36 with which the underside of the sole 37 is provided with a shoe 38.

Finally, the tread portion 30 of the removable printing sole 29 has flexible lateral seals 39 making it possible to seal between this sole and the sole 37 of the shoe 38.

In the sixth embodiment illustrated in Figures 14 and 15, the shoe 40 has a tread 41, always made of an elastic material which may include crushing cells. A portion of the surface of this sole 41 is hollowed out so as to form a housing 42 intended to receive, in the service position, a printing element 43 made of a material harder than that of the walking sole 41 and soaked in an appropriate ink. to serve as an ink pad. The signs to be printed on the ground project from the underside of this printing element 43; the lower surface of these projections is provided with a permeable protective fabric 44, while the rest of the pad 43 is surrounded by a waterproof envelope 45. This pad or printing element 43 is fixed in the housing 42 formed in the sole 41 shoe 40, for example by means of two screws 46 passing through said pad 43 and screwed into the threads formed at the bottom of the housing 42. Finally, as before, the underside, in contact with the ground, of the sole of step 41 is provided with a non-slip 48.

Finally, in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 16 to 18, the shoe 50 includes a walking sole 51 having a longitudinal recess 52, 52 ′, accessible from the rear (FIG. 16) or from the front (FIG. 1 ⁷ ) of the shoe, this recess serving as a housing for receiving a removable printing sole 53.

As in the case of the previous embodiments, the walking sole 51 is made of an elastic material which can be honeycombed, and the underside of which is provided with a non-slip 54, while the printing sole 53 is constituted by a pad. ink pad 55 partially surrounded by a waterproof envelope 56 and having projecting shapes on its underside corresponding to the signs to be printed on the ground and covered with a permeable protective fabric 57.

The printing base 53 also has longitudinal grooves 58 formed in the buffer 55 and intended to cooperate in the service position with longitudinal guides 59 which are provided with the side walls of the recess 52, these guides preferably being made of "Teflon ^® ". To put the printing sole 53 in the service position in the housing 52, 52 ′ of the walking sole 51, it is introduced either from the rear (FIG. 16) or from the front (FIG. 17) of the shoe , so that the upper longitudinal edges 55 ′ of the pad 55 slide on the shoulders 60 which have the side walls of the housing 52, 52 ′ above the guides 59.

Finally, the shoe 50 may also include a recharging conduit 61 accessible for example from the rear of the shoe and intended to re-inking the pad 55.

The operation of all the embodiments described above is the same as that described with reference to the first embodiment according to FIG. 1.

Claims (15)

1. Device for printing on the ground consisting in a sole of a shoe or in a sole adapted to be fixed in a remowable manner under a shoe and comprising printing means responsive to a pressure exerted vertically on said sole, characterized by the fact that the sole (2, 2', 2", 22, 41, 53) is made of a compressible synthetic material and comprising walking portions (4, 24, 51) whose lower face is adapted to contact the ground in the normal use condition of the shoe, and printing portions (6, 26, 32, 43, 55) situated between the walking portions and whose lower face (7, 27, 33, 44, 57) is set back from the lower face thereof at rest and in normal use positions, this lower face of the printing portions being provided with a layer of a printing liquid, and by the fact that said walking portions are made of a material which is more compressible and less hard than the printing portions, so as in normal use position only the lower face of the walking portions are in contact with the ground, and that under the action of a downward vertical pressure higher than that of said normal use, the material of the walking portions are compressed until the lower face of the printIng portions also comes into contact with the ground for printing the shape of these portions thereon.

2. Printing device according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the sole of the shoe is presenting when seen from under a walking surface (4, 24) in which shaped openings (5, 25) are provided, and printing portions (6, 26) of the same shape than the openings but having slightly lower sizes.

3. Printing device according to claim 2, characterized by the fact that the printing portions are made of manufacture In housings provided between the walking portions.

4. Printing device according to claim 2, characterized by the fact that the sole is provided with a conduit (8) opened in the lower printing inked layer (7) and accessible from the outside.

5. Printing device according to claim 2, characterized by the fact that the printing portions (6) are formed by projections on the lower face of a remowable plate (10) which is removably introduced within a housing accessible from the rear of the shoe and provided inside the walking portion (4) of the sole (2').

6. Printing device according to claim 2, characterized by the fact the sole of the shoe (2") comprises a border (4') made of compressible material and a removable set (13) formed by the superposition of a walking plate (4) made of a compressible material presenting shaped openings (5) and of a printing plate (6) made of a harder material presenting on its lower face shaped projections disposed in said openings, said set being disposed in service position in the middle of said border in such a manner that the lower face thereof and that of the walking portion are on the same level, the printing projections being at rest or in normal walking position in recess from said level.

7. Printing device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by the fact that the porous layer covering the lower face of the printing portions is soaked with a water-soluble or insoluble ink, coi- oured and/or fluorescent.

8. Printing device according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that it is consisting in a sole (22) provided with fixing means (23) intented to cooperate in service position with a conventional shoe (21).

9. Printing device according to claim 8, characterized by the fact that it is provided with a cover (22) made of flexible plastic material and which is intended to completely surround a shoe (21) in service position.

10. Printing device according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that an inking pad (32) comprising printing portions is included in a walking sole (30), and in which longitudinal grooves (35) are provided in the upper face of the pad and which are intended to cooperate in service position with longitudinal guides (36) of the lower face of the sole (37) of a shoe (38).

11. Printing device according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that an Inking pad (43, 55) comprising printing portions (44, 57) is removably fixed in a housing (42, 52, 52') provided in the walking sole (41, 51 ) of the shoe (40, 50).

12. Printing device according to claim 11, characterized by the fact that the pad (55) comprises lateral longitudinal grooves (52) cooperating in service position with the longitudinal guides (59) of the lateral walls of the housings (52,52').

13. Printing device according to claim 12, characterized by the fact that the housing (52, 52') is opened toward the front and/or toward the rear, and by the fact that the pad is presenting lateral edges (55') laying in service position on longitudinal shoulders presented by the lateral walls of the housing above the guides (59).

14. Printing device according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized by the fact that the walking portions (30, 41, 51) are made of a honeycombed elastic material and the lower face of which can be provided with an antiripping element (31, 48, 54).

15. Printing device according to one of claims 1 to 14, characterized by the fact that the inking pad (32, 43, 53, 55) is partly surrounded with a tight wrapper (34, 49, 56) and that the lower face of the projecting portions is provided with a permeable protection fabric (33, 44, 57).