EP0414634B1 - Footwear insert and fabricating method for it - Google Patents

Abstract

The footwear insert contains an absorbent layer (1), which is arranged on a stabilising layer (2). The stabilising layer (2) is made from a fibrous and sealable material, the fibres running mainly in the longitudinal direction of the footwear insert. On the absorbent layer (1), there is a cover layer (10) which is likewise made from a sealable material. Recesses (20) are provided, the side walls (15) of which are formed by extensions (111, 112) of the material (11, 12) of the cover layer (10). The edges (13) of these side walls (15) are connected rigidly to the stabilising layer (2) so that, between the neighbouring recesses (20), there are bridges (25) made of the material of the cover layer (10), which rigidify the section (18) of the stabilising layer (2) lying underneath. The footwear insert is exceptionally rigid and hard-wearing with given and minimal thickness. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to a shoe insert with an absorbent layer and a method for producing the same.

Shoe insoles of this type are widely used. The absorbent layer of the same is normally made of an absorbent fleece which contains natural and / or synthetic fibers. In one of the previously known shoe inserts, the underside of the absorbent layer is provided with a layer made of a foam, which acts as an anti-slip coating. The fleece of the absorbent layer has negligible stiffness. The foam also has a low stiffness, so that this previously known shoe insert is indeed very flexible. This makes it difficult to insert the insert right into the toe area. If you consider that the foam layer on the underside of the shoe insert forms an anti-slip protection, it can be seen from this that it is quite tedious to insert the previously known shoe insert into a shoe.

The object of the present invention is to provide a shoe insert which does not have the disadvantage mentioned and which moreover offers additional advantages.

The stated object is achieved according to the invention with the shoe insert of the type mentioned at the outset, as defined in the characterizing part of claim 1.

The method according to the invention for producing the present shoe insert is defined in the characterizing part of claim 8.

• Fig. 1 perspektivisch die vorliegende Schuheinlage, welche aus mehreren Schichten besteht und bei welcher die äusseren Schichten im Spitzenbereich derselben teilweise weggezogen sind,
• Fig. 2 vergrössert einen Ausschnitt aus einem vertikalen Schnitt durch die Schuheinlage gemäss Fig. 1, wobei dieser Ausschnitt eines der in der Schuheinlage ausgeführten Löcher umfasst und
• Fig. 3 einen Ausschnitt aus einem Muster, welches die in der Schuheinlage ausgeführten Löcher bilden.

Possible embodiments of the present invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawing. It shows:

• 1 is a perspective view of the present shoe insert, which consists of several layers and in which the outer layers in the tip region thereof are partially pulled away,
• FIG. 2 enlarges a section from a vertical section through the shoe insert according to FIG. 1, this section comprising one of the holes made in the shoe insert and
• Fig. 3 shows a section of a pattern which form the holes made in the shoe insert.

The shoe insert shown in perspective in FIG. 1 has an absorbent layer 1, the thickness of which in the finished product essentially determines the thickness of this product. The thickness of the absorbent layer 1 is between about 1 mm in the finished product and 5mm. The absorbent layer 1 expediently extends over the entire surface of the shoe insert. Loosely carded wadding or wadding wastes that are produced in the production of other wadding products can form the material of this absorbent layer 1. The cotton wool can consist exclusively of cotton fibers or it can be a mixture of different fibers. For example, this layer can contain cotton and rayon fibers which are connected to one another with the aid of a fiber made of a suitable material. Such an adhesive fiber can be a synthetic fiber and it can in particular be a polyethylene fiber. However, the absorbent layer can also contain 80% cotton or viscose and 20% polyester fibers.

A stabilization layer 2 is assigned to the absorbent layer 1 and this stabilization layer 2 is located on that side of the absorbent layer 1 which faces the insole of the shoe. In Fig. 1, a portion of this stabilization layer 2 in the toe region is lifted a little downward from the absorbent layer 1. This is because the thickness of the stabilization layer 2 is relatively small in comparison with the thickness of the absorbent layer 1 and is in the range of a few tenths of a millimeter. The stabilization layer 2 is designed in such a way that it gives the shoe insert the rigidity required for pushing it into a shoe. In addition, this is Layer 2 is designed so that it has a non-slip effect when the shoe is worn.

The mutual assignment of the layers 1 and 2 mentioned takes place in such a way that one of the surfaces of the absorbent layer 1 is connected to one of the surfaces of the stabilization layer 2. There is no need to use a special method for connecting these two layers 1 and 2, because the cohesion of the or all layers of the present shoe insert is achieved by a special type of perforation of the insert half product. The perforation process will be described in more detail below.

The stabilization layer 2 is made of a fibrous material in which the fibers form several layers. The material of this layer must be a sealable material. It can be a fleece or a tissue. If the layer 2 is made of a nonwoven, then it can advantageously contain viscose fibers. These fibers can be about 40mm long and their thickness can be 3.8 decitex. The fibers of the fleece are connected to each other with the help of a binder. Such a mixture can contain 75% fibers and 25% binder.

The binder can be based on synthetic rubber. Such a binder effectively inhibits the slipping Shoe insert in the shoe. This is because rubber is generally anti-slip and because this binder, since virtually every fiber is surrounded by this binder, is also on the outside of the stabilization layer 2.

It goes without saying that a binder other than rubber-based can also be used to connect the nonwoven fibers. Then the underside of the stabilization layer 2 must be covered at least in places with a material that is anti-slip. This additional anti-slip layer can be combined with the use of the rubber-based binder if the anti-slip effect of the binder is to be enhanced. If the additional, anti-slip and non-contiguous layer is used, the districts can form patterns with a suitable course from anti-slip material.

The fibers in the fleece of the stabilization layer 2 are arranged in such a way that they lie parallel to one another. Such a fleece is also referred to as a longitudinal layer fleece. The direction of the fibers lying parallel to each other practically coincides with the longitudinal direction of the shoe insert. Under certain circumstances it can be advantageous if there is a non-zero angle between the direction of the fibers and the longitudinal direction of the shoe insert. This can be the case, for example, when slipping of the shoe insert is to be prevented obliquely to the longitudinal direction of the shoe or the same.

In applications in which the shoe insert is not expected to be subjected to a great deal of stress or in which the shoe insert is to be a product which can be manufactured very cheaply, the stabilizing layer 2 can be made of a tissue. The tissue should have a rough to wavy surface. Crepe paper, for example, can be used for such purposes.

The side or surface of the absorbent layer 1 facing away from the stabilization layer 2 is assigned a further layer 10, which can also be referred to as a cover layer 10. In Fig. 1, a portion of this cover layer 10 in the area of the shoe tip is slightly raised from the absorbent layer 1. This enables the representation of the cover layer 10 used in the drawing because the thickness of this layer 10 is relatively small and because it is in the range of a few tenths of a millimeter. The cover layer 10 advantageously completely covers the upper side of the absorbent layer 1 and thus forms the upper end of the shoe insert. The surface layer 10 is designed in such a way that it is permeable to the liquid to be absorbed, especially for foot sweat, but that it cannot be wetted by the liquid. Thanks to this design, the cover layer 10 forms, among other things also a spacer between the absorbent layer 1 and the foot of the shoe wearer.

The surface layer 10 is made of fibers which form at least one layer. These fibers must be made of a relatively tear-resistant material because the body weight of the user of the present shoe insert is absorbed by these fibers, as will be seen from the following. In addition, the material of these fibers must be sealable. The fibers of the surface layer 10 can form a fleece or a fabric.

FIG. 2 shows a detail from a vertical section through the shoe insert according to FIG. 1 in a considerable enlargement. This section also includes one of the holes in the shoe insert. It can also be seen from FIG. 2 that the surface layer 10 has two layers 11 and 12. The first layer 11 is located on the outside of the surface layer 10. The second layer 12 is arranged on that side of the surface layer 10 which faces the absorbent layer 1. The layers 11 and 12 are fiber layers and the fibers of these layers 11 and 12 consist of different materials. The layers 11 and 12 are intimately connected to one another so that they cannot be separated from one another. This intimate connection of the Fiber layers 11 and 12 can be achieved, for example, by lamination. A mixture of the fibers of the two types is present in the transition region between such layers 11 and 12.

The liquid is not stored in the surface layer 10. This is because this layer 10 is very thin and because the materials of the sub-layers 11 and 12 are not wettable by the liquid. The upper or outer layer 11 of the surface layer 10 mainly contains fibers made of a material which is repellent to the liquid and which is very tear-resistant. The fibers of this top layer 11 can be made of polypropylene. The density of this top layer 11 is selected such that the liquid can pass through this layer 11 without any appreciable resistance being opposed to the passage thereof through the top layer 11.

The lower or inner layer 12 of the top layer 10 predominantly contains fibers made of a material which enables a connection between the fibers of the top layer 11 of the surface layer 10 and the fibers of the absorbent layer 1. The fibers of this inner layer 12 are made of polyethylene, for example. The binding layer 12 thus serves as an adhesion promoter between the polypropylene fibers of the top layer 11 and the calibrated (compressed) cotton wool of the absorbent layer 1.

The shoe insert has depressions or holes 20 which have been made in the top of the shoe insert or in the cover layer 10 thereof. These holes 20 are intended, among other things, to allow or promote a flow of air across the shoe insert. They are also responsible for ensuring that the shoe insert is so stable.

The holes 20 are produced in such a way that the layer material or the layer body 1, 2 and 10 of the shoe insert is guided between heated rolls of a calender. The rollers have projections, the height of which is practically the same as the thickness of the shoe insert and which can be, for example, spike-shaped. If such projections are pressed into the upper side of the layer material during calendering, the front surfaces thereof penetrate as far as the stabilizing layer 2 of the layer body. Since the fibers of the cover layer 10 are thermoplastic and sealable, the fibers or sections of the same located in the effective area of the respective mandrel, after appropriate heating, are carried along by the front surface of the projection and by the flanks thereof and drawn into the depth of the laminated body.

2 is a vertical section through the laminate in Area of one of the holes 20 is shown schematically. 2 shows that the front surface of the mandrel broke through the partial layers 11 and 12 of the cover layer 10 during the penetration of the same into the laminated body, and that the flanks of the mandrel pulled the softened material of the partial layers 11 and 12 into the depth of the opening 20 . This resulted in sections 111 and 112 of the sub-layers 11 and 12 which are located in the interior of the hole 20 and which form the walls or side walls of this hole 20. The layer sections 111 and 112 still lie on top of one another, because of the pulling action of the projection flank or flanks, these layer sections 111 and 112 extend over the entire depth of the layer body to the stabilization layer 2.

Since the stabilization layer 2 was likewise heated by the opposite roller during calendering, the material of the layer sections 111 and 112 melted together with the material of the stabilization layer 2. The layer sections 111 and 112 have become thinner as they are pulled down and therefore they can have a length which is greater than the diameter of the upper mouth 22 of the hole 20. In such circumstances, the thickness of the shoe insert can be greater than the diameter of the upper Mouth 22 of the recess 20 in the area of the cover layer 10. These relationships can be selected by the choice of the thickness of the individual layers, the The material of these layers, the dimensions of the projections and the choice of the temperature used can be varied.

It can be imagined that on the left and right of the hole 20 shown in FIG. 2 there is another hole 20 of practically the same design in the shoe insert. For this purpose, one can imagine that the image according to FIG. 2 is divided into two halves along a vertical plane in the center of the hole 20, that these halves are interchanged and that the broken-off parts of the halves are connected to one another.

The inner and lower edges 13 of the layer sections 111 and 112 (FIG. 2) in the adjacent holes 20 are, as has been explained, welded together with the adjacent edge 14 of the stabilization layer 2. The layer sections 111 and 112 in a hole 20 together form a flank 15. The flanks 15 in two adjacent holes 20 together with the part 16 of the undeformed partial layers 11 and 12 of the cover layer 10 lying between these flanks 15 form a skin 25 which forms the underneath lying section 17 of the absorbent layer 1 covers. The skin 25 is three-dimensional because, in fact, it also extends to the other neighboring holes 20. Between this skin 25 and the section 18 of the stabilization layer 2 lying at the bottom is the absorbent section 17 included. This section 17 of the absorbent layer 1 is also compressed between the skin 25 and the stabilizing layer 2, which is the consequence of the way in which the holes 20 are produced with the aid of the calender.

The shoe insert has a very large number of holes 20, which can be combined into patterns of a suitable shape. 3 shows an example of such a pattern. 3 shows a section of FIG. 1. In the pattern shown, the holes 20 form hexagons 5, 6 and 7. A hole 20 is made in each corner and in the middle of each side of the hexagons 5 to 7 . The skin 25 extends between two adjacent holes 20, which, when viewed in a vertical section, can also be referred to as a bridge. 2, the skin 25 appears rather as such a bridge. The skin 25 extends not only between the adjacent holes 20 of one of the hexagons but also between the holes 20 of adjacent hexagons 5 and 6 and 7, which requires the spatial shape of the skin 25.

The skin 25 is curved and, as explained, the end portions 13 of the same are welded onto the edges 14 of the stabilization layer 2. The curved sections 25 of the cover layer 10, thanks to their three-dimensional shape, have a very considerable one Stiffness. The sections 15 and 16 of the cover layer 10 stretched between the ends 13 of the skin 25 thus stiffen those sections 18 of the stabilization layer 2 which extend between the opposite welding sites of a skin 25. The stabilization layer 2, which is flexible on its own, experiences an enormous stiffening due to the connection with the individual sections 25 of the cover layer 20, so that the shoe insert thereby gains the extraordinary rigidity in the end. In this case, it is immaterial whether the hole 20 also continues in the stabilization layer 2 or whether it ends at this layer 2. It is only decisive that the edges 13 of the skin 25 are welded together with the stabilizing layer 2. As can be seen from FIG. 1, the diameter of the holes 20 is significantly smaller than the distance between two adjacent holes 20. The weakening which the shoe insert experiences through the respective hole 20 is even more than compensated for by the rigidity of the skin 25 lying between them .

The fibers of the stabilization layer 2 are held together by a binder. Since it is a longitudinal layer nonwoven, the inherent stiffness of the nonwoven is greater in the longitudinal direction thereof, ie in the longitudinal direction of the fibers forming the nonwoven, than in the transverse direction thereof. It is therefore advantageous if the direction of the fibers in the fleece of the stabilization layer 2 coincides with the longitudinal direction of the shoe insert.

The shoe insert can contain active ingredient capsules with deodorant and / or bactericide. These active ingredients are in the form of a liquid, which are enclosed in microfine gelatin capsules or the like. The capsules can be deposited in the top layer 10 and / or in the absorbent layer 1. Under the influence of body heat and changing loads on the shoe insert, the capsules are blown up and the contents of the capsules are released. Since all capsules are not blown up immediately, the active ingredient can be released over a longer period of time.

In the production of the present shoe insert, the individual layers 1, 2 and 10 are produced separately from one another as individual sheets. Methods known per se can be used to produce such webs. The cover layer 10 is then welded together with the absorbent layer 1 in a process known per se and these are then brought together with the stabilization layer 2. This three-layer web is treated in a calender. At least one of the rolls of the calender is provided with projections, the cross section of which corresponds to the desired cross section of the holes 20 in the finished product. These protrusions are over the area of the Roll distributed according to the pattern that is desired for the shoe insert. The height of the protrusions is equal to the height or thickness of the finished shoe insert or it can be a little smaller than this. The rollers of the calender are heated to a temperature during the manufacturing process which corresponds to the properties of the materials selected for the layered web. The distance between the calender rolls is set so that the projections penetrate the supplied sheet web completely or almost completely, so that one can speak of punching the sheet web rather than stamping it.

The compressed sections of the absorbent layer 1 form cushions, which considerably increase the comfort when using this shoe insert. To achieve the same effect, one would have to use a lot more material in the known shoe insoles. The welded-together fibers of the layers 2, 11 and 12 also cause the individual layers of the shoe insert to hold together without additional manufacturing steps being necessary to achieve the cohesion mentioned.

The cover layer 10 keeps the product stable and it is responsible for ensuring that the shoe insert does not disintegrate even in the moist medium and when subjected to weight and movement.

The cover layer 10 also acts as a membrane and absorbent to the absorbent layer 1. The inner layer 12 acts as the absorbent, in this way the cover layer 10 conveys a feeling of dryness when the present insert is used.

The absorbent layer 1 absorbs foot sweat and bacteria and stores them. If it contains a bactericide, fungicide or the like, the organisms in question can be killed.

Claims (8)

1. Insole, with an absorbent layer (1), characterized in that the absorbent layer (1) is arranged on a stabilization layer (2) and in that this stabilization layer (2) is designed in such a manner that it imparts to the insole the stiffness necessary to insert the same into a shoe.
2. Insole according to Claim 1, characterized in that the stabilization layer (2) is made from a fibrous material, in that this material is sealable, in that the fibres run predominantly in the same direction and in that the fibre direction in the stabilization layer (2) practically coincides with or corresponds to the longitudinal direction of the insole, the material of the stabilization layer advantageously being a fleece or a tissue.
3. Insole according to Claim 1, characterized in that the absorbent layer (1) contains cotton fibres and/or viscose fibres which are held together with the aid of a binding fibre, advantageously with polyethylene fibre.
4. Insole according to Claim 1, characterized in that a covering layer (10) is situated on the absorbent layer (1) and in that this covering layer (10) is designed in such a manner that it at least acts as a membrane and absorption agent to the absorbent layer.
5. Insole according to Claim 4, characterized in that the covering layer (10) has two part layers (11, 12) which contain different fibres, in that the fibres of the first layer or component (11) can be made of polypropylene and the fibres of the second layer or component (12) of polyethylene and in that, in the transition area between these two fibre layers (11, 12), there is an intermediate layer made from a meltable-fibre fleece (11, 12).
6. Insole according to Claim 6, characterized in that the covering layer (10) and/or the absorbent layer (1) contains active ingredient capsules which can contain deodorant, fungicide or bactericide.
7. Insole according to Claim 4, characterized in that it comprises depressions (20) which extend from the upper side (22) of the insole at least as far as the stabilization layer (2), in that the side walls (15) of these depressions (20) are formed by continuations of the material of the covering layer (10) and in that the edges (13) of these material continuations (15) are connected to the stabilization layer (2).
8. Process for the manufacture of the insole according to Claim 1, characterized in that a web, which includes the absorbent layer (1), the stabilization layer (2) and the covering layer (10), is stamped or pressed, under the action of heat, to such a depth that the material of the covering layer (10) is connected to the material of the stabilization layer (2) and in that the individual insoles are cut out from a web which has been treated in such a manner.

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