EP1093729A1

EP1093729A1 - Sole for shoes with forced ventilation system

Info

Publication number: EP1093729A1
Application number: EP00830682A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Carmel Buttigieg
Original assignee: Yamamoto Ltd
Current assignee: Yamamoto Ltd
Priority date: 1999-10-21
Filing date: 2000-10-19
Publication date: 2001-04-25

Abstract

This forced ventilation system is composed basically by a plastic box (11) located in the rear part of the sole connected with a flow-conveyor through one or more tubes (17,18) joined to one or more pneumatic valves.

Its essential role is founded on the principle that its compression every step generates a forced ventilation internally the sole and consequently internally the shoe.

This system can be closed by a special cap (23), excluding this process.

Description

The present invention relates to a sole for shoes with a forced ventilation system.
Who operates in the field of shoes, and particularly sport shoes, has the basic targets of the cushioning and the air circulation inside the shoe.
The most important fact which depreciates all the inventions for this purpose is that generally the air suction is made through pneumatic devices, generally called "pumps", made in plastics or rubber, located in the heel area, which have not the needed force for an instantaneous recovery effect each step and, at present state of the art , do not forecast any flow conveyor able to store and to direct the air of this area to the pump and any possibility of closing.
Our invention forecasts two possibilities of air circulation : to suck outside the air and to inject it internally the sole or to suck the air internally the sole and to discharge it outside.
In this description only this second work is described because more important.
In the systems actually known, the pump, the real engine of the system, as shown in Fig.1 and Fig. 2, generally is a bladder (1) produced soldering the edges (2-3) of two plastic shells, separately produced with the process of the injection moulding. From a hole of this bladder a tube (4) comes out: The tube, which can be formed by two half tubes (4a-4b) soldered together, has two arms: one (5) is directed toward the external edge of the sole, the other one (6) is directed toward the inner part of the sole. The first one is joined to a pneumatic valve (7) which discharges air outside the sole, the second one is joined to a pneumatic valve (8) which sucks air internally the sole.
These air circulation systems work badly, comparing with this invented system, for the following reasons.

-The pumping device.

The bladder (1) generally has a low reactivity because its own construction, because its shape and because the used material, for these reasons it does not make the full suction within 200 milliseconds between two steps and therefore it works partially: this bladder (1) can not suck the humidity and the bad smells. Its soldering may be the cause of a breaking.
Our system forecasts two kinds of reactive pumping devices which instantaneously put in motion the whole system with a very strong force.

- The flow-conveyor.

In these systems the tube (6), joined to the valve (8), sucks in a random way and only in a little area (9) where no device to store and to discharge air, humidity and smells are foreseen. Therefore the consequent suction is very little.
Our system, as shown in Figs. 3, 4a and 4b, forecasts a flow conveyor (30a) in the plant area which stores and conveys the air, humidity and smell through the pneumatic valves (19) joined to the tubes (17-18) connected to the pump (10) which discharges air, humidity and smell through the pneumatic valve (19).

- The closing of the system.

These prior art systems do not forecast any possibility of closing. This fact can be boring specially during the night, because, evidently each step produces a little blowing, and it is totally useless if the user wears these shoes at very low temperature of the air.
It can be avoided using, as shown in Figs. 6a and 6b, the closing (40), subject of the present invention, which can exclude the whole system when the user does not need it.
When this system is closed, the pumping device becomes a very reactive element, being completely full of air, giving the heel area of the sole a special cushioning effect.
This invention relates about a new technology for the air circulation inside the soles formed by four essential elements : -1- the pump connected through one or more tubes to -2- one or more pneumatic valves, joined to -3- a flow conveyor, the whole system can be excluded using -4- a special cap which close the external valve.
In the drawings:

Figures 1 and 2 show a perspective view and a perspective detail of a prior art forced ventilation sole;
Figure 3 shows a schematic plan view of the sole according to the invention;
Figures 4a and 4b show the pumping system in the inflated and compressed condition respectively;
Figure 5 is a schematic top plan view of the pump;
Figures 6a and 6b show the closing system and its application to the sole respectively;
Figure 7 shows a first type of reactive element;
Figure 8 shows a second type of reactive element;
Figure 9 shows a box for containing the reactive element;
Figures 10 and 11 show the pneumatic valve in an assembled and, respectively, exploded sectional view;
Figure 12 shows another type of reactive element;
Figure 13 is a partial sectional view of the reactive element of figure 12;
Figure 14 shows the flow conveyor connected to the pump system;
Figure 15 shows how the flow conveyor works;
Figure 16 shows a variation of the flow conveyor of Figure 14; and
Figure 17, A, B, C, shows the operation of the sole of the invention during a step.

-1- The pump.

In order to give the system a special suction force, the pump can be produced without reactive elements inside (case A) or with them (case B).

- Case (A) : Pumps without special reactive elements inside.

In Figs. 3, 4a, 4b and 5 there is shown how this pump is made and how it works.
Two aspects are to be considered : the mechanical one and the pneumatic one.

Mechanical aspect.

Firstly this plastic device is produced with the technology of the rotational molding, the only process which allows the pump's shape as here described, and using thermoplastic resins with a high elastic modulus. With this technology the soldering of two shells is avoided and this pump will be produced in only one body with the consequence that, during its continuous work, it will not have any possibility of break. It is formed by three parts. The upper part (10) is dome-shaped, and located over the line (x-x) which corresponds to the inner surface of the sole being in direct contact with the heel. It is the real part in motion which generates the air flow. The medial part of the pump (11), between the section x-x and y-y, is located in the medial part of the sole whose role is to be the tank of the air which will be moved, it has the same elasticity of the upper part. The lower part (12) is located in the lower part of the sole and here all the connections with the tubes are made. This part has no elasticity being formed by a solid structure.
In Fig. 4a the pump is in its natural position and uncompressed.
In Fig. 4b the pump is compressed by the heel (20) and therefore the upper part (10) enters the medial part (11) bringing the axis x-x until the axis y-y forming a mechanical structure like a leaf spring and therefore very reactive with the consequence that, once the heel does not touch the upper part, the medial part reacts to return immediately to its natural position. During this movement the air contained into the pump is moved inside and outside the sole because its pneumatic devices.

Pneumatic aspects.

As said before in the lower part (12) of the pump the connections of these tubes are pre-formed (see Fig. 5). One or more connections (13-14), directed to the inner part of the sole, come out from this base, into these connections one or more tubes (17-18) are inserted, with a different length in order to reach different zones of the sole.
To these tubes the pneumatic valves (19) are inserted. Evidently these valves can be inserted directly into the connections (13-14) and the tubes (17-18) connected with them, making the same pneumatic work.
Laterally this base (12) one connection (15) comes out.
This connection is directly joined with the invented pneumatic valves (19).
These valves can work for discharging air or for sucking it inverting their position.

-Case (B) : Pumps with special reactive elements inside.

An important recovery effect can be obtained using a special plastic box which incorporates reactive elements which give the pump a real and immediate recovery effect. These reactive elements, as shown in Fig. 7 and 8, can be the following:

a- One or more springs (60a),
b- One or more plastic bellows (60b).

- Use of the springs.

The applications of springs (case a) to a plastic device generally are based on the principle that two pins hold in the right position the spring : one enters the top, the upper coil, one enters the bottom , the lower coil. Inserting these boxes into the heel area of a sole, it was found that it is impossible to hold a metal spring with two plastic pins because a shoe's sole is a dynamic element, which must support tridimensional movements with the consequence that the metal tension of the spring wins the plastic tension of the pin, causing a breaking of the system.
This invention solves this problem relating how metal springs can be fixed in the proper way into a plastic system.
Firstly the spring (60a) has two or more coils, its best shape is the conical one. The upper coil enters the fixing pin (54a) pre-formed on the inner surface of the plastic cover (50b). In order to avoid any movement of the spring, the lower coil is fixed into the ring (55a) pre-formed on the inner surface of the lower plate (50a). This fixing is the tightest as possible because is done in this way. Using a transformer, which transforms the common voltage in low voltage and connecting its positive and negative poles with two copper thin plates, if the lower coil is put in contact with these two thin plates, a short circuit is generated and for the Joule effect this coil becomes incandescent and immediately inserted into the ring (55a), amalgamating metal with plastic. Following this way a perfect fixing is guaranteed which will avoid any movement. The use of the electricity with a transformer for this purpose allows a modular administration of the heating given the lower coil, avoiding the transfer of the heating to other coils otherwise they can lose their hardening.

- Use of the plastic bellows.

The use of the plastic bellows (case b) is an up-to-date fact due to the production of new technopolymers with an high elastic modulus, like the thermoplastic polyester elastomers, which confer them a fast recovery like a metal spring. They are produced with the process of the rotational moulding or the blowing moulding. These plastic bellows (60b), as shown in Fig. 8, are done with two or more convolutions. The upper convolution has a hole (56) which has a bigger diameter than the diameter of the corresponding pin (54b) pre-formed on the inner surface of the plastic cover (50d). The lower convolution has a reinforced base (58) with the same diameter of the corresponding pin (55b) pre-formed on the inner surface of the plastic plate (50c). Said base (58) is soldered with said plate (50c) with the process of high-frequency or ultra-sounds. Both these processes can guarantee a perfect soldering around the whole perimeter of the base of the bellows.
Being these bellows soldered to the lower plate (50c) and firmly joined to the upper cover (50d) and being produced with a plastic material with high elastic modulus, they will work in a very similar way to a spring.
Once these reactive elements, springs or bellows, are inserted into a plastic box (50), (see Fig. 9), this one will be closed soldering its external edges : 50a with 50b in Fig.5-D and 50c with 50d in Fig.5-E.
The plastic box (50) so composed will have in the rear part, or external part, of the plastic cover one or more holes (51), where one or more plastic gaskets (53) will be inserted, into these gaskets one or more tubes (17) will be joined. The last component is one or more pneumatic valves (19) which will be joined to the tubes (17). These valves have to be put with their head (23) externally.
In front of the box the system will be composed by: one or more holes (52) where the consequent valves (19) enter through one or more gaskets (53) into which one or more tubes (17) are joined. These valves have to be put with the head (23) internally.
These valves work each-other in an opposite way : when one is open the other one is closed and, as referred, inverting the sense of the valves also the sense of the air flow will be inverted : from discharging the air outside the sole to sucking the air inside it.
As referred, in this description only the case of discharging air outside the sole is mentioned.

-2- The pneumatic valve.

In Fig.10 and Fig. 11 the essential elements of the valve are shown.
Basically it is composed by a tube (21). Internally this tube two essential components are placed: a piston (26) or a sphere (27), both these elements have the role to close the inner hole (25), and a spring (24) whose role is to keep in the proper position the closing element : the piston or the sphere.
When these components are inserted , the valve is closed by the cap (23) which has internally a hole (22b) smaller than the hole (22a) of the tube (21). On the opposite side the valve has the hole (22a) into which the tube (17 or 18) enters. This tube may enter the tube (21) of the valve internally (17a-18a) or externally (17b-18b).

-3- The flow conveyor.

In order to suck more quantity of air, humidity and smell from the plantar side of the sole, the valves (19) or the tubes (17 or 18) will be placed, as shown in Fig. 3, into a special insert (30a), which will be called flow-conveyer, located in this area.
This device can be produced using different materials and different technologies.

a-Using a micro-porous material like ethylene-vinylacetate (EVA), or spongy rubber or latex, being these materials formed by open cells which, for this reason, allow a good air circulation. It is a flat sheet and its shape may be the whole shape of the plant of the foot or only the front part of this plant. For a better result this flat sheet has to be contained in a plastic blister which has the surface in contact wit the foot made with a plurality of holes. Its cost is very low.
b-Using the same materials of the point a, but with a surface composed by reactive elements, as shown in Fig.12 and Fig. 13, in this case the system will have a better conveyance of the air flow, also using only a tube (17 or 18). This material will have a very sharp base (31) and the surface exposed to the plant of the foot is not a flat sheet but it is formed by a plurality of semispheres (32) or truncated cones (33), which is covered by a sharp layer of leather or by a breathable cover, like the non woven fabric, being the surface in direct contact with the foot. This complex generates, when compressed, a movement of air (Fi) internally the whole conveyor.
c-Using a very common material already on the market, known with the commercial name "pluriball", produced with two coupled films of polyethylene, one is flat and the other one is formed by a plurality of semispheres which are totally full of air. This material is generally used for the packaging and obviously its cost is very low.

Obviously this material is not breathable but it will be covered, on the side in contact with the foot, by a sharp layer (37) of leather or breathable non woven fabric. In this case the foot will be in contact with this breathable layer which will have down a plurality of reactive elements, the semispheres. The pressure given by the foot on the breathable layer moves the volume of air contained between the semispheres (Fi).
The coupling of this "pluriball" with the upper layer may be done using a special glue, the only way to couple this material with leather, or with a thermic treatment in case of the non woven fabric.
Another way for obtaining a very good result for the suction of the air is to couple two layers of this material, pluriball, putting the semispherers in contact between them, to solder the external edges of the two layers together and to make some holes on the surface in contact with the foot. In this case the conveyor is like a wide blister with a plurality of reactive element inside, the semispheres, which reacting under the foot pressure generate the needed movement of air sucked by the holes of the external surface.
For the best result of the system, and in case to produce more expensive soles, the flow conveyor will have a plastic tank (35) as shown in Fig. 14. It is essentially a bladder, pre-formed with a plurality of holes (36) on the front part, and a hole (38) for the joint to the valve (19) in the rear part. It is fixed to the flow conveyor soldering its edges (39) to the sheet (31). Its role is to give more sucking force to the air circulation around the entire flow conveyer and to direct it toward the tubes (17 or 18) and to the pump which, with its natural force, will discharge the air outside (Fd) through the valve (19) as shown in Fig. 15.
This flow conveyor when compressed generates a movement of air which will be sucked directly by the tube (17 or 18) or by one or more arms (34) derived by the same tube, as shown in Fig. 16. This tube, and eventually these arms, for a better result will be produced with a plurality of holes (34a), in order to suck more quantity of air in more points of the conveyor.

-4- The closing of the system.

A very important fact for a better use of this system is the closing of the external valves (19). As said before sometimes who wears this kind of shoes may prefer to exclude the air flow.
For this purpose a special cap is invented for closing the cap (23) of the valve.
This cap is produced with the process of the injection moulding, using thermoplastic resins and, as shown in Figs. 6a and 6b, this cap is formed by the following parts.
It is a little sheet (40) whose inner surface is glued to the edge of the outer sole (47). On the inner part it has two or more pins (44) which enter the hollowed parts of the sole (46). Another pin (43) is not glued to the sole but in contrast with it in the point (45). Another pin (42) enters the hole (22b) of the cap (23), this pin is the real closing element.
How this closing works.
The user pushes or pulls with a finger, which enters the hollowed part (48) of the outer sole, the free part (41) of the sheet (40) in order to close or to open the valve. In Fig. 17 the dynamics of the whole system is shown, referring, as said, to the discharging of the air outside the sole.
Firstly the three phases of a step :
-A- The impact phase, -B- The rolling phase, -C- The push-off phase.
In the impact phase -A- the heel, touching the ground, compresses the rear part of the pump, which, in this drawing is that one with special reactive elements inside (50), evidently also the pump without special reactive elements inside works in the same way.
In this instant a big volume of air contained into the pump will be discharged outside it because the sphere (27) of the valve (19) inserted in the rear part (R), being pushed by the same air, leaves opened the hole (25) from where the air flows.
This sphere can not go to close the hole (22a) of the cap (23) because the reaction of the spring (24) leaving free this hole (22a) for the exit of the air. Therefore, in this case, the valve is opened (O). At the opposite side of the pump, the front part (F) directed toward the sole, the air flow, passing through the hole (22a) presses the sphere (27) which closes the inner hole (25) of the valve and does not permit any exit of air and the spring keeps in the right position the sphere. Therefore, in this case, the valve is closed ( C ).
In the plant area where the flow conveyor (32a), joined to the tube (17-18) which is connected to the valve (F) is located, is obviously uncompressed and full of air.
In the rolling phase -B- the whole foot is touching the ground, therefore even the front part of the pump is compressed and all the air contained in the pump is discharged outside. In this phase as the valves, as the flow conveyor are in the same position of the phase (A).
In the push-off phase -C- the plant of the foot is leaving the ground and, making this movement, compresses the retractile elements (32-33) of the flow conveyor and the air contained between them moves through the tank (35) and the tubes (17-18) inflating the pump. In this phase, for the opposite circumstances of the phase (A) the valve located in the front side (F) is opened (O), the valve located in the rear side ( R ) is closed (C) and the flow conveyor is obviously totally empty of air.

Claims

A sole for shoes with a forced ventilation system inside characterised in that it comprises four essential elements : the pump, whose role is to move the air contained into the sole; the pneumatic valves, joined to the correspondent tubes, whose role is to direct the air; the flow conveyor whose role is to store the air and a special cap for the closing of the whole system.
The sole according to claim 1, wherein the pump, located in the heel area, is produced without special reactive elements inside because the recovery effect for an immediate suction and ejection of air depends by the special technopolymers used for its production, by the process of rotational moulding used for its production, and by its own special construction, where the upper part (10) is dome-shaped and, when compressed, enters the medial part (11) which reacts under the foot compression and a lower part (12) where a connection (15) joined to an external pneumatic valve (19) and one or more internal tubes (17-18) are made; its shape is circular or oval and its size differs depending upon the size of the sole, it is made without any soldered point because the technology of rotational moulding.
The sole according to claim 1, wherein the pump, located in the heel area is a plastic box whose shape is rectangular and its size differs depending upon the size of the sole, it is formed by two parts the upper cover (50b) and the lower plate (50a), produced with the process of the injection moulding using low density thermoplastic resins, said plastic box having an interior, said cover (50b) having an edge (59a) and said lower plate (50a) having an edge (58a), said edge of the lower plate being soldered to said edge of the cover, said plastic cover has in the rear or external side one or more holes (51) where one or more plastic gaskets (53) are inserted, into these gaskets one or more tubes (17) are joined to which one or more pneumatic valves (19) are joined with their cap (23) put externally the box, said cover has on its front side one or more holes (52) where one or more valves (19), put with their cap (23) internally, enter through one or more gasket (53) into which one or more tubes (17) are placed; before said soldering of the cover with the lower plate, one or more metal springs (60a) are put inside this plastic box, said springs have two or more coils, the upper coil enters the fixing pin (54a) pre-formed on the inner surface of the plastic cover (50b) and the lower coil is fixed into the ring (55a) pre-formed on the inner surface of the lower plate (50a), said fixing is done using a transformer which transforms the common voltage in low voltage and connecting the negative and positive poles to two copper plates a Joule effect is generated making incandescent this lower coil, which, in contact with the ring (55a) is amalgamated with it.
The sole according to claim 1, wherein the pump, located in the heel area, is a plastic box identical to the box of claim 3 where the reactive elements are one or more plastic bellows (60b), said box having an interior and being composed by an upper cover (50d) and a lower plate (50c), said cover having an edge (59b), said lower plate having an edge (58b), said edge of the lower plate being soldered to said edge of the cover, said plastic bellows are inserted before this soldering and are produced with two or more convolutions, the upper convolution has a hole (56), said hole has a bigger diameter than the diameter of the correspondent pin (54b) pre-formed on the inner surface of the cover (50d), the lower convolution has a reinforced base (58), said base enters the correspondent ring (55b), to which is soldered, pre-formed on the inner surface of the lower plate (50c) and being produced with thermoplastic resins with high elastic modulus will confer to the box an extraordinary recovery effect.
The sole according to claim 1, wherein the pneumatic valves (19) whose role is to direct the air flow are composed by a tube (21), into said tube two components are placed : the closing element and the spring (24), said closing element is a plastic piston (26) or a sphere (27) their role is to close the inner hole (25) of the tube (21), said tube is closed by the side of the two components with a cap (23), said cap has internally a hole (22b), said tube has on the opposite side a hole (22a) into which the tube (17 or 18) , which is the real pipeline of the air flow, enters internally (17a-18a) or externally (17b-18b), said valves work each-other in an opposition way therefore when one is open the other one is closed and inverting their sense also the sense of the air circulation is inverted from discharging air outside the sole to sucking air inside it and vice versa.
The sole according to claim 1, wherein the flow conveyor is produced with a flat sheet of micro-porous material formed by open cells (30a), which confers to the system a good air circulation, said air circulation, due to its open cells, is obtained also using a spongy rubber or latex, said sheet has a shape identical to the inner sole or identical to the plant area of the inner sole, or a part of it, said flow conveyor, for a better work, has to be contained in a plastic blister where some holes are made on the surface in contact with the foot.
The sole according to claim 1, wherein the flow conveyor is produced with the same materials of claim 3, composed by a sharp base (31) the interior of said base has a surface formed by a plurality of reactive elements as semispheres (32) or truncated cones (33), said reactive elements are covered by a sharp layer of breathable cover.
The sole according to claim 1, wherein the flow conveyor is formed by a product produced coupling two layers of a plastic film where the lower one is flat and the upper one is formed by a plurality of semispheres totally full of air and where, among them, the air can circulate, said material is covered by a breathable layer, said coupling is done with special glues or with a thermic treatment, a very good suction of air is obtained coupling two layers of this product together putting the semispheres in contact between them soldering the external edges of the two layers and making a plurality of holes on the surface in contact with the foot.
The sole according to claim 1, wherein the flow conveyor has a plastic blister in the rear part, where the pipeline enters in (38), whose role is to be the tank (35) of the air circulating into the conveyor, whose shape is circular, oval or a part of these shapes, said blister is pre-formed with a plurality of holes (36) on its front part its edge is soldered to the lower sheet (31) of the conveyor.
The sole according to claim 1, wherein the valve (19) is joined to a tube (17-18) which in the part which enters the flow conveyor has a plurality of holes (34a) made for a better suction of air internally the flow conveyor.
The sole according to claim 1, wherein the cap (23) of the external valve is closed by a closing, said closing is a little sheet (40) whose inner surface is glued to the edge of the outer sole (47), on its inner part it has one or more pins (44) which enter the hollowed parts (46)of the sole, another pin (43) is not glued to the sole but in contrast with it, another pin (42) enters the hole (22b) of the cap (23) being the real closing element, on the external surface of said sheet (40) the name of the producer or the name of the wearer or other words can be impressed.
The sole according to claim 1, wherein the layer (37), which covers the flow conveyor, before its fixing to the reactive elements (32) of the base (31) is pre - soaked by perfumed and/or antibacterial essences or other products made for the foot care.