EP1943913A1 - Modulare Schuhkonstruktion - Google Patents

Modulare Schuhkonstruktion Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1943913A1
EP1943913A1 EP08250143A EP08250143A EP1943913A1 EP 1943913 A1 EP1943913 A1 EP 1943913A1 EP 08250143 A EP08250143 A EP 08250143A EP 08250143 A EP08250143 A EP 08250143A EP 1943913 A1 EP1943913 A1 EP 1943913A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
outsole
midsole
plate
footwear construction
heel
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.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP08250143A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
Deborah H. Andersen
Grant A. Urie
Federica Elmo
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Wolverine World Wide Inc
Original Assignee
Wolverine World Wide Inc
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Wolverine World Wide Inc filed Critical Wolverine World Wide Inc
Publication of EP1943913A1 publication Critical patent/EP1943913A1/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A43—FOOTWEAR
    • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
    • A43B3/00—Footwear characterised by the shape or the use
    • A43B3/24—Collapsible or convertible
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A43—FOOTWEAR
    • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
    • A43B13/00—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units
    • A43B13/02—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units characterised by the material
    • A43B13/026—Composites, e.g. carbon fibre or aramid fibre; the sole, one or more sole layers or sole part being made of a composite
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A43—FOOTWEAR
    • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
    • A43B13/00—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units
    • A43B13/02—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units characterised by the material
    • A43B13/12—Soles with several layers of different materials
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A43—FOOTWEAR
    • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
    • A43B17/00—Insoles for insertion, e.g. footbeds or inlays, for attachment to the shoe after the upper has been joined
    • A43B17/14—Insoles for insertion, e.g. footbeds or inlays, for attachment to the shoe after the upper has been joined made of sponge, rubber, or plastic materials
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A43—FOOTWEAR
    • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
    • A43B3/00—Footwear characterised by the shape or the use
    • A43B3/0036—Footwear characterised by the shape or the use characterised by a special shape or design
    • A43B3/0047—Footwear characterised by the shape or the use characterised by a special shape or design parts having a male and corresponding female profile to fit together, e.g. form-fit

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to footwear, and more particularly to an environmentally friendly modular footwear construction.
  • Footwear including a midsole typically is constructed with a process in which the midsole is "direct attached” to the upper in a mold.
  • an outsole is glued to the midsole, opposite the upper.
  • Other attachment methods include various combinations of stitching and adhesive between one or more of the upper, outsole and midsole. Many of these methods are longstanding, but some concerns have been raised with regard to their environmental impact, particularly with regard to the nature of the adhesives that are commonly used.
  • the present invention provides a modular footwear construction including an upper and a removable outsole that can be secured together without adhesives.
  • the present invention is directed to a footwear construction including an upper, a removable outsole and a removable footbed.
  • the upper includes a bottom having a tread surface.
  • the outsole includes a bottom that extends underneath the bottom of the upper and also includes tread surface.
  • the footbed fits inside the upper and includes both a cushioning midsole and a structural plate. The midsole and the plate each have structure that enables a mechanical interlock therebetween.
  • the footwear construction includes an attachment mechanism for removably attaching the outsole to the upper.
  • the attachment mechanism includes a first position in which the outsole is secured to the upper and a second position in which the outsole can be manually removed from the upper by the wearer.
  • the attachment mechanism may be a heel strap that extends between the outsole and the upper and interfits with a protrusion on the upper.
  • the attachment mechanism includes a toe cap on the outsole that extends over a toe portion of the upper, and a forefoot strap on the outsole that extends over a forefoot portion of the upper.
  • the removable outsole allows the wearer to convert back-and-forth between a rugged, outdoor shoe with the outsole attached, and a slipper-like, indoor shoe with the outsole removed.
  • the tread surface on the bottom of the upper provides an attractive, functional and clean, article of footwear for the wearer to wear while indoors.
  • the mechanical interlock between the midsole and the structural plate, and the attachment mechanism between the upper and the outsole provide a glueless, and therefore environmentally friendly, footwear construction.
  • Fig. 1 One embodiment of the present invention is shown in Fig. 1 and is generally designated 10.
  • the invention generally includes an outsole 12, an upper 14, a midsole 16 and a plate 18.
  • the components are capable of fitting together in a glueless arrangement, with the upper 14 being removable from the outsole 12.
  • the outsole 12 may be manufactured from a wide variety of conventional sole materials, such as natural and synthetic rubbers, leather, PVC, EVA and polyurethane. In one embodiment, the outsole 12 is formed by injection molding, but it may be formed by a variety of methods. As shown in Figs. 10-12 , the outsole 12 includes a bottom 20 having an upper surface 22 and a lower, ground engaging surface 24. The ground engaging surface may include one of a wide variety of tread patterns, including grooves 26 and raised protrusions 28. A sidewall 30 extends upwardly from the upper surface 22 of the bottom 20. The sidewall 30 may include a forefoot portion 32, an arch portion 34, a heel portion 36, an inner surface 37 and an outer surface 39.
  • the sidewall extends around the entire outsole 12.
  • the sidewall 30 may extend upwardly from only selected portions of the bottom 20.
  • the sidewall 30 includes an upper edge 40, and the sidewall gradually curves inwardly as it approaches the edge 40.
  • the sidewall may include a toe portion 38 having an upwardly extending part 42, and an inwardly extending part 44 that wraps the sidewall 30 over a portion of the upper (as described below) and the users' toes.
  • the outsole 12 includes a strap 46 that extends from the upper edge 40 of the sidewall 30 over the top of the user's foot in the forefoot portion 32 of the outsole 12.
  • the strap 46 is comprised of a pair of extensions 48, 50 that extend from opposite sides of the upper edge 40.
  • the extensions 48, 50 may be formed integrally with the outsole 12, for instance, by molding them integrally with the outsole 12.
  • the extensions 48, 50 each include an end 52, 54, and the ends 52, 54 are joined by an elastic connector 56.
  • the elastic connector 56 includes a pair of protrusions 60a-b that extend through holes in the ends 52, 54 of the extensions 48, 50 to attach the connector 56 to the extensions 48, 50.
  • the connector 56 may be attached to the extensions by another method, such as stitching. The connector 56 may otherwise be eliminated, such that the extensions 48, 50 are a single piece that extends over the forefoot.
  • the outsole 12 may also include connector for connecting the outsole 12 to the upper (described in more detail below).
  • the connector is a heel strap 64 may be a narrow strip of flexible material that extends from the heel portion 36 of the outsole 12.
  • the heel strap 64 is comprised of fabric, which may be the same fabric as the upper 14 to give the appearance that the strap 64 extends from the upper 14.
  • the heel strap 64 includes a first end 66 (shown in Fig. 11 ) that is stitched to the inner surface 37 of the sidewall 30.
  • the sidewall 30 includes a hole 68 in the heel portion 36, and the heel strap includes a second end 70 that extends though the hole 68.
  • the second end 70 is capable of attaching to another portion of the shoe 10, such as the upper 14, by a conventional method.
  • the second end 70 includes a plastic insert 72 connected to the fabric, the insert includes a hole 74 and a slit 76 for receiving a protrusion 96 on the component that the strap 64 will attach to.
  • the heel strap 64 is movable between an attached position (shown in solid lines) wherein the protrusion 96 is received in the hole 74 to secure the upper 14 to the outsole 12, and an unattached position (shown in phantom lines) wherein the strap 64 is removed from the protrusion 96 to allow the upper to be removed from the outsole 12.
  • the strap 64 may include a snap fastener, Velcro®, or another attachment mechanism.
  • the upper 14 includes a bottom 80, vamp 82, quarters 84, 86, and a heel panel 88.
  • the upper 14 may be comprised of a wide variety of materials, such as fabric, leather, vinyl, and other known materials, and is generally sized to fit snugly within the sidewall 30 of the outsole 12.
  • the bottom 80 of the upper 14 includes an upper surface 90 (shown in Fig. 7 ) and a lower surface 92 (shown in Fig. 9 ).
  • the lower surface 92 may be designed to be a ground engaging surface, for instance, by including a grip material 94 attached to the lower surface 92 in a desired pattern.
  • the heel panel 88 includes an outwardly extending protrusion 96.
  • the protrusion 96 includes a shaft 98 with a knob 100 at the end, such that the protrusion 96 can be inserted through the hole 74 in the heel strap 64 on the outsole 12.
  • the heel panel 88 may include another mechanical fastening mechanism for attaching to the outsole 12.
  • the midsole 16 and the plate 18 fit inside the upper 14 to form a cushioned, stabilizing footbed.
  • the midsole 16 is formed from EVA or another cushioning material, and includes a peripheral edge 102 having the general shape of the bottom 80 of the upper 14.
  • the midsole 16 further includes an upper surface 104, a lower surface 106, a heel portion 108, an arch portion 110 and a forefoot portion 112.
  • a sock liner (not shown) is attached to the upper surface 104.
  • the sock liner may be comprised of fabric, and may be attached to the upper surface 104 by one of a variety of conventional methods, such as an adhesive, or by direct attach molding the midsole 16 to the sock liner 114. As shown in Fig.
  • the lower surface 106 of the midsole 16 includes a plurality of protrusions 116 for forming a mechanical interlock with the plate 18.
  • the midsole 16 includes two protrusions 116a-b in the heel portion 108, three protrusions 116c-e in the arch portion 110, and six protrusions 116f-k in the forefoot portion.
  • the midsole 16 may include more or less protrusions 116 and the protrusions 116 may be placed in different locations, for instance, the protrusions 116c-e in the arch portion 110 may be eliminated.
  • each said protrusion 116 is shaped to interlock with portions of the plate 18.
  • each protrusion 116 is undercut with angled edges 121, such that its cross-section increases as it approaches an outer edge 118.
  • the protrusions may have a different cross-sectional shape.
  • the plate 18 fits within the upper 14 between the midsole 16 and the bottom 80 if the upper 14.
  • the plate 18 is comprised of a rigid or semi-rigid material to add a degree of stiffness to the upper 14 and midsole 16.
  • the plate 18 may be injection molded from TPU, TPR or PVC.
  • the plate 18 may alternatively be manufactured from other materials, such as nylon, rubber, synthetic rubber or silicone, but it is likely that the insert 16 would not be manufactured by injection molding if any of these alternative materials was used.
  • the plate 18 includes an upper surface 117, a lower surface 119, a forefoot portion 120, an arch portion 122 and a heel portion 124, and is generally shaped to correspond to the shape of the midsole 16.
  • the plate 18 could be smaller than the midsole, for instance, by not extending into the forefoot portion 120.
  • the plate 18 is designed to mechanically interlock with the midsole 16. This allows the midsole 16 and plate 18 to be connected, if desired, without the use of adhesives.
  • the plate 18 includes a plurality of holes 123 that align with the protrusions 116 on the midsole 16, such that each hole 123 can receive a protrusion 116 to interlock the midsole 16 and the plate 18.
  • each hole 123 may be cut to have a cross-sectional shape that increases the interlock with the midsole 16. In the illustrated embodiment, shown in Fig.
  • each hole 123 is cut from the plate 18 with an angular cut so that the cross-section of the hole 123 narrows from the lower surface 119 to the upper surface 117, creating an interference fit between each undercut protrusion 116 and each hole 123.
  • the cross-sectional shape of the holes 123 may be varied to correspond to different cross-sections of the protrusions 116.
  • Manufacture of the shoe construction 10 includes forming each of the outsole 12, upper 14, midsole 16 and plate 18 separately, and then assembling the components together.
  • the components may be assembled into the shoe construction 10 without the use of glue.
  • the midsole 16 and plate 18 are mechanically interlocked, for instance, by fitting the protrusions 116 on the midsole 16 into corresponding holes 123 on the plate 18 (shown in Fig. 15 ).
  • the interlocked midsole 16 and plate 18 are then inserted into the upper 14 (see Fig. 17 ), so that the bottom surface 119 of the plate 18 engages the upper surface 90 of the bottom 80 of the upper 14.
  • the upper 14 is then inserted into the outsole 12 (see Fig.
  • the vamp 82 extends under the strap 46 of the outsole and the lower surface 92 of the bottom 80 of the upper 14 engages the upper surface 22 of the outsole 12.
  • the rigidity of the plate 18 helps to wedge the upper 14 against the sidewall 30 of the outsole to hold the upper 12 in the outsole 12.
  • the heel strap 64 is then moved to the attached position by fastening it to the protrusion 96 to secure the outsole 12 to the upper 14. In use, a user can remove the outsole 12 without taking off the shoe 10 by unfastening the heel strap 64 and pulling the outsole 12 from the upper 14.
  • Figs. 21 and 22 show two alternative embodiments of the upper 14' and 14", wherein the vamp, quarters, and heel portion are varied.
  • Fig. 22 shows a lace-up style upper
  • Fig. 21 shows a boot style upper.

Landscapes

  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Footwear And Its Accessory, Manufacturing Method And Apparatuses (AREA)
EP08250143A 2007-01-14 2008-01-11 Modulare Schuhkonstruktion Withdrawn EP1943913A1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US88488707P 2007-01-14 2007-01-14

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1943913A1 true EP1943913A1 (de) 2008-07-16

Family

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP08250143A Withdrawn EP1943913A1 (de) 2007-01-14 2008-01-11 Modulare Schuhkonstruktion

Country Status (3)

Country Link
US (1) US20080168681A1 (de)
EP (1) EP1943913A1 (de)
JP (1) JP2008178687A (de)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2014083886A1 (ja) * 2012-11-29 2014-06-05 Ishikawa Atsuhiro 運動用履物

Families Citing this family (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2009041997A1 (en) 2007-09-24 2009-04-02 Bradley Castellano Leg lift device and associated method
US20100126514A1 (en) * 2007-09-24 2010-05-27 Bradley Castellano Leg lift device and associated method
US8205357B2 (en) * 2008-05-29 2012-06-26 K-Swiss, Inc. Interchangeable midsole system
US8516723B2 (en) 2008-10-08 2013-08-27 Nike, Inc. Midfoot insert construction
US8333024B2 (en) 2008-10-08 2012-12-18 Nike, Inc. Article of footwear for dancing
US20100236100A1 (en) * 2009-03-20 2010-09-23 Shu Tzu Ho Composite shoe
JP5162620B2 (ja) * 2010-04-27 2013-03-13 京セラドキュメントソリューションズ株式会社 部材移動機構及び画像形成装置
US9936760B2 (en) * 2011-01-26 2018-04-10 Deckers Outdoor Corporation Injection molded shoe frame and method
US8991071B2 (en) * 2011-06-13 2015-03-31 Crocs, Inc. Systems and methods for side snap footbeds
US20130047463A1 (en) * 2011-08-30 2013-02-28 Wilian Baduay Menezes Shoe with elastic upper
US20140223770A1 (en) * 2013-02-12 2014-08-14 Nike, Inc. Footwear Assembly With Inner And Outer Articles
DE102015200523B4 (de) * 2015-01-15 2022-06-30 Adidas Ag Modularer Schuh
US10842223B2 (en) * 2016-01-15 2020-11-24 Nike, Inc. Footwear with internal chassis and/or indexed sock liner

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2124473A (en) * 1982-06-26 1984-02-22 Mizuno Kk Shoe insole
US4510700A (en) * 1982-09-30 1985-04-16 Brown Dennis N Variably adjustable shoe inserts
DE4234791A1 (de) * 1992-10-15 1994-04-21 Christian Cornelius Kombinationsschuh
US20040128863A1 (en) * 2002-11-12 2004-07-08 Blue Marble Gear, Llc Footwear component system
WO2004103105A1 (en) 2003-05-16 2004-12-02 The Timberland Company Modular shoe

Family Cites Families (8)

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US997657A (en) * 1908-06-15 1911-07-11 Charles Leonard Drake Sporting-shoe.
US4377042A (en) * 1979-07-30 1983-03-22 Peter Bauer Footwear having removable sole
US4930231A (en) * 1989-02-07 1990-06-05 Liu Su H Shoe sole structure
US5187883A (en) * 1990-08-10 1993-02-23 Richard Penney Internal footwear construction with a replaceable heel cushion element
US6345454B1 (en) * 2000-06-02 2002-02-12 Johnny Carmichael Cotton Shoe having a removable sole and method of use
US7591084B2 (en) * 2002-09-23 2009-09-22 Santa Ana Roland C Interchangeable footwear comprising multiple shoe inserts
US6931766B2 (en) * 2003-11-12 2005-08-23 Nike, Inc. Footwear with a separable foot-receiving portion and sole structure
US7543399B2 (en) * 2004-11-12 2009-06-09 Nike, Inc. Footwear including replaceable outsole members

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2124473A (en) * 1982-06-26 1984-02-22 Mizuno Kk Shoe insole
US4510700A (en) * 1982-09-30 1985-04-16 Brown Dennis N Variably adjustable shoe inserts
DE4234791A1 (de) * 1992-10-15 1994-04-21 Christian Cornelius Kombinationsschuh
US20040128863A1 (en) * 2002-11-12 2004-07-08 Blue Marble Gear, Llc Footwear component system
WO2004103105A1 (en) 2003-05-16 2004-12-02 The Timberland Company Modular shoe

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2014083886A1 (ja) * 2012-11-29 2014-06-05 Ishikawa Atsuhiro 運動用履物

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JP2008178687A (ja) 2008-08-07
US20080168681A1 (en) 2008-07-17

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