EP2162030B1 - Item of footwear with ventilated sole - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to an article of footwear having a ventilated sole.

Walking and standing causes swelling and heating of the feet which usually causes discomfort over time. To reduce this discomfort the use of shoes and soles adapted has been sought constantly for years.

Due to the well-identified heating problem the shoes are more and more provided with perforations on the upper side. These arrangements, however, do not prevent significant heating of the foot from the plantar part which is completely insulated with respect to the outside.

The sole of the shoe generally comprises several layers of synthetic materials completely sealed, especially because of the need to maintain tabs used for damping shocks caused by strides on the ground.

These damping spacers are for example air cushions, gels held in envelopes or particular polymers.

• gonflement important du pied avec sensation de chaleur excessive,
• élévation de l'humidité et frottements accrus à l'intérieur de la chaussure,
• accentuation de la transpiration des pieds, qui provient à 80% de la partie plantaire,
• rapide dégradation de la propreté de la semelle intérieure avec développement de bactéries et d'odeurs.

Most shoes available today have a structure with openings to ventilate the top of the foot but the plantar part is hermetically confined in the molding of the sole, so all people have the problem of heating the arch. with the associated inconveniences, namely:

• swelling of the foot with excessive heat
• increased humidity and increased friction inside the shoe,
• increased perspiration of the feet, which comes from 80% of the plantar part,
• rapid deterioration of the cleanliness of the insole with development of bacteria and odors.

The WO 2004/028284 on behalf of the company GEOX describes a shoe with waterproof and breathable sole, incorporating in particular an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene membrane. The WO 01/78542 relates to another type of shoe with an impermeable membrane.

• une semelle extérieure au contact du sol,
• une semelle intermédiaire,
• une semelle intérieure moulée amovible et absorbant les chocs, chacune des semelles étant perforée, apte à laisser passer l'eau et l'air, formant une semelle ventilée, et la semelle intermédiaire étant composée par :
• une partie formée par une membrane grillagée fixée à la semelle extérieure,
• une partie formée par une membrane maillée, maintenue avec la membrane grillagée et placée au-dessus d'elle par rapport au sol; la semelle extérieure comportant au moins deux ouvertures ou fentes, et de préférence un ensemble d'ouvertures et de fentes de dimensions réduites, typiquement la longueur des ouvertures et fentes peut être de 2 à 300 millimètres.

The document JP 3 085015 U discloses an article of footwear comprising a low structure located between the foot and the floor consisting of several superimposed soles and a top, each of the soles being made of a washable synthetic material, said superimposed insoles being respectively:

• an outsole in contact with the ground,
• a midsole,
• a molded insole removable and shock absorbing, each of the soles being perforated, adapted to let water and air, forming a ventilated sole, and the midsole being composed by:
• a portion formed by a mesh membrane attached to the outsole,
• a portion formed by a mesh membrane, held with the mesh membrane and placed above it with respect to the ground; the outsole having at least two openings or slots, and preferably a set of openings and slots of reduced dimensions, typically the length of the openings and slots can be from 2 to 300 millimeters.

The invention therefore aims to solve these major difficulties by providing an article of footwear comprising, in addition to conventional ventilation by the top of the liner, ventilation by its lower part usually hermetic.

• la membrane grillagée est collée et cousue à la semelle extérieure,
• la semelle extérieure est fabriquée avec un caoutchouc et/ou un polymère rigide bon absorbeur de chocs,
• la largeur des ouvertures ou fentes doit être limitée à 8 millimètres maximum pour éviter le passage des cailloux,
• le dessus de la chaussure est fabriqué avec des tissus perforés fabriqués en matières synthétiques lavables, et
• la semelle extérieure est renforcée dans les zones d'usure par des parties en caoutchouc éventuellement renforcé en carbone.

The present invention is characterized in that

• the mesh membrane is glued and sewn to the outsole,
• the outsole is made with a good shock absorbent rubber and / or polymer,
• the width of the openings or slots must be limited to a maximum of 8 millimeters to prevent the passage of pebbles,
• the top of the shoe is made with perforated fabrics made of washable synthetic material, and
• the outsole is reinforced in the wear areas by rubber parts optionally reinforced with carbon.

By article footwear must be understood any type of shoe, for example sport, leisure, outdoor type sandal, or a classic shoe that can be worn with a suit.

• la ventilation par la partie inférieure de la chaussure évite l'échauffement plantaire excessif et le maintien d'un bas niveau d'humidité dans la semelle,
• le maintien de la partie plantaire au sec et en ventilation procure un confort élevé au marcheur,
• l'évacuation de l'humidité à la fois pendant le port de la chaussure, lors de la marche, et lorsque la chaussure n'est pas utilisée, évite le développement bactérien et les mauvaises odeurs,
• toutes les semelles constitutives de la chaussure étant lavables et à séchages rapides l'entretien se trouve facilité,
• la structure de la base de la chaussure en différentes semelles, avec des matériaux différents et des porosités variables permet de maintenir les débris et poussières hors de la chaussure tout en laissant passer l'air et l'humidité, la structure multicouche étant particulièrement efficace pour cela,
• la chaussure est adaptée pour contenir dès sa fabrication une semelle et un ensemble de matériaux assurant un amorti important des chocs, il n'est donc pas nécessaire au marcheur d'ajouter, comme c'est le cas la plupart du temps aujourd'hui, une semelle supplémentaire pour assurer un amortissement satisfaisant de l'onde de choc qui se répercute lors de la foulée du talon à la colonne vertébrale.

The advantages of the article of footwear according to the invention are multiple:

• the ventilation at the bottom of the shoe avoids excessive plantar heating and maintains a low level of moisture in the sole,
• maintaining the plantar part dry and ventilated provides high comfort to the walker,
• the evacuation of moisture both during the wearing of the shoe, when walking, and when the shoe is not used, avoids bacterial growth and unpleasant odors,
• all the insoles constituting the shoe being washable and quick drying the maintenance is facilitated,
• the structure of the base of the shoe in different soles, with different materials and variable porosities keeps the debris and dust out of the shoe while allowing air and moisture to pass through, the multilayer structure being particularly effective for this,
• the shoe is adapted to contain from its manufacture a sole and a set of materials providing significant cushioning of shocks, it is not necessary for the walker to add, as is the case most of the time today, an additional soleplate to ensure a satisfactory damping of the shock wave that echoes during the stride of the heel to the spine.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description which follows with reference to the accompanying drawing which is given by way of non-limiting example.

The figure 1 is a sectional view of the article of footwear according to the invention.

The footwear as described below comprises a low structure, that is to say located between the foot and the ground when the shoe is worn, formed by several superimposed soles, preferably at least three. A shoe structure manufactured by assembling several sewn or glued layers is known per se. The upper part of the boot, the upper, which constitutes the footwear is formed in the traditional way by textile pieces sewn and glued together and having an opening on the front face so as to allow lacing, in a conventional manner.

Such a shoe is represented on the figure 1 with the different insoles constituting the invention.

Air and water can circulate, as indicated by the arrow of the figure 1 , between the outside and the inside of the shoe, and in the opposite direction, through the soles.

• une semelle extérieure 1 au contact du sol fabriquée avec un caoutchouc et/ou un polymère rigide bon absorbeur de chocs,
• une semelle intermédiaire 2,
• une semelle intérieure 3 moulée amovible et absorbant les chocs formée de préférence en deux couches.

Still according to the invention, and with reference to figure 1 , the soles are thus arranged:

• an outsole 1 in contact with the ground made of a rubber and / or a rigid polymer good shock absorber,
• a midsole 2,
• a molded insole 3 removable and shock absorbing preferably formed in two layers.

According to the invention the outsole 1 comprises at least two openings or slots, and preferably a set of openings and slots of reduced dimensions, typically the length of the openings and slots can be from 2 to 300 millimeters and the width must be limited to 8 millimeters maximum to avoid the passage of pebbles.

This reduced size allows air and water to pass through but prevents debris and gravel from clogging the openings.

Preferably the openings or slots are made in the recessed portions 4 of the outer sole 1,

The outsole is advantageously made of a rigid and abrasion-resistant material such as EVA neoprene or polyurethane, or a combination of these materials. In order to improve this resistance, the outsole is reinforced in the wear zones by rubber parts optionally reinforced with carbon. This composition thus provides better shock absorption while providing durability through rubber parts.

The geometry of the openings and slots included in the soleplate is preferably defined so that air and water can pass optimally while preventing objects or pebbles from penetrating through the outsole. The choice of the geometry of the slots takes into account the needs of natural movements of the foot, facilitating the necessary bending movements on such a shoe. The geometry also takes into account the overall strength of the sole to prevent too many slots positioned in the wrong places weaken the outsole. The size and shape of the slits are designed to prevent the beginning of a tear of the soleplate that can worsen as and when use.

• une partie formée par une membrane grillagée 5 collée et cousue à la semelle extérieure 1,
• une partie formée par une membrane maillée 6, maintenue avec la membrane grillagée 5 et placée au-dessus d'elle par rapport au sol, dans le cas de l'assemblage des deux parties.

According to the invention the intermediate sole 2 is composed by the assembly, of the following parts:

• a portion formed by a mesh membrane 5 glued and sewn to the outsole 1,
• a portion formed by a mesh membrane 6, held with the mesh membrane 5 and placed above it relative to the ground, in the case of the assembly of the two parts.

The mesh membrane 5 allows air and water an optimal passage while protecting the foot pebbles and other external objects.

The bonding of one or the other membrane on the outsole is made in such a way that the glue is not coated on the part of the membrane that matches the openings and slots of the outsole so as not to clog the perforations of the membrane.

The mesh membrane 6 makes it possible, for aesthetic and protective reasons, to cover the mesh membrane 5 while providing comfort to the wearer. This midsole also makes it possible, if necessary, to insert between the two membranes latex parts, or a gel, or any other material allowing better absorption of shocks and / or a distribution of shock waves, and more generally of integrate inserts to optimize the comfort of the shoe.

Thus according to the invention it is possible to introduce between the mesh membrane 5 and the mesh membrane 6 an insert for shock absorption and / or a distribution of shock waves.

This insert is advantageously provided with perforations so as to let moisture and heat circulate between the inside and the outside of the shoe, through the different soles.

• une couche inférieure 7, au contact de la membrane située sous elle, composée d'EVA,
• une couche supérieure 8 en textile traité sur laquelle repose le pied, cette partie est collée sur et/ou cousue avec la couche inférieure 7.

According to the invention, the insole 3 in contact with the foot comprises the following two layers:

• a lower layer 7, in contact with the membrane beneath it, composed of EVA,
• an upper layer 8 of treated textile on which the foot rests, this part is glued on and / or stitched with the lower layer 7.

According to the invention the upper layer 8 of textile is treated to reduce the formation of bacteria and odors. The treatment can be performed after the manufacture of the textile or the textile fiber itself before weaving. This textile part can evacuate perspiration.

This insole 3 is designed to improve comfort and shock absorption, it is advantageously molded and composed of EVA with according to the needs of the bonded parts latex, gel, etc ... to improve the absorption characteristics of the shocks and / or comfort. It is obviously totally perforated.

The upper part of the shoe, its top 9, is made with perforated fabrics made of washable synthetic material so as to let moisture and heat escape from the top, in the usual way.

Several variants of the article of footwear are possible, it may include different materials even if the synthetic materials mentioned are preferred, the thicknesses of the different soles and constituent layers may be variable without departing from the scope of the invention.

The number and size of the perforations in each sole can be chosen in a wide range and adjusted according to the materials used, the positioning, the geometry and the size of the perforations can be performed in several configurations without departing from the scope of the invention.

The shoe can obviously include different lacing modes on its top, different coatings and reinforcements without departing from the scope of the invention.

The different soles and layers can be adjusted together according to various techniques known in the field, without exclusivity, for example by gluing or sewing.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described and represented by way of examples, but it also includes all the technical equivalents and their combinations, provided that they are covered by the scope of the protection conferred by the following claims:

Claims (5)

1. An item of footwear comprising a lower structure located between the foot and the ground composed of a plurality of superposed soles and an upper (9), each of the soles being made from a washable synthetic material, said superposed soles being respectively:

   - an outsole (1) in contact with the ground made from a rigid rubber and/or polymer with good shock absorption,

   - a midsole (2),

   - a removable, shock-absorbing moulded insole (3),

   each of the soles being perforated, capable of allowing water and air to pass through, forming a ventilated sole, and the midsole (2) being made up of:

   - a part formed by a grid membrane (5) adhesively bonded and sewn to the outsole (1),

   - a part formed by a mesh membrane (6), held together with the grid membrane (5) and located above the latter relative to the ground; the outsole (1) comprising at least two openings or slots, and preferably a set of small-sized openings and slots, a possible length of the openings and slots typically being from 2 to 300 millimetres and the width necessarily being limited to at most 8 millimetres to prevent stones from passing through;

   the upper (9) of the shoe being made from perforated fabrics made from washable synthetic materials;
   and the outsole (1) being reinforced in the wear zones by rubber parts optionally reinforced with carbon.
2. An item of footwear according to claim 1, in which the openings or slots are provided in the recessed parts (4) of the outsole (1).
3. An item of footwear according to claim 1, in which an insert for absorbing shock and/or dispersing impact waves is introduced between the grid membrane (5) and the mesh membrane (6).
4. An item of footwear according to claim 1, in which the insole (3) comprises the following two layers:

   - a lower layer (7), in contact with the membrane located therebeneath and composed of EVA,

   - an upper treated textile layer (8), this part being adhesively bonded and/or sewn to the lower layer (7).
5. An item of footwear according to claim 4, in which the upper textile layer (8) is treated to reduce the formation of bacteria and odours, said treatment possibly being carried out after manufacture of the textile or on the textile fibre itself prior to weaving.

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