Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B13/00—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units
  • A43B13/14—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units characterised by the constructive form
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B5/00—Footwear for sporting purposes
  • A43B5/14—Shoes for cyclists
• • 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
  • A43B13/125—Soles with several layers of different materials characterised by the midsole or middle layer
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B13/00—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units
  • A43B13/14—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units characterised by the constructive form
  • A43B13/16—Pieced soles
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B23/00—Uppers; Boot legs; Stiffeners; Other single parts of footwear
  • A43B23/08—Heel stiffeners; Toe stiffeners
  • A43B23/16—Heel stiffeners; Toe stiffeners made of impregnated fabrics, plastics or the like
  • A43B23/17—Heel stiffeners; Toe stiffeners made of impregnated fabrics, plastics or the like made of plastics
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B7/00—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements
  • A43B7/14—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts
  • A43B7/16—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts with elevated heel parts inside
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B23/00—Uppers; Boot legs; Stiffeners; Other single parts of footwear
  • A43B23/08—Heel stiffeners; Toe stiffeners
  • A43B23/088—Heel stiffeners

Definitions

• the present invention concerns a cycling footwear structure equipped with a composite sole and a method for making such a structure.
• One purpose of the invention is to improve the state of the art.
• Another purpose of the invention is to make a cycling footwear structure that is equipped with a composite sole having high stiffness and resilience so as to increase the power generated by the athlete or by the user, and that is transmitted to the pedal through the footwear itself, and so as to increase the safety of the product.
• a further purpose of the present invention is to provide a method for making a cycling footwear structure which makes it possible to contain the costs for the production equipment.
• a further purpose of the present invention is to provide a method for making a footwear structure that is equipped with a composite sole with high stiffness so as to increase the power generated by the athlete or by the user and that is transmitted to the pedal through the footwear itself, and so as to increase the safety of the product.
• a method is foreseen for making a cycling footwear structure as specified in the independent claim 14.
• figure 1 is a perspective top view of the composite sole of the cycling footwear structure according to the invention.
• figure 2 is a bottom view of the composite sole according to figure 1;
• figure 3 is a side view of the composite sole according to figures 1 and 2,
• figure 4 is a bottom view of the composite sole according to the previous figures.
• figure 5 is a view from the section A' of the composite sole according to the previous figures taken along the axis A-A of figure 4;
• figure 6 is a view from the section B' of the composite sole according to the previous figures taken along the axis B-B of figure 4;
• figure 7 is a view from the section C of the composite sole according to the previous figures taken along the axis C-C of figure 4;
• figure 8 is a view from the section D' of the composite sole according to the previous figures taken along the axis D-D of figure 4.
• 1 indicates a composite sole of a cycling footwear structure (not illustrated) according to the present invention.
• Said composite sole 1 is made up of at least two parts: the first part that comprises a base sole 2 and the second part made up of at least one stiffening element 3.
• the stiffening element 3 is substantially annular- shaped with a variable section passing from its front part 5 to its back part 6.
• the base sole 2 as visible in fig. 2, has, substantially along at least part of its perimeter, a recess 4, in which the front part 5 of the stiffening element 3 is positioned.
• the stiffening element 3 has, in its front part 5, a section A', taken along the axis A-A of figure 4.
• a section A' is substantially two-dimensional, with the two dimensions being substantially equal to one another .
• Section A' can also have other configurations and/or geometries that are different from the two- dimensional one, without for this reason departing from the scope of protection of the present invention.
• Such a section A' substantially corresponds to the shape of the recess 4, inside which the front part 5 of the stiffening element 3 is positioned.
• the back part 6 of the stiffening element 3 come out from the recess 4 starting from about half way, substantially at the axis C-C, and extends upwards, until it wraps around at least one portion of the heel of a user, that is to say at least the upper part of the heel and/or its central part which has a perimetral extension which is slightly smaller with respect to the maximum perimetral extension of the heel itself.
• the back part 6 of the stiffening element 3 blocks the heel and, thanks to the variation in its section and of the composition of the material with which it is made, the stiffening element 3 makes a reinforcing element that helps, while pedalling, to reduce the power dissipated due to the elastic deformation of the composite sole 1 and to increase the comfort, thanks to an optimal distribution of the pressure at the interface of the heel with the back part 6, with the variation of the anatomical configuration of the heels of the different users.
• the stiffening element 3 further comprises at least one insert 7, positioned in the back part 6.
• the back part 6 of the stiffening element 3 and the at least one insert 7 wrap around at least one portion of the heel of a user, that is to say, at least its upper and/or central part.
• Such components in any case, can wrap around the heel of the user either completely or only partially, without for this reason departing from the scope of protection of the present invention.
• the insert 7 is made up of a flexible material which has stiffness characteristics that are different from the material forming the stiffening element 3 and from the material forming the base sole 2.
• This insert 7 determines the comfort of the fitting of the user's foot, held by the back part 6 of the stiffening element 3 inside the footwear structure equipped with such a composite sole 1, and blocks the foot itself.
• the composite sole 1, comprising components, such as the base sole 2, the at least one stiffening element 3 and the at least one insert 7, with different geometrical and physical characteristics, makes it possible to easily produce a wide array of products having different comfort and stiffness characteristics which better adapt to the needs of the users. It is indeed possible to make composite soles 1, possibly equipped with inserts 7 that are integrated in the stiffening element 3, with different and optimised characteristics according to the needs of a user, selecting different materials for the various components and making such components with personalised and/or variable thickness .
• the insert 7 is made up of a material that is substantially rigid comprising a plastic material reinforced with fibres (Fibre Reinforced Plastic, FRP) , like for example a polyamide and/or polyurethane and/or, in general, thermoplastic material reinforced with carbon fibres and/or glass fibres and/or aramid fibres and/or the same fibres bonded to an epoxy and/or, in general, thermosetting matrix and/or, more generally, a tough composite material with high modulus elasticity.
• FRP Fibre Reinforced Plastic
• the stiffening element 3 is made up of a material with a different stiffness with respect to the material of the insert 7 and it can possibly comprise a base plastic material of a thermoplastic or thermosetting type that, in turn, can possibly comprise fibres, such as kevlar fibres and/or polyester and/or rubber and/or carbon fibres and/or glass fibres.
• the insert 7 makes it possible to optimise the comfort of the footwear by making a variable stiffness.
• a stiffness decreases starting from the area of the insert 7 in contact with the base sole 2 until it reaches the upper area of the insert 7.
• Such a variable stiffness is obtained through a reduction of the thickness of the stiffening element 3 and/or of the mechanical characteristics of the insert 7.
• the base sole 2 comprises an epoxy resin with which carbon fibres are combined.
• the fibres of the aforementioned materials have a preferred flow, possibly not rigidly structured like warp and weft.
• the present invention also concerns a method for making a footwear structure equipped with a composite sole 1.
• said method allows the manufacturer to lower the costs of procuring the moulds and to obtain footwear which can adapt to heels of different shapes and sizes.
• the method for making a footwear structure equipped with a composite sole 1 comprises the following steps: providing a mould, possibly equipped with a suitable seat for an insert 7, manually or automatically positioning an insert 7 inside the mould, possibly in its special seat; the method also comprises the steps of providing a mould, manually or automatically inserting the material making up the stiffening element 3, forming the stiffening element 3 by compression or by injection, respectively.
• At least one stiffening insert 3 and at least one insert 7 are obtained, both made from the aforementioned materials, selected so as to be compatible.
• the materials with which the at least one insert 7 and the at least one stiffening element 3 are made are not compatible. There is therefore a step in which such materials are treated with known compatibilxzing agents.
• the method according to the invention also comprises the following steps: providing a mould, arranging the stiffening element 3, possibly equipped with at least one insert 7; the method also comprises the steps of inserting the material that makes up the base sole 2, forming the base sole 2 by compression and by heat, possibly equipped with at least one recess 4; the method also comprises the step of substantially positioning the front part 5 of the stiffening element 3 in the recess 4.
• At least one stiffening insert 3, at least one insert 7 and at least one base sole 2 are obtained made in the aforementioned materials, selected so as to be compatible.
• the materials with which the at least one insert 7, the at least one stiffening element 3 and the base sole 2 are made are not compatible. There is thus a step of treating such materials with known types of compatibilizing agents.
• the steps described can be made in any order.
• the at least one stiffening element 3, the at least one base sole 2 and the at least one insert 7 separately; it is possible to make in the same mould and/or couple the at least one stiffening element 3 and the at least one insert 7, during or after the step of making the stiffening element 3, and couple such components to the base sole 2; it is alternatively possible to couple and/or make in the same mould the at least one stiffening element 3 and the at least one base sole 2, during or after the step for making the stiffening element 3 and/or the base sole 2 and then couple such elements with the at least one insert 7, etcetera.
• the elements that form the composite sole 1 according to the present invention can be made in a single mould, simultaneously or in successive steps, or by inserting a subsequent mould inside one that has already been arranged.
• the methods for coupling the aforementioned elements can be manual and/or managed by special machinery and/or can occur by co-moulding and/or by gluing of at least two of the elements together.
• a starting material is provided, made up of a dry fabric made from the aforementioned carbon and/or glass and/or aramid fibres.
• thermoplastic resin two layers of thermoplastic resin are provided and the coupling of such a dry fabric based on fibres is carried out with the two layers of thermoplastic resin arranged above and below the dry fabric itself, respectively .
• Such a coupling operation is carried out through heat and pressure which, together, obtain the impregnation of the dry fabric based on fibres described above, by the thermoplastic resin.
• a sheet or strip of impregnated fabric is obtained from which it is possible to make, through cutting or blanking, at least one insert 7.
• the insert 7 thus obtained has a flat shape and can possibly undergo a further thermoforming step, made in a special mould, which makes the thermoformed insert 7 substantially U-shaped, or at least able to match at least one portion of a heel of a user.
• a thermosetting resin is provided without cross-linking and such a dry fabric based on fibres is coupled with the thermosetting resin.
• Such a coupling operation determines the preimpregnation step of the dry fabric based on fibres .
• a sheet or strip of pre-impregnated fabric is obtained from which it is possible to make, through cutting or blanking, at least one insert 7.
• the insert 7 thus obtained is positioned in a mould and is formed by compression with pressure and heat. In such a way, an insert 7 is obtained that is substantially U-shaped, or at least matches at least one portion of a heel of a user.
• the aforementioned steps can be carried out in the same order as described above or in different order and at different times; moreover, the steps described can be made in any order .

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• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Materials Engineering (AREA)
• Physical Education & Sports Medicine (AREA)
• Epidemiology (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Footwear And Its Accessory, Manufacturing Method And Apparatuses (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

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Family Applications (1)

Country Status (8)

Families Citing this family (30)

Family Cites Families (12)

• 2010
  • 2010-07-15 IT ITVR2010A000144A patent/IT1401244B1/it active
• 2011
  • 2011-06-20 EP EP11738483A patent/EP2538811A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2011-06-20 CN CN2011800215578A patent/CN102869276A/zh active Pending
  • 2011-06-20 WO PCT/IB2011/052694 patent/WO2012007859A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2011-06-20 US US13/810,126 patent/US20130118035A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2011-06-20 AU AU2011277962A patent/AU2011277962A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2011-06-20 JP JP2013519180A patent/JP2013530027A/ja active Pending
  • 2011-07-15 TW TW100125205A patent/TW201208595A/zh unknown

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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