EP3051969A1 - Non-slip tread with alveolar structure - Google Patents

Non-slip tread with alveolar structure

Info

Publication number
EP3051969A1
EP3051969A1 EP14781068.3A EP14781068A EP3051969A1 EP 3051969 A1 EP3051969 A1 EP 3051969A1 EP 14781068 A EP14781068 A EP 14781068A EP 3051969 A1 EP3051969 A1 EP 3051969A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
tread
ground
slip
sole
alveolar structure
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Withdrawn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
EP14781068.3A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Inventor
Demetrio Biancucci
Alfredo Brasca
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.)
Al Pi SRL
Original Assignee
Al Pi SRL
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 Al Pi SRL filed Critical Al Pi SRL
Publication of EP3051969A1 publication Critical patent/EP3051969A1/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

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
    • A43B13/22—Soles made slip-preventing or wear-resisting, e.g. by impregnation or spreading a wear-resisting layer
    • A43B13/223—Profiled soles
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A43—FOOTWEAR
    • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
    • A43B1/00—Footwear characterised by the material
    • A43B1/0009—Footwear characterised by the material made at least partially of alveolar or honeycomb material
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60C—VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES
    • B60C11/00—Tyre tread bands; Tread patterns; Anti-skid inserts
    • B60C11/03—Tread patterns
    • B60C11/032—Patterns comprising isolated recesses
    • B60C11/0323—Patterns comprising isolated recesses tread comprising channels under the tread surface, e.g. for draining water

Definitions

  • the present invention concerns a non-slip tread with alveolar structure, applicable to the footwear sector, having holes communicating with internal transverse channels for lateral outflow.
  • the part of the sole placed on the ground has a tread consisting of designs with raised parts of varying depths obtained by moulding that, by penetrating and adapting to the ground, ensure good grip. Even if they are designed in advance, the aforesaid raised parts do not however ensure a good grip of the shoe on the ground if this is a smooth, wet surface, because their presence reduces the contact surface of the sole with the said surface and holds water in the cavities.
  • non-slip properties of a sole are generally given by the type of material with which they are made, which must be soft rubber, and by the design or pattern of the tread.
  • tread designs or patterns must be specially designed to facilitate the outflow of as much water as possible from them during compression of the sole on wet paving.
  • this footwear has a sole with a completely smooth tread that has small notches made in the sole that, normally but not exclusively being made of rubber, causes, during normal walking, opening of the said notches that spread their entire surface over hard, wet paving and suck up the water beneath so favouring direct contact of the tread with the paving, but, at the same time, reducing the contact surface with the ground.
  • the soft rubber (or similar material) contact surface of the tread necessary for good grip on the ground, is almost non-existent in the said document, since almost the whole surface of the tread is occupied by the cotton fibre elements prepared for absorbing moisture, and these do not guarantee the right grip.
  • the cotton fibres of the said elements lose part of their absorption capacity when they are glued to the tread and lose it completely in a short lapse of time in use on the ground, where one normally walks on water mixed with various other substances that clog the fibres that, on drying, can create exactly the opposite effect, that is, slipping.
  • the said tyres are also manufactured of very soft rubber and have on their surface particular notches or grooves that, by favouring expulsion of water from them, prevent the formation of a film of water (aquaplaning) between the face of the tyre and wet asphalt or paving.
  • the grooves, or notches, made on the surface of the tyres are used to create the space necessary for removing water from the part beneath the tyre. Maintenance of good grip is ensured by thick grooves or notches of the tread that run along the tyre axis.
  • the relation between the surface of grooves or notches of the tread and the surface of the raised parts affects the entire contact surface of the tyre with the ground. Therefore, a large quantity of grooves or notches indicates lower tyre grip on a dry road in exchange for greater water removal capacity on a wet road.
  • racing cars use two types of tyres: one smooth, to be used on a dry road, which fully exploits its entire surface in contact with the ground, the other grooved to varying degrees, to be used when the road is wet because it has the ability to remove the water present on the ground, so preventing aquaplaning.
  • Fig. 1 shows a front view of the tread (1 ) of a non-slip sole of a shoe with, in correspondence of the heel and the front half-sole, two areas with alveolar structure whose cells consist of walls (2) converging on a hole (3) to form a funnel-shaped surface;
  • Fig. 2 shows a side view of the tread ( I ) of a non-slip sole in which the transverse channels (4) are highlighted;
  • Fig. 3 shows a section view of the tread (1) of the non-slip sole in which it is highlighted that the holes (3) on which the walls (2) converge are through holes, that is, they pass right through the thickness of the tread ( 1 ) and are communicating with transverse channels (4) inside the sole for lateral outflow of the water being walked on;
  • Fig. 4 shows an axonometric view of the tread (1 ) with alveolar structure of the non-slip sole; • Fig. 5 shows a detail of the tread (1) of a non-slip sole of a shoe. Detailed description of the Invention
  • the present invention concerns a non-slip tread (1 ) for footwear having, in correspondence of the heel and the front half-sole, two areas with alveolar structure whose cells consist of walls (2) converging on a hole (3) to form a funnel-shaped surface.
  • Each hole (3) is a through hole, that is, it passes right through the thickness of the tread (1) and communicates with a transverse channel (4) made inside the tread ( 1).
  • alveolar structure means a structure consisting of cells or concamerations of any shape having walls (2) converging on a hole (3), to simulate a funnel-shaped surface, in which water can penetrate and be pushed or conveyed into a transverse channel (4) to then flow out sideways.
  • the particular alveolar structure of the tread ( 1) in which the walls (2) converge on the holes (3) to produce a funnel-shaped surface ensures that during normal walking on hard, wet surfaces one does not slip because, during compression of the foot, the said structure allows the water being walked on to be pushed to the inside of the sole, which, on flowing through the hole (3), flows into the internal transverse channel (4) to then flow outward sideways.
  • the water thanks to the funnel-shaped surfaces of the alveolar structure of the tread ( 1 ) that get squashed to the ground and to their consequent widening on the ground due to compression, is pushed into the hole (3) to then flow into the internal transverse channel (4) and flow outward sideways.
  • the internal transverse channels (4) are therefore drainage for the water that the tread (1) of the sole accumulates inside it.
  • the funnel-shaped surfaces of the alveolar structure of the tread (1) that get squashed to the ground during compression of the foot on the ground and the consequent push of the water towards the inside through the holes (3) ensure that the tread (1) has a better grip on wet ground and gives the user of the sole provided with the present invention better balance.
  • the alveolar structure of the tread (1) of the sole since it is made up of funnel-shaped surfaces and therefore without large protuberances, gives its user greater comfort on all types of surface, whether wet or dry.
  • the procedure for making it is secondary as the said non-slip tread (1 ) can be a single body consisting of a tread (1) with alveolar surface and internal transverse channels (4) made on the profile, or it can consist of a tread (1) with alveolar surface glued to an intermediate sole on which transverse channels (4) have been made.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Footwear And Its Accessory, Manufacturing Method And Apparatuses (AREA)
  • Pharmaceuticals Containing Other Organic And Inorganic Compounds (AREA)

Abstract

The present invention concerns a non-slip tread, applicable to the footwear sector, having in correspondence of the heel and the front half-sole, two areas with alveolar structure whose cells consist of walls (2) converging on a hole (3) to form a funnel-shaped surface. Each hole (3) is a through hole, that is, it passes right through the thickness of the tread (1) and communicates with a transverse channel (4) for lateral outflow made inside the tread (1).

Description

Title: Non-slip tread with alveolar structure.
Description
Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a non-slip tread with alveolar structure, applicable to the footwear sector, having holes communicating with internal transverse channels for lateral outflow.
Background of the Invention
In the footwear sector, it is known that walking on hard, wet pavements is facilitated by footwear having soles made of very soft rubber on which treads are marked out with particular notches or grooves that prevent slipping and help to keep control of body stability.
If the ground on which a shoe is placed is natural ground, it is known that, in order to ensure better grip, the part of the sole placed on the ground has a tread consisting of designs with raised parts of varying depths obtained by moulding that, by penetrating and adapting to the ground, ensure good grip. Even if they are designed in advance, the aforesaid raised parts do not however ensure a good grip of the shoe on the ground if this is a smooth, wet surface, because their presence reduces the contact surface of the sole with the said surface and holds water in the cavities.
The non-slip properties of a sole are generally given by the type of material with which they are made, which must be soft rubber, and by the design or pattern of the tread.
The tread designs or patterns must be specially designed to facilitate the outflow of as much water as possible from them during compression of the sole on wet paving.
In the current state of the art, in the footwear sector, there is footwear called boat footwear, designed to prevent aquaplaning, which arises when a film of water forms between the tread and the ground with a consequent loss of grip and balance of the user. To prevent aquaplaning, this footwear has a sole with a completely smooth tread that has small notches made in the sole that, normally but not exclusively being made of rubber, causes, during normal walking, opening of the said notches that spread their entire surface over hard, wet paving and suck up the water beneath so favouring direct contact of the tread with the paving, but, at the same time, reducing the contact surface with the ground. In the current state of the art, there is the US 2009/090031 Al document, in which is disclosed the insertion of cotton fibres or similar materials in particular recesses of the tread with holes communicating with internal channels. The tread has a structure with cells having walls converging into a hole, filled with cotton fibres, which however cannot have the function of funnel during walking, because these fibres form a barrier that prevents free and fast expulsion of water, so much so that the moisture absorbing elements are constantly mentioned in the claims of the patent application.
Moreover, the soft rubber (or similar material) contact surface of the tread, necessary for good grip on the ground, is almost non-existent in the said document, since almost the whole surface of the tread is occupied by the cotton fibre elements prepared for absorbing moisture, and these do not guarantee the right grip. Not to mention the fact that the cotton fibres of the said elements lose part of their absorption capacity when they are glued to the tread and lose it completely in a short lapse of time in use on the ground, where one normally walks on water mixed with various other substances that clog the fibres that, on drying, can create exactly the opposite effect, that is, slipping.
In a similar way to that described for shoe soles, the fact that tyre treads also have to solve problems of grip on the ground arising from sliding and from aquaplaning by motor cars, is held up as an example.
The said tyres are also manufactured of very soft rubber and have on their surface particular notches or grooves that, by favouring expulsion of water from them, prevent the formation of a film of water (aquaplaning) between the face of the tyre and wet asphalt or paving.
The grooves, or notches, made on the surface of the tyres are used to create the space necessary for removing water from the part beneath the tyre. Maintenance of good grip is ensured by thick grooves or notches of the tread that run along the tyre axis. The relation between the surface of grooves or notches of the tread and the surface of the raised parts affects the entire contact surface of the tyre with the ground. Therefore, a large quantity of grooves or notches indicates lower tyre grip on a dry road in exchange for greater water removal capacity on a wet road.
As is well known, to have the best possible grip on the ground, racing cars use two types of tyres: one smooth, to be used on a dry road, which fully exploits its entire surface in contact with the ground, the other grooved to varying degrees, to be used when the road is wet because it has the ability to remove the water present on the ground, so preventing aquaplaning.
By applying this example to the footwear sector, it can be deduced that, to have a tread with better grip than those on the market, it must have both the above-mentioned characteristics, namely the greatest possible contact surface with the ground for better grip and the ability to expel as much water as possible at the instant it hits the ground to prevent aquaplaning.
Disclosure of the Invention
It is an object of the present invention to make a tread that is non-slip on hard, wet paving.
It is another object of the present invention to make a tread that can prevent aquaplaning.
It is another object of the present invention to make a tread that, on hitting the ground, allows complete and faster expulsion of water from the paving by holding it inside its notches or grooves and at the same time exploits its entire contact surface with the ground for better grip. It is another object of the present invention to make a non-slip and anti- aquaplaning tread that has a larger contact area between it and the ground. It is another object of the present invention to make a non-slip tread that can easily be incorporated into known products, such as shoe or boot soles.
It is a further object of the present invention to make a tread that allows better grip on hard, wet paving.
It is still another object of the present invention to make a sole tread for footwear that is non-slip and anti-aquaplaning and, at the same time, ensures excellent comfort during walking on any type of surface.
These and other objects are obtained with the present invention that concerns a non-slip tread with alveolar structure having holes communicating with transverse channels for lateral outflow made inside the tread.
Further features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of the product that is the subject of the present patent application, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the drawing units, in which:
• Fig. 1 shows a front view of the tread (1 ) of a non-slip sole of a shoe with, in correspondence of the heel and the front half-sole, two areas with alveolar structure whose cells consist of walls (2) converging on a hole (3) to form a funnel-shaped surface;
• Fig. 2 shows a side view of the tread ( I ) of a non-slip sole in which the transverse channels (4) are highlighted;
• Fig. 3 shows a section view of the tread (1) of the non-slip sole in which it is highlighted that the holes (3) on which the walls (2) converge are through holes, that is, they pass right through the thickness of the tread ( 1 ) and are communicating with transverse channels (4) inside the sole for lateral outflow of the water being walked on;
• Fig. 4 shows an axonometric view of the tread (1 ) with alveolar structure of the non-slip sole; • Fig. 5 shows a detail of the tread (1) of a non-slip sole of a shoe. Detailed description of the Invention
According to a preferred - but non-limiting - embodiment, the present invention concerns a non-slip tread (1 ) for footwear having, in correspondence of the heel and the front half-sole, two areas with alveolar structure whose cells consist of walls (2) converging on a hole (3) to form a funnel-shaped surface. Each hole (3) is a through hole, that is, it passes right through the thickness of the tread (1) and communicates with a transverse channel (4) made inside the tread ( 1).
The term alveolar structure means a structure consisting of cells or concamerations of any shape having walls (2) converging on a hole (3), to simulate a funnel-shaped surface, in which water can penetrate and be pushed or conveyed into a transverse channel (4) to then flow out sideways.
The "hexagonal" shaped alveolar structure represented in the drawings of the present application is only the preferred, but non-limiting, structure of the present patent application.
In the front view of Fig. 1 it can be seen that in the tread (1) of the sole, there is a horizontal series of holes (3); this series of holes (3) corresponds, in the side view of Fig. 2, to an internal transverse channel (4).
The particular alveolar structure of the tread ( 1) in which the walls (2) converge on the holes (3) to produce a funnel-shaped surface ensures that during normal walking on hard, wet surfaces one does not slip because, during compression of the foot, the said structure allows the water being walked on to be pushed to the inside of the sole, which, on flowing through the hole (3), flows into the internal transverse channel (4) to then flow outward sideways.
During walking, when the weight of the person is placed on the shoe, the water, thanks to the funnel-shaped surfaces of the alveolar structure of the tread ( 1 ) that get squashed to the ground and to their consequent widening on the ground due to compression, is pushed into the hole (3) to then flow into the internal transverse channel (4) and flow outward sideways. The internal transverse channels (4) are therefore drainage for the water that the tread (1) of the sole accumulates inside it.
The funnel-shaped surfaces of the alveolar structure of the tread (1) that get squashed to the ground during compression of the foot on the ground and the consequent push of the water towards the inside through the holes (3) ensure that the tread (1) has a better grip on wet ground and gives the user of the sole provided with the present invention better balance.
Moreover, the alveolar structure of the tread (1) of the sole, since it is made up of funnel-shaped surfaces and therefore without large protuberances, gives its user greater comfort on all types of surface, whether wet or dry.
For the purposes of making the non-slip tread (1) the procedure for making it is secondary as the said non-slip tread (1 ) can be a single body consisting of a tread (1) with alveolar surface and internal transverse channels (4) made on the profile, or it can consist of a tread (1) with alveolar surface glued to an intermediate sole on which transverse channels (4) have been made.
The materials and dimensions of the invention as described above, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and claimed below, can be of any kind according to requirements. Moreover, all the details can be replaced with other technically equivalent ones without for this reason straying from the protective scope of the present patent application.

Claims

Claims
1. Non-slip tread characterized in that it comprises:
• an alveolar structure with cells of any shape consisting of walls (2) converging on a hole (3) to form a funnel-shaped surface;
• holes (3) passing right through the thickness of the tread and forming, in front view, a series that, in side view, corresponds to a transverse channel (4) made inside the tread.
2. Non-slip tread according to claim 1 characterized in that the funnel- shaped surfaces made up of the walls (2) of the cells of the alveolar structure that converge on the holes (3), during compression on the paving, get squashed to the ground so widening their size on the ground.
3. Non-slip tread according to claims 1 and 2 characterized in that the compression on the paving of the funnel-shaped surface made up of the walls (2) of the cells of the alveolar structure pushes the water into the hole (3) to then make it flow into the transverse channel (4) made inside the tread (1 ) and flow outward sideways.
EP14781068.3A 2013-10-03 2014-10-01 Non-slip tread with alveolar structure Withdrawn EP3051969A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
IT000181A ITAN20130181A1 (en) 2013-10-03 2013-10-03 ANTI-SLIP TREADMILL WITH ALVEOLAR GEOMETRY.
PCT/EP2014/002675 WO2015049053A1 (en) 2013-10-03 2014-10-01 Non-slip tread with alveolar structure

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP3051969A1 true EP3051969A1 (en) 2016-08-10

Family

ID=49519009

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP14781068.3A Withdrawn EP3051969A1 (en) 2013-10-03 2014-10-01 Non-slip tread with alveolar structure

Country Status (11)

Country Link
US (1) US20160286896A1 (en)
EP (1) EP3051969A1 (en)
JP (1) JP2016533207A (en)
CN (1) CN105555161A (en)
BR (1) BR112016006630A2 (en)
CA (1) CA2926001A1 (en)
EA (1) EA032561B1 (en)
IT (1) ITAN20130181A1 (en)
MD (1) MD20160033A2 (en)
MX (1) MX2016004129A (en)
WO (1) WO2015049053A1 (en)

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US11141302B1 (en) * 2018-03-08 2021-10-12 ABLE Footwear, LLC Water shoe with brace
CN210611192U (en) * 2019-04-03 2020-05-26 霍尼韦尔国际公司 Footwear outsole with resistance elements
USD903377S1 (en) * 2020-08-05 2020-12-01 Shenzhen Supertempo Digital Technology Co. LTD Gel cushion
USD966675S1 (en) * 2021-10-01 2022-10-18 Nike, Inc. Shoe
USD1035236S1 (en) * 2021-12-13 2024-07-16 Xiamen Lanzhou Household Products Co., Ltd. Shoe

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN100503280C (en) * 2003-06-16 2009-06-24 米其林技术公司 Protective element for a tread
JP2005075330A (en) * 2003-09-01 2005-03-24 Hiromichi Morita Tread block structure maintaining water draining/cooling performance for a long time
US7832120B2 (en) * 2007-10-08 2010-11-16 Man-Young Jung Anti-slip footwear
IT1395799B1 (en) * 2009-10-06 2012-10-26 Meise Holding Gmbh FOOTWEAR SOLE THAT PROMOTES FOOT BREATHING.
US8677655B2 (en) * 2010-01-19 2014-03-25 Ming Te Chen Shoe with anti-slip device
CN203015983U (en) * 2012-12-25 2013-06-26 泉州鸿荣轻工有限公司 Sneaker and sole

Non-Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
None *
See also references of WO2015049053A1 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
US20160286896A1 (en) 2016-10-06
CN105555161A (en) 2016-05-04
JP2016533207A (en) 2016-10-27
CA2926001A1 (en) 2015-04-09
MX2016004129A (en) 2016-06-06
EA201690683A1 (en) 2016-07-29
BR112016006630A2 (en) 2017-08-01
ITAN20130181A1 (en) 2014-01-02
WO2015049053A1 (en) 2015-04-09
MD20160033A2 (en) 2016-08-31
EA032561B1 (en) 2019-06-28

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US20160286896A1 (en) Non-slip tread with alveolar structure
US20140259784A1 (en) Footwear with pontoon sole structure
US20190150558A1 (en) Flexible midsole for shoe and shoe incorporating same
US3568340A (en) Skid-preventing footwear
CN205143648U (en) Novel sports shoes sole and sports shoes
CN210783124U (en) Wear-resisting anti-skidding drainage sole
KR102555764B1 (en) Shoe soles, shoes and non-slip members
CN203633589U (en) Antiskid shoe sole
CN204483226U (en) A kind of Novel sneaker sole
CN211558958U (en) Sports shoes
RU2519944C1 (en) Walk surface with antiskid properties
CN203087691U (en) Ice and snow spiked shoe
CN203748758U (en) Light running shoes with novel structures
CN206620925U (en) Home-use Clean slipperses
CN206227808U (en) A kind of changeable type Antiskid sole
CN205180520U (en) Anti -slip structure of sole
KR101302707B1 (en) Non slip type for replacementable shoes
CN202286531U (en) Anti-skid ground-gripping sneaker
CN211048525U (en) Foldable slippers
CN212911933U (en) Climbing boot capable of effectively preventing ankle sprain
CN203762393U (en) Safe rain shoes
CN204032496U (en) A kind of novel sport shoe
CN219125505U (en) Sole and sports shoes
CN202959030U (en) Casual warming shoes
KR101512787B1 (en) Non-slip sole of a shoe and its manufacturing method

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PUAI Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012

17P Request for examination filed

Effective date: 20160503

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A1

Designated state(s): AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO RS SE SI SK SM TR

AX Request for extension of the european patent

Extension state: BA ME

17Q First examination report despatched

Effective date: 20190722

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION IS DEEMED TO BE WITHDRAWN

18D Application deemed to be withdrawn

Effective date: 20191203