EP3079516B1 - Method for producing a footwear item having a shoe provided with an external upper - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method of producing an article of footwear having a shoe equipped with an outer shaft. The invention also relates to an article of footwear produced by implementing such a method.

To walk in wet and / or snowy conditions, there are footwear comprising a shoe made in one piece in a thermoplastic material whose sealing is sufficient to prevent the penetration of water through said shoe.

These shoes have an intermediate portion delimiting a receiving housing of the foot or ankle according to its dimensions, said intermediate portion being equipped with an outsole promoting adhesion and / or grip on the ground. In addition, an insole and / or a liner may be disposed in the shoe to improve thermal insulation and comfort.

To limit the risk of entry of water and / or snow into the footwear, such shoes may be provided with an upper sleeve surmounting in one piece the intermediate portion, said shoe being in the form of an upper boot whose sleeve is arranged to extend over at least a portion of the leg of the user.

To improve the aesthetics of the article of footwear, it is possible to equip the shoe with an outer rod which extends around the sleeve in order to conceal it, said rod may have patterns, textures and / or colors responding to the wishes of the user.

In addition, the rod can be arranged to optimize certain properties of the footwear, such as its waterproofing properties and / or insulation thermal, for example being made from a water repellent and / or insulating flexible textile material.

However, one of the difficulties in producing such footwear is to associate the stem to the hoof without degrading the impermeability and / or thermal insulation imparted by said hoof to the footwear.

To do this, there are known methods of making footwear in which the outer rod is associated with the shoe at the time of formation of said shoe, for example by vulcanization or by molding. Such methods allow an association of the rod without altering the realization of the shoe but do not give complete satisfaction in that they require positioning of the rod during the formation of the shoe, which is complex to implement reliably .

To remedy this problem, the document WO-2007/007369 proposes to associate the rod on the hoof after formation of said hoof. Indeed, this document provides for sewing the lower part of the rod on a flap formed on the upper edge of the intermediate portion.

However, such an embodiment requires additional operations to preserve the tightness of the article of footwear since the holes formed in the flap by the stitches induce possible penetration of water, air and / or moisture to the skin. inside the hoof. To do this, an impermeable coating is adhered to the interior of the shoe by extending at least on the stitches.

This reported sealing solution therefore complicates the method of making the article of footwear, by requiring a labor and additional tools associated with significant costs. In addition, the effectiveness of such an internal coating is not always guaranteed in time, said coating being able to deteriorate with use, in particular by friction with the foot of the user.

The invention aims to improve the prior art by proposing in particular a method of producing a footwear article having a shoe equipped with an outer shaft that is easy to implement while preserving the tightness of said footwear at the level of the junction between said shoe and said outer rod.

• rétracter le manchon dans logement de réception jusqu'à disposer ledit manchon sous au moins une partie de la bavette ;
• associer une partie inférieure de la tige sur ladite bavette ;
• déployer ledit manchon au-dessus de la partie intermédiaire pour qu'il s'étende à l'intérieur de ladite tige.

For this purpose, according to a first aspect, the invention proposes a method of producing a footwear article having a shoe equipped with an outer shaft, said method providing for forming a shoe comprising an intermediate portion which delimits a receiving housing of the foot of a user, an upper sleeve overlying said intermediate portion and a peripheral flap extending from the junction area between said intermediate portion and said sleeve surrounding the base of said sleeve, said method providing for equipping said shoe with the stem , successively:

• retracting the sleeve into receiving housing until arranging said sleeve under at least a portion of the flap;
• associating a lower portion of the rod on said flap;
• deploying said sleeve above the intermediate portion so that it extends inside said rod.

According to a second aspect, the invention proposes an article of footwear made by implementing such a method, to present a shoe which comprises an intermediate portion surmounted by a sleeve whose base is surrounded by a peripheral flap, said shoe being equipped an outer rod of which a lower portion is associated on the flap, said lower portion being dissociated from the base of the sleeve.

• la figure 1 est une vue en perspective du sabot d'un article chaussant selon un mode de réalisation ;
• les figures 2a et 2b sont des représentations en coupe longitudinale du sabot de la figure 1, la figure 2b étant un agrandissement de la figure 2a montrant plus particulièrement la bavette périphérique dudit sabot ;
• les figures 3 à 5 sont des représentations en perspective de l'article chaussant de la figure 1 selon respectivement une étape successive de réalisation dudit article, montrant le sabot avec le manchon rétracté en étant respectivement dépourvu et équipé de la tige extérieure (figures 3 et 4), le sabot équipé de ladite tige avec le manchon déployé (figure 5) ;
• les figures 6 sont des représentations en coupe longitudinale d'un article chaussant selon deux variantes de réalisation dans lesquelles la tige extérieure est associée au manchon, ladite tige s'étendant respectivement au-dessus dudit manchon (figure 6a) et présentant un bord supérieur en regard du bord supérieur dudit manchon (figure 6b) ;
• la figure 7 est une vue en perspective d'un article chaussant selon un mode de réalisation, montrant la disposition d'un chausson dans le sabot.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear in the description which follows, made with reference to the appended figures, in which:

• the figure 1 is a perspective view of the shoe of an article of footwear according to one embodiment;
• the Figures 2a and 2b are representations in longitudinal section of the hoof of the figure 1 , the figure 2b being an enlargement of the figure 2a showing more particularly the peripheral flap of said shoe;
• the Figures 3 to 5 are perspective representations of the footwear of the figure 1 respectively according to a successive step of producing said article, showing the shoe with the sleeve retracted being respectively lacking and equipped with the outer rod ( Figures 3 and 4 ), the shoe equipped with said rod with the deployed sleeve ( figure 5 );
• the figures 6 are longitudinal sectional representations of an article of footwear according to two embodiments in which the outer shaft is associated with the sleeve, said shaft extending respectively above said sleeve ( figure 6a ) and having an upper edge facing the upper edge of said sleeve ( figure 6b );
• the figure 7 is a perspective view of an article of footwear according to one embodiment, showing the disposition of a shoe in the shoe.

In connection with these figures, there is described below a method of making an article of footwear which is in particular adapted to be used when walking in wet and / or snowy conditions, for example after the practice of winter sports. such as skiing.

The article of footwear comprises a shoe 1 in the form of a protective shell which represents the frame of the footwear being arranged to protect at least the foot of a user. In particular, the shoe comprises an intermediate portion 2 which defines a housing 3 for receiving the foot, or even a portion of the user's ankle according to the dimensions of said intermediate portion.

According to the embodiments shown, the intermediate portion 2 has dimensions arranged to surround the toes, the kick and the heel of the user. However, the invention is not limited to a particular geometry of the intermediate portion 2, said intermediate portion may have larger or smaller dimensions depending on the part of the foot and / or ankle to be covered.

A first of cleanliness can be arranged in the bottom of the receiving housing 3 in order to improve the walking comfort and / or the properties of the footwear according to the needs of the user and / or the external conditions, such as the thermal insulation or cushioning said article.

A tread 4 is disposed under the intermediate portion 2, said tread may be reported under said intermediate portion, for example by gluing or welding, or be formed in one piece with said intermediate portion.

The outsole 4 is arranged to promote the adhesion and / or the grip of the footwear on the ground, for example having a notched structure that allows in particular to prevent slipping. For example, the outsole 4 may have notches of 4 mm in height to allow a grip on a snowy ground. Alternatively or in a complementary manner, the outsole 4 may comprise a specific component promoting its anti-slip properties.

In order to reduce the risk of entry of water and / or snow into the article of footwear, the shoe 1 comprises an upper sleeve 5 which overcomes the intermediate part 2 according to a predetermined height, the free upper edge 6 of said sleeve defining a In the embodiments shown, the shoe 1 is thus in the form of an upper boot, the sleeve 5 of which is arranged to extend over at least one leg portion of the boot. 'user.

It is intended to form the shoe 1 in a material whose sealing is sufficient to prevent the penetration of water through said shoe. The material used may be based on polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and / or ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), which allows to limit the weight of the article while providing satisfactory impermeability and resistance to abrasion.

Advantageously, the shoe 1 is formed integrally in one piece, for example by injection molding of a thermoplastic material in particular to obtain a continuous and sealed junction area between the intermediate portion 2 and the upper sleeve 5. According to FIG. an embodiment, the shoe 1 can be made of a breathable material, for example based on polyurethane, and / or be micro-perforated.

In addition, in order to improve the breathability properties of the article of footwear, provision may be made to form aeration means in a part of the sleeve 5 which is sufficiently high to limit the risks of penetration of water and / or snow through said aeration means.

In one embodiment ( figure 7 ), at least one cut is made from the upper edge 6 of the sleeve 5 to form a lateral vent opening 7. An air-permeable material may also be disposed in the lateral opening 7 while being associated with the edges of the said opening.

In particular, the lateral opening 7 extends partially in the sleeve 5 so that the impermeability of said sleeve is maintained at least at a base 8 of said sleeve which is connected to the intermediate portion 2. Alternatively , the sleeve 5 may have a plurality of holes distributed above the base 8 of said sleeve.

To improve the aesthetics of the footwear, it is expected to equip the shoe 1 with an outer rod 9 may have patterns, textures and / or colors to meet the wishes of the user, said rod extending from the game intermediate 2 to cover at least a portion of the sleeve 5 including the base 8 in particular to conceal said portion of said sleeve.

The rod 9 can be made from a textile material, for example based on polyester, giving it a certain flexibility, said material being able to be water-repellent, thermally insulating and / or breathable. Alternatively, the rod 9 may be leather to improve the strength and the protective function of the footwear. The rod 9 may further comprise an inner liner and / or external for example respectively foam or fabric resistant and impermeable, to enhance certain properties of the footwear, such as its waterproof properties and / or thermal insulation.

The rod 9 has a closed geometry that is complementary to that of the sleeve 5, preferably being devoid of stitches to limit the infiltration of water and / or moisture through said rod. The rod 9 may for example be made flat by a thermoforming process or high frequency according to the desired shape to avoid seams before being cut to be associated with the shoe 1.

To equip the shoe 1 with the rod 9, it is expected to form a peripheral flange 10 around the base 8 of the sleeve 5 and on which a lower portion 9a of said rod is associated. The flap 10 may be attached, for example by overmolding, on the shoe 1 or, advantageously, be formed during molding of said shoe.

In connection with the figures, the flap 10 extends outwards and upwards from the junction zone between the intermediate portion 2 and the sleeve 5 so as to surround the base 8 of said sleeve. Thus, a lower portion 9a of the rod 9 may be associated with the flap 10 so that said rod covers including the base 8, the intermediate portion 2 being uncovered.

In particular, the rod 9 may have a height substantially equal to or greater than that of the sleeve 5 so as to cover the entirety of said sleeve by having an upper edge 11 disposed opposite that of said sleeve and / or to extend beyond above said sleeve according to the appearance of the desired footwear.

The lower part 9a of the rod 9 is advantageously associated on the flap 10 after formation of the shoe 1 to facilitate its relative positioning. In particular, the lower part 9a can be associated on the flap 10 in a fixed manner, in particular by sewing, welding or gluing. According to the embodiments shown, the lower part 9a is associated on the flap 10 by a double stitch 12 for quick association while ensuring its resistance.

Alternatively, the lower part 9a can be associated on the flap 10 removably, for example by means of self-gripping means fixed on said flap and said lower part, in order to replace the rod 9 by another rod which may have different functional properties, dimensions and / or aesthetic aspects, for example in terms of colors and / or patterns.

According to the production method, it is expected to associate the lower part 9a of the rod 9 on the inner face of the flap 10 which is opposite the base 8 of the sleeve 5 in particular to protect said lower part of the outer elements, limiting in particular the risks of tearing off said rod. For this purpose, the shoe 1 is formed with a peripheral groove 13 which extends between the flap 10 and the base 8 of the sleeve 5, said groove being open towards the top and having a width sufficient to be able to receive the lower part 9a of the stem 9.

In relation to figures 2 , the groove 13 has a bottom which is formed on a thickness of the junction zone between the intermediate portion 2 and the sleeve 5, said thickness being in particular sufficient to ensure the resistance of said junction zone relative to the stresses exerted.

To allow an adjusted positioning of the rod 9 on the sleeve 5, provision is made to arrange the lower part 9a of said rod inside the throat 13 prior to its association on the flap 10, with the lower edge of said rod abutting against the bottom of said groove.

In order to preserve the tightness of the inside of the shoe 1 during the association operations of the lower part 9a on the flap 10, in particular the risk of perforation in the case of a seam, the method provides, before said association, retracting the sleeve 5 in the receiving housing 3 until arranging said sleeve under at least a portion of said flap.

Such retraction of the sleeve 5 limits the risk of holes that could be formed in said sleeve by the stitches 12 and inducing a possible penetration of water, air and / or moisture through said sleeve. The impermeability and / or thermal insulation properties of the shoe 1 are thus preserved after sewing, without the need to seal the seam area between the flap 10 and the rod 9 and / or the wall of the sleeve 5, for example by an impervious liquid or textile coating.

In particular, the sleeve 5 is retracted at least until the upper edge 6 of said sleeve is disposed under at least the upper edge of the flap 10, which then makes it possible to sew the lower part 9a of the rod 9 on said upper edge of the flap 10 from the inside or outside of said flap without risk of deterioration of said sleeve.

In relation to Figures 3 and 4 , the whole of the sleeve 5 is retracted inside the receiving housing 3, the lower part 9a being associated on the flap 10 with said sleeve held in the retracted position. The integral retraction of the sleeve 5 allows the internal clearance of the flap 10 favoring the realization of sewing operations on either side of said flap. The lower part 9a of the rod 9 can thus be sewn quickly and easily on any part of the flap 10, from the inside or outside of said flap, without any risk of damaging the sleeve 5.

In particular, the shoe 1 is formed with a sleeve 5 whose thickness is arranged to facilitate the manual retraction of said sleeve in the receiving housing 3. The sleeve 5 may thus have a thickness between 1 and 3 mm giving it a flexibility and sufficient flexibility for its retraction and engagement including reversible deformation in the receiving housing 3.

In addition, the flexibility of the sleeve 5 promotes walking comfort and the donning and / or removal of the footwear, including without the need to add clamping means and / or to form a longitudinal slot in said sleeve 5 to increase the diameter of the access opening.

According to the embodiments shown, the sleeve 5 has a thinner thickness than that of the intermediate portion 2 which is arranged to have a rigidity which is sufficient to ensure the stability and protection of the foot disposed in the receiving housing 3.

After the combination of the lower part 9a on the flap 10, it is planned to raise the sleeve 5 in particular manually for its deployment above the intermediate part 2 so that said sleeve extends inside the rod 9 ( figure 5 ). The lower part 9a of the rod 9 can thus be associated on the flap 10 being dissociated in particular from the base 8 of the sleeve 5 which remains perfectly sealed because devoid of stitches.

The rod 9 can be kept dissociated from the sleeve 5 after deployment, allowing for example the provision of a pant bottom between said sleeve and said rod, said rod can perform a function similar to that of a gaiter.

Alternatively, the rod 9 may be associated on the sleeve 5 after deployment to promote the maintenance of said rod around said sleeve, in particular by preventing the risk of lowering of said rod, for example in the case of a rod 9 made from a soft textile material. In addition, a piece of curling 14 may be attached to the upper edge 6, 11 of the sleeve 5 and / or the rod 9 to improve the appearance of the footwear and / or the maintenance between said rod and said sleeve.

In relation to figures 6 two embodiments are described in which, after deployment of the sleeve 5, the rod 9 is associated, according to its height, by gluing or sewing on a part of said sleeve which is disposed above the base 8.

In the particular case where the height of the rod 9 is greater than that of the sleeve 5, it is possible to fix said rod on said sleeve by gluing to maintain the seal of said sleeve. In relation to the figure 6a , the article of footwear has a rod 9 which extends above the sleeve 5, glue points 15 fixing said rod on different areas of said sleeve between its base 8 and its upper edge 6.

In addition, the rod 9 may have an inner flap 16 which extends downwardly covering the upper edge 6 of the sleeve 5 to prevent friction between said upper edge and the leg of the user, said flap being fixed inside said sleeve.

In the case where the sleeve 5 has a height substantially equal to that of the rod 9, the upper edge 11 of said rod can be associated with the upper edge 6 of said sleeve in particular by stitches 17, the curling piece 14 can be associated with said upper edges ( figure 6b ).

The article of footwear can be used as is, the foot of the user being directly engaged in the receiving housing 3 with the sleeve 5 deployed. Alternatively, provision may be to have an inner liner 18 in the shoe 1 after deployment of the sleeve 5, said liner defining a housing in which can be arranged at least the foot of the user and being intended to enhance the impermeability properties and / or thermal insulation of the footwear.

The liner 18 can be made in one piece from a textile material, for example based on wool and / or polyurethane foam, which is arranged to promote the thermal insulation of the housing of said liner. The liner 18 may further comprise different layers with insulating properties, absorbing and / or reducing friction which are complementary. The liner 18 may thus comprise a superabsorbent layer to limit the effects of sweating and manage the transfer of moisture from the foot to the outside of said liner.

Advantageously, the shoe 1 is equipped with a shoe 18 which extends inside the intermediate portion 2 and at least partly inside the sleeve 5 to ensure the maintenance of the foot warm and dry. According to the embodiments shown, the boot 18 has dimensions arranged to extend over the entire interior of the shoe 1, in particular to prevent movements of said shoe in said shoe during ground support, said boot having a geometry outer which is similar to the inner geometry of said shoe.

In particular, the liner 18 has a sole portion 19 which, when said liner is disposed in the receiving housing 3, is disposed on the lower sole of the intermediate portion 2, said sole portion being able to form a first cleanliness of the liner. footwear. Alternatively, a sockliner may be integrated within the liner 18 on the sole portion 19 according to the properties of said sole portion and / or the needs of the user.

The liner 18 can be fixed inside the shoe 1, for example by sewing with the upper edge 6, 11 of the sleeve 5 and / or the rod 9, or, advantageously, be inserted removably into said shoe . By being removable, the shoe 18 can thus be removed from the shoe 1 in particular to replace, wash and / or dry said shoe independently of said shoe.

The liner 18 may be replaced for example by another liner according to the desired level of heat inside the footwear. To facilitate the removal of the liner 18 from the inside of the shoe 1, provision can be made to equip said shoe with a pull tab 20 which extends outwardly from the upper edge and the back of said shoe.

Claims (13)

1. Method of making footwear including a boot (1) fitted with an outer upper (9), said method including formation of a boot (1) comprising an intermediate part (2) that delimits a housing (3) for holding a user's foot, a top sleeve (5) surmounting said intermediate part and a peripheral lip (10) extending from the junction zone between said intermediate part and said sleeve and surrounding the base (8) of said sleeve, said method being characterised in that it includes the following successive steps to fit the outer upper on said boot:

   - retract the sleeve (5) into the holding housing (3) until said sleeve is located under at least a part of the lip (10);

   - attach a lower part (9a) of the outer upper (9) on said lip;

   - extend said sleeve above the intermediate part (2) so that it extends inside said outer upper.
2. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the sleeve (5) is retracted at least until the upper edge (6) of said sleeve is located under the upper edge of the lip (10).
3. Method according to either claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the boot (1) is composed of a single-piece moulded from a thermoplastic material.
4. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the boot (1) is formed with a sleeve (5) the thickness of which is adapted to facilitate retraction of said sleeve into the holding housing (3).
5. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the lower part (9a) of the outer upper (9) is permanently fixed onto the lip (10), particularly by stitching.
6. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the boot (1) is formed with a peripheral groove (13) that extends between the lip (10) and the base (8) of the sleeve (5), the lower part (9a) of the outer upper (9) being placed in said groove before it is attached to said lip.
7. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that it includes to attach the outer upper (9) onto the sleeve (5) after extension of said sleeve inside said outer upper.
8. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that it includes placement of a sock (18) in the boot (1) after extension of the sleeve (5).
9. Footwear maid by implementing a method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, to include a boot (1) that comprises an intermediate part (2) surmounted by a sleeve (5), the base (8) of which is surrounded by a peripheral lip (10, said boot being fitted with an outer upper (9), a lower part (9a) of which is attached to said lip, said lower part being separate from the base (8) of the sleeve (5).
10. Footwear according to claim 9, characterised in that the sleeve (5) has a thickness that is less than the thickness of the intermediate part (2).
11. Footwear according to either claim 9 or 10, characterised in that the outer upper (9) covers the entire sleeve (5).
12. Footwear according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterised in that the outer upper (9) is attached to a part of the sleeve (5) that is located above the base (8) of said sleeve.
13. Footwear according to any one of claims 9 to 12, characterised in that the boot (1) is provided with a sock (18) that extends at least partially inside the sleeve (5).

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