EP3565428B1 - Footwear item, associated production method and assembly comprising such a footwear item - Google Patents

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an article of footwear, a method of manufacturing said article of footwear and an assembly comprising such an article of footwear and an accessory.

It relates more particularly to an article of footwear comprising an upper provided with a foot passage delimiting an opening for the insertion of the foot inside said article, a lining covering at least the so-called internal face of the upper, a braid arranged at the opening around said opening, male snap button elements, each male element being able to cooperate with at least one female snap button element fitted to an accessory of said item of footwear for removable mounting of said accessory on said article of footwear.

PRIOR ART

Footwear of the aforementioned type are known, as illustrated by the patent. FR 2 617 685 . However, such an article of footwear is not satisfactory, and in particular does not allow several assemblies and dismantles of said accessories, without risk of premature wear.

There are also articles of footwear fitted with a male member of the collar button type which is housed directly in a bore of an accessory by passing through the latter. This solution is unsightly because it makes it necessary to have male members of significant size. In addition, the quality of the attachment of the male member inside the bore is very poor so that the accessory can only be positioned in places of the article of footwear that are not very stressed, otherwise there is a risk of disassembly. inadvertent use of the accessory while walking.

GOALS AND SUMMARY

An object of the invention is to provide an article of footwear, the design of which allows the accessory to be mounted and removed several times, while limiting a risk of premature wear of the upper, and without harming the aesthetics of said article.

Another object of the invention is to provide an article of footwear the design of which makes it possible to increase the resistance to tearing, to avoid any untimely loss of the accessory.

To this end, the invention relates to an article of footwear comprising an upper provided with a foot passage delimiting an opening for inserting the foot inside said article, a lining covering at least the said face. internal of the rod, a braid arranged at the level of the opening, around said opening, at least one male snap button element, each male element being able to cooperate with at least one female snap button element fitted to an accessory of said article of footwear for removable fitting of said accessory on said article of footwear, characterized in that the braid is a fully concealed braid arranged between the upper and the lining, in that the so-called outer face of the braid is fixed by gluing to the upper, in that the braid and the shank are provided with bores, in that each male snap fastener element passes through the braid and the shank at a hole and in that each male snap fastener element comprises, made of 'one s only part, a base, a head of generally spherical shape and a connecting body of the head to the base, said base of the male element being a masked base positioned applied on the internal face of the braid and the head of the male element projecting from the outer face of the rod, the head of said male element being provided at its base, in its zone of connection to the connecting body, with a reservation.

The presence of a braid fixed by gluing to the rod and arranged between the rod and the lining makes it possible to avoid tearing of the upper at the level of the piercing made in the upper and the braid, in particular when the accessory is detached from said article of footwear, without harming the aesthetics of said article of footwear.

Likewise, the masking of the base of the male element between the braid and the liner offers improved aesthetics.

Finally, the design of the head of the male element makes it possible to increase the resistance to tearing, in the coupled state of the male and female elements.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the reservation of the head of the male snap fastener element forms, at the level of the transition zone between the spherical part of the head and the connecting body, a cutaway.

Preferably, the cutaway or flat forms, with a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the body, an angle between 35 and 60 °, preferably close to 45 °.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the base of the male element has a convex face, opposite to that applied on the internal face of the braid.

The convexity of the base helps prevent or limit injury to the foot or damage to the liner.

Preferably, the outer peripheral edge of the base of the male element is rounded.

This rounded profile of the outer peripheral edge of the base of the male element again makes it possible to prevent premature wear of the article of footwear.

Preferably, the braid is a self-adhesive braid.

This results in ease of fitting the braid.

According to one embodiment, the upper is, at the level of the edge of the opening, folded towards the interior of the opening and the upper, the flap of the upper, and the lining are fixed by stitching.

Thus, the edge of the opening is sharp.

A further subject of the invention is an assembly comprising at least one item of footwear and at least one accessory equipped with at least one female snap button element, said female snap button element preferably comprising a spring eyelet, one side of which is is closed by a cap, characterized in that the article of footwear is of the aforementioned type for removable mounting of the accessory on said article of footwear by snap coupling of the head of the or at least one of the male elements of Footwear snap button with an accessory female snap button eyelet.

A further subject of the invention is a method of manufacturing an article of footwear of the type comprising an upper provided with a foot passage delimiting an opening for the insertion of the foot inside said article, a lining covering the bottom. less than the so-called internal face of the rod, a braid disposed at the level of the opening around said opening, at least one male snap button element, each male element being able to cooperate with at least one female button element- pressure fitted to an accessory of said article of footwear for removable mounting of said accessory on said article of footwear, characterized in that each male element comprising, made in one piece, a head of generally spherical shape, a base and a connecting body of the head to the base, said method comprises, after cutting the shank, a step of bonding the so-called outer face of the braid to the shank, a step of drilling the braid and the shank, a step of inserting by force of each el male element in an associated bore up to a position in which the base of the male element is positioned flush on the face of the braid and the head of the male element protrudes from the outer face of the rod, said head being provided at its base, in its zone of connection to the connecting body, with a reservation, a step of connection of the upper and the lining to one another for masking the base of the male element (s) and masking of the braid, and a step of forming the rod.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

• La figure 1 représente une vue en perspective d'un article chaussant équipé d'un accessoire.
• La figure 2 représente une vue en perspective d'un article chaussant dépourvu d'accessoire et le détail de réalisation d'un élément mâle.
• Les figures 3 et 4 représentent, sous forme de vues schématiques, les différentes étapes de fabrication d'un article chaussant.
• La figure 5 représente une vue en coupe des éléments mâle et femelle de bouton-pression, à l'état non assemblé.
• La figure 6 représente une vue en perspective, en position éclatée des éléments le constituant, des éléments mâle et femelle d'un bouton-pression.
• La figure 7 représente une vue en perspective d'un article chaussant équipé d'un accessoire conforme à un autre mode de réalisation de l'invention.

The invention will be clearly understood on reading the following description of exemplary embodiments, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

• The figure 1 shows a perspective view of an article of footwear fitted with an accessory.
• The figure 2 shows a perspective view of an item of footwear without any accessory and the detail of the embodiment of a male element.
• The figures 3 and 4 represent, in the form of schematic views, the various stages of manufacture of an article of footwear.
• The figure 5 is a sectional view of the male and female snap fastener elements, in unassembled state.
• The figure 6 shows a perspective view, in exploded position of the constituent elements, of the male and female elements of a press-stud.
• The figure 7 represents a perspective view of an article of footwear equipped with an accessory according to another embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As mentioned above, the article 1 of footwear comprises an upper 2 and, in the example shown, a sole. Footwear item 1 is here a women's shoe, of the ballerina type, but the invention can be applied to any type of footwear.

This article of footwear 1 further comprises a lining 5 covering the internal face 22, that is to say facing the inside of the shoe, of the upper 2.

The upper 2 therefore forms an external part of the article of footwear, and the lining an internal part of the article 1 of footwear. Upper 2 and lining 5 are generally made of different materials, the upper possibly being made of leather, and the lining of fabric.

The article 1 of footwear also comprises a braid 4 surrounding the opening 3, and male snap button elements 7 also arranged around the opening 3. The braid 4 borders the opening, preferably extending slightly back. of said opening.

Each male snap button element 7 is intended to cooperate with a female element 15 fitted to an accessory 14 of the article of footwear, for removable mounting of the accessory 14 on said article of footwear. The male and female elements 7 and 15 function as a snap button.

The braid 4 has an outer face 41, that is to say facing the outside of the article of footwear, and an inner face 42 facing the inside of the article of footwear. This braid 4 is placed between the upper 2 and the lining 5, with its external face 41 facing towards the upper 2 and its internal face 42 facing towards the lining 5.

This braid 4 is fixed by gluing to the rod 2. To facilitate this gluing, in the example shown, the braid 4 is a self-adhesive braid. Thanks to its positioning between upper 2 and lining 5, the braid 4 is completely hidden.

This braid 4 and the rod 2 are provided with holes 11 each serving for reception of a male element 7. Each hole 11 is made at the same time at the level of the braid 4 and of the rod 2, to obtain a coincidence of the orifices made in the braid 4 and the rod 2. In the example shown, the holes 11 are arranged at spacing l 'from each other, forming a line of holes around the opening 3 of the rod 2.

Likewise, in the example shown, each bore 11 is equipped with a male snap button element 7 which passes through the strip 4 and the rod 2 at said bore 11.

Each male element 7 has a head 9, of generally spherical shape, a base 8 and a body 10, here cylindrical, for connecting the head 9 to the base 8. Head 9, connecting body 10 and base 8 are made of 'one piece, preferably by injection molding of metal powder.

The head 9 forms the active part of the male element 7 for connection to the female element. This head 9 of the male element 7 projects from the outer face 23, that is to say turned towards the outside of the article of footwear, of the upper 2. To prevent the body 10 from connection between the head 9 and the base 8 of the male snap button element protrudes too much from the external face of the rod, the length H between the connection area of the connecting body to the base 8 and the top of the head 9 of the male element 7 is between 3.5 and 4.5 mm. The length of the connecting body 10 is preferably between 1.5 and 2.5 mm. The base 8 of each male element 7 is on the other hand hidden, due to its positioning between the braid 4 and the lining 5.

Thus, the base 8 is applied by one of its faces on the internal face 42 of the strip 4 and is, at its face 81 opposite to that applied on the internal face of the strip 4, positioned in contact with 'support with the liner 5.

This face 81 of the base 8 of the male element 7 is convex, to prevent or limit the risk of injury to the foot inserted into the article of footwear. Of even, the outer peripheral edge 13 of the base 8 of the male element 7 is rounded, this base here affecting the shape of a circular plate.

The head 9 of the male element 7 is for its part provided, at its base, in its zone of connection to the connecting body 10, with a reservation 12. This reservation 12 of the head 9 of the male element 7 of snap button form, at the transition zone between the spherical part of the head 9 and the connecting body 10, a cut section 121. This cutaway 121 or flat forms with a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the body, an angle X of between 35 and 60 °, preferably close to 45 °. By virtue of the presence of this cutaway, the pull-out resistance of the female snap button element in the state coupled to the male snap button element is increased.

For the installation of the male element 7 on the item of footwear 1, the procedure is as follows: firstly, the rod 2 is placed on a flat and cut form, to provide an opening 3. The rod 2 is, at the edge 31 of the opening 3, folded towards the inside of the rod, to form a flap. The braid 4 is glued to the rod, on the internal face of the rod. The shank and the braid are pierced. The lining 5, the upper flap 2, and the upper 2 are connected together by stitching at said flap. Each male element 7 is then inserted into a bore 11 until the head 9 of the male element 7 protrudes from the bore on the outer face side of the rod, while the base 8 remains interposed between the strip and the lining, to be hidden there. The lining 5 is then glued to the upper 2, and the assembly is put on a form, for a forming of the upper and then an assembly with the sole.

An accessory 14, such as a buckle, a handle or the like, equipped with at least one female snap-button element 15 comprising a spring-loaded eyelet 16 closed at one of its faces by a cap 17 can then be attached to the article of footwear, as shown in figure 1 . This accessory 14 can equally well be attached to the front or rear part of the rod, and affect a large number of shapes. Cooperation between male organs and female snap button is snap-in, like a traditional push button. To optimize aesthetics without adversely affecting the quality of the binding, the length of the connecting body 10 of the male element is chosen according to the thickness of the rod, the braid and the spring of the spring-loaded eyelet 16. , this length of the connecting body 10 of the male element being chosen at least equal to the sum of the thicknesses of the rod, the braid and the spring of the spring-loaded eyelet 16 and at most 15% greater than the sum of the thicknesses of the shank, the braid and the spring of the spring-loaded eyelet 16.

Claims (10)

1. A footwear item (1) comprising:

   - an upper (2) provided with a foot passage delimiting an opening (3) for inserting the foot inside said item (1),

   - a lining (5) covering at least the so-called inner face (22) of the upper (2),

   - tape (4) placed at the opening (3), around said opening (3),

   - at least one male press stud element (7), each male element (7) being able to cooperate with at least one female press stud element (15) equipping an accessory (14) of said footwear item (1) for a removable assembly of said accessory (14) on said footwear item (1),
   characterized in that the tape (4) is completely hidden tape placed between the upper (2) and the lining (5), in that the so-called outer face (41) of the tape (4) is adhered to the upper (2), in that the tape (4) and the upper (2) are provided with holes (11), in that each male press stud element (7) passes through the tape (4) and the rod (2) and a hole (11) and in that each male element (7) comprises, made in one piece, a base (8), a generally spherical head (9) and a body (10) for connecting the head (9) to the base (8), said base (8) of the male element (7) being a hidden base (8) positioned pressed on the inner face (42) of the tape (4) and the head (9) of the male element (7) protruding from the outer face (23) of the upper (2), the head (9) of said male element (7) being provided at its base, in its connecting zone to the connecting body (10), with a setback (12).
2. The footwear item (1) according to claim 1,
   characterized in that the setback (12) of the head (9) of the male press stud element (7) forms, at the transition zone between the spherical part of the head (9) and the connecting body (10), a cut-off corner (121).
3. The footwear item (1) according to claim 2,
   characterized in that the cut-off corner (121) forms, with a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the body, an angle (X) inclusively between 35 and 60°, preferably close to 45°.
4. The footwear item (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3,
   characterized in that the base (8) of the male element (7) has a convex face (81), opposite that pressed on the inner face of the tape (4).
5. The footwear item (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4,
   characterized in that the outer peripheral edge (13) of the base (8) of the male element (7) is rounded.
6. The footwear item (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5,
   characterized in that the tape (4) is a self-adhesive tape.
7. The footwear item (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6,
   characterized in that the upper (2) is, at the edge (31) of the opening (3), folded toward the inside of the opening (3) and in that the upper (2), the flap of the upper (2), and the lining (5) are fastened by sewing.
8. An assembly comprising at least one footwear item (1) and at least one accessory (14) equipped with at least one female press stud element (15), said female press stud element (15) preferably comprising a spring eyelet (16) whereof one face is closed by a cap (17), characterized in that the footwear item (1) is according to one of claims 1 to 7 for a removable assembly of the accessory (14) on said footwear item (1) by coupling by snapping of the head (9) of the or at least one of the male press stud elements (7) of the footwear item (1) with an eyelet (16) of the female press stud element (15) of the accessory (14).
9. A method for manufacturing a footwear item (1) of the type comprising an upper (2) provided with a foot passage delimiting an opening (3) for inserting the foot inside said item (1), a lining (5) covering at least the so-called inner face (22) of the upper (2), tape (4) placed at the opening (3) around said opening (3), at least one male press stud element (7), each male element (7) being able to cooperate with at least one female press stud element (15) equipping an accessory (14) of said footwear item (1) for a removable assembly of said accessory (14) on said footwear item (1),
   characterized in that each male element (7) comprising, made in a single piece, a generally spherical head (9), a base (8) and a body (10) for connecting the head (9) to the base (8), said method comprises, after cutting the upper (2), a step for gluing the so-called outer face of the tape to the upper, a step for piercing the tape (4) and the upper (2), a step for forcibly inserting each male element (7) into an associated hole (11) until reaching a position in which the base (8) of the male element (7) is positioned pressing on the inner face of the tape (4) and the head (9) of the male element (7) protrudes from the outer face of the upper (2), said head (9) being provided at its base, in its connecting zone to the connecting body (10), with a setback (12), a step for connecting the rod (2) and the lining (5) to one another in order to hide the base (8) of the male element(s) (7) and to hide the tape (4), and a step to form the upper (2).
10. The method for manufacturing a footwear item (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that the footwear item (1) is according to one of claims 1 to 7.

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