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The present invention relates to a production process of a footwear of moccasin type provided with an elastically expandable inlet, as well as to the moccasin obtained with such a process.
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Moccasins are lace-less shoes provided with an upper that surrounds the entire foot and comprises a tongue that is usually rather pronounced towards the top, and substantially located at the height of the instep of the user's foot.
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Despite the widespread popularity of such a type of footwear, there is a drawback that tends to arise especially when a moccasin has a leather upper with a rather sturdy, rigid structure, as it is normally the case with mid-range and high-end models. In particular, reference is made to the difficulties encountered by the users when they have to wear such a type of moccasin due to the fact that the rigid structure of the upper tends to create a stiff, uncomfortable interference between the inlet of the moccasin and the user's foot.
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In fact, in such a situation, it is often necessary to use a shoehorn to facilitate the insertion of the foot through the inlet of the moccasin, also due to the fact that the inlet is subject to a temporary deformation in longitudinal direction in correspondence with the heel counter.
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US3952430A describes the construction for a shoe in which an elastic gore is sewn, running from one side of the vamp across the throat of the shoe to the other side of the vamp. The elastic gore is inserted between the tongue member and the lining member of the shoe, concealing and preventing it from coming into contact with the user's foot.
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It was precisely a careful consideration of the prior art that led to the conception of the new process according to the invention, the purpose of which is to realize a moccasin provided with an elastically expandable inlet suitable for ensuring a quick and easy insertion and extraction of the user's foot even without using a shoehorn.
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In order to give such an elastic capacity to the inlet of the new shoe according to the invention, the shape of the upper has been modified with respect to the prior art.
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In particular, the tongue typical of all moccasins was eliminated and replaced with a window cut transversally into the upper, in a position that allows it to be substantially disposed at the height of the instep of the user's foot.
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A conforming elastic fabric insert is sewn inside said window, it being effectively capable of guaranteeing the elastic deformability of the inlet of the new shoe when the user's foot is inserted and extracted into/from the shoe, and, more specifically, due to the interference with the instep of the user's foot suffered by said insert during the aforementioned operations.
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Moreover, the elastic fabric insert forms the base for sewing a conforming piece of leather, which is known as "flap", which reproduces the shape of a typical moccasin tongue; it being provided that such a flap is suitable for exactly occupying the window wherein the elastic fabric insert is sewn.
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It should also be noted that, while such a flap does not prevent the extension and subsequent recovery of the fibers of the elastic fabric insert, the flap is advantageously capable of concealing said insert during the normal use of the footwear.
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In fact, such an elastic fabric insert can be seen from the outside of the new moccasin in question only when the forced spreading of the inlet of the moccasin occurs and the extension of the fibers of the elastic fabric effectively lifts the flap, temporarily detaching the edges of the flap from the corresponding edges of the window formed on the upper.
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More precisely, in such a condition, the presence of the elastic fabric in the very narrow space (of the order of a few millimeters) generated between the edges of the window and the edges of the corresponding flap attached to the elastic fabric insert is in any case visible.
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It is understood that the innovative upper provided with the elastic fabric insert and the leather flap is suitable for being normally assembled on a respective sole using a traditional technology.
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The main purpose of the present invention has been achieved in accordance with the characteristics listed in the attached independent claim 1.
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Advantageous embodiments of this invention appear in the dependent claims.
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For greater clarity, the description of the invention continues with reference to the attached drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only and are not limiting, wherein:
- Fig. 1 is a view from the inside of the upper suitable for being used in the new moccasin in question;
- Fig. 1A shows the elastic fabric insert suitable for being mounted on the upper of Fig. 1;
- Fig. 1B shows the leather flap suitable for being sewn onto the elastic fabric insert of Fig. 1A;
- Fig. 2 is identical to the previous one, except for it shows the upper after the assembly of a respective elastic fabric insert;
- Fig. 3 is identical to the previous ones, except for it shows the upper after the assembly of a respective inner lining;
- Fig. 4 is identical to Fig. 3, except for it shows the upper after the trimming of the lining;
- Fig. 5 is a view of the upper from the outside, after the assembly of a respective flap above the elastic fabric insert;
- Figs. 6 and 7 are two diagrammatic sectional views taken in correspondence of the circle reproduced in Fig. 5, illustrating the two different configurations that are alternately assumed by the "elastic insert and leather flap" assembly;
- Fig. 8 shows the moccasin obtained with the new process in question from two different perspectives.
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With reference to the attached Figures, the operating steps of the new process in question are described below.
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The first step (step A) consists of the fabrication of the following structural parts:
- an upper (T) suitable for embracing the entire foot of the user and provided at the instep of the user's foot with a substantially rectangular transverse window (1) joined with the inlet (IM) of said upper (T); wherein said window (1) is comprised between a first lateral edge (1a) and a second lateral edge (1b) inferiorly joined by a transverse edge (1c), as show in Fig. 1;
- an elastic fabric insert (2) having a substantially ribbon-shaped profile conforming to that of the window (1) of said upper (T), so as to cover said window (1) during use; wherein said insert (2) has a greater surface area than that of said window (1) in such a way that its perimeter edge (2a) extends beyond said lateral edges (1a, 1b) and said transverse edge (1c) of the window (1), as shown in Figs. 1 and 2;
- a leather flap (3) suitable for being mounted above the elastic fabric insert (2) to simulate the transverse band typical of moccasins and the tongue; wherein said leather flap (3) is suitable for exactly occupying the window (1) of the upper (T) in that it comprises two curvilinear lateral edges (3a, 3b) and one rounded transverse edge (3c) corresponding to said curvilinear lateral edges (1a, 1b) and to said concave edge (1c) of said window (1), as shown in Fig. 5.
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The second step (step A1) consists of providing a lining (4) suitable for being mounted inside said upper (T), as well as provided with a central cutout (4a) suitable for being exactly aligned with said window (1) of the upper (T) during use; wherein said cutout (4a) is circumscribed by a perimeter edge (4b) that is disposed inside said window (1) during use, as shown in Fig. 3.
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The third step (step B) consists of assembling said elastic fabric insert (2) in correspondence with said window of the upper (T), wherein said assembly is performed from the inside of said upper (T) by means of a first stitch line (L1) that attaches said perimeter edge (2a) of the insert (2) at said lateral edges (1a, 1b) and said transverse edge (1c) of the window (1), as shown in Fig. 2.
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The fourth step (step C) consists of assembling said lining (4) inside the upper (T), wherein said assembly provides for making a second stitch line (L2) to sew the perimeter edge (4b) of the cutout (4a) of said lining (4) to said elastic fabric insert (2), as shown in Fig. 3.
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The sixth step (step D) consists of trimming said perimeter edge (4b) of the cutout (4a) of the lining (4) for the part that protrudes inside the window (1) of the upper (T), downstream of said second stitch line (L2), as shown in Fig. 4.
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The seventh step (step E) consists of assembling said leather flap (3) above said elastic fabric insert (2) from the outside of the upper (T); wherein said leather flap (3) is sewn to said elastic fabric insert (2) by means of a third stitch line (L3) made at said lateral edges (3a, 3b) and at said transverse edge (3c), as shown in Fig. 5.
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The eighth step (step F) consists of assembling said upper (T) on a respective sole (S), as shown in Fig. 8.
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Having completed the description of the innovative structure of the upper (T) of the moccasin (M), it is necessary to clarify the way in which said upper (T) can take advantage of said elastically deformable inlet through which the user's foot can be comfortably and quickly inserted or extracted.
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As long as the upper (T) is not yet occupied by the user's foot or even after the insertion of the foot inside said upper (T), the elastic fabric insert (2) is expected to remain in its natural position, not being subject to any deforming stress.
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In such a first case, the leather flap (3) remains exactly inside the window (1) of the upper (T), in such a way that the edges (3a, 3b, 3c) are substantially in contact with the corresponding edges (1a, 1b, 1c) of the window (1) of the upper (T), as shown in Fig. 5.
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In such a configuration, anyone observing the moccasin (M) with the upper (T) from the outside will not detect the presence of the elastic fabric insert (2) mounted at the window (1) of the upper (T) all around the leather flap (3), precisely because the window (1) is entirely occupied by the leather flap (3).
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However, when the user's foot is inserted into or extracted from the upper (T), a stress is inevitably generated on the inlet of the upper (T) from the inside towards the outside, and the only part capable of suffering said stress without any damage is the elastic fabric insert (2) that, in fact, suffers a forced deformation mainly at its perimeter edges, temporarily increasing the surface area thereof.
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So, the following two conditions occur simultaneously: the first one consists in lifting the leather flap (3) sewn on the elastic fabric insert (2) towards the outside of the window (1) of the upper (T), whereas the second one consists in the forced - and finally visible - separation of the lateral edges (3a, 3b) and of the transverse edge (3c) of the leather flap (3) from the corresponding edges (1a, 1b, 1c) of the window (1) of the upper; it being provided that such a separation is the result of the extension suffered by the border (BE) of the elastic fabric insert (2) comprised between the two attachment points provided inside the upper (T), consisting precisely in the first stitch line (L1) and in the third stitch line (L3).
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In order to understand the operating mode of the elastic fabric insert (2), reference is made to the observation of the diagrammatic Figures 6 and 7, wherein Fig. 6 shows the natural "contracted" position assumed by said insert (2) in idle condition between the lateral edge (1a) of the window (1) and the corresponding lateral edge (3a) of the flap (3).
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Fig. 7 shows the "extended" position assumed by the insert (2) in operating position (i.e., in the presence of the deforming interference of the user's foot), in correspondence with said border (BE) held between the first stitch line (L1) and the third stitch line (L3).
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It should be noted that only when the edges of the flap (3) and of the window (1) are temporarily separated, it will be possible to see the presence of the elastic fabric insert (2) in intermediate position.
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Finally, with regard to the flap (3), it should be noted that such a part may have a perfectly smooth outer surface or a surface decorated with ornaments or low relief profiles.