FR2638338A1 - Device for protecting a shoe closure - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for protecting a shoe closure, including a protective element and a means for holding the protective element on the shoe, this means being of the two-part "velcro" type, one part including hooks and the other loops. One of the coupling structures is arranged on that part of the vamp which runs along the closure device, the other structure being carried by the protective element which consists of a flap fastened onto the opposite side of the closure device. The hook structure is preferably arranged on the vamp, set back in a recess or a window so that the hooks are at the same level as the surface of the vamp.

Description

! Shoe closure protection device The present invention

  relates to a shoe closure protection device, and more

  particularly a sports shoe.

  Most sports shoes have a closing device allowing the shoe to be adjusted on the foot; generally the upper of the shoe is divided into two lateral parts, which can be brought closer or closer together according to the chosen tightening of the foot in the shoe. Between and under these upper parts, a tongue is arranged. This device for adjusting or adjusting the shoe by tightening can be a simple lace or a set of loops and hooks, the loops being attached

  to one part of the upper, the hooks on the other.

  The lace is very often used, but has drawbacks: - lacing is a manipulation that must be done with care if you want the foot to be well adjusted while being comfortably installed, and this manipulation can be quite long ; similarly the unlacing must also be treated if one does not want

deform the shoe.

  - the ends of the lace are not protected: in cases where the shoe can be subjected to frequent friction against other objects, the lace can be untied and / or the loops of the lace knot

  can hang on and be the source of real trouble.

  - in addition, although the internal shapes of the upper, the upper and the sole are studied for sporting uses, the intensity and the repetition of sudden efforts and imposed deformations on the upper (start, stop , running, ...) cause a certain sliding of the foot in the shoe, resulting in a heating of the foot, which can be

  the cause of significant inconvenience.

  The lace was replaced by one or more straps fixed on an upper and foldable on the opposite upper to be fixed there by adhesion of the respective surfaces. Generally the adhesion is of the "Velcro" type: a covering is placed on the upper comprising a multitude of small hooks which penetrate and retain the opposite surface of

  the upper consisting of a multitude of loops.

  This substitution of the lace by the adhesive strap brings the considerable advantage of a very simple and immediate adjustment: it suffices to pull more or less the strap (s) and to apply them on the opposite vamp to tighten the shoe and close it. This improvement has drawbacks, however: - if the straps are easily applied, they are also easily removable, and when they are torn off, the shoe is no longer held on the foot; - the surface carrying the hooks is placed on the vamp by gluing or the like. When not in use, that is to say when it is not covered by the strap, the hooks can be damaged or can very easily <and frequently) come into contact with other surfaces, including laces or

other fabrics they damage.

  These straps also only replace the lace and do not in themselves bring any improvement

  on holding the foot in the shoe.

  American patent US-A-4 144 297 provides a lace-up shoe further comprising a closing strap: the function of the lace is to hold the foot against the sole to prevent it from slipping, and the strap has the function of closing the upper. For this purpose the two closure elements (loop strap and hook support) are arranged between the sole and

the vamp at the level of the voote.

  However, this device does not provide or allow good protection of the lace: the strap is narrow and it must be fixed to the hooking surface as close as possible to the sole. You cannot insert the loops of the knot, neither the knot, nor the free ends of the lace under the strap. Plus the downside

  previous free hooks is always present.

  On the other hand, another problem in the manufacture of shoes and in particular sports shoes is

foot ventilation.

  American patent US-A-2 614 339 describes a ventilation device in which provision is made to make openings or side windows located along the eyelets in the upper. These windows, on the inner side, are 'provided with a tab or flap which can take two positions, one opening for ventilation, the other closing to stop

ventilation.

  However, if this device allows good ventilation it does not protect the lace or replace it with a strap of the type previously described. In addition, when the windows are open, on the one hand the foot is directly in contact with the atmosphere, that is to say with dust, rain, ...., on the other hand the two legs are folded

  on themselves inside and this double over-

  thickness can be the source of an uncomfortable discomfort. And, in all cases, it is necessary to take off the shoe to obtain the open or closed position of these ventilation oules, which represents additional handling. The object of the present invention is to provide a shoe with a lace and a closing and protective flap which does not have the drawbacks.

  above mentioned untimely clashes.

  She still aims for a shoe

ventilated.

  The subject of the invention is a shoe closure protection device characterized in that it comprises a protection element for the closure device, and at least one means for holding the protection element on the shoe, said means for support being with two parts of the type with hooking structure arranged on the one hand on the part of the upper which runs along the closure device of the shoe, on the other hand on the face of the protective element oriented towards the shoe, and in that one of the fastening structures is arranged in withdrawal with respect to the external surface of its support, so that the upper end of the fastening structure is practically at the same level

than this outer surface.

  The invention is also remarkable for the following characteristics: the protective element comprises two attachment structures symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shoe, intended to be each applied to an attachment structure

  correspondingly arranged on the vamp, also.

  symmetrically with respect to the axis of the shoe; the attachment structure is a structure on the one hand with hooks and on the other hand with loops, and the attachment structure disposed on the upper is with hooks, and it is set back with respect to the external surface of the vamp; - The attachment structure disposed on the protective element is hooked and it is recessed relative to the outer surface of the protective element; - the protective element is a protective flap fixed pivotally on a lateral part of the upper along the closure device of the boot, the attachment structure fixed on the upper being arranged on the corresponding opposite side of the device closing; - The device comprises at least one recess intended to receive recessed the hooking hook structure; each loop fastening structure forms a single surface; - The recess is formed by a withdrawal of material from the upper, the attachment structure being applied and maintained by any known means, at the bottom of the hollow thus obtained; - The recess is a window, closed by the hooking structure hooked maintained on the inner wall of the shoe by any known means, the hooks being oriented towards the outside of the shoe; - the attachment structures are permeable to air, and the surfaces of the materials supporting said attachment structures are also permeable to air; - the surface carrying hooks and the surface carrying the loops have ventilation pores, so that air can circulate between the interior

and the outside of the shoe.

  - The device has inside a member facing each attachment structure and along the upper of the shoe down to below the insole, said member forming a ventilation channel between the sole and exterior; The shoe according to the invention thus described makes it possible to effectively protect the closure device, in particular when it is a lace, while first avoiding the contact of the hooks on the strands of the lace or on the clothing, and then the heating of the foot thanks to constant ventilation. And ventilation is obtained without subjecting the foot to external agents: water,

dust ...

  In order to better understand the invention, the accompanying drawing shows: FIG. 1: a general view of the shoe according to the invention; - Figure 2: a sectional view of the upper side attachment structure according to the invention in a first embodiment; - Figure 3: a sectional view of the attachment structure on the vamp side, according to the invention in a second embodiment; - Figure 4: a view of the upper with the sole ventilation device; - Figure 5: a sectional view of the upper of Figure 4 with the ventilation device; - Figure 6: a schematic view of a variant

  for producing the device according to the invention.

  The following description relates to a shoe

  provided with a lace but the invention is not limited to this closure device which can be replaced by

any other equivalent.

  As shown in Figure 1, the shoe according to the invention is a lace-up shoe 1. Traditionally the upper 2 has a front part

  3, and two side parts 4,5 which border the foot.

  Towards the front of the shoe, these two parts 4.5 each end in a row of eyelets 6 which face each other. Between these eyelets and under the upper is disposed a flap 7 or a bellows. The lace is passed

  in the eyelets in a known manner.

  The shoe includes a means of protecting the lace 1. This means consists of a protective flap 8 which is fixed to a lateral part 4 or 5 of the upper and which is intended to cover the central part of the upper. occupied by the lace when the free end 9 of the flap 8 is brought back and held on the opposite side part 5 or 4

corresponding to the upper.

  Preferably, the protective flap 8 is fixed to the upper on the inside of the foot as illustrated in FIG. 1, so that the opposite free end 9 is folded down by pivoting towards the outside of the foot. But this arrangement is only a preference and mounting

reverse is quite possible.

  The shoe comprises a means for holding the flap 8 in the protective position, that is to say the free end 9 applied to the upper 4. This means is of the known type with two-part fastening: a first part is a surface element 10 disposed on the vamp, on the lateral part which runs along a row of eyelets 6, a second part is a surface element 11 disposed on the face of the flap oriented towards the shoe or inner face. The surface elements 10, 11 with loops 21 and hooks 22 are of the type known under the name of Velcro, but any other means ensuring equivalent adhesion of the

  surface elements can be used.

  In the example illustrated, the hooks are arranged on the upper and the loops on the flap but the reverse arrangement can also be adopted. The attachment structure 10 which is on the vamp 4 is disposed in withdrawal with respect to the external surface 12 of the vamp, so that the upper end 13 of this structure, hooks or loops, is practically at the same level than this surface 12, and preferably a little below. So when the lace or another fabric comes in front of the surface element carrying the fastening structure it does not touch it; there is therefore no risk of accidental snagging, or of deterioration of the

  structure or fabric by hooks.

  To achieve this withdrawal from the attachment structure, the upper 4 comprises at least one

  recess 14 intended to receive said structure.

  In, a first embodiment illustrated in Figure 2 the recess is a simple removal of material from the upper. The hanging structure is applied and maintained, sewn or

  glued to the bottom 15 of the hollow thus obtained.

  In a second variant shown in FIG. 3, the recess is a window 16, that is to say an opening cut out from the vamp 4. The attachment structure 10 is placed throughout the surface of the opening, from the inside 17 of the shoe, the hooks (or the loops) being oriented towards the outside 18. The hooks (or the loops) are arranged on a support 19 which projects 20 on each side of the window, and this support is held in place in the opening by gluing (or other means) of the edges on the inside of the upper: thus the window is completely closed. In addition, it is possible to provide air-permeable attachment structure materials, and to make the materials supporting the structures

  also breathable.

  For example, the support 19 carrying the hooks 22 may be a mesh of synthetic or plastic material, this mesh allowing air to pass between the meshes, or else the support may include a

  multitude of pores 23 of very small diameter.

  Similarly in the case of the first alternative embodiment of the recess, the upper can be microperforated. Likewise also the flap has perforations 23 or it can be made of a porous material, in order to allow a free circulation of air between the outer face and the

inside face.

  This arrangement, when the protective flap is in place allows ventilation of the shoe by a draft in the recesses

hanging 14.

  When the latter arrangement is adopted, it is also possible to improve the ventilation of the shoe by guiding the air passing through the attachment structure, even under the foot at the level of the sole. To this end the invention provides a member 24 disposed inside 17 of the shoe, facing the structure 10, and running along the upper 4 down to below the insole; this member is a piece 26 of flexible material intended to form a channel 27 or ventilation duct

  between the sole and the outside 18.

  The channel preferably opens out under the insole so that air can then circulate between the two soles 25 and 28 and be distributed in the shoe. The organ can be single, and cover several recesses; we can also provide several organs, one

by recess 14.

  In an alternative embodiment of the device according to the invention shown in Figure 6, the protective surface element 8 is not fixed to the upper 5. The element 8 has two attachment surfaces 11, symmetrically distributed by relative to the longitudinal axis of the shoe. Each attachment surface 11 is intended to be applied to a corresponding attachment structure 10, composed of at least one recess as defined above, and disposed on the upper. Each structure 10 is positioned symmetrically along each row of eyelets. So the protective element can be

  totally removed and not even used.

  According to another alternative embodiment, independently of the previous one, the recesses 15, 16 can be made on the protective element 8 itself; in this case for example, the element carrying the loops can be simply glued to the upper, and the element carrying the hooks can be placed on the flap, recessed from the surrounding surface 30, in one or more recesses correspondents.

Claims (12)

  1. Shoe closing protection device characterized in that it comprises a protective element (8) of the closing device, and at least one means for holding the protective element on the shoe, said holding means being with two parts (10,11) of the type with an attachment structure arranged on the one hand on the part of the upper (4) which runs along the closure device, on the other hand on the face of the protective element (8) oriented towards the shoe, and in that one of the attachment structures (10> is set back relative to the exterior surface of its support, so that the upper end of the attachment structure is almost at the same level as this surface outside.   2. Shoe closing protection device according to claim 1 characterized in that the protective element <8) comprises two attachment structures (10 or 11) symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shoe, intended for each be applied to a corresponding attachment structure (11 or 10) disposed on the upper also symmetrically with respect to the axis of the shoe.   3. Closing protection device   shoe according to any one of claims 1   or 2 characterized in that the attachment structure (10,11) is a structure on the one hand & hooks (22), on the other hand with loops (21) and in that the attachment structure (10) arranged on the upper is the hook structure (22), and it is set back by   relative to the outer surface (12) of the upper.   4. Closing protection device   shoe according to any one of claims 1   or 2 characterized in that the attachment structure (11) disposed on the protective element (8) is with hook structure (22) and it is set back relative to the external surface (30) of the element protection. 5. Closing protection device   shoe according to one of claims 3 or 4   characterized in that the protective element is a protective flap (8) pivotally fixed on a part (5> lateral of the upper along the closure device, the attachment structure (10) fixed on the upper being arranged on the opposite side   corresponding to the closing device.   6. Closing protection device   shoe according to any one of claims 1 to   4 characterized in that it comprises at least one recess (14) intended to receive the recess   hooking structure with hooks (22).   7. Closing protection device   shoe according to any one of claims   above, characterized in that each hooking structure (11) with loops (21) forms a surface of a in one piece.   8. shoe closure protection device according to claim 6 characterized in that the recess is constituted by a withdrawal of material from the upper (4), the attachment structure (10) being applied and maintained by any means known, basically (15) of the hollow thus obtained.   9. Shoe closing protection device according to claim 6 characterized in that the recess is a window (16), closed by the hooking structure (10) with hooks (22) held on the inner wall of the shoe by any known means, the hooks being oriented towards the outside (18) of the shoe.   10. Closing protection device   shoe according to any one of claims   previous characterized in that the attachment structures (10,11) are permeable to air, and the surfaces of the materials supporting said structures   are also breathable.   11. Shoe closure protection device according to claim 10 characterized in that the surface carrying hooks and the surface carrying the loops have ventilation pores (17), so that air can circulate between   the interior (17) and the exterior (18) of the shoe.   12. Closing protection device   shoe according to any one of claims 10   or 11 characterized in that it comprises, inside the boot, a member (24) disposed opposite each attachment structure (10) and along   the upper (4) of the shoe down until   below the insole 25), said member forming an air channel between the sole and outside (18>.