GB2313537A

GB2313537A - Footwear item

Info

Publication number: GB2313537A
Application number: GB9611296A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Graham Stevens; Michael Law
Original assignee: FII FOOTWEAR MANAGEMENT Ltd
Current assignee: FII FOOTWEAR MANAGEMENT Ltd
Priority date: 1996-05-30
Filing date: 1996-05-30
Publication date: 1997-12-03
Also published as: GB9611296D0

Abstract

A component of an item of footwear, for example an upper, comprises a substrate material having a coating of PTFE. The substrate material may be coated by dipping the material into a PTFE solution. Alternatively fibres may be dipped into a PTFE solution, cured and woven to form a textile material for manufacture into the footwear item component. In another way the substrate material may be sprayed with a PTFE solution. The coating affords a non-stick quality to the component which resists the adhesion of dirt and absorbtion of moisture and provides improved durability.

Description

FOOTWEAR ITEM The present invention relates to footwear items and particularly to the materials used in the manufacture of the upper components thereof.

In this respect, conventional materials for the upper components of footwear items are generally relatively hard wearing and flexible. Flexibility of, for example, the upper material is necessary to accommodate for movement of the wearer's feet. Without such flexibility the footwear item would prove to be highly uncomfortable.

Materials for the upper components of footwear items are also generally porous in order to provide a degree of ventilation for the wearer's feet. Without such ventilation, the footwear item can become highly uncomfortable and even result in medical complaints such as athlete's foot.

For every day usage, materials such as leather and imitation leather provide both adequate wear resistance, flexibility and porosity. However, a problem with flexible and porous materials is that they are prone to absorb and hold dirt with which they come into contact. With imitation leather utilizing textile materials, the fibres thereof readily absorb dirt, and with leather the ability to repel moisture and resist dirt is lost rapidly if the material is not frequently polished. In both cases, the surface of the material is relatively tactile to dirt, for example mud, so that frequent cleaning is required to both keep the footwear item looking in good order and maintain its integrity against the ingress of dirt and moisture. In this respect, if dirt and moisture are able to penetrate into the interior of the footwear item, then the interior thereof is likely to be damaged, thereby potentially reducing the footwear item's lifespan.

Where extra durability of the footwear item is required or where its upper components are likely to be subjected to extreme conditions the materials used have generally to be thickened to afford the required protection and durability.

Such thickening can reduce flexibility and porosity and thus compromise the comfort of the footwear item.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a upper footwear component which seeks to alleviate the problems associated with conventional arrangements.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a component of an item of footwear, the component comprising a substrate material having a coating of Teflons (polytetrafluoroethylene).

Even a relatively thin layer of Teflons affords a non-stick quality to the component, which resists the adhesion of dirt and absorbtion of moisture. Thus the component requires little, if any, cleaning, such cleaning involving a reduced use of abrasive treatments and cleaning materials.

The coating moreover provides durability, heat resistance and chemical inertness to the component, making a footwear item made therefrom both highly protective, for example in industrial applications, but also suitable for use in extreme conditions, for example for use by fire fighting personnel.

Moreover, for normal use, such a coating substantially extends the lifespan of the footwear item.

Preferably, the Teflons coating is formed by dipping the substrate material into a suitable Teflons solution.

Conveniently, the footwear item component is formed of a fibrous material, the fibres of which have been dipped in a suitable Teflon solution prior to manufacture of the component. Alternatively, the footwear item component is formed of a sheet of material that has been dipped in a suitable Teflons solution. Alternatively, the substrate may be dipped in a suitable Teflons solution, once already formed into the finished shape of the component.

In preferred embodiments, the footwear item component is formed using a substrate that has been sprayed with a suitable Teflons solution.

Conveniently, the component is an upper.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a footwear item component, the method comprising the steps of:dipping a substrate of the footwear item component into a Teflons solution.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a footwear item component, the method comprising the steps of:dipping fibres into a Teflons solution; removing the fibres for curing; and weaving the fibres to form a textile for use in forming the footwear item component.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a footwear item component, the method comprising the steps of:spraying a substrate of the footwear item component with a Teflons solution.

An example of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying figure which shows a cut away manufactured footwear item of the present invention.

As shown in Figure 1, a footwear item 1 comprises an upper 2 attached to a sole 3. The upper may be attached to the sole by any suitable method, for example by stitching, adhesion, moulding or combinations thereof.

The upper comprises a substrate 4 formed of any suitable material, for example leather, imitation leather, polyurethane or other synthetic material, which has been coated with a Teflons (polytetrafluoroethylene) layer 5.

The footwear item shown is a shoe but in the alternative any form of footwear item may be similarly formed, for example a boot or a sandal. The layer of Teflons 5 affords a non-stick property to the upper, which resists the adhesion of dirt and absorbtion of moisture. Thus the upper requires little, if any, cleaning, such cleaning involving a reduced use of abrasive treatments and cleaning materials.

The coating moreover provides durability, heat resistance and chemical inertness to the upper 2, making a footwear item made therefrom both highly protective, for example in industrial applications, but also suitable for use in extreme conditions, for example for use by fire fighting personnel. For normal use, such a coating substantially extends the lifespan of the footwear item.

The upper 2 may be formed by dipping the upper substrate 4 into a suitable Teflons solution. The coating 5 only marginally adds to the thickness of the substrate 4 so that the upper as a whole retains a high level of flexibility. The comfort of the shoe is in this way not detrimentally affected.

In an alternative method, fibrous material to be used in forming the upper 2 may be dipped in Teflon" solution and then removed and cured. The coated fibres of the fibrous material can subsequently be woven into a suitable blank that is thereafter formed into the footwear upper.

With such a method, since all surfaces of the fibres making up the upper are coated, the desirable characteristics that the Teflons coating provides to the upper are enhanced.

Moreover, the coated fabric retains the ability to flex and breathe as if uncoated fibres were used. Indeed, the non-stick nature of the Teflons coating reduces frictional forces between contacting fibres and thereby enhances the flexibility of material.

In a further method, a ready shaped footwear item is sprayed with a suitable Teflons solution, the Teflons coating 5 thereafter being allowed to cure. Clearly, a suitable substrate blank or sheet may alternatively be sprayed.

The present invention is not limited to the described embodiments and it will be understood that the embodiments illustrated show applications of the invention only for the purposes of illustration. In practice, the invention may be applied to many different configurations, the detailed embodiments being straight forward for those skilled in the art to implement.

For example, whilst an upper has been described above in the example, the Teflons coating may similarly be applied to a lining or an insock for a footwear item to benefit from the favourable characteristics of such a coating.

Claims

1. A component of an item of footwear, the component comprising a substrate material having a coating of Teflon" (polytetrafluoroethylene).

2. A component as claimed in claim 1 wherein the Teflon coating is formed by dipping the substrate material into a suitable Teflons solution.

3. A component as claimed in claim 1 wherein the component is formed of a fibrous material, the fibres of which have been dipped in a suitable Teflonn solution prior to manufacture of the component.

4. A component as claimed in claim 1 wherein the component is formed of a sheet of material that has been dipped in a suitable Teflon" solution.

5. A component as claimed in claim 1 wherein the substrate has been dipped in a suitable Teflons solution, once already formed into the finished shape of the component.

6. A component as claimed in claim 1 wherein the component is formed using a substrate that has been sprayed with a suitable Teflons solution.

7. A component as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the component is an upper.

8. A method of manufacturing a footwear item component, the method comprising the steps of:dipping a substrate of the footwear item component into a Teflons solution.

9. A method of manufacturing a footwear item component, the method comprising the steps of: dipping fibres into a Teflons solution; removing the fibres for curing; and weaving the fibres to form a textile for use in forming the footwear item component.

10. A method of manufacturing a footwear item component, the method comprising the steps of:spraying a substrate of the footwear item component with a Teflons solution.

11. A footwear item component substantially as herein set forth and/or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

12 A method of manufacturing a footwear item component substantially as herein set forth.