GB2363052A

GB2363052A - Shoe with waterproof lining

Info

Publication number: GB2363052A
Application number: GB0112621A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Eddie Chen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-06-05
Filing date: 2001-05-23
Publication date: 2001-12-12
Anticipated expiration: 2021-05-23
Also published as: GB2363052B; GB0013631D0; GB2363051B; GB2363051A; GB0112621D0

Abstract

A process for making an article of footwear comprising the steps of placing a waterproof liner 2 having a top open end 20 and a bottom open end 21 inside an upper 1 having a top end and a bottom end 12, attaching the bottom ends of the liner and the upper using an adhesive in the absence of stitching, wherein the bottom open end of the liner does not extend to the bottom end of the upper, and mounting a sole 5 to the bottom end of the upper. A waterproof adhesive tape 3A may also be used to cover a seam 9 formed by the attachment of the bottom ends of the liner and upper. Typically, the top ends of the liner and the upper are stitched together. A shoe produced according to the aforementioned process is also disclosed.

Description

2363052 WATERPROOF SHOE AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME This invention

relates to a process of making a shoe. More particularly, the invention is directed to a process of making a waterproof shoe having therein a waterproof 5 lining sleeve, and a shoe produced by the process.

It is known in the art to produce a waterproof breathable shoe by mounting thereinside a sock-like lining made of a waterproof material which is impervious to water but is pervious to vapors. The sock-like lining has a top open end 10 connected to a top end of an upper and a sole area positioned between an insole and an outsole of the shoe. Since the sole area of the sock- like lining is usually subjected to high pressure and mechanical stress produced by the foot of the wearer, the waterproof breathable material is prone to break 15 and hence lose its waterproofing characteristics. Improvements for coping with such a problem have been suggested in several patents.

U.S. Patent No. 5,526,584 discloses a waterproof breathable composite sock-like shoe insert which is made of 20 a waterproof breathable material and which has a sole area of stretchable waterproof material that is stronger than the waterproof breathable material. The sole area is stitched to the remaining part of the shoe insert.

U.S. Patent No. 5,678,326 suggests a shoe in which a 25 waterproof breathable shoe insert is sandwiched between an inner surface of an upper and an outer surface of a lining. The shoe insert is bonded adhesively to the inner surface of a lower part of an upper and to the outer surface of the lining disposed ins-Lde the shoe inserz. The sole area of the shoe insert placed between an insole and an ouzsole is not only glued to the insole and the outsole, but also the Lning. Al though he arrangement as such provides a durabl', e process thereo-. -a o - us 5 sr-ruczure, the manuf f 4s ' b rJo because substan-_-Jal aluing steps are needed to pos-ition the shoe insert on the lower part of the shoe.

IDE 4021538A1 discloses a-shoe which includes a U-shaped connec ting band which is used to couple together the bottom 10 ends of an upper and a lining and to mount the same on a sole.

DE 9013055.3 discloses a shoe in which a waterproof and respiratory active inner layer material is stitched to a lower waterproof member which extends bez:ween an outsole and an insole. A waterproof band, bonded to and covering the 15 outer side of the stitch seam of the inner layer material, is glued to the inner surface of an upper above the bottom end of the u)-oer.

An aim of the present invention is to provide a process for making a waterproof shoe, which permits a 20 wa7-erproof lining sleeve to be mounted inside the shoe in simzle manner.

Another aim of the present invention is to provide water-oroof shoe with a simplified construction.

According to one aspect of the invention, a process of 25 making a shoe comprises: providing an upper including a top end and a bottom end; placing inside the upper a waterproof I J-ning sleeve which has a 1:op open end and a botcom open end; at-_acI-,._J, ng 'Ithe bottom open end of the lining sleeve to an inner surf ace of the upper above the bottom end of the upper, without extending the bottom open end of the lining sleeve to the bottom end of the upper and without providing any stitch on the bottom open end of the lining sleeve, by 5 applying an adhesive directly to at least one of the upper and the bottom open end of the lining sleeve; and mounting a sole to the bottom end of the upper.

According to another aspect of the invention, a shoe includes an upper having a bottom end in connection with a 10 sole, and a waterproof lining sleeve mounted inside the upper and having a bottom open end bonded adhesively to an inner surface of the upper without extending to the bottom end of the upper, the bottom open end of the lining sleeve being free of a st.itc h seam.

15 Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shoe produced 20 according to a process of the present invention; Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1; Figure 3 is the same view as Figure 2 but with a waterproof tape covering a seam at the bottom open end of the waterproof 25 lining sleeve; and Figure 4 is the same view as Figure 3 but with a portion thereof omitted and with the waterproof tape extending to the bottom end of an upper.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a shoe produced according to a process of the presenIC invention is shown to include an upper 1 which has a bottom end 12. The upper 1 is formed by connecting and stitching together a toe cap 13, a counter 5 14, and a quarter section 15 of the upper 1. Therefore, a seam 101 is formed between the toe cap 13 and the quarter section 15, while a seam 102 is formed between the quarter section 15 and the heel section 14.

A lining sleeve 2 is made of a waterproof material and 10 is mounted inside the upper 1 by stitching a top open end of the lining sleeve 2 to a top portion of the upper 1 along a seam 16 and by bonding adhesively a bottom open end 21 of the lining sleeve 2 directly to an inner surface of the upper 1 above the bottom end 12 of the upper 1.

15 Alternatively, the top open end 20 of the lining sleeve 2 may be lengthened so as to extend to and connect with the top end 11 of the upper 1 via stitching. Preferably, the bottom open end 21 of the lining sleeve 2 is bonded to the upper 1 by applying an adhesive to an inner sur face of the 20 upper 1 adjacent to the bottom open end 21 of the lining sleeve 2, or/and to an outer surface of the bottom open end 21 of the lining sleeve 2. The adhesive is waterproof and is applied in a waterproof manner so that a watertight seam 9 is formed between the bottom open end 21 of the lining sleeve 25 2 and the upper 1. Since the bottom open end 21 of the lining sleeve 2 does not extend to the bottom end 12 of the upper 1 and since no stitches are provided at the bottom open end 21 of the lining sleeve 2, the mounting of the lining sleeve 2 inside the upper I according to the present invention is relatively simple as compared to the prior art mentioned hereinbefore. Note that the lining sleeve 2 is connected to the upper 1 only at the top open end 20 and the bottom

5 open end 21 thereof, and the remaining parts thereof are separated from the upper 1. Furthermore, the lining sleeve 2 may be a one-piece construction made of the same breathable or non-breathable waterproof material, or a multi-piece construction which is constituted by a plurality of 10 waterproof sheets that are stitched together and sealed in a watertight manner at the stitch seams thereof. The waterproof sheets may be breathable or non-breathable, and may be made of the same material or different materials.

After the lining sleeve 2 is mounted inside the upper 15 1, the bottom end 12 of the upper 1 is lasted in a conventional manner and connected to an insole 4. A filler 7 is disposed in an opening confined by the bottom end 12 of the upper 1, and a waterproof cover 8 is provided beneath the filler 7 in a conventional manner. A c6nventional inner lining 6 is 20 optionally mounted inside the lining sleeve 2 by stitching a top end of the inner lining 6 to the top end 11 of the upper 1 and by positioning a sole area of the lining 6 to the insole 4. Finally, an outsole 5 is attached to the bottom end 12 of the upper 1.

25 Referring to Figure 3, to ensure that the seam 9 is watertight, the seam 9 may be covered by bonding adhesively a waterproof tape 3A to the inner surface of the lining sleeve 2 and to the inner surf ace of the upper 1 along the seam 9.

The bottom end 31A of the waterproof tape 3A does nor extend to the bottom end 12 of the upper 1. As the seam 9 is watertight, the water invading the space between the lining sleeve 2 and the upper 1 can be prevented effectively from 5 flowing downward to the bottom end of the upper 1. The invading water in said space can flow outward through stitch seams 101, 102 of the upper 1. Drain holes 103 may be optionally provided in the upper 1 above the seam 9.

Although the waterproof tape 3A as shown in Figure 3 does 10 not extend to the bottom end 12 of the upper 1, it is not limited thereto in the present invention. A waterproof tape 3B which has a bottom end 31B extending to the bottom end 12 of the upper 1, as shown in Figure 4, may be used in place of the waterproof tape 3A. The top end of the waterproof 15 tape 3B is connected to the bottom open end 21 of the lining sleeve 2. The waterproof tape 3B serves as a waterproof liner to line the inner surface of the upper 1 beneath the bottom open end 21 of the lining sleeve 2.

Claims

CLAIMS:

L -I I.A process of making a shoe character-zed by:

providing an upper including a top end and a bottom end; 5 placing inside said upper a waterproof lining sleeve which has a ton open end and a bottom open end; attaching said bottom open end of said lining sleeve to an inner surface of said upper above said bottom end or said upper, without extending said bottom open end of said 10 lining sleeve to said bottom end of said upper and without providing any stitch on said bottom open end of said lining sleeve, by applying an adhesive directly to at least one of said upper and said bottom open end of said lining sleeve; and 15 mounting a sole to said bottom end of said upper.
2. The process according to Claim 1, further characterized by the step of bonding adhesively a waterproof cape to said inner surface of said upper and an inner surface of said bottom open end of said lining sleeve after said 20 bottom open end of said lining sleeve is attached to said upper.
3. The process according to Claim 2, further characterized by the step of extending said waterproof tape to said bottom end of said upper.

25
4. The process according to one of Claims 1 to 3, further characterized by the step of connecting said top open end of said lining sleeve to said top end of said upper.
5. The process according to one of Claims 1 to 4, further characterized that said lining sleeve is made of a material which is impervious to water but is pervious to perspiration vapors. 5
6. A shoe produced according to the process of one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized by:

an upper having a bottom end in connection with a sole; and a waterproof lining sleeve mounted inside said 10 upper and having a bottom open end bonded adhesively to an inner surface of said upper without extending to said bottom end of said upper, said bottom open end of said lining sleeve being free of a stitch seam.

15
7. A shoe produced according to a process of making a shoe substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
8. A shoe substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
9. A process of making a shoe substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.