GB2558288A

GB2558288A - Footwear and method of manufacture

Info

Publication number: GB2558288A
Application number: GB1622200.2A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Goddard-Watts Mark
Original assignee: Lunamar Group Ltd
Current assignee: Lunamar Group Ltd
Priority date: 2016-12-23
Filing date: 2016-12-23
Publication date: 2018-07-11
Also published as: GB201622200D0

Abstract

An article of footwear 100 comprises a sole plate 10 for contacting the ground, a foot support 20 for supporting the foot of a wearer, and a connecting portion 30. The sole plate and the foot support are spaced apart and joined only by the connecting portion 30. The connecting portion is preferably located at the front of the shoe, but may be located at the rear of the shoe. The connecting portion may comprise a number of support members such as pillars (31-35, fig.5). The components 10, 20, 30 may be formed from a continuous piece of material. The components may be of a substantially uniform thickness ensuring as little material as possible is used thereby creating a strong article of footwear which gives the impression that the wearer is floating in midair.

Description

(54) Title of the Invention: Footwear and method of manufacture

Abstract Title: Shoe having a sole and footplate connected by a connecting portion (57) An article of footwear 100 comprises a sole plate 10 for contacting the ground, a foot support 20 for supporting the foot of a wearer, and a connecting portion 30. The sole plate and the foot support are spaced apart and joined only by the connecting portion 30. The connecting portion is preferably located at the front of the shoe, but may be located at the rear of the shoe. The connecting portion may comprise a number of support members such as pillars (31-35, fig.5). The components 10, 20, 30 may be formed from a continuous piece of material. The components may be of a substantially uniform thickness ensuring as little material as possible is used thereby creating a strong article of footwear which gives the impression that the wearer is floating in midair.

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FOOTWEAR AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE

The present invention relates to an article of footwear and a method of manufacture, and is concerned particularly, though not exclusively, with a heel-less style shoe.

Background

Shoes, particularly women's shoes, often have a heel portion that is used to elevate the wearer and to provide added pitch. The pitch of a shoe can vary, and is dependent upon the height of the heel. High heel shoes in particular have a large pitch, although other styles of shoe such as platform shoes and wedges can also have large pitch. High-heel shoes generally comprise a vertical support rising towards a rear part of the item of footwear aiming to raise the back of the foot / heel above the level of the toe.

Embodiments of the present invention aim to provide an aesthetically pleasing and comfortable article of footwear and a method of manufacturing such an article whilst eliminating the requirement for a heel.

The present invention is defined in the attached independent claims, to which reference should now be made. Further, preferred features may be found in the sub-claims appended thereto.

Statements of Invention

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an article of footwear comprising a sole plate for contacting a ground surface in use, a foot support for supporting a foot of a wearer in use, and a connecting portion connecting the sole plate and the foot support, wherein the sole plate and foot support are spaced apart so that a wearer is elevated above the ground surface in use, and wherein the sole plate and the foot support are joined only by the connecting portion.

Preferably the article of footwear comprises a front, rear, and a periphery.

connecting the front.

Additionally, the portion may be located substantially at Alternatively, or in addition, the connecting portion may be located substantially at the rear. Alternatively, or in addition, the connecting portion may be located substantially at the periphery.

Preferably, the foot support may comprise a plate.

The connecting portion may comprise one or more support members. The support members may comprise one or more wall members, pillars, or other structures. The connecting portion may comprise one or more support members comprising one or more wall portions of substantially constant thickness. In a preferred embodiment, the supporting member may comprise a single wall portion arranged at a toe or instep region of the wearer's foot in use, so as have limited visibility when viewed from a distance .

Furthermore, the connecting portion may have one or more voids, reducing the volume of material making up said connecting portion. This provides the illusion that the wearer's heel is floating in midair.

The connecting portion comprising the one or more supporting members may form between 1.0% and 10.0%, preferably less than 5.0% of the mass, area, and / or volume of the article of footwear.

The supporting member may further comprise one or more pillars arranged between the sole plate and the foot support. In some embodiments, the one or more pillars may be made of steel, carbon fibre, or titanium. This provides the illusion that a majority of the wearer's weight is supported by the pillars.

Optionally, the sole plate and / or the foot support are of a substantially consistent thickness. The sole plate, and / or the foot support and / or the connecting portion may be formed substantially of a continuous piece of material, which in some embodiments may comprise a plurality of layers. This enables the article of footwear to have a minimally invasive profile and provide the illusion that the wearer is floating in midair.

Optionally, the sole plate and / or foot support have a narrowing thickness as they extend away from the connecting portion.

Preferably, the article of footwear may be constructed of a high-strength material such as a composite material. Optionally, the composite material may have a modulus of elasticity between lOOGPa and SOOGPa, preferably 400GPa. Examples of such composite materials include but are not limited to carbon fibre laminate. Alternatively, the highstrength material may be steel or titanium.

Optionally, the foot support may further comprise a padded portion and / or a foot-contacting cover to provide additional· comfort to the wearer in use. Similarly, the article of footwear may further comprise additional· components, such as straps, pockets, or webs, to receive and / or support at least or more parts of the wearer's foot, for example the heel· and toes of the wearer such that in use the article of footwear provides support without becoming detached from the wearer's foot. In some embodiments, these additional components may be formed integrally as part of the article of footwear, or they may be secured to the foot support using an adhesive.

Preferably, the sole plate further comprises a non-slip material applied on an underside to provide an enhanced frictional contact with a ground surface in use.

Optionally, the article of footwear is flexible in vertical direction, enabling the article of footwear to bend when, in use, thereby improving comfort.

The sole plate, foot support plate, and connecting portion may form a cantilever structure. Preferably, the sole plate and the foot support together define a void space therebetween, which void space may comprise substantially 4 an entire footprint of the article of footwear.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing an article of footwear, the method comprising the steps of forming a mould, applying a release tape to the mould, applying a plurality of layers of high-strength curable material along surfaces of the mould, placing the mould in a vacuum bag, curing the material in an oven, removing the mould once the material has cured, and shaping the cured article according to a predetermined required dimension and / or shape.

Preferably, the mould comprises a region for forming a sole plate, a region for forming a foot support, and a region for forming a connecting portion for connecting the sole plate to the foot support.

Preferably, the layers of high strength material are arranged such that they overlap at the connecting portion. This method provides additional strength to counteract the stress raised at the connecting portion.

Preferably, the layers of high-strength material are layers of a composite material. Optionally, the composite material may have a modulus of elasticity between lOOGPa and SOOGPa, preferably 400GPa. Examples of such materials include carbon fibre or pre-impregnated composite fibres where a matrix material· is already present (prepreg).

Preferably the method further comprises the steps of attaching additional components, such as straps, pockets, and / or webs, to receive and /or support at least one or more parts of the wearer's foot, for example, the heel and / or toes of a wearer. Additionally, the method may comprise applying a non-slip material to the underside of the sole plate providing additional grip in circumstances where the ground is slippery.

The invention may include any combination of the features or limitations referred to herein, except such a combination of features as are mutually exclusive, or mutually inconsistent.

Brief Description of Figures

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an article of footwear according to a first embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a rear view of the article of footwear of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the article of footwear taken at line A to A' in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional view of a foot support of the article of footwear of Figure 1 taken at line B to B'; and 6

Figure 5 is a side view of an article of footwear according to a second embodiment of the invention.

Like reference numerals are used to denote like features.

Specific Description

Referring to a Figures 1 through 3, there is a shown an article of footwear 100 comprising a sole plate 10, foot support 20, and connecting portion 30, collectively the components 10,20,30.

The components 10,20,30 are all of a substantially uniform thickness. Using components of a substantially uniform thickness, ensures as little material as possible is being used thereby creating an aesthetically pleasing but strong article of footwear which gives the impression that the wearer is floating in midair. In some embodiments, the sole plate 10 and foot support 20 may taper in thickness as they extend away from the connecting portion 30. Each of the components 10,20,30 is constructed using a highstrength material, for example, a composite material. Preferably, the composite material has a modulus of elasticity between lOO.OGPa and SOO.OGPa, preferably 400.0GPa. An example of the composite material is carbon fibre laminate. However, it will be appreciated that other suitable high-strength materials may be used such as titanium.

Such materials provide a high tensile strength and enable large loads to be supported whilst minimising the mass of material required. This enables the components 10,20,30 to be manufactured in such a way that they are of minimised thickness and provide creating an aesthetically pleasing but strong article of footwear which gives the impression that the wearer is floating in midair.

The sole plate 10 provides a substantially flat and stable platform for the article of footwear 100 and provides a support from which the connecting portion 30 extends. In use, the sole plate 10 is arranged to contact a ground portion. The underside of the sole plate 10 (not shown) may be provided with a non-slip surface of rubber or other suitable material to provide additional grip in use. In some embodiments, the non-slip surface may be created using a tread which forms an integral part of the sole plate 10. Alternatively or additionally, a discrete tread portion may be subsequently attached to the bottom of the sole plate 10 using a suitable adhesive.

The foot support 20 provides pitch whilst also supporting the foot of the wearer. In some embodiments, the foot support 20 may comprise a plate. The pitch of a shoe can vary and is dependent upon the height of the heel. Highheeled shoes, in particular, have a large pitch, although other styles of shoe such as platform shoes and wedges can also have a large pitch. The pitch of a shoe not only dictates the height of the heel of a wearer from the ground but also dictates the angle of the foot when in use. The pitch of the foot support 20, may be predetermined in accordance with the requirements of the wearer. Furthermore, the foot support 20 provides a surface for various decorative and / or structural elements such as a toe strap 40 and a heel support 50. In some embodiments, the various decorative and / or structural elements may be secured to the foot support 20, or they may be formed integrally as part of the article of footwear 100. In some embodiments, for added comfort, it may be desirable for the foot support 20 to further comprise a comfort layer which is made up of padding and a leather, or other material, covering. A cross-section of an exemplary embodiment of such a foot support 2 0 can be seen in Figure 4 and is taken approximately at line B to B' of Figure 1. In this exemplary embodiment, the foot support 20 comprises a lower layer 21 of high strength material, on top of which is a layer of padding 22 which may be made of wool, a synthetic foam, or other suitable material. The layer of padding 22 is used to provide comfort to the wearer in use. On top of the layer of padding 22 is a layer of material 23, such as leather, polyester or other suitable material.

In some embodiments, the connecting portion 30 is located substantially towards the front of the article of footwear 100, approximately in the location of the toes of the intended wearer. For example, as shown in Figure 1, the connecting portion 30 extends around the front of the article of footwear 100. In alternative embodiments, the connecting portion 30 may be located at the rear of the foot support 20 and / or anywhere around the periphery of the foot support 20, and / or may be located in the middle of the bottom face of the foot support 20. The connecting portion 30 serves to transfer the load exerted by the weight of the wearer from the foot support 20 to the sole plate 10. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2 the use of a connecting portion 30 to transmit the load to the sole plate enables the omission of the conventional heel associated with an article of footwear to provide added height and pitch to a wearer. This feature also enables the wearer to appear to be floating above the surface of the sole plate 10. This effect can be maximised by ensuring that the connecting portion 30 is between 1.0% and 5.0%, and preferably less than 3.0% of the total mass, and / or area, and / or volume of the article of footwear 100.

Figures 1 through 3 show the connecting portion 30 wrapping around the front of the article of footwear 100. As can be seen in Figure 3, in this embodiment, the connecting portion 30 is not a solid block but is rather a piece of material of substantially constant thickness, similar to the thickness of the sole plate 10 and / or foot support 20.

The visual impact of the article of footwear 100 can be determined by the size and position of the connecting portion 30. As shown in Figures 1 through 3, the connecting portion 30 may extend around the front of the article of footwear 100, supporting a portion of the foot support 20 approximately 2.0 to 5.0 centimeters above the sole plate 10, however it will be appreciated that different levels of separation may be desirable, and the design can be modified depending on the requirements of the wearer and / or manufacturer during the manufacturing process .

In use, the connecting portion 30 transfers the weight of the wearer from the foot support 20 to the sole plate 10.

In some embodiments, the connecting portion 30 may be a substantially continuous, solid wall. Alternatively, there may be a number of voids within the connecting portion 30. In another embodiment (not shown), the connecting portion 30 may extend from one or both sides of the foot support 20 to the sole plate 10.

In an alternative embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, the article of footwear 200 may comprise a separate sole plate 10 and foot support 20. The separate sole plate 10 and foot support 20 are of a substantially constant thickness and are connected by a connecting portion. The connecting portion in this embodiment comprises a plurality of supporting members 31,32,32,34,35, such as pillars, made of the same or a different high-strength material as the sole plate 10 and foot support 20. For example, in one embodiment the plurality of pillars 31,32,33,34,35 may comprise pillars of carbon fibre between 1.0mm and 3.0mm in diameter, preferably 2.0mm in diameter. It will be appreciated that pillars of other diameters and of other materials may be used.

A method of manufacture of an article of footwear 100,200 such as those described above in relation to Figures 1 through 5 will now be described:

A mould is created which matches the desired contour of the foot support 20 and comprises a substantially flat portion upon which to form the sole plate 10. Once a mould has been created with the desired contours and dimensions, the structure of the article of footwear 100,200 can be formed on it. The mould is first covered in release tape, such as Teflon® release tape, or PTFE tape, to prevent a subsequently applied material from permanently adhering to the mould during the manufacturing process.

In an exemplary embodiment, where the article of footwear 100,200 is made of a carbon fibre laminate, layers of laminate are arranged on the mould so as to overlap and build up the structure of the article of footwear 100,200. Arranging the carbon fibre laminate in such a way ensures a high degree of stiffness in a vertical direction when in use, and also a high degree of lateral· stiffness which is extremely important for providing comfort and stability when in use.

In an embodiment in which all the components 10,20,30 are made from a single piece of material, alternate layers of carbon fibre laminate are made to overlap further at the connecting portion 30 so as to provide additional strength, and counteract the high levels of stress produced in that area when in use.

Once the desired number of layers of carbon fibre laminate have been applied to the mould, the mould and associated layers are placed in a vacuum bag and a vacuum is applied. This step ensures any air gaps between the layers of carbon fibre laminate are removed or minimised. Air gaps between the layers of carbon fibre laminate can compromise the structural strength of the article of footwear 100,200. Once the vacuum has been applied, the entire structure is transferred to an oven to cure. The skilled person will appreciate the necessary time and temperature required to cure the structure. For example, curing at between 100.0 degrees Celsius and 150.0 degrees Celsius, preferably 120.0 degrees Celsius, for between 30 minutes and 90 minutes, preferably 60 minutes.

After the necessary time has passed, the entire structure is removed from the oven, and the cured laminated carbon fibre structure is removed from the mould. Due to the use of the release tape, the mould may then be reused. The cured laminated carbon fibre structure can then be trimmed and / or shaped to the final desired size and / or design.

In a different embodiment, the article of footwear may be made of a composite material, such as carbon fibre, whereby a plurality of layers of composite material are laid over a mould which is heated to a predetermined temperature, before pressure is applied to shape the composite material into the desired size and / or design. In some embodiments, the layers of composite material may be laid over the mould with one or more layers of matrix material, such as resin, in between. Alternatively, layers of composite material with a pre-impregnated matrix material, such as prepreg, may be used.

Once shaped to the desired design, the upper parts of the article of footwear 100,200, such as the padding 22, leather or other material 23, and toe strap 40 and heel support 50 can be secured to the cured laminated carbon fibre structure using an adhesive. In an alternative embodiment, the upper parts such as the toe strap 40 and heel support 50 may be formed integrally with the foot support 20. Similarly, a non-slip material such as rubber can be adhered to the sole plate 10 to improve grip on slippery surfaces.

In an alternative embodiment, the article of footwear

100,200 may be constructed of a different high strength material, such as titanium. In such a case, the material may be shaped over the mould and then trimmed and / or cut to the desired shape alternatively, molten titanium may be cast in a pre-shaped mould. It will be appreciated other materials may be used and be suitable for constructing the support structure of the article of footwear 100,200.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance, it should be understood that the applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features referred to herein, and/or shown in the drawings, whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

Claims

1. An article of footwear comprising:

a sole plate for contacting a ground surface in use, a foot support for supporting a foot of a wearer in use; and a connecting portion connecting the sole plate and the foot support;

wherein the sole plate and foot support are spaced apart so that a wearer is elevated above the ground surface in use, and wherein the sole plate and the foot support are joined only by the connecting portion.

2. The article of footwear of Claim 1 comprising a front, a rear, and a periphery.

3. The article of footwear according to Claim 2, wherein the connecting portion is located substantially at the front.

4. The article of footwear according to Claims 2 or 3, wherein the connecting portion is located substantially at the rear.

5. The article of footwear according to any of Claims 2 through 4, wherein the connecting portion is located substantially at the periphery.

6. The article of footwear according to any previous claim, wherein the foot support comprises a plate.

7. The article of footwear according to any previous claim, wherein the connecting portion comprises one or more support members.

8. The article of footwear according to Claim 7, wherein the support members comprise one or more wall members, pillars, or other structures.

9. The article of footwear according to Claims 7 or 8, wherein the support members comprise one or more wall portions of substantially constant thickness.

10. The article of footwear according to any of Claims 7 through 9, wherein the support members comprise a single wall portion arranged at a toe or instep region of the wearer's foot in use.

11. The article of footwear according to any previous claim, wherein the connecting portion has one or more voids.

12. The article of footwear according to any previous claim, wherein the connecting portion forms between 1.0% and 10.0%, of the mass, area, and / or volume of the article of footwear.

13. The article of footwear according to Claim 12, wherein the connecting portion forms less than 5.0% of the mass, area, and / or volume of the article of footwear .

14. The article of footwear according to the support members comprise one or more pillars arranged between the sole plate and the foot support.

15. The article of footwear according to Claim 14, wherein the one or more pillars are made of steel, carbon fibre, or titanium.

16. The article of footwear according to any previous claim, wherein the sole plate is of a substantially consistent thickness.

17. The article of footwear according to any previous claim, wherein the foot support is of a substantially consistent thickness.

18. The article of footwear according to any of Claims 1 through 15 wherein the sole plate has a narrowing thickness as it extends away from the connecting portion.

19. The article of footwear according to any of Claims 1 through 16 and 18, wherein the foot support has a narrowing thickness as it extends away from the connecting portion.

20. The article of footwear according to any previous claim, wherein the sole plate, and / or the foot support and / or the connecting portion are formed substantially of a continuous piece of material.

21. The article of footwear according to Claim 20, wherein the continuous piece of material comprises a plurality of layers.

22. The article of footwear according to any previous claim, wherein the article of footwear is be constructed of a high-strength material.

23 The article of footwear according to Claim 22, wherein the high strength material is a composite material

24 The article of footwear according to Claim 23, wherein the composite material has a modulus of

elasticity between lOOGPa and SOOGPa,

25. The article of footwear according to Claim 24, wherein the modulus of elasticity is 400GPa.

26. The article of footwear according to any of Claims 23 or 24, wherein the composite material is a carbon fibre laminate.

27. The article of footwear according to Claim 22, wherein the high-strength material may be steel or titanium.

28. The article of footwear according to any previous claim, wherein the foot support comprises a padded portion and / or a foot-contacting cover.

29. The article of footwear according to any previous claim, wherein the article of footwear comprises additional components, such as straps, pockets, or webs

30. The article of footwear according to

Claim 29, wherein the additional components are formed integrally as part of the article of footwear

31. The article of footwear according to Claim 29 wherein the additional components are secured to the foot support using an adhesive.

32. The article of footwear according to any previous claim, wherein the sole plate comprises a non-slip material applied on an underside,

33. The article of footwear according to any previous claim, wherein the article of footwear is flexible in vertical direction.

34. The article of footwear according to any previous claim, wherein the sole plate, foot support plate, and connecting portion may form a cantilever structure.

35. The article of footwear according to Claim 34, wherein the sole plate and the foot support together define a void space therebetween, which void space may comprise substantially an entire footprint of the article of footwear.

36. A method for manufacturing an article of footwear, the method comprising the steps of@ forming a mould;

applying a release tape to the mould;

applying a plurality of layers of high-strength curable material along surfaces of the mould;

placing the mould in a vacuum bag;

curing the material in an oven;

removing the mould once the material has cured;

and shaping the cured article according to a predetermined required dimension and / or shape.

37. The method of manufacturing an article of footwear according to Claim 36, wherein the mould comprises a region for forming a sole plate.

38. The method of manufacturing an article of footwear according to any of Claims 36 or 37, wherein the mould comprises a region for forming a foot support.

39. The method of manufacturing an article of footwear according to any Claims 36 through 38, wherein the mould comprises a region for forming a connecting portion for connecting the sole plate to the foot support.

40. The method of manufacturing an article of footwear according to any of Claims 36 through 39, wherein the layers of high strength material are arranged to they overlap at the connecting portion.

41. The method of manufacturing an article of footwear according to any of Claims 36 through 40, wherein the layers of high-strength material are layers of a composite material.

42. The method of manufacturing an article of footwear according to Claim 41, wherein the composite material has a modulus of elasticity between lOOGPa and SOOGPa.

43. The method of manufacturing an article of footwear according to Claim 42, wherein the modulus of elasticity is 400GPa.

44. The method of manufacturing an article of footwear according to any of Claims 41 through 43, wherein the composite material is carbon fibre.

45. The method of manufacturing an article of footwear according to any of Claims 41 through 44, wherein the composite material is a pre-impregnated composite fibres material with a matrix material already present.

46. The method of manufacturing an article of footwear according to Claim 45, wherein the composite material is prepreg.

47. The method of manufacturing an article of footwear according to any of Claims 36 through 46 comprising the step of attaching additional components, such as straps, pockets, and / or webs, to receive and / or support at least one or more parts of the wearer's foot.

48. The method of manufacturing an article of footwear according to any of Claims 36 through 47 comprising the step of applying a nonslip material to the underside of the sole.

49. An article of footwear as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings .

50. A method as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Intellectual

Property

Office

Application No: GB 1622200.2 Examiner: Emma Tonner