US20050283996A1

US20050283996A1 - Sole and means for airing shoes

Info

Publication number: US20050283996A1
Application number: US10/874,213
Authority: US
Inventors: Gustavo Soldini
Original assignee: CALZATURIFICIO F LLI SOLDINI SpA
Current assignee: CALZATURIFICIO FLLI SOLDINI SpA; CALZATURIFICIO F LLI SOLDINI SpA
Priority date: 2004-06-24
Filing date: 2004-06-24
Publication date: 2005-12-29

Abstract

The combination of the sole (1)—equipped in the upper front-middle portion with the broad shaped cavity (2) and with the thin duct (3) therewith said broad shaped cavity (2) is brought in communication with the outside through the unidirectional valve (4)—of the stretching structure (5) with high change in volume implemented with flexible material with high elasticity, and of the insole (6) made of waterproof material equipped both with deformation (7) apt to cooperate with the broad shaped cavity (2) in the sole (1), to originate, under the action of the stretching structure (5), a pad-like projecting shaping, both with one or more holes (8), at said deformation (7) and in a position so as to be clogged by the foot during walking.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a sole and to means for airing the shoe thereto they belong, aimed at causing the air circulation therein during walking.
2. Description of the Related Art
Shoes equipped with soles with cavities are known which, during walking, are alternatively compressed and then released, so as to act as pumps aimed at maintaining an air circulation inside each shoe in order to refresh the foot wearing it.
The known air-circulating shoes in a case are implemented with flexible materials and have broad cavities on the heel (U.S. Pat. No. 5,138,775) which, due to the flexibility of the material therewith it is implemented, during walking they carry out a pump effect and force the air contained in such cavities to flow from the heel towards the front side of the shoe and then, through thin holes distributed in the insole, to flow towards the inside of the shoe in order to reach the foot toes.
In other shoes of known type, the sole has distributed cavities and the heel is equipped with a unidirectional valve therethrough, during walking, when the chambers inside the sole are compressed, the air therein outflows outside, then, due to the elasticity of the material therewith the sole is implemented, when the sole reassumes the relaxed shape and volume, it attracts the air which is sucked through the holes distributed on the front side of the insole and therefore inside the shoe, at the toes of the wearer. In this way, a foot ventilation or airing effect is obtained. Such shoes, then, in one case exploit the change in volume inside the heel due to compression of the portions projecting therefrom, in another case the change in volume of the chambers in the sole. However, the change in volume of the chambers in the heel and/or in the sole, compared to the whole volume of the chambers themselves thereto the volumes of the routes run by the flowing air have to be added, is minimum. For this reason and due to the resistance met by the air flow upon passing through the outlet valve and the holes in the insole—usually clogged at least partially by the foot wearing the shoe itself—, instead of flowing towards the outside of the sole, the air flows inside the chambers in the sole and/or in the heel and only a minimum part circulates from the inside towards the outside the sole itself, with an almost unnoticeable refreshing effect on the foot.
In such shoes, then, the air circulation is purely theoretical, since the flow through the holes on the insole and/or through the unidirectional valve in the heel involves the fact of overcoming such resistances so as to request huge increases in the air pressure inside the chambers in the sole which, in known shoes, are not obtained. Then, instead of flowing towards the outside of the shoe or towards the inside of the upper, wherein the foot to be refreshed is housed, the air flows with small changes in pressure between the front side and the rear side of the sole, keeping inside the sole itself. In this way, then, the air has an oscillating motion inside the sole and it flows from the front side thereof towards the rear part thereof and viceversa, without or with minimum exchanges with the outside of the shoe or with the chamber wherein the foot is housed.
In known shoes, then, the air circulation involving the foot to be refreshed is null or minimum and this is mainly due to the minimum change in volume occupied by the air itself inside the sole when it passes from the relaxed state to the compressed state and viceversa, during walking.
Secondly, the lack or the minimum value of the air exchanges with the outside is due, instead, to the resistance met by the air itself upon flowing outwards and/or towards the chamber delimited by the upper wherein the foot to be refreshed is housed. Such resistances contribute in promoting the arising of rhythmical changes in pressure in the chambers inside the sole instead of promoting the rhythmical flow of the air from the sole outwards and viceversa.
Such problems have been faced in the soles for shoes combined with means aimed at causing the foot airing during walking, illustrated in the Italian Patents No. 1.305.020 and No. 1.305.367 in the name of the applicant of the present invention. Both such patents illustrate a sole equipped with a single broad cavity placed in the upper front-middle portion thereof, a compressible and flexible bulky structure with high elasticity, shaped so as to fill at least said broad cavity, as well as an insole fastened to the sole therethrough, during walking, it compresses the compressible and flexible bulky structure with high elasticity in order to originate a pump effect, then to force the air contained in said broad cavity, through a first slot engraved on the sole, outwards through a first unidirectional valve; furthermore, in the first invention a second valve is provided which, during relaxations, sucks a corresponding air flow from a second slot placed in the sole and communicating with the inside of the shoe through suitable holes distributed in the insole closing the sole on the upper side; on the contrary, in the second invention the air is sucked through a plurality of holes on the insole, which, however, are closed by the foot during walking, thus such holes, in combination with the foot, playing a valve function.
In order that said implementing solutions allow an effective air circulation—therewith removing the moisture inside the shoe caused by the foot's perspiration and then producing on the same a refreshing effect—both a considerable change in volume of the broad cavity housing the bulky compressible structure aimed at carrying out the pump effect and a minimum volume of the ducts are necessary to prevent that, due to the compressibility and expandibility of the air itself, the one really exchanged with the outside does not reduce to a minimum and insufficient quantity to produce an effective refreshing effect on the foot and in order not to fall again in the functional errors existing in the known shoes described above.
If, on one side, in the shoes subject of the Italian Patents No. 1.305.020 and No. 1.305.367 the problem of the changes in volumes in the chambers of the shoe's sole is faced in order to originate corresponding changes in pressure so as to overcome the load losses in the valve communicating with the outside and thus obtaining air exchanges between the shoe's inside and outside, on the other side the technical solutions illustrated in said Italian patents, following a prolonged experimentation, have resulted to be improvable, with a considerable increase in the air quantity exchanged with the outside upon each step of the wearer of such shoes and thus with a considerable increase in the refreshing effect on the foot.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Then, an object of the present invention is to implement a sole and means for airing shoes structured and shaped so as to increase considerably the air flow exchanged with the outside of such shoes in order to obtain a considerable refreshing effect on the feet of the wearer.
Another object is to implement the sole and the means cooperating with said sole so as to guarantee an effective airing of the shoe even when the assembly procedures are carried out by not particularly qualified personnel.
At last, another object is to implement the means mentioned above individually simple in order to make them cheap and surely operating.
The invention which has allowed obtaining such results concretizes in the combination of:

- a sole equipped, in the upper front-middle portion, with a broad shaped cavity and with a thin duct bringing in communication said broad shaped cavity with the outside through a unidirectional valve;
- a stretching structure with high change in volume, implemented with flexible material with high elasticity;
- an insole made of waterproof material equipped with both a deformation apt to cooperate with the broad cavity shaped in the sole and to originate, under the action of the stretching structure, a pad-like projecting shaping, and one or more holes at said deformation and in a position so as to be clogged by the foot during walking, when it compresses the so-called “pad”.

Such invention results advantageous because is structurally simple, surely operating and cheap. It allows considerable changes in air pressure within the broad shaped cavity when the stretching structure therein passes from the relaxed state to the compressed state, by determining the sure activation of the unidirectional intercepting valve and an air breath outwards and, consequentially, when the foot pressing action on the insole's pad-like shaped portion ceases, an air sucking from the shoe's inside towards said broad cavity shaped in the sole, thus producing a refreshing effect in the foot wearing the shoe itself.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other advantages will be easily understood, particularly by the persons skilled in the art, upon reading the following detailed description, related to practical embodiment examples reproduced in the exemplary drawings of the enclosed figure, wherein:
FIG. 1 is the top plan view of the sole combined with the insole and wherein the broad cavity in the sole and the duct ending in the unidirectional valve placed towards the heel are designated with sketched lines;
FIG. 2 is the exploded side view, partially sectioned, of the sole and of the cavity shaped therein, of the stretching structure and of the insole;
FIG. 3 reproduces the elevational side view of the stretching structure in the relaxed state;
FIG. 4 reproduces the stretching structure of FIG. 3, in the compressed state;
FIG. 5 exemplifies the stretching structure implemented by springs of the bellows type in the relaxed state, sectioned by an axial plane;
FIG. 6 exemplifies the stretching structure in the relaxed state, implemented with conical spiral springs, sectioned by an axial plane;
FIG. 7 exemplifies the insole in the solution wherein it has a broad hole at the broad cavity shaped in the sole, with said broad hole closed by a coating, equipped with an exhaust hole, originating the pad-like shaping.
It is understood that the drawings are exemplary with the only aim at facilitating the comprehension of the invention, without constituting a limit therefor.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The invention, then, consists in the combination of:

- a sole 1 equipped, in the upper front-middle portion, with a broad cavity 2 and with a thin duct 3 apt to bring in communication said broad cavity 2 with the outside of the sole 1, through a unidirectional intercepting valve 4;
- a stretching structure 5 with high change in volume, made of flexible material with high elasticity, shaped and sized in a suitable way to be housed in the relaxed state at least partially in the broad shaped cavity 2 existing in the sole 1;
- an insole 6 made of waterproof material, such as leather, and fastened by gluing to the sole 1, on the front side equipped with flexible deformation 7, apt to cooperate with the broad cavity 2 shaped in the sole 1 to originate a pad-like projecting shaping, and with one or more holes 8 at said deformation 7, positioned so as to be clogged by the foot during walking, in the step wherein the foot compresses said pad in order to make it assume a minimum volume.

The sole 1 has the cavity 2 shaped and broad so as to receive inside the whole stretching structure 5 in the compressed state and the deformed portion 7 of the insole 6, with minimum residue air volumes, so that the air compressed in the pad-like shaped structure—defined by the surface of the shaped cavity 2 and by the surface of the deformation 7 on the insole 6 closing on the upper side said broad shaped cavity 2—flows through the duct 3 towards the outlet intercepting valve 4, usually positioned at the beginning of the heel, when the foot compresses the insole 6 in its flexible portion 7.
Then, the broad cavity 2 shaped on the sole 1 has a shaping which can vary depending upon the type of the stretching structure 5 and then, in practice, it is so as to assume a shaping winding on the lower side said stretching structure 5 when it is in the compressed state.
The duct 3 bringing in communication said broad cavity 2 shaped with the outside of the sole—apt to make flow outwards the air housed in the pad-like shaped structure comprised between the sole 1 and the insole 6 in its portion 7—has a shaping like a channel half-closed on the upper side, so that on one side it promotes the production thereof during moulding of the sole 1, on the other side it promotes the gluing of the insole 6 on the sole 1, without having adhesive pouring inside said duct 3. Such duct 3, then, results to have a configuration like a small pipe, with the diameter not larger than two-three millimetres. Then, it is sized in a suitable way to promote the air flow therethrough during the intervals wherein the insole 6, at the pad-like shapin 7, is compressed by the foot. At the same time, said duct 3 has a wholly volume so as not to hinder the change in whole volume and then in air pressure inside the chamber in the sole.
This is implemented also thanks to the sizes and shaping of the stretching structure 5 which, in the relaxed state, projects from the broad cavity 2 housing it. Such stretching structure 5 on the upper side has a bent surface 11 with a grating of slots and holes 10 distributed in order to promote the air circulation between the chamber 2 in the sole 1 and the exhaust holes or hole 8 in the insole 6. Said surface 11 on the lower side is combined with the flexible and elastic lifting members which can assume different configurations. In particular, such members can be constituted by flexible and elastic stretching legs 12, as reproduced in the FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, they can assume spring-like configurations, particularly a conical spiral spring, or the configuration like a spring of bellows type 15 and so on. However, the stretching structure 5 is so as to assume a compact configuration when it is compressed and this with the aim of reducing to the minimum the air quantity remaining inside the cavity 2 shaped in the sole 1 when the insole 6, in its deformed portion 7, is compressed by the foot.
Said insole 6, then, at the cavity 2 shaped in the sole 1, provides a rusticated and stretched portion 7, that is so as to assume the pad-like projecting shaping in the relaxed state.
Such configuration can be obtained both by localized stretching and making thinner of the insole 6, both with a broad hole 16 almost coincident with the cavity 2 shaped in the sole 1, closed by a thin and flexible convex coating 18. On said insole 6, at the rusticated portion 7 similarly to a pad, there are one or more holes 8 approached therebetween and however placed wherein the foot exerts pressure during walking, that is in a position so as to be clogged by the foot when it presses on the front side of the insole 6, thus implementing a kind of intercepting valve, and to force the air to flow from the chamber 2 towards the duct 3 and then towards the intercepting valve 4 placed towards the heel of the sole 1.

Claims

1. A sole and means for airing shoes, comprising:

the sole (1) equipped in the upper front-middle portion with the broad cavity (2) shaped so as to make minimum the air volume contained therein when, during walking, the insole (6) is compressed, as well as equipped with the thin duct (3) apt to bring in communication said broad shaped cavity (2) with the outside of the sole (1) through the unidirectional valve (4);

the stretching valve (5) with high change in volume implemented with flexible material with high elasticity, shaped and sized in a suitable way so as to house, in the relaxed state, at least partially in the broad shaped cavity (2) existing in the sole (1);

the insole (6) made of waterproof material, such as leather, fastened by gluing to the sole (1), on the front side equipped with flexible deformation (7), apt to cooperate with the broad cavity (2) shaped in the sole (1) to originate the pad-like projecting shaping, and equipped with one or more holes (8) at said deformation (7) and positioned so as to be clogged during walking, in the step wherein the foot compresses said pad to make it assume a minimum volume.

2. The sole and means for airing shoes as claimed in claim 1, with the sole (1) characterized in that the broad cavity (2) shaped in the front-middle portion thereof is broad so as to receive inside thereof the whole stretching structure (5) and the deformed portion (7) of the insole (6) when it is compressed towards the sole (1) by the foot, with minimum residue air volumes in the broad cavity (2).

3. The sole and means for airing shoes as claimed in claim 1, with the thin duct (3) bringing in communication the broad shaped cavity (2) with the outside of the sole (1) characterized by a configuration like a channel half-closed on the upper side.

4. The sole and means for airing shoes as claimed in claim 1, with the duct (3) bringing in communication the broad shaped cavity (2) with the outside of the sole (1), characterized, in the assembled shoe, by one structure and configuration like a small pipe, with the diameter not larger than two-three millimetres.

5. The sole and means for airing shoes as claimed in claim 1, with the stretching structure (5) characterized in that it is sized so that in the relaxed state it projects from the broad cavity (2) shaped in the sole (1) housing it.

6. The sole and means for airing shoes as claimed in claim 1, with the stretching structure (5) characterized on the upper side by the surface (11) with grating of distributed slots and holes (10), on the lower side by the flexible and elastic lifting members (12).

7. The sole and means for airing shoes as claimed in claim 1, with the stretching structure (5) characterized by the surface (11) with grating of distributed slots and holes (10) combined on the lower side with springs.

8. The sole and means for airing shoes as claimed in claim 1, with the stretching structure (5) characterized by conical spiral springs (14).

9. The sole and means for airing shoes as claimed in claim 1, comprising the insole (6) characterized by the rusticated portion (7) at the broad cavity (2) shaped in the sole (1) so as to assume, in the relaxed state, the pad-like projecting shaping.

10. The sole and means for airing shoes as claimed in claim 1, comprising the insole (6) characterized by the rusticated portion (7) wherein it is stretched and made thinner.

11. The sole and means for airing shoes as claimed in claim 1, comprising the insole (6) characterized by the broad hole (16) almost coincident with the broad cavity (2) shaped in the sole (1), closed by the thin, flexible and convex coating (18).

12. The sole and means for airing shoes as claimed in claim 1, comprising the insole (6) characterized by one or more holes (8) approached therebetween in the position wherein the foot exerts pressure during walking, occupying a space so as to be clogged by the foot when, during walking, it presses on the front portion of the insole (6).