Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B7/00—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements
  • A43B7/12—Special watertight footwear
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B17/00—Insoles for insertion, e.g. footbeds or inlays, for attachment to the shoe after the upper has been joined
  • A43B17/08—Insoles for insertion, e.g. footbeds or inlays, for attachment to the shoe after the upper has been joined ventilated
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B7/00—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements
  • A43B7/06—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements ventilated
  • A43B7/08—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements ventilated with air-holes, with or without closures

Definitions

• the present invention generally relates to the technical field of footwear, and particularly an item of footwear featuring some important improvements in relation to the ability of allowing the perspiratory moisture given off from the feet to pass through an outsole of the footwear which is specifically designed to this purpose, while ensuring at the same time an effective waterproofness.
• outsoles made from a soling material such as rubber, or a compound mixed with rubber, or also polyurethane or polyvinyl chloride.
• soling materials used in the production of outsoles are capable of providing protection, traction, durability, waterproofness and play also a role in flexibility, stability and cushioning.
• the outsoles made from such materials suffer from an important disadvantage by not being permeable to the moisture which perspires from the plantar of the feet. Since the perspiration moisture can scarcely move away from the outsole of the footwear, it combines with the darkness and the warmth inside the footwear to create a fertile breeding ground for the fungi and bacteria that normally live on our skin.
• Patent EP 0 121 645 Bl concerns an item of footwear aimed at solving this technical problem.
• the footwear described in this document comprises a rubber outsole with holes distributed therethrough which are closed by small leather inserts arranged on the side intended to face the upper of the footwear. These leather inserts are glued and/or fixed into the holes with a suitable adhesive.
• the footwear is also provided with an insole made of cork.
• EP 0 121 645 Bl the object of the through holes distributed in the outsole of the footwear is to provide perspiration of moisture through the outsole.
• the footwear disclosed in EP 0 121 645 Bl suffers from some disadvantages, specifically in relation to its manufacturing process and to its ability to ensure a durable breathability and waterproofness.
• this process should comprise at least a first step for producing the perforated outsole, a second step for gluing the leather inserts into the holes made through the outsole and a third step for attaching the insole and the upper to the top side of the outsole.
• a manufacturing process of this kind is rather inefficient, and moreover the quality of the footwear thereby produced does not meet the high standards which are demanded in footwear at the present time.
• grating-like element which is set into said vent opening and acts as a screen by separating and protecting the inside of the footwear from the ground which comes into contact with said outsole
• a pliable sheet insert made from a breathable and waterproofed material which is embedded into the outsole and is positioned inside the outsole so as to overlie said vent opening, - an insole made of a breathable and waterproofed material, and
• Figure 1 is a plan view of the bottom surface with the tread pattern of the outsole of the item of footwear according to the present invention
• Figure 2 is a longitudinal section view of the footwear according to the present invention taken along line A- A of Figure 1 ; and Figure 3 is a cross section view of the footwear according to the present invention taken along line B-B of Figure 1.
• the footwear comprises, in a manner known per se. an outsole 11 which is produced by injection moulding and is made of a suitable soling material such as rubber or a compound mixed with rubber, or also polyurethane or polyvinyl chloride.
• the outsole 11 is provided in its forepart with at least one large vent opening 12 which is made through the thickness of the outsole 11.
• a grating-like element 13 is set which acts as a screen by separating and protecting the inside of the footwear from the ground contacted by the tread of outsole 11.
• the grating-like element 13 is formed of juxtaposed straight or curved, parallel or latticed bar elements 14 which are preferably integral with the outsole 11 and are produced together therewith by injection moulding.
• the bar elements 14 of the grating-like element 13 are integral with an insert (not shown) which is adapted to be inserted into the vent opening 12 and fixed therein.
• the length and width of the vent openings 12 provided in the outsole 11 are chosen so that any dirty or muddy ground matter which may contact the outsole 11 and enter the vent openings 12 is readily removed therefrom by the natural occurring bending movement of the outsole 11 when one walks or runs. Therefore, the possibility that the vent openings 12 become clogged by the ground matter is reduced to a minimum.
• the outsole 11 includes a pliable sheet insert 15 which is made from a suitable breathable and waterproofed material and is embedded into the outsole 11.
• the sheet insert 15 has a thickness preferably ranging from 2 to 3 mm. To ensure the breathability of the footwear, the sheet insert 15 is positioned inside the outsole 11 so as to overlie the vent openings 12 as shown particularly in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. The sheet insert 15 is protected from wear and damage by the screening action of the grating-like elements 13.
• the material of the sheet insert 15 is selected among breathable and waterproof materials which are available in the art of footwear manufacturing.
• the material used for the sheet insert 15 is waterproofed leather, i.e. leather which has been treated so as to improve its repellency to water.
• Waterproofing of leather is a process known in the art by which the leather is coated with a protective hydrophobic, i.e. water repellent compound which is formulated so as to have no effect on the natural breathability of the leather.
• This protective coating can be applied to leather at the tannery during the tanning process and the leather produced thereby is capable of resisting absorption and transmission of liquid water.
• treated leather has a greater strength and durability than other known synthetic breathable and waterproof materials which are adapt to be used in footwear manufacturing.
• the use of leather is also advantageous because, as a natural material, leather is more effective in allowing perspiration moisture to breathe than other known synthetic materials.
• the pliable sheet insert 15 is fixed firmly into position inside the outsole 11 when this is produced by injection moulding.
• the outsole 11 is produced together with the sheet insert 15 embedded therein in only one step and no further gluing step of the sheet insert 15 in the outsole 11 is required.
• the process for manufacturing the footwear is more energy and cost efficient than those required for producing other known footwear of this kind.
• an item of footwear exhibiting a higher quality can be produced because the sheet insert 15 is sealed along its border to the outsole 11, thereby ensuring a durable watertight closure along the border of the vent openings 12.
• the item of footwear according to present invention comprises also an insole 16 to which the upper 17 is attached by a stitching seam, f.i. with a Strobel working method, and then the insole 16 together with the upper 17 is attached to the outsole 11 in a manner known in the art of footwear manufacturing.
• the insole 16 is preferably made of a breathable and waterproofed leather, leatherboard or fibreboard, and is flexible and able to absorb the moisture given off in perspiring from the feet.
• Other suitable materials for the insole 16 are ethylene vinyl acetate, polyesters, thermoplastics, graphite, and foam polymers which may add cushioning and support to moisture control.
• the insole 16 is provided with through holes 18 located in its forepart which aid to moisture breathability of the insole.
• the insole 16 has a thickness generally in the range of 1.8-2.0 mm.
• the insole 16 may be suitably covered by an insock 19 to conceal any stitches which may protrude.
• the insock 19 is preferably formed of layers of different materials joined together by a stitching seam.
• the insock 19 comprises at least a top layer made of leather which is joined to a bottom layer made of ethylene vinyl acetate.
• the insock 19 is also provided with a heel cushioning pad 20 located in its back part which may be integral with the bottom layer and protrude through an opening in the top layer in order to contact the heel portion of the feet.
• the heel cushioning pad 20 located in its back part which may be integral with the bottom layer and protrude through an opening in the top layer in order to contact the heel portion of the feet.
• the heel cushioning pad 20 located in its back part which may be integral with the bottom layer and protrude through an opening in the top layer in order to contact the heel portion of the feet.
• the heel cushioning pad located in its back part which may be integral with the bottom layer and protrude through an opening in the top layer in order to contact the heel portion of the feet.
• the heel cushioning pad 20 located in its back part which may be integral with the bottom layer and protrude through an opening in the top layer in order to contact the heel portion of the
• the upper 17 of the item of footwear 10 is made from a waterproof and breathable material such as waterproofed leather or a combination of materials such as waterproofed leather, foam polymers and nylon or polyester mesh bonded together in a laminated form and capable of ensuring in combination breathability and waterproofness to the upper, - From the foregoing it can be readily understood that the item of footwear according to the present invention obviates the drawbacks of other similar footwear known in the art.
• the item of footwear of the invention can be produced with a more efficient manufacturing process which requires a less number of steps. Furthermore, the item of footwear of the invention permits an optimum ventilation inside the footwear to be achieved which maintains the environment around the feet cool, dry and healthy by the use of high performance breathable and wate ⁇ roofed leather and synthetic materials in combination with a novel outsole contruction.

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Epidemiology (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Footwear And Its Accessory, Manufacturing Method And Apparatuses (AREA)

Priority Applications (4)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=11449330

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (8)

Cited By (6)

Families Citing this family (8)

Citations (7)

Family Cites Families (6)

• 2002
  • 2002-07-02 IT IT2002MI000344U patent/ITMI20020344U1/it unknown
• 2003
  • 2003-03-04 US US10/522,674 patent/US20060096123A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-03-04 RU RU2005102476/12A patent/RU2325826C2/ru not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2003-03-04 EP EP03715335A patent/EP1578221A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2003-03-04 CA CA002494594A patent/CA2494594A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-03-04 AU AU2003219522A patent/AU2003219522A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-03-04 CN CN03820397.9A patent/CN1678211A/zh active Pending
  • 2003-03-04 WO PCT/IT2003/000130 patent/WO2004004504A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation

Patent Citations (7)

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