WO2009118055A1

WO2009118055A1 - Moulded shoe bottom with high anti-shock properties

Info

Publication number: WO2009118055A1
Application number: PCT/EP2008/064154
Authority: WO
Inventors: Girolamo Badiali
Original assignee: Gommus Societa' Cooperativa Per Azioni
Priority date: 2008-03-27
Filing date: 2008-10-20
Publication date: 2009-10-01
Also published as: ES2582174T3; EP2278895B1; ITMC20080049A1; PT2278895T; PL2278895T3; EP2278895A1

Abstract

Moulded shoe bottom (1) with high anti-shock properties due to the fact that the tread (1a) is provided with a series of channels (7), each of them surrounding the base of each protuberance (2).

Description

Moulded shoe bottom with high anti-shock properties.

The present patent application for industrial invention relates to a moulded shoe bottom with high anti-shock properties, which is able to absorb the impact of the foot with the ground during walking.

So far, a dense series of flexible protuberances obtained when moulding the bottom is currently used to guarantee soft, elastically flexible support for the foot.

The said protuberances are mostly configured as hollow segments of a sphere or thin cylindrical pegs with rounded tip, designed to subside or bend laterally every time the foot discharges the weight of the body rhythmically first on the metatarsal area of the foot, and then on the toes.

In case of a dense series of thin cylindrical pegs the upper surface of the bottom is quite continuous, while in case of hollow segments with significant dimensions the upper surface of the bottom is configured as a reticulation of ribs. Evidently, in both cases, the insole adheres to the upper side of the bottom that, in the presence of protuberances with hollow structure, does not find a continuous surface and rests above a flat reticulation of ribs that border the said series of hollow protuberances.

While the said protuberances tend to subside in their central area under the weight of the foot, their lateral walls maintain certain rigidity that is perceived by the foot on the borders that surround the series of pits on the upper side of the bottom.

In the long term the insole tends to suffer a punctiform series of subsidences because of the contrast effect of the absence of support surface in the centre of each pit and the high rigidity on the perimeter borders, which correspond to the walls of the hollow protuberances.

The said punctiform subsidence of the insole is often accompanied by the onset of folds or wrinkles, favoured by the natural perspiration of the foot, especially in the hot seasons of the year, since humidity tends to soften the material, usually natural or synthetic leather, of the insole.

The main purpose of the present invention is to remedy the aforementioned inconvenience by providing a new one-piece moulded shoe bottom that, although provided with an "anti-shock" structure characterised by a series of elastically flexible protuberances, provides a sufficiently rigid stable surface to support the insole.

These and other purposes have been achieved by the shoe bottom of the invention, whose main characteristics are illustrated in the first claim, The shoe bottom of the invention comprises a dense series of hollow protuberances that protrude from the lower surface of the bottom, so that the opening of the internal cavity faces the side of the bottom.

Therefore, the said protuberances include a lateral surface and a base surface. The peculiarity of the said bottom consists in the presence of a perimeter channel that surrounds each protuberance in the connection corner between the bottom and the lateral surface.

The said perimeter channel reduces the thickness of the bottom all around each protuberance, thus giving each protuberance a higher capacity of elastic deformation, with special reference to the lateral walls that are free to bend laterally, both towards the centre and towards the outside of each protuberance.

In other words, because of the reduced thickness, each protuberance tends to subside laterally rather than contract as a bellow under pressure, causing a swelling of the lateral wall and discharging the compression load on the borders of the reticulation of pits.

The higher flexional deformation capacity of the protuberances results in a more comfortable shoe with better "anti-shock" properties than traditional bottoms. For purposes of clarity, the description of the bottom of the invention continues with reference to the enclosed drawings, which are intended for purposes of illustration only and not in a limiting sense, whereby: - fig. 1 is an exploded axonometric top view of the bottom of the invention;

- fig. 2 is an axonometric bottom view of the bottom according to the present invention;

- fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the bottom according to the present invention.

With reference to fig. 1 , the bottom (1 ) of the invention is moulded from one piece of natural or synthetic rubber or other thermoformable elastically flexible soft materials that are traditionally used in the footwear industry. The bottom (1 ), which has a lower tread (1 a) and an upper side (1 b), is covered on top by an insole of traditional type.

The lower surface of the said bottom (1 ) is provided with a dense series of internally hollow protuberances (2), each of them including a lower flat horizontal surface (2a) and a basically vertical lateral surface (2b) connected with the first surface (2a) without interruption.

With reference to fig. 2, the upper side of the bottom (1 ) is provided with a dense series of pits (3) that coincide with the internal cavity of the said protuberances (2), protruding on the tread of the bottom (1 ).

The dense series of pits (3) represents the mesh of a reticulation of flat ribs (4), and the series of protuberances (2) in the tread (1 a) are bordered by a reticulation of grooves (5) that correspond to the reticulation of flat ribs

(4).

With reference to fig. 3, the lateral surface (2b) of each protuberance (2) and the lower horizontal surface (2a) have a constant thickness, while the section (6) of the tread (1 a) that joins a pair of adjacent protuberances (2) does not have a constant cross-section.

The said section (6) of the tread (1 a) can be also defined as the bottom wall of each groove (5) that separates the adjacent protuberances (2).

More precisely, the tread (1 a) is provided with a series of channels (7), each of them surrounding the base of each protuberance (2).

The channels (7) reduce the thickness of the section (6) of the tread, favouring the elastic deformation of the lateral wall (2b) of each protuberance (2) under compression and flexion.

At the same time, the higher thickness of the central portion (6a) of the section (6) guarantees sufficient rigidity of the bottom (1 ), so that each protuberance (2) is deformed without affecting or conditioning the deformation of the adjacent protuberance (2).

Claims

1 ) Moulded shoe bottom made of soft deformable material, of the type comprising:

- a lower tread (1 a) with a dense series of internally hollow protuberances (2) that include a lower horizontal surface (2a) and a basically vertical lateral surface (2b);

- an upper side (1 b) with a dense series of pits (3) that coincide with the internal cavity of the said protuberances (2) and represent the mesh of a reticulation of flat ribs (4), and the series of protuberances (2) are bordered by a reticulation of grooves (5) that correspond to the reticulation of flat ribs (4); bottom (1 ) characterised in that the tread (1 a) is provided with a series of channels (7), each of them surrounding the base of each protuberance (2).

2) Bottom as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that the lower horizontal surface (2a) is horizontal and flat. 3) Bottom as claimed in claim 1 and 2 characterised in that the lateral surface (2b) of each protuberance (2) and the lower horizontal surface (2a) have constant thickness.

4) Bottom as claimed in claim 1 and 2, characterised in that it is made of natural rubber; 5) Bottom as claimed in claim 1 and 2, characterised in that it is made of synthetic rubber.