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EP0625090A1 - Contoured moulded footwear and method of making same - Google Patents

Contoured moulded footwear and method of making same

Info

Publication number
EP0625090A1
EP0625090A1 EP93901998A EP93901998A EP0625090A1 EP 0625090 A1 EP0625090 A1 EP 0625090A1 EP 93901998 A EP93901998 A EP 93901998A EP 93901998 A EP93901998 A EP 93901998A EP 0625090 A1 EP0625090 A1 EP 0625090A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
sole
article
footwear
foot
moulded
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP93901998A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Inventor
Gordon N. Cook
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Genfoot Inc
Original Assignee
Genfoot Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Genfoot Inc filed Critical Genfoot Inc
Publication of EP0625090A1 publication Critical patent/EP0625090A1/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29D—PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE
    • B29D35/00—Producing footwear
    • B29D35/06—Producing footwear having soles or heels formed and joined on to preformed uppers using a moulding technique, e.g. by injection moulding, pressing and vulcanising
    • B29D35/08—Producing footwear having soles or heels formed and joined on to preformed uppers using a moulding technique, e.g. by injection moulding, pressing and vulcanising having multilayered parts
    • B29D35/081—Producing footwear having soles or heels formed and joined on to preformed uppers using a moulding technique, e.g. by injection moulding, pressing and vulcanising having multilayered parts by injection moulding
    • 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
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29D—PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE
    • B29D35/00—Producing footwear
    • B29D35/10—Producing footwear having preformed soles or heels joined on to preformed uppers using a moulding technique, e.g. by feeding or injecting plastics material between the parts to be joined

Definitions

  • the invention relates to the manufacture of moulded footwear in particular to waterproof footwear of which the upper portion and bottom thereof, upon which the foot rests, are integrally moulded.
  • the invention provides a waterproof article of footwear comprising an upper portion having integrally moulded sides and bottom and a sole portion attached to the upper portion.
  • the shaping of the upper and sole portions is complementary to provide a unitary fit therebetween and the sloping of the upper portion includes bottom and side contouring to provide support for preselected areas of the foot.
  • the invention further provides a method for making the aforesaid article of footwear whereby side and bottom elements are integrally moulded using a thermoplastic material to form an upper portion, a sole portion is moulded and the two portions are attached together.
  • the moulding of the upper and sole portions is such that the shaping of the same is as described above.
  • the said moulding is by means of injection moulding whereby the upper and sole portions are produced one following the other such that the portions become moulded together.
  • Figure 1 is a side view of an article of footwear in accordance with the invention.
  • Figure 2 is a sectional view of the article of Figure 1 taken at section 2-2 thereof.
  • the waterproof article of footwear 10 of the invention comprises an upper portion 20 and a sole portion 30 attached thereto.
  • the thermoplastic upper portion 20 is, firstly, integrally moulded as a single unit without need for seams or joins (which can limit the ability of the article to be made waterproof) .
  • the thermoplastic sole portion 30 is, secondly, moulded so that the two portions 20, 30 become moulded together once the portions have
  • the upper 20 and sole 30 portions are shaped in complementary form to provide a unitary fit when they are moulded together according to the foregoing.
  • the upper portion 20 and, therefore, the sole portion 30
  • FIG. 10 is shaped so as to include bottom and side contouring to provide support for selected areas of the foot, for example as in the article of Figure 1 which includes contouring in the area of the ball of the foot (C) , the arch of the foot (B) and the heel base (A) .
  • This contouring provides
  • the bottom 35 of the sole portion 30 preferably includes certain desirable features forming part of the
  • the sole portion 30 preferably also includes a rigid bar 50 such as a metal plate within the area of the sole between the heel (A) and arch (B). locations thereof to, primarily,
  • the thickness and shaping of the walls 55 of the upper portion 20 are not uniform according to the ⁇ prior art but, . rather, vary according to a predetermined shaping (the
  • thermoplastic material used for the upper portion 20 is less rigid, when moulded than that used for the sole portion 30 so that the upper portion provides an appropriate degree of flexibility to the foot and legs of the user, upon wear, and the sole portion provides support, protection, durability and strength.
  • the article of footwear of the invention is produced by means of the conventional injection moulding technique incorporating moulding apparatus.
  • the apparatus provides for two thermoplastic injection steps, one to produce the upper portion 20 and another to produce the sole portion 30, one following the other, (in selected order) such that the portions thereby become moulded together.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Epidemiology (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Public Health (AREA)
  • Footwear And Its Accessory, Manufacturing Method And Apparatuses (AREA)
  • Injection Moulding Of Plastics Or The Like (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne une chaussure étanche et un procédé pour sa fabrication. La chaussure comprend une partie supérieure ayant des côtés et un fond moulés intégralement et une partie semelle fixée à ladite partie supérieure. Le formage de la partie supérieur et de la partie semelle est complémentaire de manière à procurer une liaison unitaire entre les deux parties et il comprend le contournage du fond et des côtés de manière à fournir des supports pour des zones présélectionnées du pied. Le contournage de la partie supérieure et de la partie semelle produit une chaussure qui est en même temps étanche et confortable sans qu'il soit nécessaire de rajouter une forme intérieure au produit moulé pour obtenir un support pour le pied.The invention relates to a waterproof shoe and a method for its manufacture. The shoe includes an upper having integrally molded sides and bottom and a sole portion attached to said upper. The shaping of the upper part and the sole part is complementary so as to provide a unitary connection between the two parts and it includes the contouring of the bottom and the sides so as to provide supports for preselected areas of the foot. The contouring of the upper part and the sole part produces a shoe which is at the same time waterproof and comfortable without the need to add an internal shape to the molded product to obtain support for the foot.

Description

CONTOURED MOULDED FOOTWEAR AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME
Field of the Invention:
The invention relates to the manufacture of moulded footwear in particular to waterproof footwear of which the upper portion and bottom thereof, upon which the foot rests, are integrally moulded.
Background of the Invention;
Conventional injection moulding processes are well- known and are commonly used to manufacture waterproof footwear such as rubber boots comprising a sole portion and an upper portion attached thereto. In the past, such manufacturing processes have produced only waterproof footwear comprising upper parts with flat insoles (i.e. the bottom insoles that portion upon which the foot rests) which are then attached, or moulded, to a sole component. Typically, the articles of footwear produced by such processes are sometimes supplemented with an added contoured foot support which is inserted into the footwear article after the moulding process has been completed to render the article more comfortable in use. This added step increases the time and cost associated with the manufacturing process and is prone to produce unsatisfactory results from the customers perspective caused by a tendency for the dislodging or movement of such inserts, over time, as the article is worn.
Thus, there is need in the marketplace for comfortable waterproof footwear comprising integrally moulded uppers and soles for supporting the foot.
Summary of the Invention;
The invention provides a waterproof article of footwear comprising an upper portion having integrally moulded sides and bottom and a sole portion attached to the upper portion. The shaping of the upper and sole portions is complementary to provide a unitary fit therebetween and the sloping of the upper portion includes bottom and side contouring to provide support for preselected areas of the foot.
The invention further provides a method for making the aforesaid article of footwear whereby side and bottom elements are integrally moulded using a thermoplastic material to form an upper portion, a sole portion is moulded and the two portions are attached together. The moulding of the upper and sole portions is such that the shaping of the same is as described above. Preferably, but not necessarily, the said moulding is by means of injection moulding whereby the upper and sole portions are produced one following the other such that the portions become moulded together.
Brief Description of the Drawings;
The subject invention will now be described in the following with reference to the drawings in which like reference numerals refer, throughout, to like elements: Figure 1 is a side view of an article of footwear in accordance with the invention.
Figure 2 is a sectional view of the article of Figure 1 taken at section 2-2 thereof.
Detailed Description of the Invention;
The waterproof article of footwear 10 of the invention comprises an upper portion 20 and a sole portion 30 attached thereto. The thermoplastic upper portion 20 is, firstly, integrally moulded as a single unit without need for seams or joins (which can limit the ability of the article to be made waterproof) . The thermoplastic sole portion 30 is, secondly, moulded so that the two portions 20, 30 become moulded together once the portions have
, adequately hardened within the moulding apparatus prior to removal therefrom. This procedure may be reversed so as to 5 mould the sole portion first and the upper portion second.
The upper 20 and sole 30 portions are shaped in complementary form to provide a unitary fit when they are moulded together according to the foregoing. In addition, the upper portion 20 (and, therefore, the sole portion 30)
10 is shaped so as to include bottom and side contouring to provide support for selected areas of the foot, for example as in the article of Figure 1 which includes contouring in the area of the ball of the foot (C) , the arch of the foot (B) and the heel base (A) . This contouring provides
15 support for these areas of the foot thereby rendering the article of footwear completing comfortable and suitable for long periods of use.
The bottom 35 of the sole portion 30 preferably includes certain desirable features forming part of the
20 design of the article, namely, the sole pattern as shown in the section view of Figure 2 (i.e the cut-outs 45 therein) . The sole portion 30 preferably also includes a rigid bar 50 such as a metal plate within the area of the sole between the heel (A) and arch (B). locations thereof to, primarily,
25 support the arch of the foot and to provide appropriate strength to that area of the article of footwear.
The thickness and shaping of the walls 55 of the upper portion 20 are not uniform according to the ^prior art but, . rather, vary according to a predetermined shaping (the
30 mould being defined accordingly) for each desired size and style of footwear article, to produce areas which provide a controlled degree of support to preselected areas of the foot. The shaping and mould for the sole portion 30' is made to complement the contoured shaping of the upper
35 portion 20. Preferably, the thermoplastic material used for the upper portion 20 is less rigid, when moulded than that used for the sole portion 30 so that the upper portion provides an appropriate degree of flexibility to the foot and legs of the user, upon wear, and the sole portion provides support, protection, durability and strength.
The article of footwear of the invention is produced by means of the conventional injection moulding technique incorporating moulding apparatus. Preferably the apparatus provides for two thermoplastic injection steps, one to produce the upper portion 20 and another to produce the sole portion 30, one following the other, (in selected order) such that the portions thereby become moulded together.

Claims

What is claimed is:
1. A waterproof article of footwear comprising:
(a) an upper portion comprising integrally moulded sides and bottom; and,
(b) a sole portion attached to said upper portion; whereby the shaping of said upper and sole portions is complementary to provide a unitary fit therebetween and the shaping of said upper includes bottom and side contouring to provide support for preselected areas of the foot.
2. A waterproof article of footwear according to claim 1 wherein said sole portion includes within the area between the heel and arch locations thereof a rigid support bar.
3. A waterproof article of footwear according to claim 2 wherein said upper and sole portions are of a thermoplastic material, the rigidity of the same comprising the sole portion being greater than that comprising the upper portion.
4. A method for making a waterproof article of footwear comprising:
(a) integrally moulding side and bottom elements of an article of footwear using a thermoplastic material to form an upper portion of said article;
(b) moulding a sole portion of said article;
(c) attaching said upper and sole portions; whereby the shaping of said upper and sole portions is complementary to provide a unitary fit therebetween and the upper portion includes bottom and side contouring to provide support for preselected areas of the foot.
5. A method according to claim 4 whereby said upper and sole portions are moulded by means of injection moulding, one following the other, in selected order, such that the portions become moulded together.
EP93901998A 1992-01-21 1993-01-20 Contoured moulded footwear and method of making same Withdrawn EP0625090A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA2059726 1992-01-21
CA 2059726 CA2059726C (en) 1992-01-21 1992-01-21 Contoured moulded footwear and method of making same
PCT/CA1993/000013 WO1993013928A1 (en) 1992-01-21 1993-01-20 Contoured moulded footwear and method of making same

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0625090A1 true EP0625090A1 (en) 1994-11-23

Family

ID=4149122

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP93901998A Withdrawn EP0625090A1 (en) 1992-01-21 1993-01-20 Contoured moulded footwear and method of making same

Country Status (5)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0625090A1 (en)
JP (1) JPH07507936A (en)
AU (1) AU3341293A (en)
CA (1) CA2059726C (en)
WO (1) WO1993013928A1 (en)

Families Citing this family (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6675498B1 (en) 1988-07-15 2004-01-13 Anatomic Research, Inc. Shoe sole structures
US6810606B1 (en) 1988-07-15 2004-11-02 Anatomic Research, Inc. Shoe sole structures incorporating a contoured side
US5317819A (en) 1988-09-02 1994-06-07 Ellis Iii Frampton E Shoe with naturally contoured sole
US6729046B2 (en) 1989-08-30 2004-05-04 Anatomic Research, Inc. Shoe sole structures
DK1004252T3 (en) 1989-10-03 2002-06-24 Anatomic Res Inc Shoe sole with a midsole with variations in firmness and density
ES2155820T3 (en) 1990-01-10 2001-06-01 Anatomic Res Inc SOLE FOR FOOTWEAR.
US7546699B2 (en) 1992-08-10 2009-06-16 Anatomic Research, Inc. Shoe sole structures
WO1996039060A1 (en) * 1995-06-05 1996-12-12 Frampton Erroll Ellis, Iii Shoe sole structures
EP1075801A1 (en) * 1999-08-12 2001-02-14 Cheng-Hsian Chi Manufacturing process for a foamed integral shoe body
US8256147B2 (en) 2004-11-22 2012-09-04 Frampton E. Eliis Devices with internal flexibility sipes, including siped chambers for footwear
US8125796B2 (en) 2007-11-21 2012-02-28 Frampton E. Ellis Devices with faraday cages and internal flexibility sipes

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE1215915B (en) * 1963-05-15 1966-05-05 Desma Werke Gmbh Process for the production of plastic footwear and footwear produced therefrom
DE1228532B (en) * 1963-07-25 1966-11-10 Adam J Blumoer Fa Insole with joint reinforcement
GB1571127A (en) * 1976-04-02 1980-07-09 Scholl Uk Ltd Soles for footwear and footwear incorporating them
FR2546041A1 (en) * 1983-05-17 1984-11-23 Saint Marcel Mfg Method for the injection of an article made of a synthetic material, mould for carrying out this method, and article such as an item of footwear obtained by this method
DE3341624A1 (en) * 1983-09-07 1985-03-21 Pickens Footwear Co., Jasper, Ga. WATERPROOF FOOTWEAR AND METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION THEREOF

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See references of WO9313928A1 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU3341293A (en) 1993-08-03
JPH07507936A (en) 1995-09-07
CA2059726A1 (en) 1993-07-22
CA2059726C (en) 1996-11-19
WO1993013928A1 (en) 1993-07-22

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