FR2727606A1 - VENTILATION DEVICE FOR FOOTWEAR AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a ventilation device for an article of footwear of sports or city type. The invention consists in that it comprises a compressible chamber (1) made of flexible and sealed material consisting of a reservoir (2) provided with a cover (3), said cover (3) comprising membranes forming an anti- return (10, 11) allowing the entry and evacuation of air in the tank (1) in a single direction of circulation, and an insole (14) on which the compressible chamber (1) can be fitted, said sole (14) comprising on one face a network of air circulation channels (15) in communication with the compressible chamber (1) and being provided with perforations (16) communicating said channels (15) with the opposite face of the sole interior (14). Application to footwear.

Description

Ventilation device for footwear and method

Manufacturing.

  The present invention relates to an internal ventilation device for footwear of city or sport type, in particular allowing aeration of the interior of the

  shoe as well as the evacuation of sweat.

  During walking or, even more, during the practice of a sport, the foot warms up inside a footwear and the user can then experience discomfort and a feeling of discomfort, related in particular to sweating. Patent FR-B-2,472,354 proposed to limit this discomfort by providing an article of footwear comprising pneumatic chambers compressible and deformable in the sole in communication with pneumatic chambers fitting the rear part of the foot. However, if this type of item significantly reduces the discomfort of warming up by creating some flexibility of the footwear, it does not solve the problem of sweating itself. It is therefore necessary to propose a way to reduce both the inconvenience related to this heating but also those related to sweating, by practicing ventilation or air circulation to

  the inside of the footwear.

  It has been proposed in FR-A-2,594,305 to make a first sole having a recess in its upper part, said recess being closed by a sockliner provided with perforations. Thus, during walking, the recess is compressed and the air that it contains is discharged through the perforations to the inside of the footwear; when the compression of this recess is released, air enters the recess again through the perforations. There is therefore a circulation of air but it remains almost always the same and we can not speak of real evacuation and renewal of stale air inside the article of footwear. A

  sole of the same kind is also described in FR-A-

2052268.

  FR-A-1.019.374 proposes a boot with a pocket that extends along the rod and is inserted between the insole and the first sole. In the upper part of the upper, the bag is provided with an air inlet and at the end of the pocket under the arch, it has one or more perforations towards the inside of the bag.

  boot through which the air is evacuated when walking.

  However, when placing the heel, the air can be sent either to the arch or turned up the stem. The air circulation is therefore random and therefore inefficient. US-2,741,038 proposes the same principle but introducing valves in the pocket to circulate the air in one direction. A

  such achievement offers a very limited walking comfort.

  GB-A-2,189,679 discloses a sole molded so as to constitute a pump, the air flowing in one direction according to the principle of compression / depression related to the walking movement through valves provided in this sole. The realization of such a sole is difficult to implement and there is a risk of seeing the top of the soleplate crush inside the recess made in the

  sole after some time of use.

  European patent application EP-A-0.319.968 describes, for its part, a sole having an internal recess open by an air intake port at the heel and provided with perforations under the arch. During the installation of the heel, the air intake port is closed by compression and the air is discharged to the perforations and from there to the inside of the article of footwear. Such a sole has the disadvantage of risking a collapse of the upper part of the sole in the recess at

course of use in time.

  Document FR-A-2,695,303 proposes an integrated air circulation device at the level of the heel of a sole, consisting of a chamber comprising a compressible upper wall, a non-return air intake valve at heel level and an air evacuation channel leading to the front of the sole. Despite the non-return valve, when releasing compression under the arch, nothing prevents evacuated air from returning to said compressible chamber via the evacuation channel and thus prevent circulation

  effective air from the heel to the arch.

  WO-A-93/07774 proposes a soleplate which comprises an air intake orifice at the level of the arch, the air then being introduced, via a non-return valve into a cavity provided in the heel and escaping outwards through a non-return valve through a conduit extending along the shaft of the shoe. Again there is a particular implementation of the sole and the upper of the shoe and which can not adapt to different types

footwear.

  In order to overcome these drawbacks of existing systems, the present invention proposes a ventilation device that is independent of the article of footwear constituted by a first or wear sole and a rod, which allows a one-way air flow of the heel of the foot. footwear at the front part of it and which is of a

  easy and economical production and assembly.

  For this purpose, the ventilation device is characterized in that it comprises a compressible chamber of flexible and waterproof material consisting of a tank provided with a lid, said lid comprising membranes forming a non-return valve allowing entry and the air outlet in the tank in a single direction of circulation, and an insole on which said compressible chamber is recessed, said insole having on one side a network of air circulation channels in communication with the compressible chamber and being provided with perforations communicating said channels with the opposite side of the

insole.

  According to one embodiment of the device according to the invention, the lid has on its inner face a recess and a diametrically opposed orifice and on its outer face a recess in which ends the orifice of the inner face and an orifice which ends in the recess of the outer face, the nonreturn diaphragm membranes being placed in said recesses to promote a single possible direction of air circulation. Advantageously, this device is introduced into an article of footwear whose sole of wear has a

  cavity likely to accommodate the compressible chamber.

  When placing the compressible chamber in the cavity of the outsole, said compressible chamber advantageously has dimensions such that it must protrude slightly above the upper face of the outsole. Since said compressible chamber is embedded in the insole, it is therefore also slightly raised above the heel area of the outsole and therefore does not rest completely on the sole.

outsole.

  Thus, during the installation of the heel during walking, the compressible chamber undergoes deformation of the walls of its reservoir under the effect of the compression exerted by the foot on the insole which is fully supported on the upper face of the outsole while an anti-abrasion pad, disposed under the heel of the outsole slightly over the surface of the heel in contact with the ground, at the same time contributes to the compression of the chamber in its lower part. The compressed air then tends to escape from the compressible chamber and exerts pressure on the diaphragm diaphragms of which at least one is movable and allows

evacuation of the air.

  The outer face of the cover of the compressible chamber advantageously has recesses on its edges which connect the inlet and outlet orifices of the air in the compressible chamber with the network of pipes present on one face of the insole. The air expelled from the compressible chamber is evacuated towards the front of the insole by the circulation channels and, during the compression of the front part of the outsole and the insole, the air is evacuated to the inner front of the footwear. Advantageously, the air can not return to the compressible chamber and is therefore expelled in full

  towards the inside of the footwear.

  During this time, the walls of the reservoir are put back in place and a depression is created in the compressible chamber which tends to attract a stream of air coming from outside the compressible chamber through the second diaphragm forming a valve who admits admission

  air from the heel of the insole.

  Thus, an air circulation device of a simple design and which does not require a particular and complicated shape of the outsole as was the case in the prior art, was thus realized. Indeed, in addition to the usual designs that may be present on the outsole, it is only necessary that it has on its upper face an open cavity

  of the tank of the ventilation device.

  The invention also relates to an article of footwear constituted by a wear sole on which is fixed a rod by any means known per se, characterized in that said outsole has on its upper face, at the heel, a cavity open adapted to accommodate a ventilation device consisting of a compressible chamber provided with check valves and recessed in an insole having, on its face facing the outsole, a network of pipes in communication with the compressible chamber and provided with perforations opening on the opposite surface of the insole. The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing such footwear comprising this device for

ventilation.

  The invention will be described in more detail during the

  following description of an exemplary embodiment of

  the invention with reference to the drawing in which: Figure 1 shows a side sectional view of the compressible chamber of the ventilation device according to the invention; Figure 2 shows a schematic side sectional view of the reservoir of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a schematic top view of the reservoir of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a schematic side elevational view of the tank cover of Figure 1; Figures 5a and 5b respectively show schematic views of the inner and outer faces of the cover of Figure 4; Figures 6a and 6b show, respectively in side elevation views and from above the diaphragm diaphragms of the tank of Figure 1; Figure 7 shows the underside of the insole according to the invention; 8 shows a side sectional view of the footwear in which the device according to the invention is to be arranged; Figure 9 shows a side sectional view of the footwear provided with the device according to the invention; and FIGS. 0la and 0b represent, in side elevational view, the mounting forms of the article of footwear of the

figure 8.

  A compressible chamber 1 of the device according to the invention, preferably of oval cross-section, comprises a reservoir 2 on which a cover 3 fits and which has a tongue 2 ', horizontal or oblique (see FIG. 9), to one of its ends. This lid 3 has a groove 4 at its periphery in which the upper rim 5 of the tank 2 of the chamber

  compressible 1 so as to obtain a tight closure.

  On its outer face E, the cover 3 has a recess 6 and an orifice 7 preferably located diametrically opposite. On its inner face I, the lid 3 has a recess 8 in which the orifice 7 terminates while it has an orifice 9 diametrically opposed to the recess 8 and which ends in

the recess 6.

  The recesses 6 and 8 are made to accommodate respectively flap membranes 10 and 11 which respectively admit a single direction of air flow. The orifices 7 and 9 ending in the recesses

  6 and 8 are closed by the diaphragm diaphragms 10 and 11.

  As can be seen in FIG. 1, the air can be evacuated from the compressible chamber 1 only through the valve 11 which can be moved under the effect of a thrust of air due to a compression of the chamber On the contrary, the air is permissible in said chamber only through the valve 10 displaced by the air entering the tank 2 when the pressure is released. So we have a unique sense of input and

air outlet in room 1.

  Preferably, the lid 3 also has recesses 12 and 13 on its outer face. The recess 12 is located between the edge of the lid 3 and the orifice 7 while the recess 13 extends from the recess 6 towards the edge of the lid 3. These recesses 12, 13 provide air passages when the compressible chamber 1 is adapted to the

insole 14.

  The sole 14 has on its underside, facing the outsole during placement in a footwear, a network of pipes 15 which allow air from the compressible chamber 1 to flow under the In some places, said soleplate 14 has perforations 16 which allow the air to escape towards the inside of the body.

  the footwear article through said sole 14.

  The rear of the sole 14 has a cavity 17 in

  which the compressible chamber 1 is recessed.

  The ventilation device according to the invention, consisting of the compressible chamber 1 and the insole 14, is introduced into an article of footwear 19 consisting of a first wear sole 20 on which is fixed by all

means in themselves known a rod 21.

  The outsole 20 has on its upper face a

  cavity 22 in which the compressible chamber 1 is housed.

  The dimensions of the compressible chamber 1 are such that the sole 14 on which it is embedded is not

  fully supported on the outsole 20.

  Preferably, a pellet 23 of a material having a high resistance to abrasion, is disposed on the underside of the outsole 20, at the heel and facing the cavity 22, in slight overhang relative to the surface of the sole 20. Thus increases the impact force of the heel during walking which allows to exert a compression on the lower part of the

compressible chamber 1.

  When walking, when the heel is applied, pressure is exerted by the heel on the insole 14 and thus on the compressible chamber 1 which is compressed in the cavity 22, which deforms the walls of the reservoir 2 while the anti-abrasion pellet 23 exerts at the same time a compression on the reservoir 2 in the

lower part of it.

  The air contained in said compressible chamber 1 escapes, under the pressure thus exerted, by the valve 10 towards the

  pipeline network 15 of the insole 14.

  When it is the front of the shoe, which is then supported, which is compressed, the air then escapes through the perforations 16 towards the inside of the footwear. At the same time, the pressure being released on the heel, the walls of the compressible chamber 1 are put back in place and the chamber 1 admits, again an air inlet through the valve 11, the air then being

  collected at the level of the heel in the article of footwear.

  Preferably, the tongue 2 ', of flexible material, present at the end of the reservoir 2 of the compressible chamber 1 can be made so as to be oblique so that when the compressible chamber is introduced into the cavity 22 of the sole of the 20, the end of said tongue 2 'rests on the outsole 20 as

shown in Figure 9.

  When a pressure exerted on the soleplate 14 compresses the compressible chamber 1, this tongue 2 'is also compressed and when the pressure is released, said tongue 2' acts as a spring between the upper surface of the outsole 20 and the underside of the sole 14 and thus helps the room

  compressible 1 to resume its original uncompressed form.

  It has thus been well realized a flow of air inside the footwear, the valves 10 and 11 operating only in one direction to admit or evacuate the air of the compressible chamber 1. The invention also relates to a manufacturing method which uses a mounting form of the type shown in Figure 10a and which has a protrusion under the heel to make a sole

  20 with a cavity 22.

  This form is preferably used for a so-called "slip" mounting, the first mounting having pre-cut slots so as to allow the passage of the protrusion of the shape as is visible in Figure 10b. After injection, the outsole 20 obtained comprises the cavity 22 into which the

compressible chamber 1.

Claims (11)

CLAIMS.   1. Ventilation device for a footwear sport or city type, characterized in that it comprises a compressible chamber (1) of flexible and waterproof material consisting of a reservoir (2) provided with a lid (3), said cover (3) having nonreturn diaphragm membranes (10, 11) for entering and exhausting air into the reservoir (1) in a single direction of flow, and an insole (14) on which the compressible chamber (1) is recessed, said soleplate (14) having on one side a network of air circulation channels (15) in communication with the compressible chamber (1) and being provided with perforations (16) communicating said channels (15) with the opposite side of the insole (14). 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the cover (3) has on its inner face I a recess (6) and a hole (7) diametrically opposed and on its outer face E a recess (8) in which terminates the orifice (7) of the inner face I and an orifice (9) which ends in the recess (6) of the outer face E, the nonreturn valve membranes (10, 11) being placed in said recesses (6, 8).   3. Device according to one of claims 1 and 2,   characterized in that the cover (3) has a groove (4) at its periphery in which the upper rim (5) of the reservoir 2 of the compressible chamber (1) is housed   in order to obtain a tight closure.   4. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3,   characterized in that the valve diaphragms (10, 11) are mounted in the recesses (6, 8) respectively in order to admit each a single direction of air flow.   5. Device according to one of claims i to 4,   characterized in that the sole (14) has at the level of the heel a cavity (17) in which the chamber is recessed. compressible (1).   6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5,   characterized in that the reservoir (2) has, at one of its ends, a tongue (2 ') of flexible and oblique material such that it rests on the outsole (20) and acts as a a spring between the upper surface of the outsole (20) and the underside of the sole (14) when pressure is exerted on the sole (14).   7. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6,   characterized in that the outsole (20) has on its underside, at the heel and facing the cavity 22, and slightly over the surface of the sole 20, a pellet 23 of a material having high abrasion resistance 8. Footwear consisting of a outsole on which is fixed a rod by any means known per se, characterized in that said outsole (20) has on its upper face, at the heel, an open cavity (22) adapted to accommodate a ventilation device consisting of a compressible chamber (1) provided with non-return valves and recessed in an insole (14) having on its side facing the outsole (20) a network of pipes (15) in communication with the compressible chamber (1) and provided with perforations (16) opening on the opposite surface of the insole (14).   9. Footwear according to claim 8, characterized in that said compressible chamber has dimensions such that it protrudes slightly above the upper face of the outsole (20) in the article of footwear. 10. A method of manufacturing an article of footwear, characterized in that it uses a mounting form which has a protrusion under the heel to achieve   an outsole (20) having a cavity (22).   11. Manufacturing method according to claim 10, characterized in that it comprises a mounting type "slip", the first mounting having pre-cut slots so as to allow the passage of the protrusion of the shape, after injection, the outsole (20) obtained having the cavity (22).