Sole with extensible structure, footwear equipped with same and method for mounting same

CA 02465366 2003-10-27 WO 02/087375 PCT / FR02 / 01366 Sole with extensible structure, article of footwear provided with such a sole and its mounting method feet; it also relates to the shoe equipped with such a sole as well as the method of fitting this shoe.

Shoes are traditionally made with a width chosen by the manufacturer.

This width is more or less important but it is predetermined;

it does not vary depending on the width of the user's foot.

It is also known to adapt to several widths of feet by manufacturing an upper part of elastic material, but without being able to widen the lower part in contact with the ground.

The device according to the invention overcomes these drawbacks. It indeed comprises according to a first characteristic, a sole comprising at least one extensible zone in the forefoot part; thus, during use, the manufactured shoe conforms to the anatomic width of the foot on its lower part.

In the shoe sole according to the invention, the transversely extensible forefoot part is obtained by molding (or gluing) on ​​a sole base of one or more inserts of a material with a deformable structure endowed with a d potential. elasticity and shape memory adapted to the desired comfort.

This expandable insert is flat on the upper face and provided with one or more projections on the lower face 2o.

These projections are intended to fit into (the bottom of the sole.

According to another characteristic, the sole fônd is made from a material of conventional type such as leather, elastomer, rubber, polyurethane or any other material traditionally used in the manufacture of shoe soles and exhibiting normal characteristics of resistance to abrasion.

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According to another characteristic, the sole base comprises openings intended to receive the projections of the underside of the extensible insert, while preserving the tightness of the connection between the two materials.

According to another characteristic, a fitting insole consists of one or more perforated zones in its forefoot part and of a rigid rear part.

3o This structure of the front part of the insole allows the transverse deformation of the forefoot area.

Other embodiments of the insole can be envisaged.

The deformable part of the forefoot could be, produced only by the juxtaposition of longitudinal slits.

According to another embodiment, the deformable part of the forefoot can be obtained by making one or more CA 02465366 2003-10-27 WO 02/087375 PCT / FR02 / 01366 -2 longitudinal openings, these being filled or not by molding or gluing one or more inserts of extensible material.

The invention also relates to the article of footwear equipped with the extensible sole just described.

According to a preferred embodiment, this article of footwear consists of an upper, of the fitting insole with a deformable forefoot part and a rigid rear part, of an insole not glued in its peripheral part and of the sole with an extensible insert in accordance with the present invention.

When the user puts on an article provided with such a complex, his foot exerts pressure on the edges of the upper inducing the deformation of the insole and of the sole.

This ability of the sole and the insole to deform prevents feelings of compression in the foot.

The method of fitting this article of footwear consists in preparing a fitting insole with a rigid part at the rear and a deformable part in the forefoot area.

By means of a form of standard width, the rod is mounted on said insole and glued to the sèmelle equipped with its expandable insert.

Finally, the sockliner is placed inside the shoe.

The invention is illustrated, without being in any way limited, by the description of a particular embodiment, given by way of example and represented in the accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 represents the sole seen from below.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the sole.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the sole bottom, elastic insert and assembly insole assembly.

Figure 4 is a sectional view in perspective of a shoe equipped with the system.

The sole shown in Figures 1 and 2 consists of a sole base (1) and an insert in extensible material (2) assembled by molding or by gluing in order to ensure the seal between the two materials.

The projections (3) of the expandable insert are positioned in the openings (4) made in the base of the sole.

3o In the exemplary embodiment shown, this type of parallel implantation allows the addition of the elasticities of each projection (3).

This complex, rigid sole base and stretch insert allows to obtain a sufficiently structured sole to adapt to a traditional welded manufacture.

FIG. 3 represents a stack of independent supports with deformable and extensible properties.

The sole base (1) made of rigid material is made deformable by the openings (4) made in the forefoot area.

The insert CA 02465366 2003-10-27 WO 02/087375 PCT / FR02 / 01366 -3 (2) whose projections (3) fit into the openings (4) of the base of the sole (1) is a seal expandable sealing.

The insole (5) is equipped with a forefoot part made deformable by the presence of the longitudinal slots (6) and a rigid rear part (7) In the embodiment shown in Figure 4, this configuration keeps elasticity on all floors once assembly is complete.

The sole base (1), the insert (2) and the insole (5) have extensible characteristics outside the bonding zones (9) -.

The inner first (8) not glued on its periphery does not block the deformation of the lower layers 1o. It is the pressure of the foot applying to the outer edges of the upper (10) which induces the deformation of all the superimposed extensible layers.

By way of non-limiting example, the dimensions of (insert at the level of the projections will be of the order of 3.5 mm in thickness and 7 mm in width.

Of course, these dimensions are only indicative; they can vary depending on the size and the comfort that one wishes to give to the shoe.

This shoe structure provides walking comfort which is particularly suitable for "sensitive foot items", but of course this extensible structure can be envisaged for types of mounting other than welded or other types of footwear.

2o The present invention is particularly intended for the manufacture of shoes having the ability to adapt to different widths of feet.