Sole structure

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DESCRIPTION

Sole structure.

The present invention refers to a sole structure suitable to be associated with the upper of a shoe.

At present, several footwear of the known type on the market have multiple methods and systems for aerating the internal part of the footwear.

Some shoes of the known type partially achieve this task by means of suitable holes, for example made in the upper.

Such solutions have the considerable disadvantage of allowing the infiltration of water into the footwear.

The use, in correspondence of such holes, of possible layers of materials that are breathable and at the same time waterproof does not completely solve the problem of achieving good aeration of the footwear, since the exchange of air between the internal part of the footwear and the medium atmosphere is very limited.

In other footwear of the known type, suitable ducts are used, for example made in the upper surface of the sole, and advantageously in communication with the external environment, so that the air can be circulated through said ducts reaching to the foot passing through a suitable breathable anatomical plantar, in contact with said sole.

The main disadvantage of this solution also consists of the possible infiltration of water into the internal part of the shoe, which takes place through the ducts.

From US-A-5,477,626 a sole structure with the characteristics set forth later in the preamble of claim 1 is known.

Another known type of footwear is made up of an upper comprising a breathable anatomical sole, located above a waterproof sole.

Between said sole and the anatomical plantar there is an aeration device constituted by an elastically deformable air reservoir, through a first unidirectional valve, with an air diffuser element located near the metatarsal area and suitably perforated, to distribute air within instep it.

The reservoir is also connected to a second check valve located, for example, laterally to the sole, suitable for taking air from the outside.

The second check valve is small enough in diameter to prevent water from entering, thus ensuring impermeability.

This device works when the user walks, since in each step, when the heel rests on the floor, the reservoir is compressed, thus sending air to the diffuser element.

After lifting the foot, the elastically deformable reservoir takes its shape again, thus creating a vacuum that draws air from the outside, through the second check valve.

The main disadvantage of this known type footwear resides in the fact that it presents a considerable constructive complexity, having several delicate mechanisms in one area, the sole, which is normally subjected to numerous and strong stresses, which carries the risk that the aeration device may be subject to malfunctions or breakage.

Another disadvantage of this shoe resides in its high overall cost, essentially due to the constructive complexity of the aeration device, the manufacturing process to be carried out and, ultimately, the need to assemble the various components of the sole.

The main objective of the present invention, therefore, is to solve the technical problems highlighted above, eliminating the aforementioned disadvantages of the known technique and thus conceiving an invention that allows obtaining a footwear that allows good aspiration through the sole, while ensuring safe and effective waterproofing.

Within the scope of the task set out above, another important objective is to obtain an invention that allows to achieve the specified objective by means of a simple and robust aeration mechanism, thus preventing possible breakages or malfunctions.

Another important objective of the present invention is to obtain the desired purpose without impairing the resistance and aesthetic quality of the footwear.

Not the last objective is the fact that the invention is structurally simple and, at the same time, has a low production cost.

The above-mentioned role and objectives, as well as others that will become even more apparent later, are achieved by a sole structure as described in the claims that follow.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become even more apparent from the detailed description that follows of a particular embodiment, shown purely by way of example and not limiting in the sheets of the attached drawings, in which:

figure 1 shows, in exploded view with some selected parts, a shoe comprising an upper, an anatomical plantar and a sole made according to the present invention;

figure 2 shows a top perspective view of a joint;

figure 3 shows a top perspective view of an insert;

figure 4 shows a top perspective view of the insert of figure 3;

figure 5 shows a three-quarter view of the lower surface of the insert of figure 3;

figure 6 shows an exploded view of the layers that make up the joint of figure 2;

figure 7 shows a lateral sectional view in which the insert, the joint and the anatomical plantar are located;

figure 8 shows a plan view of the sole of figure 7.

With reference to the aforementioned figures, numeral 1 indicates a shoe made up of an upper (2) to which a sole (6) is associated at the bottom.

Advantageously, the sole (6) upperly comprises an anatomical plantar (4), which has a first and a second area, indicated with the initials "5a" and "5b", made of a breathable material.

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The sole (6) also comprises an insert (12), see Figures 4 and 5, and has, in the area (7) of the anatomical plantar and of the toe, first ducts (8), suitable for air to circulate .

The first conduits (8) can be located and configured in different ways; Figure 8 shows a solution that provides a first pair of first ducts (8a and 8b), located longitudinally and spacing just towards the tip of the sole and transversely joined by a second pair of first ducts (8c and 8d) which also have the function of facilitating the deformation of the sole (6) when the user is walking, thus facilitating its movement.

One or more openings (9) have also been obtained in the sole (6), in this embodiment a first, a second and a third opening, indicated respectively with the initials 9a, 9b and 9c, obtained for example in the first lateral surface (10) of the sole (6), in a posterior and lateral position, advantageously in correspondence with the heel.

Such first, second and third openings (9a, 9b and 9c) can have a circular, oval, elliptical or lanceolate shape, and are able to put the internal part of the shoe in communication with the external environment.

In the sole (6), preferably in correspondence with the area (30) of the heel, a seat has also been obtained, indicated with numeral 11, which has a box-like shape and is open at the top, to house the insert. (12), which is configured to properly enter the same seat (11).

In correspondence of an upper surface (13) of the insert (12), and lower than the first area (5a), a central area, indicated by numeral 14, has been advantageously obtained, elastically compressible and appropriately configured as a spherical cap. , in such a way as to project superiorly to said upper surface (13).

The central area (14) communicates inferiorly with a cavity, indicated with the number 15, obtained in the lower surface (16) of the insert (12), in such a way that a deformation of the central area (14) corresponds to a variation of the volume of the cavity (15).

On the lower surface (16) of the insert (12), second conduits (17) have been made, which move away from said cavity (15), advantageously in a radial direction.

Each second conduit (17) joins the cavity (15) to the respective hole (18), external to the cavity, said holes (18) pass vertically through the insert (12) in order to put the second conduits (17) in communication with respective and appropriate third conduits (19).

The third ducts (19), also suitable for air circulation inside the sole (6), have been obtained on the upper surface (13) in proximity to the central area (14) and are in communication with both the first ducts ( 8) as with a plurality of slits, in this special embodiment with a first, a second and a third slit, indicated with the initials 20a, 20b and 20c.

The first, second and third slits (20a, 20b and 20c) are configured, in plan view, as an arc of circumference, and are located in correspondence of the first, second and third openings (9a, 9b and 9c).

Between the first lateral surface (10), located internally to said sole (6), and the second lateral surface (21) of the insert (12) there is preferably a joint, indicated with the numeral 22, which has approximately a rectangular development and the shape of a horseshoe. This gasket is impermeable to water but not to air.

As can be seen in Figure 6, said joint (22) is advantageously constituted by a first, a second and a third layer, indicated with the initials 23a, 23b and 23c, reciprocally joined by heat, for example with electromagnetic waves of high frequency.

The second layer (23b) is conveniently made of thermoplastic material and has one or more openings (24), in this embodiment a fourth, a fifth and a sixth opening, indicated with the initials 24a, 24b and 24c, in correspondence of said first , second and third opening (9a, 9b and 9c).

The first inner layer (23a) is advantageously constituted by a waterproof and breathable fabric, such as, for example, the material known under the trademark GORE-TEX; The third layer (23c), appropriately perforated for the passage of air, can be constituted, for example, by a mesh of plastic material such as polyvinylchloride, and has the function of support and protection against possible impacts or rubbing against external elements.

The operation of the sole (6) of the present invention, therefore, is as follows: with reference to figure 7, supporting the heel, the weight of the user causes compression and, therefore, the deformation of the central area ( 14), which consequently reduces the volume of the cavity (15).

The air contained within the cavity in this way is forced to move towards the second conduits (17) and the through holes (18), in such a way as to reach the third conduits (19).

From there, the air can circulate through the first ducts (8) and exit through the first, second and third openings (9a, 9b and 9c), passing through the first layer (23a) made of GORE-TEX and the third stratum (23c).

On the contrary, when the heel is lifted off the floor and the weight stops resting on the sole, the central area (14) returns to its undeformed configuration, causing an increase in the volume of the cavity (15).

The increase in the volume of the cavity (15) consequently causes a flow of air in the second and third ducts (17 and 19) in the opposite direction with respect to the previous flow.

This air flow can arrive both through the first ducts (8), thus sucking air from the inside of the shoe, as well as through the first, second and third openings (9a, 9b and 9c), thus transporting air from the outer part to the inner part of the shoe.

Consequently, it has been shown that the invention has achieved its specific task and objectives, having devised a shoe provided with a sole that allows the exchange of air between the internal part of the shoe and the external environment, thus obtaining effective perspiration and maintaining at the same time the required waterproof characteristics

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Naturally, the materials used as well as the dimensions with which the individual components of the present invention are composed may be more relevant depending on the specific needs.