Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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1 The invention relates to footwear, in particular
to a sandal, sport shoe, house shoe or the like having an
optionally coated foot form bed made of plastics and optionally
an outsole.
. 5 The invention further relates to processes and
; devices for the production of this footwear.
; Footwear of the known type having a foot bed opti-
mally adapted to the arch of the foot, the socalled foot form
bed, supplies the natural support required for the human foot
and to a large extent prevents malformations of the foot, i.e.,
of permanent deviations from the normal shape of the foot, such
as flat or splay foot or the like, which impede the function
of the foot. This type of footwear often has the form of
sandals, especially exercise sandals, which are marketed provided
with various coatings or also in the uncoated state. The foot
form bed adapted to the arch of the foot consists entirely of
wood or entirely of plastics.
The advantages of the foot form bed made of wood
are the image of the natural product, high breaking strength
and the ability to absorb moisture and thus prevent perspiration.
The disadvantages of wood are its comparatively high specific
gravity, and the many processing operations required in produc-
tion, such as sawing, milling, grinding and polishing. The
advantages of the foot form bed made of plastics are elasticity,
low specific gravity and few processing operations required in
production. The disadvantages are impermeability to moisture
- and the need to embed reinforcements for stiffening in many
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cases.
It is the object of the invention to unite the advan-
` 30 tages of these working materials and to provide footwear which
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1 is compatible to the shape of the foot and at the same time
wear-resistant and easy to produce.
This object is achieved according to the invention
in footwear of the type initially mentioned by providing on
the upper side of the foot form bed, facing the foot, at least
one preformed and shape-retaining top sheet made of wood,
leather, fibrous material or similar porous and gripping mater-
ial, preferably adapted in shape and size, the upper surface
of the top sheet being curved conforming to the arch of the foot
and the top sheet being fixedly connected to the foot form bed
made of plastic material.
In this embodiment, the foot form bed adapted to the
arch of the foot consists of two nondeformable and rigidly
connected parts, with the anatomically correct position of the
foot on the top sheet consisting of wood, leather, fibrous
. material or the like porous and gripping materials being secured.
The grip, porosity and sweat-absorbing capacity of these working
materials secure excellent tread and walking properties and,
connected with the plastics materials, give the appropriate
strength to the footwear. Being adapted to the arch of the foot
particularly means that the upper surface of the top sheet below
the arch of the toes is provided with a bead starting at the outer
edge of the sole, rising towards the middle toe and then steeply
dropping again, and merging with, a depression provided for the
ball of the big toe.
According to the invention, the shape-retaining top
sheet is embodied as a shell-shaped form body which is thin-
walled in comparison to the foot form bed. The wall thickness
of the form body is preferably uniform throughout, but it can
also vary, for instance in order to achieve greater flexibility
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1 in the area of the ball than the jolnt. The shell-shaped form
; body can be produced completely separate from the basic body
made of plastic material.
' In order to improve the connection between the
S assembly and the basic body and the stiffness, it is practical
in many instances to provide the shape-retaining top sheet on
its underside facing the foot form bed with reinforcing materials,
for instance plastic materials reinforced with fibres, option-
ally with textile, glass ~der polyester fibers, in the form
; 10 of a coating.
According to a further favourable embodiment of
the invention, the top sheet is fixedly connected, for instance
by means of casting or injection moulding, to the foot form
bed which preferably consists of foamed or expanded materials.
; 15 But it is also possible to connect the top sheet to
the foot form bed by form-fitting or friction. For this purpose,
it is practical to provide the top sheet on its lower side facing
the foot form bed and abutting same with projections and/or
recesses such as pegs, nubs or the like which are engageable
with corresponding projections and/or recesses in the upper side
of the foot form bed. These formations have the additional ad-
vantage that the two individual parts making up the foot form
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bed can be produced, stored and shipped completely independent
~ from one another. Moreover, the top sheet and basic body can
:~ 25 be simply replaced if necessary.
- In the process for the production of the footwear
` according to the invention, the liquid material intended for the
production of the foot form bed is charged into a mould open
on top. The process is characterized in that first, the top
sheet is produced independent of the foot form bed made of
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1 plastic material and the shape-retaining top sheet is then
applied to the open mould, with the top sheet preferably being
slightly larger than the finished footwear so that the top
sheet forms a seal for the mould cavity.
According to the process of the invention, the
top sheet is Eormed by means of hot pressing. This method is
known per se for the processing of wood.
According to a further embodiment of the process
indicated above, the top sheet is formed by applying a vacuum.
This process step has the advantage that the sheet of wood is
dried during the shaping, since the water content is sucked
off by means of the vacuum to a large extent and within a short
time without having to apply much heat to the mould.
` A further possibility is to apply a coating of
liquid synthetic resin and optionally a reinforcement to the
top sheet and subsequently pressing it.
~ further process according to the invention for the
production of the subject footwear under use of a mould which
is filled from the outside in a closed state by means of a
pouring channel is characterized in that first, the top sheet
if formed separately from the body of plastic material, for
instance by means of hot pressing, vacuum shaping or pressing
with synthetic resin, is then inserted in the preformed state
into the mould cavity prior to the injection operation, and
that the foot form bed is then formed onto the top sheet by
~ injecting plastic material into the mould cavity. This means
- that the top sheet itself forms one of the definitions of the
` mould cavity, which greatly simplifies matters. This also
applies to the process mentioned in the first place.
According to this process, the dimensions of the
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preformed top sheet are, preferably all around, slightly larger
than the dimensions of the finished footwear. The top sheet
thus simultaneously secures a seal for the mould cavity and
prevents the working material injected into the mould cavity
from escaping to the upper surface, i.e., the treading surface,
of the top sheet.
According to this process, it is further practical
when the curves of the preformed top sheet on inserting it
into the mould cavity are more pronounced, preferably in all
directions, than the curves in the finished footwear. This
makes possible an expansion compensation so that a largely
tension-free connection between top sheet and basic body is
achieved. This also applied to the process first mentioned.
The device according to the invention for carrying
out the process first mentioned, with at least one upper mould
and one lower mould movable in respect of one another, is
characterized in that the mould cavity is formed in the lower
mould and that the underside of the upper mould is formed
- complementary to the upper surface of the top sheet, the upper
20 side of the lower mould being provided along the edge of the
mould cavity with an, in particular peripheral, depression for
supporting the top sheet.
The device according to the invention for carrying
out the process mentioned in the second place, with a mould
which is filled in the closed state from the outside through a
pouring channel, consisting of at least one upper mould and at
least one lower mould which are arranged movable in respect of
one another, in particular in a moulding frame, is characterized
in that the upper side of the lower mould is formed complementary
to the upper surface of the top sheet and is provided with an,
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1 in partlcular peripheral, depression forming a support for the
top sheet.
These devices secure a simple and rational connection
- between the shape-retaining top sheet and the basic body or
the forming of the basic body onto the top sheet.
The invention is explained in detail with reference
to the accompanying drawing showing some embodiments of the
object of the invention.
Figure 1 shows a top sheet for a first embodiment
. 10 of the footwear according to the invention in perspective,
Figure 2 the uncoated foot form bed associated with
. the top sheet according to Figure 1, also in perspective,
. Figure 3 a plan view of the footwear consisting of
the top sheet according to Figure 1 and the foot form bed
according to Figure 2,
:. Figure 4 a section along line IV-IV in Figure 3,
. Figure 5 a section along line V-V in Figure 3,
Figure 6 a section along line VI-VI in Figure 3,
. Figure 7 a section along line VII-VII in Figure 3,
. 20 Figure 8 a top sheet for a second embodiment of
. footwear according to the invention,
.~ Figure 9 the foot form bed associated with the top
sheet according to Figure 8, in perspective,
` Figure 10 the foot form bed according to Figure 9,
.. 25 but without a coating,
Figure 11 the footwear, in plan view, consisting
of the top sheet according to Figure 8 and the foot form bed
`. according to Figure 9,
Figure 12 a section along line XII-XII in Figure 11,
Figure 13 a detail of Figure 12 in enlarged scale,
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1 Figure 14 a section along line XIV-XIV in Figure 11,
Figure 15 a section along line XV-XV in Figure 11,
Figure 16 a section along line XVI-XVI in Figure 11,
Figure 17 a section of a first embodiment of a
device according to the invention for the production of the
footwear disclosed and
Figure 18 a section of a second embodiment of a
device according to the invention for the production of the
footwear disclosed.
The footwear shown in Figure 1 to 7 has the form
of an uncoated sandal and consists of a shape-retaining top
sheet 1 of wood foil or wood veneer, a foot form bed 2 of
plastic material and a strap (not shown in detail) by means of
which the foot form bed is held to the foot. The top sheet 1,
which is formed as a shape-retaining form body of shell-shape
and is thin-walled in comparison to the foot form bed, just
like the upper surface of the foot form bed 2 matches the arch
of the foot. This means that the upper surface of the top sheet
1 or the foot form bed 2 according to Austrian Patent No. 233,437
is provided underneath the arch of the toes with a bead 3 starting
at the outer edge of the sole, rising towards the middle toe -
and steeply dropping off into, and merging with, a depression
4 provided for the ball of the big toe. A shallow depression
; 5 is provided for the heel.
The top sheet 1 is adapted in shape and size to the
foot form bed serving as a basic body, it is fixedly connected
to the foot form bed 2 by direct moulding, optionally under
use of an adhesive agent. To improve the stiffness, it is
- possible to coat the sheet 1 on its upper surface abutting the
foot form bed 2 with reinforcing materials prior to this opera-
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1 tion. It is essential that the top sheet 1 be shape-retaining
and preformed, with the wall thickness of the top sheet 1 being
uniform throughout, essentially, while it can also have walls of
varying thickness, for instance in order to achieve greater
flexibility in the area of the ball than in the joint.
The top sheet 1 preferably has a thickness of 0.5
to 3 mm, in the case of wood veneer, of in particular 0.5 to
1.2 mm, preferably 0.5 to 0.7 mm, when in the form of a sheet
of plastic material, in particular of 1 to 3 mm.
The footwear according to Figure 8 to 16 is a sandal
provided with a coating, it consists of a top sheet 11 which
is shape-retaining and made of wood foil or wood veneer, a basic
body in the form of a foot form bed 12 made of plastic material
and a strap (not shown in detail) holding the foot form bed to
the foot. The top sheet 11 in the form of a thinwalled,
shell-shaped form body is formed to match the arch of the foot
just like the upper surface of the foot form bed 2. Just like
in the preceding embodirnent, the top sheet 11 or the foot form
` bed 12 is accordingly provided, underneath the arch of the toes,
with a bead 13 starting at the outer edge of the sole, rising
towards the middle toe and then steeply dropping off into, and
merging with, a depression 14 for the ball of the big toe. A
shallow depression 15 is provided for the heel.
The foot form bed 12 is provided with a coating 16
~ 25 consisting of plastic material, fabric or cloth on those lat-
; eral surfaces of the sandal which are visible in the finished
sandal. This coating 16 is folded over on the edges of the
upper and lower surface of the foot form bed. The foot form
bed is provided for this purpose, essentially along the entire
edge of its lower and upper surface, with one each peripheral
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1 depression 17 and 1~ into which the coating 16 is placed. It
- is substantial in this to take care that the depression 17
provided on the upper surface of the foot form bed 12 do not
extend all the way out to the edge, but instead be spaced
peripherally so that a ledge 19 remains circumferentially on
the edge. The height of this ledge 19 is such that after the
coating 16 is folded over and the top sheet 11 is applied to the
foot form bed 12, a ridgeless transition between the top sheet
11 and the coating 16 covering the ledge 19 is provided. The
steps (c.f. Figure 5, 6 and 14, 15) provided on the lower surface
of the foot form bed serve, on the one hand, to receive the cover
pulled down into the area of the sole and, on the other hand,
to receive the ends of the straps or edges of the shafts, so
that the finished footwear is provided with an approximately,
plane outsole.
The device for the production of the footwear accord-
ing to the invention as shown in Figure 17 is a two-part casting
mould consisting of a lower mould 21 and an upper mould 22. The
bottom plate and the closing device for closing the mould are
of a form known per se and therefore not shown in detail. The
mould cavity 23 is formed in the lower mould 21 and open on top.
A peripheral depression 24 is provided along the entire edge
- of the mould cavity 23. The upper mould 22 is provided in the
area of the open top side of the mould cavity 23 with projections
forming the upper definition of the mould cavity and complementari~ly
corresponding in shape to the upper surface of the foot form bed
to be produced.
In order to produce the footwear, an appropriately
measured amount of plastic material is poured into the mould
open on top, then the preformed, shape-retaining top sheet 1 or
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1 11 is placed onto the lower mould or attached to the upper
mould by means of catch pins. A further possibility is the
attaching on the upper mold by vacuum suction. The top sheet
1 or 11 in this case is slightly larger so that it is supported
by the peripheral depression 24 and clamped fest between upper
mould 21 and lower mould 22, so that it forms a seal for the
mould cavity. The mould is then closed by means of the upper
mould 22 and the liquid plastic mass is hardened, which
operation at the same time forms the top sheet 1 or 11 onto
the foot form bed. After removal of the footwear from the
mould, the protruding edge of the top sheet 1 or 11 is served
or ground off.
The device for the production of the footwear according
to the invention as shown in Figure 18 comprises a mould frame
15 30 having a bottom plate 31, a lower mould 32 and an upper
-- mould 33 connected with the die or piston 34 of a closing
cylinder not shown in detail. The mould cavity 35 is formed
in the upper mould 36 which is also provided with an intake
channel 36 for injection of the plastic material. The upper
surface of the lower mould 32 matches the upper surface of the
finished footwear, but is formed complementarily to this. Along
the edge of the mould cavity 35, a peripheral depression 37
serving as a support for the top sheet 1 or 11 is provided in the
lower mould 32.
For producing the footwear, the shape-retaining top
sheet 1 or 11 is first placed into the mould. In this case,
, the top sheet 1 or 11 is slightly larger in its dimension all
around than the dimensions of the finished footwear, so that
it is abuttingly supported on the peripheral depression 37,
clamped fast by lowering of the upper mould 33 between it and
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` l the lower mould 32 and thus serves as a seal for the mould
- cavity 35. The curves of the top sheet ll, l can be more
pronounced in all directions than this is intended in the
finished footwear. The foot form bed is then formed by in-
jecting the liquid plastic material and the top sheet l, ll
is moulded onto it. The curves of the top sheet might
- deform slightly so that a largely tensionless connection is
achieved between the foot form bed and top sheet. This also
applies to the embodiment according to Figure 17. Once the
injection operation is finished, the protruding edge of the
top sheet can be cut away just like in the preceding embodi-
ment.
Suitable working materials for the top sheet are
particularly wood foil, wood veneer, leather, fibrous material
or the like. The shaping of the top sheet can be effected in
various ways. The wood foil or wood veneer can be hot-pressed
in a process of the known type or shaped by applying a vacuum
according to the invention. The wood foil can also be coated
with plastic material prior to shaping.
A particularly suitable working material for the
basic body is polyurethane foam.
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