Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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"FOOTWEAR INTERMEDIATE ELEMENT"
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TECIiNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a footwear
intermediate element suitably produced to assure an
effective and excellent coupling of said intermediate
element to the footwear sole.
More particularly, said invention is advantageously
applied to shoes, boots, amphibious and military shoes.
Said intermediate element is mainly applied in the
field of footwear industries.
BACKGROUND ART
The use of intermediate elements in the footwear
industry is well known, said intermediate elements being
advantageously made of rather soft materials so that a
comfortable support can be assured to the user.
Generally, the intermediate element is inserted by
pressure inside of the shoe sole, said sole being
provided with a suitable recess or a preformed seat to
receive it.
Furthermore, said intermediate element is retained
inside of its predetermined seat by means of a cork sole
which is arranged throughout said intermediate element.
However, when walking, said form of embodiment has
the main drawback to cause a relevant deformation of the
external edges of the sole to which said intermediate
element is coupled.
In fact, since the intermediate element is not
suitably retained inside of its seat, a relevant
deflection of the external sole edges occurs, the sole
thickness of the central zone being not suitable for
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rigidly supporting the user's weight.
Said drawback is even more emphasized when the user
walks on irregular grounds which do not allow a flat and
uniform support of the sole.
Thus, the sole is caused to make rotations,
movements and pressures only on specific portions of the
same, thereby inducing a relevant deflection of the sole
edges of a given footwear.
It must be noted that said deflection does not only
affect the aesthetical value of the shoe, but it
determines a non uniform support of the sole, what
results in a consequent discomfort for the user who is
even unable to wear said shoes anymore.
DE-U-92 07 287 discloses a shoe having a sole with a
recessed portion within which an intermediate element is
seated. Said recessed portion is found to be running all
around the sole. The intermediate element is fastened to
the sole by snapping.
A specific drawback of the above cited document is
that the assembly of the sole and the intermediate
element is achieved only by resosrting to pressure, this
complicating the production process. Furthermore, an
accidental disengagement of the intermediate element from
the underlying sole would yield to damages in the form of
cracks and crevices, this leading to the impossibility to
make any further use of the sole-intermediate element
assembly, therefore causing the need to dispose of the
whole damaged shoe.
US-A-4 420 894 discloses a snap shoe whose
intermediate element is exactly based on its snapping
interaction wuth the underlying sole, to be ascribed to
the specific shape of the protrusions present on it and
the corresponding recesses present on the underlying sole
itself .
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In the above case, too, the assembly is made
possible by the application of a certain pressure onto
the intermediate element, in order for the snapping
thereof with the underlying sole to occur, the above
requirement being time consuming.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention aims to set aside the
disadvantages and drawbacks which are typical of the
background art and, thus, to provide for a footwear
intermediate element which can be easily and cheaply
realized, and which can provide for an effective and long
lasting coupling of the intermediate element to the sole,
thereby assuring a good lateral preservation of the sole
edges.
This is obtained by means of an intermediate element
having the features disclosed in claim 1.
The dependent claims describe particularly
advantageous forms of embodiment of the intermediate
element according to the present invention.
According to a particular form of embodiment of the
invention, the footwear intermediate element is provided
with a plurality of protuberances which are radially
disposed in corrispondence of the edge of the
intermediate element and which engage a plurality of
conjugated recesses obtained inside of the sole to which
said intermediate element is coupled.
Therefore according to the present invention, the
intermediate element is made to lie over the sole by a
simple coupling.
Said protuberances, as well as the corresponding
recesses, can vary their number and shape and can be
placed along the whole perimetral edge of the
intermediate element or along a portion of it, e.g. the
proximity of the heel or of the tip of the foot.
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According to this form of embodiment, said
protuberances are moulded simultaneously with the
intermediate element to obtain a single moulded piece.
Generally, the materials which are used to produce
the intermediate element, as well as the sole, are
thermoplastic rubbers, advantagecusly cured rubbers, PVC
polyurethan and polyolefines, e.g. Adiflex~.
Besides, the intermediate element is advantageously
made of materials which are sufficiently soft for
assuring a comfortable foot support, though sufficiently
rigid in order to assure a firm base for bearing the
_ foot .
The presence of said protuberances, which are
positioned along the perimetral edge of the intermediate
element, allows an advantageous and reliable coupling of
the intermediate element inside of the sole, said
coupling preventing the intermediate element to escape
from its seat.
In fact, in this way, even when the user walks on
irregular grounds or makes clumsy movements, the present
invention assures an excellent adhesion of the
intermediate element to the sole, thereby avoiding any
disadvantageous deflection of the sole, in particular at
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the edges of the same.
According to a further form of embodiment of the
present invention, the coupling of the intermediate
element to the sole of a given footwear can be realized
by using suitable brackets which provide for the
fastening of said intermediate element to the sole.
More particularly, at both ends, said brackets are
provided with a suitable protuberance which is introduced
into a conjugated recess which is worked inside of the
sole to obtain the desired coupling mentioned above.
Thus, said intermediate element is fastened by two
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or more brackets which transversally cross it and which
are fastened to the sole portion surrounding the
intermediate element.
In order to obtain the most effective and resistent
coupling of the intermediate element to the sole,
generally the portion of the intermediate element which
is crossed by the bracket is suitably shaped to provide
for a suitable groove in which the bracket is
advantageously located.
Thus, this form of embodiment allows to obtain a
satisfactory coupling of the intermediate element to the
sole, as well as a correct positioning of the bracket,
thereby avoiding an uncomfortable thickness increase in
the area where the user's foot is supported.
According to a further form of embodiment, said
brackets cross only the perimetral portions of the
intermediate element and not the whole width of the
latter.
Thus, a suitable series of correspondent recesses is
provided not only in the sole, but also in the
intermediate element which is fastened to said sole along
the perimetral edge of the intermediate element itself.
According to the present invention, the intermediate
element is provided with a plurality of differently
shaped cells and/or chambers which are advantageously
distributed on the surface of the intermediate element
which directly contacts the sole.
When walking, the pressure exerted by the ground on
the sole and, consequently, on the intermediate element
provided with said cells, causes the deformation and
deflection thereof and allows the air contained therein
to
move upwardly, i.e. towards the user's foot.
Said air circulation is particularly advantageous
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since it allows the foot to be ventilated and avoids, or
at least reduces, the foot perspiration, thereby
providing a comfort and well-being feeling to the user.
ILLUSTRATION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other features and advantages of the present
invention will become apparent by reading the following
description, given as a non-limiting example, with the
help of the figures illustrated in the attached drawings,
in which:
- figure 1 shows a schematic plant view of the
coupling intermediate element/sole according to the
present invention, and
- figure 2 shows a schematic section view of an
intermediate element according to a particular form
of embodiment of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF A FORM OF EMBODIMENT
In the figures, reference sign 10 indicates a
coupling intermediate element/sole according to the
present invention.
Figure 1 shows a particular form of embodiment of
the present invention, according to which a footwear
intermediate element 11 is provided with a plurality of
protuberances 12.
Saids protuberances 12 are radially disposed in
correspondence of edge 16 of the intermediate element and
they engage corresponding recesses 13 machined in sole 14
of a given footwear.
In the figures, said protuberances, as well as the
respective recesses, have an oval shape and are equally
distributed along the whole perimetral edge of
intermediate element 11.
The number and shape of said protuberances 12 and
recesses 13 can be variable and they can be located in a
specific portion of intermediate sole 11 such as, for
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instance, the tip or the heel portions.
Generally, said protuberances 12 are moulded
together with intermediate element 11 by using materials
such as thermoplastic rubbers, advantageously cured
rubbers, PVC, polyurethan and polyolefins, e.g. Adiflex~,
said materials being also used to produce sole 14.
Protuberances 12 allow a reliable and effective
coupling of intermediate element 11 to sole 14 and avoid
the escape of the intermediate element from its seat even
when the user walks on irregular grounds or makes clumsy
movements.
According to a further form of embodiment of the
present invention (not shown in the figures), coupling 10
of intermediate element 11 to sole 14 of a given footwear
is advantageously obtained by means of brackets which
fasten said intermediate element 11 to the sole from one
side to the other.
In fact, at each end thereof said brackets are
provided with a suitable protuberance. engaging a recess
13 of conjugated shape, said recess being machined inside
of a sole 14.
Consequently, intermediate element 11 is fastened by
two or more brackets which transversally cross it, and a
suitable groove is provided in the portion of
intermediate element 11 which is crossed by said bracket
so that an uncomfortable thickness increase can be
avoided in the correspondence of user's foot position.
Figure 2 shows a further form of embodiment of the
present invention, according to which intermediate
element 11 presents a plurality of cells and/or chambers
15 advantageously distributed on its surface contacting
sole
14.
When walking, said cells 15, hemispherically shaped
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according to figure 2, are deflected and deformed causing
the discharge of the air contained therein, said air
being advantageously directed towards user's foot.
It is apparent that, according to other forms of
embodiment, said cells have different shapes in respect
of the one which has previously been described and shown
in figure 2.
The invention has previously been described with
reference to some particular forms of embodiment.
However, it is apparent that the present invention
as it is defined by the appended claims is not limited to
these forms of embodiment, but it comprises several
variants falling within the range of technical
equivalences because for the attainment thereof there is
not found to arise the need to apply a sufficient
inventive step.
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