EP0576734B1 - Shoe with sole including hollow space inflatable through removable bladder - Google Patents
Shoe with sole including hollow space inflatable through removable bladder Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP0576734B1 EP0576734B1 EP92201478A EP92201478A EP0576734B1 EP 0576734 B1 EP0576734 B1 EP 0576734B1 EP 92201478 A EP92201478 A EP 92201478A EP 92201478 A EP92201478 A EP 92201478A EP 0576734 B1 EP0576734 B1 EP 0576734B1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- sole
- shoe
- edge
- air chamber
- shoe according
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
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Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A43—FOOTWEAR
- A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
- A43B13/00—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units
- A43B13/14—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units characterised by the constructive form
- A43B13/18—Resilient soles
- A43B13/20—Pneumatic soles filled with a compressible fluid, e.g. air, gas
- A43B13/203—Pneumatic soles filled with a compressible fluid, e.g. air, gas provided with a pump or valve
Landscapes
- Footwear And Its Accessory, Manufacturing Method And Apparatuses (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- The object of this invention is a shoe provided with an interposed cavity which can be inflated with compressed air to regulate the flexibility of the sole.
- It is known that in all the daily activities performed by people major importance is attached to comfort during walking, which is greatly influenced by the type of shoe worn by the user; in particular such comfort in walking is determined by the degree of characteristic flexibility of the sole of the shoe, which flexibility should differ for different needs such as, for example, the practice of sporting activities which necessitates rigid soles to restore the necessary force of reaction, for example when jumping, or the normal gait of an elderly person who needs greater softness to cushion the rebound sustained by the foot with each step on the ground.
- There are also known certain developments intended to provide a solution to this problem and based either on the use of different materials capable of imparting higher or lower rigidity to the sole, or on the use of insoles with air chambers of various designs.
- Such air insoles known in themselves, for example by Patent EP 0 293 034 in the name of the same applicant, do however pose major disadvantages on being applied to a shoe, either because of the difficulty of insertion therein during a normal industrial processing cycle, or because of the basic impracticability of achieving correct regulation of the pressure in the air chamber without rendering uncomfortable the said insole, which is either too deflated, and therefore superfluous, or too inflated, resulting in the foot being supported on hard surfaces which soon cause aching feet and an awkward gait.
- Another example of known art is disclosed into US-A-4 462 171 that shows an air chamber directly made integral with the upper and the sole of the shoe thus giving all the above mentioned problems.
- There is therefore posed the technical problem of developing a shoe which is provided with a sole of inflatable type in order to regulate the flexibility of such sole so as to modify the features of the shoe and make it suitable both for normal walking and for the practice of sporting activities.
- The shoe should furthermore ensure maximum comfort and waterproofness under any conditions and should be capable of easy, repeatable and low-cost production.
- These problems are solved according to this invention by
claim 1. The shoe is formed by an upper and by a flat sole of the type comprising an air chamber made up of compartments, capable of being inflated by means of valves, in which the flat sole is provided with a raised perimetrical edge to which are made integral such air chamber, a rigid countersole and the upper by means of stitching, gluing or the like, there being also included in such flat sole a rigid layer, such combination providing a flexible cavity capable of allowing flat and parallel relative movement of the arch support of the shoe in relation to the outer sole. - In a preferred form of implementation of the shoe according to the invention, such compartmented air chamber is made integral with the sole in a reversible manner, and furthermore such raised edge of the outer sole is provided with at least one through hole at right angles to the surface of the said edge.
- Provision is also made for such rigid layer integral with the outer sole to be preferably included within the thickness of the said sole, albeit divided into two parts, comprising a front part and a rear part, articulated to one another by means of a transverse-axis hinge.
- In the shoe according to the invention such rigid countersole is in turn divided into two parts, comprising a front part and a rear part, articulated to one another lengthwise by means of a transverse hinge, such front and rear parts being delimited peripherally by a raised edge capable of being made integral with the matching raised edge of the outer sole.
- Further features of the shoe according to the invention will become apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show:
- In figure 1 : an axonometric view of a shoe according to the invention;
- In figure 2 : an exploded view of the shoe in fig. 1;
- In figure 3 : a sectional view of the shoe according to plotting plane II-II in fig. 1, and
- In figure 4 : a plan view of the air cavity according to the invention.
- As shown in the figure,
shoe 1 according to the invention consists of an upper part commonly known as an upper 2, the lower part of which is formed according to the right or left shape of the foot. - To such upper 2 is made integral, for example by
stitching 2a or the like, aperimetrical strip 2b made of the same material as used for upper 2, capable of being turned from top to bottom, and vice versa, around such line ofstitching 2a, as will become more clearly apparent from the following. - The part of the shoe forming the sole is in turn formed of several parts made integral with one another; more particularly it consists of an outer sole 4 which has a surrounding vertical band 4a provided with holes 4b on a horizontal axis; in such outer sole 4 is furthermore included, using a method known in itself, a thin layer 5 of rigid material capable of imparting greater rigidity to the said sole.
- Such layer 5 is divided into two parts, a front part 5a and a
rear part 5b, which are articulated to one another by means of a transverse hinge consisting of a thin strip of flexible material. - To outer sole 4 is made integral an
air chamber 6 suitably shaped (figs. 2 and 4) which, as shown in the figures, is preferably divided into three spaces capable of being inflated separately and corresponding respectively to heel area 6a,arch support area toe area 6d. - Each of these spaces is then connected, by means of a perforated
cylindrical chamber 7, to one-way valves 8 through which it is possible to pump into each space the volume of air needed to obtain the desired rigidity; in order to allow improved distribution of air in such spaces they are isolated from one another as illustrated in figure 4, and more precisely heel 6a is independent, twospaces 6b of the arch support are connected to one another and athird space 6c of the arch support is connected tospaces 6d of the toe, such gluing being carried out by means of connectingchannels 109. -
Such spaces 6a and 6d are furthermore separated transversally fromspaces solid strips 9 made of the same material, acting as a transverse-axis hinge around which such spaces are articulated to enable them to adapt to the different movements of the foot when walking. - Likewise,
spaces -
Such air chamber 6 is made integral with outer sole 4 by means ofperforated cylinders 7restraining valves 8, which are forced into holes 4b of edge band 4a until each circular edge flange 7a protrudes from holes 4b, causing the locking ofair chamber 6 to sole 4. - As is apparent from figure 3, in the still available thickness of band 4a is inserted a
countersole 10 which is divided into two parts, front 10a and rear 10b, by means of a strip 10c of thin material forming a horizontal/transverse-axis hinge which allows articulation of the front part relative to the rear part in the manner already described forair chamber 6. -
Countersole 10 is then completed by a surrounding vertical edge 10c the height of which is such as to arrive substantially at the level of the upper free end of edge 4a of outer sole 4 (fig. 3). - Once upper 2 is assembled to the outer sole, completed in the manner described above,
band 2b is turned down to overlap edge 4a, whereupon the shoe is made ready forfinal stitching 11. - Such final stitching not only makes upper 2 integral with outer sole 4, but also fixes in relation to the latter the assembly formed by
air chamber 6 andcountersole 10, thus making it possible for such assembly to function as a proper shock absorber having two fixed points: at the top, the final stitching, and at the bottom the outer sole and therefore the ground, the regulation of the stiffness of such shock absorber being achieved by the higher or lower internal pressure of the air chamber. - It should moreover be emphasized that the insertion of
countersole 10 makes it possible to obtain uniform distribution of the pressure of the air chamber on the plan of upper 2, and therefore on the wearer's feet, which pressure would in the absence of the countersole be concentrated in much smaller surface areas which would be equivalent, in regard to the feet, to the presence of foreign bodies such as pebbles or the like inside the shoe. - Many alternatives may be introduced in the practical implementation of the constructional details without thereby departing from the scope of protection of this invention as described in the following claims; in particular many alternatives may be adopted to render sole 4 integral with upper 2 as an alternative to the method described with reference to the example in the figure, depending on the type of model and of the materials used to manufacture the shoe.
Claims (8)
- A shoe comprising :an upper (2); a flat sole (4) with a raised perimetral edge (4a) having at least one through hole (4b); a rigid layer (5) in said sole (4); a compartmented air chamber (6) received in said sole (4) above said rigid layer (5) and having a valve (8) extending through said hole (4b) and allowing inflation of said air chamber (6); a rigid countersole (10) connected to the raised perimetral edge (4a) and disposed above said air chamber (6), wherein said upper is received within said raised edge and secured to the countersole and sole.
- Shoe according to claim 1 characterized in that said at least one through hole (4b) is provided at right angles to the surface of said raised edge.
- Shoe according to claim 1 characterized in that said holes are preferably three in number.
- Shoe according to claim 1 characterized in that said rigid layer (5) is embedded in the thickness of said sole (4).
- Shoe according to claim 1 characterized in that said rigid layer (5) is divided into a front part (5a) and a rear part (5b) articulated to one another by a transverse hinge.
- Shoe according to claim 1 characterized in that said rigid countersole (10) comprises a front part (10a) and a rear part (10b) articulated to one another by a transverse hinge (10c), said front and rear parts being delimited peripherally by a raised edge (10d) capable of being connected to the matching raised edge (4a) of the flat sole.
- Shoe according to claim 1 characterized in that to said upper (2) is formed with a strip (2b) turned over the raised edge (4a) of the sole.
- Shoe according to claim 7 charaterized in that said strip (2b) is stiched to the upper (2) along one of its edges, the other edge being free so as to be turned over the edge (4a) of sole (4).
Priority Applications (4)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
DE69222038T DE69222038D1 (en) | 1992-05-23 | 1992-05-23 | Shoe with a sole, provided with an inflatable, removable bellows |
EP92201478A EP0576734B1 (en) | 1992-05-23 | 1992-05-23 | Shoe with sole including hollow space inflatable through removable bladder |
AT92201478T ATE157509T1 (en) | 1992-05-23 | 1992-05-23 | SHOE WITH A SOLE PROVIDED WITH AN INFLATABLE, REMOVABLE BELLOW |
US07/949,166 US5295314A (en) | 1987-07-17 | 1992-09-22 | Shoe with sole including hollow space inflatable through removable bladder |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP92201478A EP0576734B1 (en) | 1992-05-23 | 1992-05-23 | Shoe with sole including hollow space inflatable through removable bladder |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP0576734A1 EP0576734A1 (en) | 1994-01-05 |
EP0576734B1 true EP0576734B1 (en) | 1997-09-03 |
Family
ID=8210624
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP92201478A Expired - Lifetime EP0576734B1 (en) | 1987-07-17 | 1992-05-23 | Shoe with sole including hollow space inflatable through removable bladder |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP0576734B1 (en) |
AT (1) | ATE157509T1 (en) |
DE (1) | DE69222038D1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE19538204A1 (en) * | 1995-10-13 | 1997-04-17 | Bartel Karl Heinz | Aid for people with walking difficulties |
US6519873B1 (en) * | 1999-10-21 | 2003-02-18 | Yamamoto Limited | Plastic bellows inserted into soles |
US7707744B2 (en) * | 2003-07-16 | 2010-05-04 | Nike, Inc. | Footwear with a sole structure incorporating a lobed fluid-filled chamber |
ITTV20050084A1 (en) | 2005-06-15 | 2006-12-16 | Asolo Spa | FOOTWEAR WITH BREATHABLE SOLE. |
US9060564B2 (en) * | 2011-04-06 | 2015-06-23 | Nike, Inc. | Adjustable multi-bladder system for an article of footwear |
CN110916291A (en) * | 2019-11-21 | 2020-03-27 | 闽南理工学院 | Shock attenuation shoes base |
CN111096521B (en) * | 2019-12-25 | 2021-07-27 | 福建飞扬鞋材有限公司 | Air cushion sole with uniform stress and manufacturing process thereof |
Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2037230A (en) * | 1935-03-23 | 1936-04-14 | Hack Nathan | Shoe |
US2109180A (en) * | 1936-03-30 | 1938-02-22 | Mohun Meade | Shoe construction |
US4462171A (en) * | 1982-05-28 | 1984-07-31 | Whispell Louis J | Inflatable sole construction |
US4670995A (en) * | 1985-03-13 | 1987-06-09 | Huang Ing Chung | Air cushion shoe sole |
-
1992
- 1992-05-23 AT AT92201478T patent/ATE157509T1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 1992-05-23 DE DE69222038T patent/DE69222038D1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1992-05-23 EP EP92201478A patent/EP0576734B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Patent Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2037230A (en) * | 1935-03-23 | 1936-04-14 | Hack Nathan | Shoe |
US2109180A (en) * | 1936-03-30 | 1938-02-22 | Mohun Meade | Shoe construction |
US4462171A (en) * | 1982-05-28 | 1984-07-31 | Whispell Louis J | Inflatable sole construction |
US4670995A (en) * | 1985-03-13 | 1987-06-09 | Huang Ing Chung | Air cushion shoe sole |
Non-Patent Citations (4)
Title |
---|
US-A- 2 037 230 * |
US-A- 2 109 180 * |
US-A- 4 462 171 * |
US-A- 4 670 995 * |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
ATE157509T1 (en) | 1997-09-15 |
EP0576734A1 (en) | 1994-01-05 |
DE69222038D1 (en) | 1997-10-09 |
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