EP2449904A1

EP2449904A1 - Self-ventilating footwear

Info

Publication number: EP2449904A1
Application number: EP10793647A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Juan Antonio Dominguez Irisarri
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-07-01
Filing date: 2010-06-30
Publication date: 2012-05-09
Anticipated expiration: 2030-06-30
Also published as: CN102469842A; EP2449904B1; US20120110875A1; EP2449904A4; WO2011000995A1; ES2580805T3

Abstract

Self-ventilating footwear, especially applicable to sports trainers, that comprises a sole with a chamber (4) in communication with the exterior by means of one-way valves (8) that allow air to exit the chamber (4) to the outside and prevent the ingress thereof towards the inside, this chamber (4) being in communication with the inside (5) of the footwear (1) via holes (6) made in the insole (3) that delimits the chamber (4) at the top, said holes (6), in combination with elastic patches (7), forming one-way valves that allow air to pass from the inside (5) of the footwear (1) towards the chamber (4), but not in the opposite direction, and therefore the loading of the foot (11) on the sole and the cessation of said loading give rise to a one-way circulation of air to the outside, via the chamber (4), providing ventilation to the inside (5) of the footwear (1) and therefore to the foot (11).

Description

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention refers to self-ventilating footwear which is especially suitable for sports trainers.
The object of the invention is to obtain a constant renewal of air through the footwear itself and exiting through the sole so as to keep the foot ventilated.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

There are certain types of footwear which are self-ventilating and that are based on the existence of an insole affected in part or in totality by holes thus forming an air chamber under the insole through which air is projected towards the foot of the wearer when weight is made to bear on the sole of the shoe, suctioning air in the opposite direction when the foot is raised.
A problem with this type of self-ventilating footwear is that if it adapts to the shape of the foot, as is usually the case, the change of air with the exterior is minimum, possibly even zero, as the same air passes from the interior of the footwear to the chamber and vice versa, which means the air is warm and humid since it is in permanent contact with the foot of the wearer, thus heating the air and, in addition, due to the perspiration of the foot the air becomes humid.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The self-ventilating footwear which is proposed has been designed to resolve the problem described above, based on obtaining an ongoing renewal of air, in other words, that fresh air enters from the exterior, passes around the foot in the corresponding chamber and exits to the exterior, without the possibility of returning to the chamber again and, of course, without the possibility of returning to the shoe again.
More specifically, the footwear is based on holes made on the insole that delimits the foot receptacle with the lower chamber, said holes constitute valves that allow the one-way pass of air, that is, from the area where the foot is situated or from the exterior of the shoe through the shoe-intake to the chamber, but impeding the return through these same holes, and this being so because the lower part of said holes on the insole are covered with elastic patches or flaps with one or more edges freed precisely to allow the one-way passing of air from the interior of the shoe to the chamber in the sole, said chamber in the sole being provided with exit holes or valves that allow the air to egress to the exterior but impede the return or entry of air through the same, said valves being able to be used with pressure regulators that can be adjusted to the weight of each wearer.
In this way, when the foot bears weight on the insole, in other words, applies pressure on the chamber embodied in the sole, the air inside the shoe moves towards said chamber, tending to exit through the valves which are provided for in this sole.
However, when the foot is raised, that is, when pressure is no longer applied to the chamber, the sole recovers its initial shape absorbing air through the valves or holes in the insole, allowing the chamber to fill once again with air from inside the shoe.
In order to ensure that the sole recovers the expanded position sufficiently quickly it must be made of a suitably flexible material, such effect being enhanced, if considered necessary, by the provision of springs, straps or similar elements, which ensure that in inert position the sole preserves its position of maximum interior volume, and that it quickly returns to said position when the external force applied to compress it, in other words the weight borne by the foot, ceases.
Consequently, the hot air which was inside the shoe and in contact with the foot passes to the chamber in the sole through the holes or valves in the insole, being replaced by fresh air from outside.
Obviously, when weight is applied on the next step the cycle is repeated, air exiting through the one-way valves provided on the side of the sole and entering the chamber again through the holes, also one-way, provided on the insole when the foot is raised in readiness for the next step.
In this way and as a consequence of the air flow established, the foot is kept dry and ventilated, or in other words fresh, decreasing and even avoiding perspiration and overheating.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To complement the description and with the aim of helping to better understand the characteristics of the invention, in accordance with a preferred example of the practical execution of the same, accompanying the description as an integral part of the same is a set of drawings which, by way of illustration but not limiting, represent the following:

Figure 1. Shows a schematic view corresponding to a cross-sectional side view of the sole of the footwear of the invention when weight is borne by the foot, the air in the chamber being pushed outwards to the exterior.
Figure 2. Shows a top plan view of the insole provided with holes constituting the one-way valves which communicate with the chamber in the sole.
Figure 3. Shows a representation like that in figure 1 when the weight bearing on the sole ceases, making it possible to see the entry of air from the shoe to said sole.
Figure 4. Shows a lower plan view of the same sole represented in figure 2.
Figure 5. Shows, by way of example, a detailed plan and section of an embodiment of the one-way outlet valves or holes established on the side of the sole of the shoe to evacuate air.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

As can be seen in the figures referred to, the shoe (1) in the invention, which may be any shape, is comprised of any material and, preferably applicable to sports trainers, includes a sole comprising a lower surface (2) corresponding to the lower support layer of the shoe (1) and an interior insole (3), so that between said surface (2) and insole (3) a chamber (4) is formed which communicates with the interior (5) of the shoe through a series of one-way holes (6) or valves established for this purpose on the insole (3), so that through these holes the air circulates in one direction only, in other words, from the inside (5) of the shoe (1) to the chamber (4), but is impeded from circulating in the opposite direction as the holes (6) are covered with flaps or elastic patches (7) attached by one, two or more edges but leaving some of the edges free precisely to allow air to pass from the interior (5) of the shoe (1) to the chamber (4), as illustrated in figure 3.
The chamber (4) communicates with the exterior by means of one-way valves (8) which can be constituted, for example, by cylindrical tubular elements with a widened external end, according to reference (8') and into whose widened end is positioned a ball, membrane or shutter element (9) which allows the pass of air towards the exterior, but when this shutter device (9) is blocked the cylindrical stretch of the one-way valve (8) impedes the pass of air in the opposite direction, in other words towards the interior of the chamber (4), with the peculiarity that the shutter device (9) is retained in the widened section (8') via straps or other suitable elastic elements (10) as can be seen in figure 5, which in idle position activate the shutter device (9) thus closing the cylindrical stretch.
In accordance with these characteristics, when the foot (11) of the wearer loads on the sole of the shoe (1), as shown in figure 1, pressure is applied on the interior of the chamber (4) which pushes upwards the covers or elastic patches (7) closing the holes (6), preventing the ingress of air from the chamber (4) to the inside (5) of the shoe (1), thus forcing the air in this chamber (4) to egress to the exterior through the one-way valves (8).
However, when the foot is raised, the chamber (4) recovers its initial position as a consequence of the fact that when the air inside (5) the shoe (1) stops pressurising upwards against the flaps or elastic patches (7), it passes to the chamber (4) through the one-way holes (6) or valves, establishing therefore a constant renewal of air, as the air will circulate through the whole shoe vertically and unidirectionally, air which penetrates through the air-intake in the shoe and reaches the chamber (4) in accordance with what has just been explained, to egress to the exterior through the one-way valves (8), thus producing a ventilation of the foot housed inside the shoe (1), preventing perspiration and keeping it fresh.

Claims

Self-ventilating footwear, especially suitable for application to sports trainers, that comprises a sole with a chamber delimited on the inside of the shoe by an insole with communication holes between the inside of the shoe and the chamber, is characterised because the holes (6) corresponding to the insole (3) which delimits the upper part of the chamber (4) in the sole are one-way allowing the pass of air from the inside (5) of the shoe (1) to the chamber (4) in the sole, preventing the pass of air in the opposite direction by means of elastic patches (7) situated on the lower surface of the insole (3) coinciding with the area of the holes (6), said patches being partially attached in their perimeter to the insole (3), provision having been made for the chamber (4) to communicate with the exterior via one-way valves (8) through which air from the inside of the shoe egresses, preventing the ingress of air to said chamber (4) thus establishing a constant renewal of air through the inside of the shoe (1).
Self-ventilating shoe, in accordance with the first claim is characterised because the one-way valves (8) for communication with the exterior are made up of cylindrical tubular elements with a widened external end (8'), in which a ball, membrane or shutter device (9) is positioned and retained by means of strips or other appropriate elastic elements (10), which in idle position activate the shutter device (9) covering the cylindrical stretch of the one-way valve (8).