US3310887A - Ventilated molded shoes - Google Patents

Description

March 28, l fi'? s o s 3,3105? VENTILATED MOLDED SHOES Filed OCT. 26, 1964 Mum/m? [DMU/VD Pm/em United States Patent M 3,310,887 VENTILATED MQLDED SHOES Edmond Stokis, 6 Square de la Gascogne, Paris, France Filed Oct. 26, 1964, Ser. No. 406,236 7 Claims. (Cl. 363) foot and the sole an isolating and absorbing insole, but

such an insole is rapidly saturated and quickly loses its efficiency, as it cannot expel by itself perspiration products. Till now the various proposed ways of ventilation have not been satisfactory whether because of their expense or chiefly because of their inefficiency.

The invention has for its object to overcome the foregoing disadvantages by the realization of a synthetic material molded shoe in which simple and cheap means allows the obtention of an effective internal ventilation.

The shoe in molded material according to the invention has an insole which is constructed from a material which is flexible and non-toxic and insoluble in water as well as in perspiration products; said sole being permeable and placed over means for eliminating water and perspiration products.

According to another feature of the invention, said insole is porous and said means for eliminating water and perspiration products are lateral vent-holes, which open, on the one side outwardly, above the shoe sole and, on the other side inwardly underneath said insole.

According to a further feature of the invention, said insole is perforated and the means for eliminating water and perspiration products are channels of any shape, which are provided in the internal side of the sole and are covered by said perforated insole and in said channels, during walking, are accumulated the perspiration products, which are evacuated by evaporation through the perforations of said insole, when the shoe is not in use.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates embodiments of the invention:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a shoe em bodying the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a partial side elevational View of an embodiment of the invention with a portion broken away.

FIGURE 3 is a partial plan view showing the sole upper face of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2.

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but of another embodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 5 is a partial plan view showing the sole upper face of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, and

FIGURE 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of a mold assembly for molding a shoe according to the invention.

In all the figures the same reference numbers designate identical or similar elements.

According to the invention, the shoe has a sole 1, a heel 2 and an upper 3. At the level of the upper face of the sole 1 are provided vent-holes 4 of which the axes are substantially normal to the sole contour.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the vent-holes 4 which open outwardly open also inwardly into the interior of the shoe, so that they open not only at their outer ends, but also at their upper inner ends in the inner face of the sole 1. The open upper portion of the vent-holes 4, as well as the upper face of the sole 1, is covered by an unperforated insole 5, which may be fixed on the sole and the lateral walls of the shoe, at the time of the molding of the shoe.

3,31,887 Patented Mar. 28, 1967 In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the upper side of the sole 1 is provided with projections whose intervals constitute channels 6 regularly distributed. The vent-holes 4 provided laterally at the level of the inner side of the sole 1 open inwardly in the channels 6, as clearly shown in FIG. 5. Channels 6 are upwardly open and constitute by their respective crossing a net distributed on the upper side of the sole 1. An insole 5, which in this embodiment may be perforated and constituted by a synthetic non-toxic material, covers the upper surface of the sole 1 and the channels 6; whereby is provided a divided air cushion between the insole 5 and the sole 1.

Of course, the distribution and arrangement of the channels 6 may be different from that illustrated in FIG. 5.

FIGURE 6 shows partially a mold assembly particuularly arranged for molding the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. This mold assembly comprises an upper member 7, a lateral member 8 and a lateral member 9. The internal cavity provided within the mold elements 7, 8 and 9 is adapted, in cooperation with an internal form (not shown), to mold in a single operation a shoe with its sole 1 and its upper 3. Pins 10 are fixed to element 7 and penetrate within the internal cavity of the mold. After taking the shoe from the mold, the empty spaces left by the pins 10 constitute the vent-holes 4.

The way of use of the shoe, according to the invention is the following. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, during walking, the insole 5 having some elasticity, causes the expulsion of the air which is contained within its pores and which escapes through the vent-holes 4 to the surrounding air; thus the perspiration products of the foot are driven out. The ventilation thus obtained is very active, which is indispensable for maintaining the foot dry, when the ambient temperature is high or very high.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 and in which the vent-holes are closed or suppressed, the insole 5 being permeable or perforated, the perspiration products, during walking, accumulate in the channels 6 and are expelled, when the shoe is removed, by evaporation through the permeable insole or the perforations thereof. The elimination of the perspiration products thus obtained is satisfactory in temperate or cold climates and the insole as well as the foot remain dry according to the main object of the invention.

Numerous vent-holes may be distributed along the contour of the sole 1.

Obviously, it is possible to provide perforations through the upper 3 of the shoe, in order to increase the ventilation.

The insole may be constituted from any porous or perforated non-toxic material having some elasticity, insoluble and chemically inert in presence of water and perspiration products.

In addition to the ventilation efficiency, the shoe, embodying the invention, is advantageously washable inside and out, at will.

Various modifications and adjunctions might be brought to the above shoe, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as for the understanding thereof there are described and illustrated embodiments only by way of non-limiting examples.

Summary The invention is namely concerned with the following characteristics and their various possible combinations. 1) Ventilated shoe, in molded material, comprising an insole which is constituted from a non-toxic material which is flexible and rotproof and insoluble in water as well as in perspiration products; said insole being permeable and disposed over means for eliminating water and perspiration products.

(2) The insole is porous and said elements for eliminating water and perspiration products are lateral vent holes which open, on the one side outwardly, above the shoe sole and, on the other side inwardly, underneath said insole.

(3) Said insole is perforated and said elements for eliminating Water and perspiration products are channels of any shape which are provided in the upper side of the shoe sole and are covered by said insole; said channels collecting during walking the perspiration products which are expelled by evaporation after removal of the shoe.

(4) Said insole is perforated.

(5) Projections are provided on the inner face of the sole in order to constitute by their intervals said channels which are covered by said insole and in which eventually vent-holes open.

(6) Said vent-holes are distributed along the lateral contour of the shoe and the individual direction of each vent-hole is substantially normal to the sole contour.

I claim:

1. A shoe comprising a unitary one-piece molded upper and outsole constructed from synthetic material and having means for eliminating water and perspiration products molded integrally therewith, and an insole which covers said eliminating means and is of a non-toxic, flexible, rotproof material which is insoluble in water as well as in perspiration products but permeable thereto.

2. A shoe as claimed in claim 1, said eliminating means comprising a plurality of upwardly opening channels beneath the said insole.

3. A shoe as claimed in claim 2, said insole being porous.

4. A shoe as claimed in claim 1, said eliminating means comprising vent holes which extend through the shoe and are molded integrally in the material of the shoe and which open laterally outwardly through the shoe on the outer side of the shoe and which open beneath the insole on the inner side of the shoe.

5. A shoe as claimed in claim 4, in which said insole is porous.

6. A shoe as claimed in claim 2, in which said eliminating means further comprises vent holes which extend through the shoe and are molded integrally in the material of the shoe and which open laterally outwardly through the shoe on the outer side of the shoe and which open beneath the insole on the inner side of the shoe.

7. A shoe as claimed in claim 6, in which said insole is porous.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 220,475 10/ 1879 Hannaford 3 63 X 2,239,211 4/1941 Wylie 363 2,3 44,762 3 1944 Wylie 3 63 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,067,144 1/ 1954 France.

845,766 8/ 1952 Germany. 520,407 3 5 Italy.

PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A SHOE COMPRISING A UNITARY ONE-PIECE MOLDED UPPER AND OUTSOLE CONSTRUCTED FROM SYNTHETIC MATERIAL AND HAVING MEANS FOR ELIMINATING WATER AND PERSPIRATION PRODUCTS MOLDED INTEGRALLY THEREWITH, AND AN INSOLE WHICH COVERS SAID ELIMINATING MEANS AND IS OF A NON-TOXIC, FLEXIBLE, ROTPROOF MATERIAL WHICH IS INSOLUBLE IN WATER AS WELL AS IN PERSPIRATION PRODUCTS BUT PERMEABLE THERETO.

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