EP0756832A1 - Shoe for sliding sports - Google Patents

Abstract

The boot has an upper made from a toe-piece (2) and two sides (5) which are joined together at the back, and a sole (11) with a thicker central section (12) and a thin outer edge (13) for stitching to the upper. The sole of the boot can be moulded in one piece from a plastics material, or it can be made from a textile layer with an injected plastic on one side forming the thin edge and thicker central section. It can also incorporate a system for distributing its rigidity, made in the form of grooves or inserts of materials with different mechanical properties.

Description

Technical area

The invention belongs to the field of sliding sports, in particular cross-country skiing and snowboarding, but also ice or roller skating or even walking. It relates more precisely to a new shoe structure which is particularly advantageous as regards its mounting and its manufacture.

Previous techniques

In known manner, cross-country or snowboard boots are formed by a rod covering the foot and the bottom of the leg and under which a rigid sole is stuck. Generally, the rod is produced by mounting on a form.

The different parts of the stem are modeled on the shape and joined to a first assembly which forms the underside of the stem. This joining is carried out either by gluing or by nailing. It is easy to see that this type of assembly requires precise and meticulous labor, which generates high costs.

Furthermore, it is well known, for manufacturing low-end shoes, a manufacturing technique consisting in mounting the upper from a flat piece cut out according to a particular contour in order to form the volume of the upper part of the rod. This technique is commonly called "STROEBEL" type sewing, from the name of the company manufacturing the machines allowing this type of sewing. In this case, the "bottom" of the rod consists of a piece of fabric which has just been sewn around the lower edges of the lower part of the rod. Of course, it is understood that this kind of mounting can only lead to an unattractive rod shape, in particular as regards its part upper of the top of the foot. This flexible sole does not contribute to the technical characteristics of the shoe.

The problem that the invention has set itself is to allow the mounting of a gliding sports shoe upper combining the advantages of traditional fitting on form with the ease of mounting by sewing. It also intends to type the shoes according to the desired qualities specific to the sport practiced.

Brief description of the invention

• une tige destinée à enserrer le pied et le bas de la jambe, ladite tige étant composée d'une empeigne et de deux flancs latéraux se rejoignant à l'arrière,
• une semelle comportant des éléments techniques notamment ceux permettant la marche, ladite semelle étant solidaire du dessous de la tige,

et dans laquelle les bords inférieurs de l'empeigne et des flancs latéraux sont cousus sur une présemelle.The invention relates to a shoe for walking, sliding or skating sports, of the type comprising:

• a rod intended to grip the foot and the bottom of the leg, said rod being composed of an upper and two lateral flanks joining at the rear,
• a sole comprising technical elements in particular those allowing walking, said sole being integral with the underside of the upper,

and in which the lower edges of the vamp and of the lateral flanks are sewn on a presemale.

• une zone périphérique de faible épaisseur, apte à être traversée par les coutures,
• une zone centrale d'épaisseur supérieure à celle de la zone périphérique et présentant des moyens aptes à conférer à la semelle une répartition de rigidité.

This shoe is remarkable in that the presemale presents:

• a peripheral zone of small thickness, capable of being crossed by the seams,
• a central zone of thickness greater than that of the peripheral zone and having means capable of imparting a distribution of rigidity to the sole.

In other words, the upper of a shoe according to the invention is made in two parts, namely an upper part and a pre-sole which is sewn on the edges of this upper part and forms the bottom of the upper. Of in this way, the rod is mounted independently, which reduces execution times and optimizes its realization. In addition, this arrangement facilitates the transport and storage of the upper parts of the rod, without requiring immobilization on a form.

The invention therefore consists in giving the presemelle a geometry allowing it to be sewn under the upper part of the rod.

In a first embodiment, the central and peripheral zones of the sole are produced by molding a plastic material.

In another embodiment, the presemelle is composed of a textile sheet on at least one face of which a plastic material is injected to form the central zone, the projecting parts of the textile sheet constituting the peripheral zone of the presemelle.

In this way, the sole is given an optimal stiffness distribution for the sport for which the shoe is intended, while retaining the sewing skills of the overflowing peripheral zone of textile material.

To impart flexion properties to the sole of the shoe, the means capable of imparting rigidity to the sole are constituted by flexible transverse zones, arranged at least at the metatarsophalangeal joint. In this way, when the pre-sole is covered with the final sole, the flexible transverse zones constitute articulation and folding zones of the sole.

In a first embodiment, the bending zones are constituted by grooves hollowed out transversely in the presemale.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the means capable of imparting a distribution of rigidity to the sole consist of zones made of materials having different mechanical properties.

To improve the mechanical capabilities of the shoe, and in particular to increase the stiffness of the sole during the support phases during the skating step, the presemale has a rigid diagonal band connecting the regions corresponding respectively to the base of the big toe and on the external face of the heel, said diagonal strip being inserted into the rest of the presemale. In this way, during lateral supports, the sole has a stiffness directed in the direction of the forces.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the underside of the pre-sole has protruding zones or added elements intended to pass through the sole. Advantageously, it may be a fixing stud implanted under the arch of the foot and resulting from molding in the application of the invention to a surf shoe, or a front transverse axis in the case of a shoe cross-country skiing or even anchors for castors on skates.

To facilitate the establishment of the presemelle and its sewing, the lower edges of the vamp and the lateral flanks of the rod are curved under the presemelle.

Brief description of the drawings

The manner of carrying out the invention as well as the advantages which result therefrom will emerge clearly from the description of the embodiment which follows, in support of the appended figures.

Figure 1 is a summary perspective view of the upper part of the rod on which will be sewn the presemale.

FIG. 2 is a summary perspective view of a presemelle shown in cross section in FIG. 3.

Figure 4 is a sectional view of a presemale according to an alternative embodiment.

Figure 5 is a bottom perspective view in summary of a presemale having bending zones.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view along the arrows VI - VI 'of FIG. 5.

Figure 7 is a sectional view of an alternative embodiment.

Figure 8 is a bottom perspective view in summary of a presemale having a diagonal strip of stiffening.

Figure 9 shows the longitudinal section of Figure 8 along arrows IX-IX '.

Figure 10 is a bottom perspective view in summary of a sole having a combination of two materials according to its thickness.

FIG. 11 is a cross section along the axes XI-XI 'of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a top view in summary perspective of a presemale comprising a metallic reinforcing element.

Figure 13 is a top view in summary perspective of a ribbed presemale.

Figure 14 is a top perspective view in summary of a presemelle lined with flexible pins.

FIG. 15 is a bottom view in summary perspective of a presemale presenting a stud for cooperation with a binding in the application of the invention to snowboarding.

Way of realizing the invention

As already said, the invention resides in a shoe structure which allows easy manufacture and does not require immobilization on a form.

The upper part of the rod is the result of known production, so it is not necessary to describe the details further. We identify in the following, the parts (2) forming the upper as well as the sidewalls (5).

One of the main characteristics of the invention resides in the addition to this upper part of the rod, of a pre-sole (11) having a particular geometry.

As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, this presemale (11) has a central zone (12) having a thickness of between 1 and 15 mm depending on whether it is made in a massive fashion or whether it includes protuberances such as ribs. or spikes. The central zone (12) of the presemale (11) is circumscribed by a peripheral zone (13) having a significantly smaller thickness, namely of the order of a millimeter. This thinner contour (13) extends over a distance of the order of a centimeter.

The attachment of the pre-sole (11) on the upper part of the rod is obtained by sewing the peripheral zone (13) on the lower edges (28) of said upper part (10). It is easy to see that this seam can possibly be replaced by a collage.

As seen in Figure 3, this presemelle (11) consists of a single piece made of plastic by molding. Of course, it is possible to give this presemelle any appropriate and advantageous form as regards its adaptation to the shape of the foot.

The variant illustrated in Figure 4 has a slightly different constitution. Indeed, the pre-sole (11) is produced by injecting a plastic material onto a textile sheet (14) made of fabric or nonwoven. This textile sheet (14) has a surface corresponding to the total surface of the presemale. The plastic material (15) is injected only in the central zone (12) of the presemale. Taking into account the permeability characteristics of the textile sheet used, the injection of the plastic material is done by a single side (16), the other side (17) being produced by creep through the textile sheet (14).

As already said, one of the characteristics of the sole (11) is to impart a certain rigidity to the sole of the shoe, in order to typify it as much as possible to the technical constraints of the sport practiced. Of course, this rigidity can be localized to provide flexion zones skillfully arranged to facilitate the articulation of the foot stressed during the practice of cross-country skiing, or walking. Thus, as shown in Figures 5 to 7, the pre-sole (11) has on its underside, transverse grooves (20, 21) disposed at the joints of the foot. Advantageously, these grooves (20, 21) correspond to the joints of the phallanges and to the metatarsophalangeal joint. Of course, the invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment, but on the contrary covers all the variants in which the grooves are arranged according to the movement stresses of the foot.

Of course, the thickness of the central portion can be located below or below the level of the peripheral zone, or even distributed on either side, depending on the technical effects sought.

As illustrated in FIG. 7, the flex grooves (20, 21) can be replaced by zones (22, 23) made of a plastic material different from that of most of the presemale (11). This double composition can be obtained by bi-injection.

To improve the mechanical capacities of the boot, in particular in the practice of cross-country skiing according to the skater's pitch, the presoles (11) have arrangements improving the stiffness according to the direction of the forces exerted. Thus, as can be seen in FIG. 8, the presemale (11) has a diagonal strip (25) of rigidity greater than the major part (12) of the presemale. This strip (15) connects the base of the big toe to the outer face of the heel, passing under the arch of the foot. Thus, during the various support phases, the foot finds precise support at all times optimizing the thrust and the efficiency. This diagonal strip (25) can be produced by inserting a plastic material having a higher hardness, or more simply by bi-injection.

According to the same principle, the pre-sole shown in FIG. 12 has an arrangement increasing the stiffness of the sole between the areas of the arch and the heel. Indeed, the thick part (12) of the presemale receives a metal blade (30) embedded, in order to limit the bending of the shoe between the aforementioned zones.

As already said, the invention resides in the use of a pre-sole (11) capable of imparting a certain rigidity to the sole. Thus, it is easily understood that the variants combining different profiles (26, 27) such as those illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11, can be envisaged and modulated as a function of the desired stiffness and bending distribution.

The variant illustrated in Figure 13 has a significant thickness suitable for the production of relatively rigid shoes. In order not to excessively increase its mass, and to avoid shrinkage due to molding, the pre-sole (11) has recessed parts (31) defining a network of ribs (32).

The pre-sole (11) shown in FIG. 14 has on its upper face, a plurality of flexible pins (33), capable of tilting under the weight of the user. The height of the pins (33) is variable on the surface of the presemale (11) according to the shape of the underside of the foot. Thus, the upper face of the midsole follows the shape of the lower face of the foot, which improves comfort, without adding significant mass.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the presemelle supports elements either attached or directly from molding, fulfilling technical functions. It can be, as illustrated in FIG. 15, a semi-frustoconical stud (35) intended to be clamped by the jaws of a surf binding. Of course, the invention covers multiple variants integrating elements equipping the shoes belonging to the field of the invention. The following non-illustrated examples can be cited: the axis of cooperation with the binding of cross-country ski boots, the anchors of the rolling members for roller skates, or even the diagonal strip (25) shown in FIG. 8.

The final shoe is obtained by gluing or injecting the sole itself under the presemale connected to the upper. This final sole fulfills the sealing functions on the edges of the upper. It also includes the final shapes of the underside of the sole. In the case where the presemelle has protruding members, the final sole is perforated to allow passage during its joining.

In the general case, the upper face of the sole has a shape complementary to that of the lower face of the pre-sole (11).

It appears from the foregoing that the shoe according to the invention makes it possible to advantageously combine the use of the technique of fitting the rods "flat" with soles of much greater rigidity than those which have been used up to now.

According to another point of view, the invention makes it possible to ensure, by different bodies, on the one hand the rigidity of the sole and on the other hand its resistance to wear and its aesthetic appearance. Indeed, it is known that generally rigid materials have low wear resistance and a poor external appearance, while materials with low wear and flattering appearance are not very rigid. Thus, by geographically dissociating these two functions, the invention allows the use of appropriate materials and therefore the optimal combination of rigidity and resistance to wear.

Claims (10)

Shoe for practicing a sport in particular for sliding, walking or skating of the type comprising: a rod intended to grip the foot and the bottom of the leg, said rod being composed of an upper (2, 3) and two lateral flanks (4, 5) joining at the rear, a sole comprising technical elements, said sole being integral with the underside of the upper, the lower edges (28) of the vamp (2, 3) and of the lateral flanks (4, 5) being sewn on a pre-sole (11)
characterized in that the presemale (11) has: - a peripheral zone (13) of small thickness, capable of being crossed by the seams, - A central zone (12) of thickness greater than that of the peripheral zone and having means capable of imparting a distribution of rigidity to the sole. Shoe according to claim 1, characterized in that the central (12) and peripheral (13) areas of the presemale are produced by molding a plastic material. Shoe according to claim 1, characterized in that the pre-sole (11) is composed of a textile sheet (14) on at least one face of which a plastic material (15) is injected to form the central zone (12), the protruding parts of the textile sheet (14) constituting the peripheral zone (13) of the presemale. Shoe according to claim 1, characterized in that the means capable of imparting a distribution of rigidity to the sole consist of flexible transverse zones (20, 23), arranged at least at the metatarsophalangeal joint. Shoe according to claim 4, characterized in that the flexible transverse zones consist of grooves (20, 21) hollowed out transversely in the presemale (11). Shoe according to claim 1, characterized in that the means capable of imparting a rigidity distribution to the sole consist of zones (22, 23) made of materials having different mechanical properties. Shoe according to claim 6, characterized in that the presemale (11) has a rigid diagonal strip (25) connecting the regions corresponding respectively to the base of the big toe and to the external face of the heel, said diagonal strip being inserted in the rest of the presemale (11). Shoe according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the lower edges (28) of the vamp and the lateral flanks are curved under the presemelle (11). Shoe according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the underside of the pre-sole has protruding zones (35) intended to pass through the sole. Shoe according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the underside of the presemale has added elements intended to pass through the sole.

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