U.S. patent application number 10/201735 was filed with the patent office on 2003-01-30 for shoe outsole.
Invention is credited to Horii, Toshihiro, Kobayashi, Kazuhiko.
Application Number | 20030019129 10/201735 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 19057145 |
Filed Date | 2003-01-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030019129 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kobayashi, Kazuhiko ; et
al. |
January 30, 2003 |
Shoe outsole
Abstract
A first piece 6, a second piece 8 and a third piece 10 are
formed of a rubber composition. These pieces 6, 8 and 10 are formed
by means of separate molds, respectively. The pieces 6, 8 and 10
are set in a semivulcanization state. The pieces 6, 8 and 10 are
put in a final mold 11. Furthermore, a rubber composition 12 is put
in the final mold 11. The rubber composition 12 is used for a body.
The first piece 6 has a silver color, the second piece 8 and the
third piece 10 have an orange color, and the rubber composition 12
has a black color. The final mold 11 is clamped and is then heated
so that the pieces 6, 8 and 10 and the rubber composition 12 are
vulcanized and bonded.
Inventors: |
Kobayashi, Kazuhiko;
(Kobe-shi, JP) ; Horii, Toshihiro; (Kobe-shi,
JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BIRCH STEWART KOLASCH & BIRCH
PO BOX 747
FALLS CHURCH
VA
22040-0747
US
|
Family ID: |
19057145 |
Appl. No.: |
10/201735 |
Filed: |
July 24, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
36/59C ;
36/25R |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B 1/0027 20130101;
B29D 35/085 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
36/59.00C ;
36/25.00R |
International
Class: |
A43B 013/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 25, 2001 |
JP |
2001-223891 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method of manufacturing an outsole comprising the steps of:
putting a first polymer composition in a piece forming mold and
forming a piece; and putting, in a final mold, a second polymer
composition for a body having a different material or color from
that of the first polymer composition and a piece obtained at the
piece forming step and bonding the body to the piece.
2. The method of manufacturing an outsole according to claim 1,
wherein the piece and the body are formed of a rubber composition
and the piece formed at the piece forming step is set in a
semivulcanization state, and the body and the piece are bonded by
vulcanization at the bonding step.
3. An outsole comprising a body and a piece to be bonded to the
body with an adhesive, wherein the body and the piece have
different materials or colors from each other.
4. The outsole according to claim 3, wherein one of the body and
the piece is formed of a rubber composition using an
acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer as a base rubber and the other is
formed of a rubber composition using, as a base rubber, a rubber
other than the acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer.
5. The outsole according to claim 4, wherein the rubber other than
the acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer is a styrene-butadiene
copolymer or polybutadiene.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to outsoles for tennis shoes,
golf shoes, soccer shoes, jogging shoes, trekking shoes, town shoes
and the like.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] A shoe comprises an outsole forming a bottom surface
thereof. An important performance required for the outsole includes
an excellent gripping property, an excellent abrasion resistance
and a proper flexibility. In order to achieve the required
characteristics, the outsole is formed of rubber or synthetic
resin.
[0005] In respect of an enhancement in design, the outsole is
comparted into a plurality of regions having different colors from
each other in some cases. A mold 51 to be used for manufacturing
the outsole is shown in FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken
along a line in the axial direction of a shoe. In this
manufacturing method, first of all, a portion corresponding to a
stud of the outsole is filled with a first rubber composition 53 as
shown in FIG. 8(a). In FIG. 8(a), a blacked portion indicates the
first rubber composition 53.
[0006] Next, mold clamping is carried out and the mold 51 is
heated. Consequently, the first rubber composition 53 is fluidized
and the rubber composition 53 leaks out of a portion corresponding
to a stud as shown in FIG. 8(b). The leaking portion (spew) is
removed by a worker. FIG. 8(c) shows a state obtained after the
spew is removed. Next, a second rubber composition is put in the
mold 51 and is mold clamped so that the mold 51 is heated. The
second rubber composition has a different color from that of the
first rubber composition 51. By the mold clamping, a stud 55 formed
of the first rubber composition 51 and a body 57 formed of the
second rubber composition are bonded to each other and are thus
integrated as shown in FIG. 8(d). Consequently, an outsole
comprising a plurality of regions having different colors from each
other is finished. In some cases, three or more kinds of rubber
compositions having different colors from each other are
sequentially put in the mold 51.
[0007] In such a manufacturing method, the work for filling a
rubber composition and the work for removing a spew are to be
carried out almost manually, which is inefficient. In addition,
when the second rubber composition is to be heated and pressurized,
the first rubber composition is fluidized to some extent. By the
fluidization, a boundary of the first rubber composition and the
second rubber composition is ambiguous so that the appearance of
the outsole is deteriorated.
[0008] When only the first rubber composition is to be heated, the
vulcanization of the first rubber composition is promoted if a
heating temperature is raised or a time taken for heating is
increased. Accordingly, the first rubber composition in a second
heating operation is prevented from being fluidized. However, the
first rubber composition which has increasingly been vulcanized is
bonded to the second rubber composition with difficulty. In
addition, the first rubber composition is excessively vulcanized by
the second heating work so that a thermal deterioration is caused.
In particular, in the case in which at least three kinds of rubber
compositions are to be sequentially filled, there is a remarkable
problem in that defective bonding and a thermal deterioration are
caused.
[0009] The same problems also arise in the case in which rubber
compositions formed of different materials from each other are
used. For example, in the manufacture of the outsole comprising a
region in which rubber having an excellent gripping property is
used as a base material and a region in which a rubber having an
excellent abrasion resistance is used as a base material, there is
a problem in that the boundary becomes ambiguous due to the
fluidization and the defective bonding and the thermal
deterioration are caused. Furthermore, there is also a combination
of materials having insufficient bonding strengths due to
vulcanization.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The present invention provides a method of manufacturing an
outsole comprising the steps of:
[0011] putting a first polymer composition in a piece forming mold
and forming a piece; and
[0012] putting, in a final mold, a second polymer composition for a
body having a different material or color from that of the first
polymer composition and a piece obtained at the piece forming step
and bonding the body to the piece. In the manufacturing method, a
piece is molded by a different mold from a mold used for molding
the body. Therefore, the polymer composition can easily be filled
and the removal of a spew does not take time and labor.
[0013] In the case in which the piece and the body are formed of a
rubber composition, it is preferable that the piece should be
brought into a semivulcanization state at the piece forming step.
At a bonding step, the body and the piece are bonded by
vulcanization. Consequently, a bonding strength is increased. The
rubber composition for the body which is put in the final mold may
be set in an unvulcanization state or a semivulcanization state. By
setting the semivulcanization state, the fluidization of a rubber
can be more suppressed.
[0014] An outsole according to the present invention comprises a
body and a piece to be bonded to the body with an adhesive. The
body and the piece have different materials or colors. In the
outsole, the body and the part are formed separately. Therefore, a
polymer composition can easily be filled, and furthermore, the
removal of a spew does not take time and labor. In addition, the
boundary between the body and the piece is obvious.
[0015] The bonding using an adhesive is effective in the case in
which a rubber composition using, as a base rubber, an
acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer (NBR) which is bonded by
vulcanization with difficulty is utilized for one of the body and
the piece. In particular, the same bonding is effective in the case
in which one of the body and the piece is the
acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer and the other is a
styrene-butadiene copolymer (SBR) or polybutadiene (BR).
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] FIG. 1 is a partially sectional view showing a cut-away shoe
according to an embodiment of the present invention,
[0017] FIG. 2 is a bottom view showing a shoe outsole in FIG.
1,
[0018] FIG. 3(a) is a bottom view showing a first piece to be used
for the outsole in FIG. 2,
[0019] FIG. 3(b) is a sectional view taken along a line A-A in FIG.
3(a),
[0020] FIG. 4(a) is a bottom view showing a second piece to be used
for the outsole in FIG. 2,
[0021] FIG. 4(b) is a sectional view taken along a line B-B in FIG.
4(a),
[0022] FIG. 5(a) is a bottom view showing a third piece to be used
for the outsole in FIG. 2,
[0023] FIG. 5(b) is a sectional view taken along a line C-C in FIG.
5(a),
[0024] FIG. 6 is a typical view showing a state of molding in a
final mold,
[0025] FIG. 7 is a typical sectional view showing an outsole formed
by the final mold in FIG. 6, and
[0026] FIG. 8 is a typical view showing a state in which a
conventional outsole is molded.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0027] The present invention will be described below in detail
based on a preferred embodiment with reference to the drawings.
[0028] A shoe 1 in FIG. 1 comprises an upper 2, an insole 3, a
midsole 4, and an outsole 5. The material, shape and dimension of
the upper 2 are the same as those of the upper of a well-known
shoe. The material, shape and dimension of the midsole 3 are the
same as those of the insole of the well-known shoe. The material,
shape and dimension of the midsole 4 are the same as those of the
midsole of the well-known shoe. The insole 3 and the midsole 4 may
be omitted.
[0029] FIG. 2 is a bottom view showing the outsole 5 of the shoe 1
in FIG. 1. The outsole 5 is formed of a vulcanized rubber. As will
be described below in detail, the outsole 5 includes a body and
three pieces. FIG. 2 shows only the outsole 5 for a left foot, and
an outsole for a right foot has a shape which is obtained by
inverting the shape shown in FIG. 2.
[0030] FIG. 3 shows a first piece 6 to be used for the outsole 5 in
FIG. 2. FIG. 3(a) is a bottom view and FIG. 3(b) is a sectional
view taken along a line A-A in FIG. 3(a). The first piece 6 is
almost plate-shaped. The first piece 6 includes a large number of
through holes 7. The first piece 6 has a silver color.
[0031] FIG. 4 shows a second piece 8 to be used for the outsole 5
in FIG. 2. FIG. 4(a) is a bottom view and FIG. 4(b) is a sectional
view taken along a line B-B in FIG. 4(a). The second piece 8 is
almost annular. The second piece 8 includes a large number of
projections 9. The second piece 8 has an orange color.
[0032] FIG. 5 shows a third piece 10 to be used for the outsole 5
in FIG. 2. FIG. 5(a) is a bottom view and FIG. 5(b) is a sectional
view taken along a line C-C in FIG. 5(a). The third piece 10 is
almost annular. The third piece 10 also includes a large number of
projections 9 in the same manner as the second piece 8. The third
piece 10 has an orange color.
[0033] In the manufacture of the outsole 5, first of all, the first
piece 6 is molded. In the molding, a rubber composition is put in a
mold and is heated and pressurized. By the heating, the rubber
composition is vulcanized. In this case, a heating temperature is
set to be low or a time taken for heating is shortened so that the
first piece 6 in a semivulcanization state is obtained. Another
mold is used to obtain the second piece 8 and the third piece 10 in
the semivulcanization state in the same manner as the first piece
6.
[0034] Next, a final mold 11 is prepared as shown in FIG. 6, and
the first piece 6, the second piece 8 and the third piece 10 are
put in the final mold 11. In the putting operation, the projections
9 in the second piece 8 and the third piece 10 penetrate through
the holes 7 of the first piece 6. Then, the rubber composition 12
for a body is put in the final mold 11. The rubber composition 12
has a black color. Thereafter, the final mold 11 is clamped and a
temperature is raised. Consequently, the pieces 6, 8 and 10 and the
rubber composition 12 are vulcanized so that the outsole 5 is
finished.
[0035] FIG. 7 is a typical sectional view showing the outsole 5
formed by the final mold 11 in FIG. 6. The outsole 5 includes the
first piece 6, the second piece 8, the third piece 10 and a body
13. The first piece 6 is bonded by vulcanization with the second
piece 8 and third piece 10, the second and third pieces 8 and 10
are bonded by vulcanization with the body 13, and the body 13 is
bonded by vulcanization with the first piece 6. A great bonding
strength is obtained by the vulcanization bonding, and furthermore,
a surface treatment (for example, surface polishing) for portions
to be bonding objects is not required.
[0036] In the manufacturing method, the pieces 6, 8 and 10 are
formed by a different mold from the final mold 11. Therefore, the
work for putting a rubber composition and the work for removing a
spew do not take time and labor but can be carried out efficiently.
The pieces 6, 8 and 10 of the outsole 5 are heated twice by the
molds, and the body 13 is heated once by the mold. In other words,
any of the portions 6, 8, 10 and 13 in the outsole 5 which is
heated most often is heated only twice. In the outsole 5, a thermal
deterioration can be prevented from being caused by excessive
vulcanization and a high bonding strength can be obtained. In
addition, it is possible to promote the vulcanization to some
extent in the molding stage of the pieces 6, 8 and 10. Therefore,
the rubber composition can be prevented from being fluidized at the
bonding step to be carried out by the final mold 11. Accordingly,
the boundary of the silver color of the first piece 6, the orange
color of the second and third pieces 8 and 10 and the black color
of the body 13 is obvious and an excellent appearance can be
obtained. The manufacturing method is particularly suitable for the
manufacture of the outsole 5 in which the number of the portions 6,
8, 10 and 13 (that is, the sum of the number of the body 13 and the
number of the pieces 6, 8 and 10) is three or more.
[0037] The rubber composition 12 to be put in the final mold 11 may
be set in the semivulcanization state, that is, it is formed to
have a predetermined shape by another mold. Consequently, it is
possible to shorten a time taken for the vulcanization in the final
mold 11. Moreover, the fluidization of the rubber can be suppressed
in the final mold 11 and the boundary between the pieces is more
obvious.
[0038] The first piece 6, the second piece 8, the third piece 10
and the body 13 may be separately vulcanized respectively and may
be bonded to each other with an adhesive. Also in the case of the
bonding using the adhesive, the work can be carried out efficiently
and the boundary between the portions 6, 8, 10 and 13 can become
obvious. In the bonding of materials which are bonded by
vulcanization to each other with difficulty, particularly, the
bonding using an adhesive is effective. Such an example includes
bonding of a portion formed by a rubber composition using an
acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer as a base rubber and a portion
formed by a rubber composition using a styrene-butadiene copolymer
as a base rubber, and bonding of a portion formed by a rubber
composition using the acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer as a base
rubber and a portion formed by a rubber composition using
polybutadiene as a base rubber. By bonding the portions formed of
different materials, it is possible to obtain the outsole 5 having
both advantages. More specifically, a gripping property can be
obtained by the acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer when the ground
is wet, and a strength can be obtained by the styrene-butadiene
copolymer or the polybutadiene.
[0039] The vulcanization bonding and the bonding using an adhesive
may be carried out together. For example, the first piece 6 may be
bonded by vulcanization with the second and third pieces 6 and 8,
and the pieces 6, 8 and 10 may be then bonded to the body 13 with
an adhesive.
EXAMPLES
[0040] [Preparation of Rubber Composition]
[0041] 100 parts by weight of an acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer
(trade name of "Nipol DN200" produced by Nippon Zeon Co., Ltd.), 45
parts by weight of silica (trade name of "Ultrasil VN3 granule
type" produced by Degusa Co., Ltd.), 4.0 parts by weight of a
silane coupling agent (trade name of "Si69" produced by Degussa
Co., Ltd.), 2.0 parts by weight of dioctylphthalate, 2.0 parts by
weight of an antioxidant (trade name of "Nocrac 200" produced by
Ouchi Shinko Chemical Industrial Co., Ltd.), 0.5 part by weight of
another antioxidant (trade name of "Sunnoc N" produced by Ouchi
Shinko Chemical Industrial Co., Ltd.), 3.0 parts by weight of zinc
oxide (trade name of "zinc oxide type II" produced by MITSUI MINING
& SMELTING CO., LTD.), 1.0 part by weight of stearic acid, 0.5
part by weight of sulfur powder obtained by means of a 200-mesh,
1.3 parts by weight of dibenzothiazyldisulfide to be a
vulcanization accelerator (trade name of "Nocceler DM" produced by
Ouchi Shinko Chemical Industrial Co., Ltd.), 2.5 parts by weight of
tetrakis(2-ethylhexyl)thiuramdisulfide to be another vulcanization
accelerator (trade name of "Nocceler TOT-N" produced by Ouchi
Shinko Chemical Industrial Co., Ltd.), and a black pigment were
kneaded by means of a Banbury mixer and a roll. Thus, a rubber
composition N1 was obtained.
[0042] A rubber composition N2 was obtained in the same manner as
the rubber composition N1 except that a silver pigment was used in
place of the black pigment. Moreover, a rubber composition N3 was
obtained in the same manner as the rubber composition N1 except
that an orange pigment was used in place of the black pigment.
[0043] 75 parts by weight of a styrene-butadiene copolymer (trade
name of "Nipol 1507" produced by Nippon Zeon Co., Ltd.), 25 parts
by weight of polybutadiene (trade name of "BR11" produced by JSR
Corporation), 60 parts by weight of ISAF carbon black (trade name
of "Asahi #80" produced by Asahi Carbon Co., Ltd.), 5.0 parts by
weight of process oil (trade name of "Pw380" produced by Idemitsu
Kosan Co., Ltd.), 2.0 parts by weight of an antioxidant (trade name
of "Nocrac 200" produced by Ouchi Shinko Chemical Industrial Co.,
Ltd.), 3.0 parts by weight of zinc oxide (trade name of "zinc oxide
type II" produced by MITSUI MINING & SMELTING CO., LTD.) and
1.0 part by weight of stearic acid were kneaded by means of the
Banbury mixer. Thus, a rubber composition was obtained. The rubber
composition was put in an open roll, and 1.5 parts by weight of
sulfur, 1.0 part by weight of
N-tert-butyl-2-benzothiazolylsulfenamide to be a vulcanization
accelerator (trade name of "Nocceler NS" produced by Ouchi Shinko
Chemical Industrial Co., Ltd.), 0.5 part by weight of zinc
diethylthiocarbamate to be another vulcanization accelerator (trade
name of "Nocceler EZ" produced by Ouchi Shinko Chemical Industrial
Co., Ltd.) and 0.5 part by weight of di-orthotolylguanidine to be a
further vulcanization accelerator (trade name of "Nocceler DT"
produced by Ouchi Shinko Chemical Industrial Co., Ltd.) were added
and kneaded. Thus, a black rubber composition S1 was obtained.
Example 1
[0044] A rubber composition N1 was put in a body mold, and was
heated and vulcanized for 10 minutes at 160.degree. C. Thus, a body
was obtained. A rubber composition N2 was put in a piece mold, and
was heated and vulcanized for 10 minutes at 160.degree. C. Thus, a
first piece was obtained. A rubber composition N3 was put in
another piece mold, and was heated and vulcanized for 10 minutes at
160.degree. C. Thus, a second piece was obtained. The rubber
composition N3 was put in a further piece mold, and was heated and
vulcanized for 10 minutes at 160.degree. C. Thus, a third piece was
obtained. Then, the body and each piece were bonded to each other
with an adhesive. Consequently, an outsole according to an example
1 was obtained.
Example 2
[0045] An outsole according to an example 2 was obtained in the
same manner as in the example 1 except that a rubber composition S1
is used in place of the rubber composition N1.
Example 3
[0046] A rubber composition N1 was put in a body mold, and was
heated for 5 minutes at 160.degree. C. Thus, a body in a
semivulcanization state was obtained. A rubber composition N2 was
put in a piece mold, and was heated for 5 minutes at 160.degree. C.
Thus, a first piece in the semivulcanization state was obtained. A
rubber composition N3 was put in another piece mold, and was heated
for 5 minutes at 160.degree. C. Thus, a second piece in the
semivulcanization state was obtained. The rubber composition N3 was
put in a further piece mold, and was heated for 5 minutes at
160.degree. C. Thus, a third piece in the semivulcanization state
was obtained. Then, the body and the first, second and third pieces
were put in a final mold and were heated for 5 minutes at
160.degree. C. Consequently, the body and each of the pieces were
vulcanized and bonded. At the same time, the first piece and the
second and third pieces were vulcanized and bonded. Thus, an
outsole according to an example 3 was obtained.
Comparative Example 1
[0047] A part of the final mold was filled with the rubber
composition N3 and was heated and pressurized for 20 seconds, and a
spew was then removed. Thus, portions corresponding to projections
of the second and third pieces were formed. Next, a part of the
final mold was filled with the rubber composition N2 and was heated
and pressurized for 20 seconds, and the spew was then removed.
Thus, a portion corresponding to the first piece was formed. Next,
a part of the final mold was filled with the rubber composition N3
and was heated and pressurized for 20 seconds, and the spew was
then removed. Thus, a portion corresponding to a part other than
the projections of the second and third pieces was formed.
Furthermore, the rubber composition N1 was put in the final mold
and was heated for 10 minutes at 160.degree. C. Thus, an outsole
according to a comparative example 1 was obtained.
Comparative Example 2
[0048] An outsole according to a comparative example 2 was obtained
in the same manner as in the comparative example 1 except that a
rubber composition S1 was used for the body.
Obviousness of Boundary
[0049] The outsole was observed visually and the obviousness of a
boundary between portions having different colors was decided in 10
stages. The most excellent obviousness was set to be "10" and the
worst obviousness was set to be "1". The result is shown in the
following table 1.
[0050] [Bonding Strength]
[0051] The first piece of the outsole was held and pulled by means
of a nipper and thus tried to be separated from the body. The
number of the outsoles which were separated is shown in the
following table 1.
[0052] [Gripping Property]
[0053] A well-known upper portion was attached to the outsole to
fabricate a shoe. A tester wore the shoe and walked over a wet
lawn. The gripping property was decided in 10 stages. The most
excellent gripping property was set to be "10" and the worst
gripping property was set to be "1". A mean evaluated point for 10
testers is shown in the following table 1.
1TABLE 1 Result of Evaluation Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 Com.
Example 1 Com. Example 2 Body NBR Base SBR Base NBR Base NBR Base
SBR Base (black color) (N1) (S1) (N1) (N1) (S1) First piece NBR
Base NBR Base NBR Base NBR Base NBR Base (silver color) (N2) (N2)
(N2) (N2) (N2) Second and third Piece NBR Base NBR Base NBR Base
NBR Base NBR Base (orange color) (N3) (N3) (N3) (N3) (N3)
Manufacturing method Molding for each Molding for each Molding for
Putting in the Putting in the piece piece each piece same mold same
mold Adhesive bonding Adhesive bonding Vulcanization bonding
Manufacturing time Short time Short time Short time Long time Long
time Obviousness of 10 10 8 4 4 boundary Bonding strength 8 8 10 4
2 Gripping property 10 8 10 10 8
[0054] As shown in the table 1, the outsole according to each of
the embodiments gives the excellent evaluation results in all
items. From these results, the advantage of the present invention
is apparent.
[0055] The above description is only illustrative and various
changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present
invention.
* * * * *