U.S. patent application number 10/032485 was filed with the patent office on 2003-07-03 for vulcanized shoe component with fibrous reinforcement.
Invention is credited to Chen, Eddie.
Application Number | 20030121179 10/032485 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 21865174 |
Filed Date | 2003-07-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030121179 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chen, Eddie |
July 3, 2003 |
Vulcanized shoe component with fibrous reinforcement
Abstract
A shoe component for a shoe includes a composite part which has
a vulcanized rubber matrix and a woven fabric sheet bonded
integrally to the surface of the rubber matrix during the
vulcanization of the rubber matrix. In an embodiment, the composite
part is shaped as an outsole, and the surface of the rubber matrix
is formed with a tread surface. The fabric sheet includes warp and
weft yarns, and pores having a size smaller than 1 mm.sup.2 so as
to limit the amount of the material of the rubber matrix which
penetrates through the pores and covers the fabric sheet during
vulcanization. A large part of the fabric sheet uncovered at the
surface of the rubber matrix can provide the surface of the rubber
matrix with a woven texture and different tones of colors.
Inventors: |
Chen, Eddie; (Taichung City,
TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MORGAN, LEWIS & BOCKIUS LLP
1800 M Street, N.W.
Washington
DC
20036-5869
US
|
Family ID: |
21865174 |
Appl. No.: |
10/032485 |
Filed: |
January 2, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
36/30R ;
36/32R |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B 13/04 20130101;
B29D 35/142 20130101; A43B 13/223 20130101; A43B 13/12
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
36/30.00R ;
36/32.00R |
International
Class: |
A43B 013/12; A43B
013/04 |
Claims
I claim:
1. A shoe component for a shoe, comprising: a composite part
including a vulcanized rubber matrix which has a surface adapted to
face an exterior side of the shoe; and a woven fabric sheet
integrally overlying and connected to said surface of said rubber
matrix via a bonding between said rubber matrix and said woven
fabric sheet, said bonding being produced upon vulcanization of
said rubber matrix under heat and pressure, said fabric sheet
including warp and weft yarns and pores formed among said warp and
weft yarns, said pores having a size smaller than 1 mm.sup.2, said
fabric sheet imparting a woven texture to said surface of said
rubber matrix.
2. The shoe component as claimed in claim 1, wherein said composite
part is shaped as an outsole, said surface of said rubber matrix
being formed with a tread surface.
3. The shoe component as claimed in claim 1, wherein said composite
part is fabricated by laying a vulcanizable rubbery sheet material
on top of a woven fabric sheet material and by vulcanizing and
pressing said vulcanizable rubbery sheet material against said
woven fabric sheet material.
4. The shoe component as claimed in claim 1, wherein said woven
fabric sheet material is made from a material selected from a nylon
fiber, a polyester fiber, and a mixture of nylon and polyester
fibers.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The invention relates to a shoe, more particularly to a shoe
component, such as an upper or a sole, which is made of a
vulcanizable rubbery sheet material incorporating a woven
fabric.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] It is known in the art to fabricate a shoe from raw natural
rubber sheets, i.e. unvulcanized raw rubber sheets which can be
tailored to form blanks usable for making shoe parts, such as
outsoles and uppers. Such blanks can be assembled together and
vulcanized in a mold to form a finished shoe component. The raw
rubber sheets usually incorporate compounding agents or additives
suitable for improving mechanical and physical properties of the
final molded products. Particularly, raw rubber sheets for making
outsole plates usually incorporate additives, which can impart good
durability, wear-resistance and anti-slip characteristics.
Depending on the compounding agents or additives incorporated into
the raw rubber sheets, the outsole plates are designed with
different performance grades for their specific purposes.
Generally, outsole plates with high performance grades suitable for
outdoor activities, such as hunting, mountain climbing, fishing,
etc., require special compounding agents or additives that can
increase the cost of manufacturing the outsole plates.
[0005] Aside from natural rubber, common materials available for
producing outsoles are injection moldable resins, such as
polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, Ethylvinyl acetate polymers, etc.
Such materials are insufficient to present mechanical and/or
physical properties required for high performance applications.
[0006] Reinforcement of a shoe sole by using reinforcing fibers has
been suggested in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No.
5,406,723 discloses a light and strong cycling shoe sole, which
includes a core surrounded by fibrous layers and which is produced
from prepreg sheets containing carbon or glass fibers. The shoe
sole produced as such is hard and cannot provide good
shock-absorbing and anti-slip properties.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide an outsole
which is fabricated from a vulcanizable rubbery material without
using special expensive additives and which still possesses good
mechanical and physical properties required for high performance
shoes, such as high durability, high wear-resistance and good
anti-slip properties.
[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
vulcanized rubbery outsole having a tread surface patterned with a
woven texture to improve the appearance of the outsole.
[0009] Accordingly, a shoe component comprises a composite part
which includes a vulcanized rubber matrix having a surface adapted
to face an exterior side of the shoe, and a woven fabric sheet
overlying and integrally connected to the surface of the rubber
matrix via a bonding between the rubber matrix and the woven fabric
sheet, the bonding being produced upon vulcanization of the rubber
matrix under heat and pressure, the fabric sheet including warp and
weft yarns and pores formed among the warp and weft yarns, the
pores having a size smaller than 1 mm.sup.2, the fabric sheet
imparting a woven texture to the surface of the rubber matrix.
[0010] Preferably, the composite part is shaped as an outsole, and
the surface of the rubber matrix is formed with a tread surface
which incorporates the woven texture.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] Other features and advantages of the present invention will
become apparent in the following detailed description of the
preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings,
of which:
[0012] FIG. 1 is a plan view of an outsole embodying the present
invention;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of
FIG. 1;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the fabrication of
the outsole of FIG. 1; and
[0015] FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a portion of a fabric
sheet used in the outsole of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0016] The present invention contemplates to provide a shoe
component, such as an upper or an outsole, by using a vulcanizable
rubbery sheet material, such as a raw natural rubber sheet, and a
woven fabric sheet material. A vulcanized composite part is formed
after the rubbery sheet material is vulcanized together with the
woven fabric sheet material.
[0017] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a vulcanized composite part or a
composite outsole 1 which embodies the present invention. The
composite outsole 1 includes a rubber matrix 2, a tread surface 21
formed at one side of the rubber matrix 2, and a woven fabric sheet
3 which is bonded to the rubber matrix 2 and exposed at the tread
surface 21 of the rubber matrix 2. The woven fabric sheet 3
presents a woven texture on the tread surface 21 of the outsole
1.
[0018] As shown in FIG. 3, the composite outsole 1 is fabricated by
placing the woven fabric sheet material 3A in a cavity 52 of a
female mold 51, followed by laying a vulcanizable rubbery sheet
material 4 on top of the fabric sheet material 3A. After a male
mold 53 is pressed against the female mold 51 and after the male
and female molds 53 and 51 are heated for vulcanization, the
rubbery sheet material 4 is fused and forced to penetrate through
the pores (not shown in FIG. 3) present in the woven fabric sheet
material 3A so that the woven fabric sheet material 3A is bonded
effectively to the rubbery sheet material 4. The excess portion of
the fabric sheet material 3A is finally cut out. Since the fabric
sheet material 3A is in contact with an embossing face of the mold
cavity 52, when the rubbery sheet material 4 is embossed to form
the tread surface 21, the tread surface 21 is imparted with a woven
texture of the fabric sheet material 3A.
[0019] The woven fabric sheet material 3A is made of a textile
material. The textile material is preferably a nylon fiber, a
polyester fiber, or a mixture of nylon and polyester fibers. As
shown in FIG. 4, the woven fabric sheet material 3A includes warp
and weft threads 31A, 32A. The size of pores 33A formed among the
warp and weft threads 31A, 32A is arranged to be smaller than 1
mm.sup.2, preferably, less than 0.5 mm.sup.2, so as to limit the
amount of the vulcanizable rubbery sheet material 4 penetrating
through the pores 33A due to the pressure applied during the
vulcanization process. As such, the most part of the fabric sheet 3
is uncovered at the tread surface 21 of the rubber matrix 2 after
vulcanization, and the texture of the fabric sheet 3 can be
displayed effectively at the tread surface 21. Since the fabric
sheet 3 may be provided with a color contrasting with the color of
the rubber matrix 2, the tread surface 21 can have different tones
of colors. The composite outsole 1 can therefore have an improved
appearance as compared to the conventional rubber outsole whose
appearance is usually monotonous.
[0020] If the size of the pores 33A is too large, a large amount of
the vulcanizable rubbery sheet material 4 can flow through the
pores 33A due to the pressure applied during the vulcanizing
process and can cover the fabric sheet material 3A. As a result, a
large part of the woven fabric sheet 3 will be concealed by the
rubber matrix 2 after vulcanization.
[0021] Due to the incorporation of the woven fabric sheet 3, the
composite outsole 1 can exhibit high durability, high
wear-resistance and good anti-slip properties. The aforesaid
properties are attributable to the woven fabric sheet 3 which
functions to enhance the properties of the rubbery sheet material 4
made of natural rubber. The woven fabric sheet 3 can provide
excellent anti-slip properties especially when the outsole 1 is
used in a wet environment.
[0022] In addition to the aforesaid outsole 1, the composite part
according to the present invention may be configured as an upper.
For making an upper, the vulcanizable rubbery sheet material may be
tailored to form a plurality of parts which can be assembled
together to form an upper in a conventional manner. The woven
fabric sheet material is also tailored and incorporated into the
tailored parts of the rubbery sheet material during the
vulcanization of the rubbery sheet material in a mold. Note that
each piece of the woven fabric sheet material should be disposed at
an outer side of a corresponding one of the tailored parts of the
rubbery sheet material so that the woven texture of the woven
fabric sheet material can be exposed at the outer surface of the
composite upper formed after vulcanization.
[0023] While the present invention has been described in connection
with what is considered the most practical and preferred
embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to
the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various
arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest
interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and
equivalent arrangements.
* * * * *