U.S. patent application number 10/718794 was filed with the patent office on 2004-06-17 for article of footwear, particularly for climbing.
This patent application is currently assigned to SALOMON S.A.. Invention is credited to Lenormand, Pascal.
Application Number | 20040111921 10/718794 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32320248 |
Filed Date | 2004-06-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040111921 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lenormand, Pascal |
June 17, 2004 |
Article of footwear, particularly for climbing
Abstract
An article of footwear, particularly for climbing. The article
of footwear has a substantially non-extensible upper, a sole, an
elastic element surrounding the heel, and the upper is at least
partially extensible in the area of its heel portion.
Advantageously, the extensible portion of the upper has a height of
at least about 20% of the upper along at least one substantially
vertical line, and a length of at least 10 millimeters along at
least one line of longitudinal direction.
Inventors: |
Lenormand, Pascal; (Veyrier
du Lac, FR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
GREENBLUM & BERNSTEIN, P.L.C.
1950 ROLAND CLARKE PLACE
RESTON
VA
20191
US
|
Assignee: |
SALOMON S.A.
Metz-Tessy
FR
|
Family ID: |
32320248 |
Appl. No.: |
10/718794 |
Filed: |
November 24, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
36/45 ;
36/113 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B 5/003 20130101;
A43B 23/047 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
036/045 ;
036/113 |
International
Class: |
A43B 023/00; A43B
003/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 12, 2002 |
FR |
02 16241 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An article of footwear comprising: a sole; a substantially
non-extensible upper; an elastic element surrounding a heel area of
the upper; and said upper further comprising a heel portion, said
heel portion being at least partially extensible.
2. An article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein an entirety
of said heel portion of said upper is constituted by an extensible
material.
3. An article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein said
extensible heel portion of said upper extends upwardly to an upper
edge of said upper.
4. An article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein said
extensible heel portion of said upper has a height of at least 20%
of said upper along at least a substantially vertical line.
5. An article of footwear according to claim 4, wherein said
extensible heel portion of said upper has a length of at least 10
millimeters along at least a substantially horizontal line.
6. An article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein said
extensible heel portion of said upper has a length of at least 10
millimeters along at least a substantially horizontal line.
7. An article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein said
extensible heel portion of said upper is made of an elastic
material.
8. An article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein said
extensible heel portion of said upper comprises an inside covered
with an adhesive material.
9. An article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein said
extensible heel portion of said upper comprises an inside covered
with PU, PVC, or silicone.
10. An article of footwear according to one of claims 1-9, wherein
said elastic element is a strap extending downwardly and forwardly
from a rear end of said heel area.
11. An article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein said
elastic element is a shell completely surrounding said heel
area.
12. An article of footwear according to claim 11, wherein said
shell includes a lining made of a moisture absorbing material.
13. An article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the
article of footwear is a climbing shoe having a form-fitting
upper.
14. A climbing shoe comprising: a sole; an upper, said upper
comprising a front portion and a rear portion, id front and rear
portions having a junction at an area corresponding to an ankle of
a wearer of the shoe; at least said front portion of said upper
comprising a substantially non-extensible construction; at least a
part of said rear portion of said upper being constructed to be
extensible; and an elastic strap member to apply a force to a foot
of the wearer of the shoe forwardly, said elastic strap member
extending around surrounding a heel area of the upper and extending
forwardly and downwardly from a rear of said upper on each of
opposite sides of said upper.
15. A climbing shoe according to claim 14, wherein: said junction
of said front and rear portions of said upper comprises at least
one line of stitching extending upwardly from said sole.
16. A climbing shoe according to claim 15, wherein: forward of said
junction line said front portion of said upper is made of a
non-extensible material and rearward of said junction line said
rear portion is made of a substantially extensible material.
17. A climbing shoe according to claim 14, wherein; said junction
of said front and rear portions of said upper comprises at least
one Line of stitching extending upwardly from said sole on each of
opposite sides of said upper.
18. A climbing shoe according to claim 14, wherein: said rear
portion of said upper includes, on opposite sides of said upper,
rearward of said junction, a pair of opposite elastic portions,
said elastic portions of said rear portion extending downwardly
from opposite upper edges of said upper.
19. A climbing shoe according to claim 18, wherein: said elastic
portions of said rear portion extend downwardly from said upper
edges of said upper at least about 20% of a distance between said
sole and said upper edges of said upper.
20. A climbing shoe according to claim 19, wherein: said elastic
portions of said rear portion have a width extending in a
front-to-rear direction, at least at an upper end of said elastic
portions, of at least about 10 millimeters.
21. A climbing shoe according to claim 14, wherein: said shoe is a
slipper and said front and rear portions of said upper are
form-fitting and flexible.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is based upon French Patent Application No.
02.16241, filed Dec. 12, 2002, the disclosure of which is hereby
incorporated by reference thereto in its entirety and the priority
of which is hereby claimed under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.119.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The invention relates to an article of footwear,
particularly of the liner-type or ballerina type, provided more
specifically for the field of climbing, such as rock climbing, the
climbing of mountains, cliffs, ice, and artificial structures.
[0004] 2. Description of Background and Relevant Information
[0005] The liner is a fundamental element of a climber's equipment.
Indeed, the liner/lining is what is interposed between the
climber's foot and the surface being climbed, and which must
transmit all of the sensations/feelings and forces as precisely as
possible to the climber.
[0006] Originally, climbing shoes were in fact mountain boots with
a rigid sole that allowed climbing only from a support and
consequently required the use of numerous climbing accessories,
such as pitons, pegs, spikes, etc., to provide supports of a
sufficient size.
[0007] Eventually, climbing techniques were developed that were
based essentially on using the adherence between the climbing shoe
and the wall, which practically eliminated the need for the
aforementioned traditional climbing accessories since the supports
can then have a much smaller size, or be non-existent.
[0008] New climbing shoes, generally called slippers, were then
developed that were both much more flexible and lighter than the
traditional mountain boots, and were provided with a smooth sole
and coated with an elastomer or rubber material up to the upper in
order to improve their gripping ability. Such slippers can provide
a form-fitting upper compared to more traditional boots.
[0009] FIG. 1 shows from a rear perspective the overall
construction of a climbing slipper of a known type, and FIG. 2 is a
cross-sectional view, along the line II-II of FIG. 1, of such a
slipper.
[0010] This slipper 1 of a known type is composed of a flexible
upper 10 that can be either low, as shown in FIG. 1, or high or
semi-high, for protecting the malleoli and the ankle when used in
fissures.
[0011] The upper 10 is made of a synthetic material or of leather.
It is provided at its upper end with a system 11 for retaining the
foot, such as a lace. The foot retaining system 11 can be formed of
simple elastic straps, particularly in the case of ballerinas that
are lighter than slippers. The upper 10 is coated over its entire
lower portion with a coating or strapping 12 made of an adhesive
material, such as rubber or rubber-like material.
[0012] Lastly, the slipper has a sole 13 made of rubber, or the
like, glued to the upper, and whose thickness is more or less
substantial depending on the object(s) sought: rigidity/longevity
or, on the contrary, flexibility/precision. The sole 13 is
generally smooth and made of a rubber-type material that is very
adhesive for maximum efficiency. The front end 10a of the upper or
tip is as thin as possible for maximum precision and, depending on
the type of slipper, it can even be asymmetrical.
[0013] Generally, known slippers 1, or ballerinas, additionally
have, in the area of the heel 10b, a strap 14 made of an elastic
material, such as rubber, as shown in FIG. 1. The strap 14 is
attached to the upper 10 and surrounds the heel of the slipper 1.
It extends obliquely downward from the rear of the heel to the
front thereof, and is generally mounted under tension.
[0014] In certain slippers/ballerinas 1, this strap 14 is even
replaced by a partial or complete coating of the heel by an elastic
material, such as rubber, also attached to the upper 10.
[0015] The object of this coating/strap 14 is to push the foot
toward the front of the slipper 1 so as to guarantee retention and
precision of the supports.
[0016] Optimally speaking, the elastic coating/strap must be
present, but without an excessive force so as not to cause pain on
the foot.
[0017] In practice, when purchasing a slipper/ballerina; even if
the user is actually looking for a certain tension imparted by the
coating/strap, it is very difficult to obtain the right tension.
Indeed, a slipper of a given size will be too loose, whereas a
smaller sized slipper or a slipper a half-size smaller will exert
an excessive force and will practically be unbearable given the
pain inflicted.
[0018] It even happens that the tension on the slipper, when the
foot is inside it, is such that the material of the upper or the
stitching thereof becomes torn.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0019] An object of the present invention is to overcome the
aforementioned drawbacks and to provide an article of footwear,
particularly an article of footwear of the slipper or ballerina
type, that allows for a good retention of the heel and a forward
push of the foot without causing excessive pain for the foot.
[0020] In more general terms, an object of the invention is to
provide an article of footwear that allows an efficient management
and control of the tension desired in the area of the heel.
[0021] Another object of the invention is also to provide a
structure for an article of footwear that permits a manufacturer to
reduce the number of sizes.
[0022] The objects of the invention are achieved in providing an
article of footwear according to the invention, which is of the
type having a substantially non-extensible upper, a sole and a
strap or an elastic element surrounding the heel, with the upper
being at least partially extensible in the area of the heel.
[0023] Indeed, the fact of making the upper at least partially
extensible allows eliminating the painful "string", or "threading",
effect felt due to the almost non-extensibility of the upper.
[0024] The inventor of the invention disclosed and claimed herein
has realized that, to his surprise and contrary to generally
accepted wisdom, the range of action of the elastic strap of known
slippers is very small due to the presence of the upper, or the
nature of the particular upper, on which it is fixed.
[0025] As a matter of fact, because the upper is made of an almost
non-extensible leather or textile material, the strap will have a
marked elastic effect only in a small elongation range in which the
material constituting the upper is not under tension. Once the
tension range of the upper material is reached, the upper exerts a
strong tension force that is much too substantial, generating
excessive pain for the foot. The fact that the elastic range of the
upper is very small and in fact does not cover the difference
between two sizes also explains the difficulty for a user in
selecting an article of footwear adapted to his or her particular
foot.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0026] The invention will be better understood and other
characteristics thereof will be shown by means of the following
description, with reference to the attached schematic drawings, in
which:
[0027] FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of a slipper-type climbing
shoe according to the prior art;
[0028] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view along the line II-II of
FIG. 1;
[0029] FIG. 3 FIG. 3 is a view, similar to FIG. 1, of a climbing
shoe according to the invention;
[0030] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view along the line IV-IV of
FIG. 3;
[0031] FIG. 5 is a perspective bottom view, with a partial tear of
the liner, of FIGS. 3 and 4;
[0032] FIG. 6 is a view, similar to FIG. 3, of a climbing shoe
according to a second embodiment;
[0033] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the differences in behavior of a
slipper according to the invention and according to the prior
art;
[0034] FIG. 8 is a view, similar to FIG. 3, of a preferred
embodiment;
[0035] FIG. 9 is a detailed view of FIG. 8 with a portion partially
broken away.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0036] FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 show the application of the invention to
an article of footwear, a climbing shoe in particular, and, more
particularly, a slipper or ballerina tpe climbing shoe, according
to a first embodiment.
[0037] The invention can also be applied to other articles of
footwear, for instance, dancing shoes, for which similar or
equivalent problems need to be resolved. For convenience, although
not as intended to be limiting, the term "slipper" will be used
hereafter
[0038] Like the climbing slipper according to the prior art shown
in FIGS. 1 and 2, the slipper 101 according to the invention
includes a flexible upper 110 having a heel portion 110b and a
front portion 110a, as well as a system 111 for retaining the foot,
a sole 113 made of an adhesive material, such as rubber, and a
strapping 112 made of an adhesive material, such as rubber.
[0039] In addition, the upper 110 has, in its heel portion 110b, a
strap 114 made of an elastic material, such as rubber, which
extends obliquely downward from the rear of the heel to the front
thereof.
[0040] A significant difference between the slipper according to
the prior art and the slipper according to the invention lies in
the fact that the upper 110 has a front portion 110a made of a
practically non-extensible material, such as natural leather,
synthetic leather, or synthetic fabric, whereas its rear portion
110b is, on the contrary, made of an elastically extensible
material 115, such as neoprene, LYCRA.RTM., or a CORDURA.RTM. brand
elastic material.
[0041] Preferably, the rigidity of his type of material of the rear
portion is such that the force to be applied, according to the ASTM
D5035 standard, is less than 2 N/cm in width for an elongation of
30% or about 30%.
[0042] The two portions 110a, 110b of the upper 110 are connected
by a line of stitching 116 or the like.
[0043] FIG. 7 clearly shows in a diagram the enormous advantage
brought by the construction of the invention as compared to the
slippers of the prior art.
[0044] This diagram shows, along the abscissa, the elongation L of
the upper and, along the coordinate, the force F exerted by the
elastic element (strap, shell) enveloping the heel, the elastic
element being in both cases mounted under tension. .DELTA.F
represents the efficiency zone of the elastic element 114.
[0045] The curve A represents the elongation L of the upper as a
function of the variation of the force F exerted in the area of the
heel for a slipper of the prior art, having a predetermined elastic
strap 114.
[0046] The curve B represents the same elongation L as a function
of the force F for a slipper according to the invention, having a
same elastic strap 114 in the area of the heel.
[0047] By studying the diagram, one can see that at the beginning,
in a zone corresponding to a force going from 0 to F1, the curves A
and B are similar. This zone corresponds to the "elastic" zone of
the heel. In this zone, the strap 114, mounted under tension, is
stretched until the upper material is in turn under tension.
[0048] Beyond this zone, the curve A "rises" suddenly and the
elongation L, depending upon the force F exerted, becomes very low.
This means that the rigidity of the slipper upper predominates in
relation to fie rigidity of the elastic element 114.
[0049] Consequently, the margin .DELTA.L1 of length variation and
therefore of adaptation to foot size as a function of the zone
.DELTA.F of heel efficiency becomes very small, and the pain
threshold is quickly reached for a low variation .DELTA.L in
size.
[0050] The efficiency zone .DELTA.F for the heel or strap 114 is
defined by the range of forces comprised between a value F2, called
an efficiency threshold and corresponding to the desired tension
force, and a value F3 corresponding to the limit of bearable
tension force, or pain threshold.
[0051] Therefore, the difficulty that exists for the constructions
of current slippers for reconciling the problems of foot length and
acceptable force of tension in the area of the heel is easily
understood, because the margin .DELTA.L1 of length variation is
very small.
[0052] On the contrary, the curve B shows that, with the
construction according to the invention, the elongation L increases
consistently with the increase of the force F exerted by the heel
and that, in practice, the efficiency zone .DELTA.F corresponds to
a range .DELTA.L2 of length variation that is at least 50% higher
(multiplied by 1.5).
[0053] The construction according to the invention therefore has
numerous advantages, among which are:
[0054] A better distribution of the forces in the area of the heel
and of the Achilles tendon (because it is no longer the upper that
imposes its rigidity) and therefore less risk of pain to the
wearer.
[0055] A better control of the overall tension of the slipper, an
essential parameter of performance. Indeed, the tension is now
completely defined by the elastic element 114 enveloping the heel,
because there is no longer interference of the more rigid upper,
and the tension can be determined in advance by a judicious
selection of elastic modulus of the materials used in the rear
portion of the heel (material of the upper in the heel zone, strap
or rubber shell, or the like).
[0056] A shoe fitting that is easier given the greater elasticity
of the rear portion of the slipper.
[0057] A higher tolerance over the length of the portion fitted.
Because the elastic modulus of the upper/elastic element assembly
114 of the heel is less substantial, the range of the "fitting"
length .DELTA.L2, allowing one to obtain the desired efficiency
range .DELTA.F of the slipper in terms of heel thrust, is
greater.
[0058] A greater comfort after the shoe fitting, because the
"string" effect related to the non-extensible upper edge of the
upper is eliminated.
[0059] It becomes possible to classify the slippers by degree of
tension and not by size. As an example, a heel efficiency range can
be obtained for foot lengths corresponding to European sizes 39 to
41 (U.S. women's sizes about 8-10 and men's sizes about 6-8), so
that a single slipper can be provided to cover these sizes.
[0060] It becomes possible to have a modular design for the slipper
because it is only the change of the strap 114 that changes the
tension of the slipper.
[0061] As shown in FIG. 5, the elastic material 115 of the rear
portion 10b of the upper can continue up to the area of the sole,
i.e., below the foot, for a maximum foot feeling/sensation. It can
also stop in the area of the upper insole.
[0062] FIG. 6 shows a second embodiment in which the elastic strap
114 is replaced by an elastic shell 124 that completely, or
substantially completely, surrounds the heel. Other an this
difference, the slipper has the same construction as the slipper of
FIGS. 3 and 4, and its different elements are therefore designated
by the same reference numerals.
[0063] As an alternative, the rear portion 115 of the upper can be
eliminated and be replaced by a simple moisture absorbing material,
such as a synthetic fabric (such as a CAMBRELLE.RTM. brand fabric),
or a natural absorbent (such as cotton or leather), and which is
fixed as a lining directly to the shell 124.
[0064] In fact, in this case, the upper 110 stops in the area of
the junction line 116.
[0065] In any case, one can also provide for covering the inside of
the upper (and/or the shell if it is not lined by the upper) with
an adhesive material, such as PU, PVC, silicone, etc., and which
can be applied as a coating, as strip applications, as picot
stitching, etc.
[0066] FIGS. 8 and 9 show a third preferred embodiment in which the
same elements are designated by the previously used reference
numerals, increased by 100.
[0067] In this case, the slipper 201 also has a flexible upper 210
with a heel portion 210b and a front portion 210a, both made of a
substantially non-extensible material, such as natural leather,
synthetic leather, or a non-extensible synthetic fabric. Only a
portion 215 of this heel portion 210b is extensible.
[0068] The upper 210 is therefore partially extensible in his heel
portion 210b.
[0069] As mentioned previously, the extensible portion 215 is an
elastic material, such as neoprene, LYCRA.RTM., or a CORDURA.RTM.
brand elastic material.
[0070] In the example shown, the elastic portion 215 of the heel
has a substantially semi-circular form and is fixed in an
associated cut out of the non-extensible upper 210, extending up to
the upper edge 210c of the upper,
[0071] The elastic portion 215 can have a different form, such as,
for example, a triangular form. It is essential in this embodiment
that this elastic portion 215 itself is positioned at an upper edge
210c of the upper 210 so as to avoid the "string" effect and to
provide the comfort necessary, and that it has dimensions, in the
vertical and longitudinal directions, which are sufficient for
providing the desired elongation .DELTA.L2.
[0072] In practice, the minimal dimension values of the elastic
portion 215 in the embodiment of FIGS. 8 and 9 are the
following:
[0073] A height "h" of at least 20%, or at least about 20%, of the
height of the upper 210 along at least one substantially vertical
line.
[0074] A length "l" of at least 10 millimeters along at least one
line in the longitudinal direction.
[0075] The present invention is not limited to the particular
embodiments described hereinabove by way of non-limiting examples,
but encompasses all similar or equivalent embodiments.
* * * * *