U.S. patent application number 12/160161 was filed with the patent office on 2009-01-01 for ventilated footwear.
Invention is credited to Theodore Grimmeisen.
Application Number | 20090000153 12/160161 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36950173 |
Filed Date | 2009-01-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090000153 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Grimmeisen; Theodore |
January 1, 2009 |
Ventilated Footwear
Abstract
A footwear including, in the wear sole, a longitudinal channel
that communicates with the exterior via lateral perforations and
including, in the insole, traverse channels for directly
communicating with the longitudinal channel and conveying the air
from the channel towards the periphery of the insole.
Inventors: |
Grimmeisen; Theodore;
(Paris, FR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
OBLON, SPIVAK, MCCLELLAND MAIER & NEUSTADT, P.C.
1940 DUKE STREET
ALEXANDRIA
VA
22314
US
|
Family ID: |
36950173 |
Appl. No.: |
12/160161 |
Filed: |
January 5, 2007 |
PCT Filed: |
January 5, 2007 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/FR07/00012 |
371 Date: |
August 15, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
36/3B ;
36/43 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B 7/08 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
36/3.B ;
36/43 |
International
Class: |
A43B 7/06 20060101
A43B007/06; A43B 13/38 20060101 A43B013/38 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 6, 2006 |
FR |
0600107 |
Claims
1-13. (canceled)
14. A footwear comprising: a ventilation network distributed
between an outer sole of the footwear and an insole, and supplied
with air through lateral vents in the outer sole, the ventilation
network including: a longitudinal channel in the outer sole, formed
from the surface of the outer sole and extending from heel up to
the vicinity of the point of the sole, so as to create, on either
side of the channel and in front of the channel, an area of
weight-carrying sole that represents in total at least 50% of the
area of the sole, the channel communicating with the outside via
lateral vents in the sole, and transverse channels in the insole
formed in the underside of the insole so as to communicate directly
with the longitudinal channel of the outer sole and to conduct the
air from the longitudinal channel toward the periphery of the
insole.
15. The ventilated footwear according to claim 14, in which the
insole is removable.
16. The ventilated footwear according to claim 14, in which the
longitudinal central channel widens progressively from the heel
toward the point of the sole, and narrows toward its end to close
by a rounded part, so that the foot is supported by the sole around
the longitudinal channel.
17. The ventilated footwear according to claim 14, in which the
heel of the outer sole includes a chamber formed around a central
part of the sole that is not hollowed out, so as to support the
weight of the heel, the chamber being supplied with air via lateral
vents in the heel.
18. The ventilated footwear according to claim 17, in which the
chamber communicates with the longitudinal channel.
19. The ventilated footwear according to claim 17, in which the
chamber is open in the direction of the insole.
20. The ventilated footwear according to claim 18, in which the
chamber is open in the direction of the insole.
21. The ventilated footwear according to claim 14, in which the
insole and its channels are formed by molding.
22. The ventilated footwear according to claim 14, further
comprising a semi-permeable material located in the path of the
ventilation air so as to stop water while still allowing the air to
pass.
23. The ventilated footwear according to claim 22, in which the
material is located in the lateral vents.
24. The ventilated footwear according to claim 22, in which the
material is a coating applied onto the inner contour of the chamber
and/or of the longitudinal channel ventilated in the outer
sole.
25. The ventilated footwear according to claim 14, in which the
vents are capable of receiving, in a captive manner, hollow studs
that are used for attachment of two non-slip parts, to be attached
respectively under the outer sole, in a region of the ball of the
foot and in a region of the heel of the foot.
26. The ventilated footwear according to claim 25, in which the two
non-slip parts are U-shaped and have a wing fitted with studs and
an opposite wing fitted with a small projection for attachment to
the top of the outer sole.
27. The ventilated footwear according to claim 14, in which the
insole is made of semi-rigid foam covered with a comfort layer.
Description
[0001] The invention relates to a footwear with a ventilated
sole.
[0002] For a long time, people have sought to ventilate the inside
of a footwear by means of a ventilation network formed in the sole
so as to distribute outside air under the foot, supplied through
appropriate vents in the sole.
[0003] The TH.GRIMMEISEN company has been a pioneer in this field
(French patent 1 295 561 filed on 28 Apr. 1961).
[0004] Due to its nature, the design of a ventilation network gives
rise to a certain number of problems: [0005] leading the air to the
most appropriate places and in a sufficient quantity; [0006] not
weakening the strength of the sole; [0007] maintaining effective
support for the foot; [0008] not creating a problem for the arch of
the foot; [0009] not making manufacture a costly operation.
[0010] Many solutions have been proposed, without succeeding to
simultaneously solve these various problems (FR 82 02 541, FR 86 04
692, FR 88 00 850, EP 1 093 729, WO 2004/037031, FR 91 10 484, EP 1
369 048).
[0011] The objective of the present invention is to provide an
overall solution to the problems of ventilation.
[0012] This is achieved according to the invention with a footwear
in which the ventilation network is distributed between the outer
sole of the footwear and an insole and supplied with air through
lateral vents in the outer sole, characterised in that the
ventilation network in the outer sole includes a longitudinal
channel formed from the area of the outer sole, stretching from the
heel up to close to the point of the sole, so as to preserve, on
either side of the channel and in front of the channel, an area of
weight-bearing sole that represents in total at least 50% of the
area of the sole, this channel communicating with the outside
through lateral vents in the sole, and in that in the insole, the
ventilation network includes transverse channels formed in the
underside of the insole so as to communicate directly with the
longitudinal channel of the outer sole and to conduct the air from
this channel toward the periphery of the insole.
[0013] In preferred embodiments, the footwear also has one or more
of the following characteristics: [0014] the longitudinal channel
of the outer sole widens progressively from the heel toward the
point of the sole, and narrows in the vicinity of its end to close
in a rounded part; [0015] the heel of the outer sole includes a
chamber composed of recesses formed around a central sole part that
is not hollowed, so as to support the weight of the heel; [0016]
the insole is created by moulding complete with its channels;
[0017] a semi-permeable material is inserted in the path of the
ventilating air, in order to stop dampness while allowing passage
of the air; [0018] said material is located in the air intakes;
[0019] said material is a coating applied onto the inner contour of
the chamber and/or of the longitudinal channel of the outer
sole.
[0020] An exemplary embodiment of a footwear according to the
invention will now be described with reference to the attached
figures, in which:
[0021] FIG. 1 is a side view of a footwear for the right foot, seen
from the right side;
[0022] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the footwear of FIG. 1;
[0023] FIGS. 3 and 4 are views in perspective of two removable
non-slip accessories for attachment to the sole;
[0024] FIG. 5 is a view of the sole of the footwear of FIG. 1
equipped with the non-slip accessories;
[0025] FIG. 6 is a view from above in perspective of the outer sole
seen from the right side of the footwear;
[0026] FIG. 7 is a view in profile of the insole and of the outer
sole, and
[0027] FIG. 8 is a view from above in perspective from the left
side of the footwear.
[0028] FIG. 1 shows a footwear 1 of which the outer sole 2 and the
upper 3 can be seen. The outer sole is manufactured with a chamber
4 in the heel and a longitudinal channel that extends from the
chamber to the forepart.
[0029] In the illustrated case, the chamber (FIGS. 2 and 6) forms
four cavities 4 distributed around a central part 5 which is not
hollowed in order to support the heel, and the single channel 6
extends longitudinally from the chamber up to vicinity of the end
of the sole, firstly widening progressively in a cambered part of
the sole and then narrowing progressively until it ends in a
rounded manner in the front part of the sole.
[0030] Lateral holes 7, 8 are formed in the heel so that they open
into the chamber 4, and in the side of the outer sole so that they
open into the longitudinal channel 6.
[0031] On its underside, the removable insole 9 has channels 10
that traverse the sole crosswise until they end in notches at the
longitudinal sides of the sole.
[0032] These channels, which are created by moulding with the sole
and open toward the outer sole add to the flexibility of the sole
and provide a passage for the air from the chamber and from the
longitudinal channel of the outer sole toward the sides of the
sole. The vents 7, 8 are able to accommodate, in a captive manner
in this example, hollow studs 11, 12 that are used for the
attachment of two non-slip parts 13, 14 to be attached respectively
under the outer sole, in the region of the forepart and in the
region of the heel.
[0033] These parts are U-shaped and have a wing fitted with studs
and an opposite wing fitted with a small projection 15, 16 for
attachment to the top of the outer sole, possibly in suitable
notches, as can be seen in FIG. 8.
[0034] The insole, of semi-rigid material, preferably includes no
means of ventilation other than the transverse channels, and in
particular does not include holes that pass through the thickness
of the sole.
[0035] This sole is made from semi-rigid foam for example, covered
with a comfort layer.
[0036] In order to prevent the entry of water into the footwear, a
material which is permeable to air but impermeable to water is used
as a membrane in the passages 7, 8 or as a coating for the inner
contour of the chamber and of the channel in the outer sole.
[0037] This material, which is known in its own right, and can be
Gor-Tex.TM. for example, has not been shown in the figures.
[0038] The invention is not limited to the embodiment that has just
been described.
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