U.S. patent application number 12/445513 was filed with the patent office on 2010-04-15 for shoe with separable sole and upper.
Invention is credited to David Paolo Spinelli.
Application Number | 20100088927 12/445513 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38814293 |
Filed Date | 2010-04-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100088927 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Spinelli; David Paolo |
April 15, 2010 |
SHOE WITH SEPARABLE SOLE AND UPPER
Abstract
Shoe with a separable sole and upper, wherein the sole (1)
features an upper surface (2) on which a plurality of tubular
elements (4) are applied so as to be distanced from one another
with a predetermined value, wherein the upper (7) features a lower
surface (6) on which a plurality of tubular elements (8) are
applied so as to be distanced from one another with a predetermined
value, wherein the upper (7) is associable to the sole (1) by
positioning the lower surface (6) of upper (7) on the upper surface
(2) of sole (1) and by inserting the tubular elements (8) of upper
(7) among the tubular elements (4) of sole (1), wherein the upper
(7) is reversibly anchored to the sole (1) by passing a thread (9)
into the tubular elements of the sole and of the upper after
positioning said upper on the sole, characterized in that said
tubular elements applied on sole (1) are positioned in an open
annular disposition with two tubular elements (40,41) each
positioned in correspondence of a respective end of said open
annular disposition and communicating with a housing (200) in which
handling means for moving the thread (9) are disposed and act.
Inventors: |
Spinelli; David Paolo;
(Torrita di Siena, IT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MCGLEW & TUTTLE, PC
P.O. BOX 9227, SCARBOROUGH STATION
SCARBOROUGH
NY
10510-9227
US
|
Family ID: |
38814293 |
Appl. No.: |
12/445513 |
Filed: |
July 30, 2007 |
PCT Filed: |
July 30, 2007 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/IT2007/000546 |
371 Date: |
April 14, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
36/101 ;
36/15 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B 13/36 20130101;
A43B 3/24 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
36/101 ;
36/15 |
International
Class: |
A43B 3/24 20060101
A43B003/24; A43C 13/00 20060101 A43C013/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 10, 2006 |
IT |
FI2006U000066 |
Claims
1. A shoe, comprising: a separable sole and upper, wherein the sole
features an upper surface on which a plurality of tubular elements
are applied so as to be distanced from one another with a
predetermined value, wherein the upper comprises a lower surface on
which a plurality of tubular elements are applied so as to be
distanced from one another with a predetermined value, wherein the
upper is associable to the sole by positioning the lower surface of
upper on the upper surface of sole and by inserting the tubular
elements of upper among the tubular elements of sole, wherein the
upper is reversibly anchored to the sole by passing a thread into
the tubular elements of the sole and of the upper after positioning
said upper on the sole, wherein said tubular elements applied on
sole are positioned in an open annular disposition with two tubular
elements each positioned in correspondence of a respective end of
said open annual disposition and communicating with a housing in
which handling means for moving the thread are disposed and
act.
2. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein said handling means for the
thread are operable from the exterior of the shoe.
3. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein said housing is a
depression of sole adjacent to said upper surface.
4. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein said housing is internal to
said open annular disposition.
5. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein said handling means of
thread are normally braked or frictioned.
6. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein said thread handling means
comprise a reel on which said thread is wound.
7. A shoe according to claim 6, wherein said reel comprises two
throats delimited by three disc surfaces which are parallel to one
another and orthogonal to the reel axis, the intermediate disc
surface exhibiting a radial interruption.
8. A shoe according to claim 6, wherein said reel comprises a
knurled edge in correspondence to the third disc, that is to say in
a position underneath the lower throat.
9. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein each of said throats is
positioned at the height of a corresponding end tube of the open
circuit presented by the sole.
10. A shoe according to claim 6, wherein the upper disc and the
lower disc comprise respective axial surfaces acting as pins which
can be housed in corresponding seats presented by the lower surface
of upper and of sole in correspondence to said depression.
11. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein the clockwise and
anticlockwise rotation of reel determines the forward motion of
said thread into the series of tubes and vice-versa its backward
motion.
12. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein said handling means for
thread can be operated from the interior of the shoe.
13. A shoe according to claim 12, wherein said handling means of
thread comprise a reel on which thread can be wound, featuring said
reel a portion which can be engaged by a tool so that it can be
operated from the interior of the shoe.
14. A shoe according to claim 7, wherein each of said throats is
positioned at the height of a corresponding end tube of the open
circuit presented by the sole.
15. A shoe according to claim 6, wherein the clockwise and
anticlockwise rotation of reel determines the forward motion of
said thread into the series of tubes and vice-versa its backward
motion.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to shoe with separable sole
and upper.
[0002] In particular, a shoe according to the present invention is
of the type in which the sole and the upper are reversibly attached
to each other by means of a coupling device which allows their
stable association during the assembly phase and during their use,
and, when required or desired, also their separation.
[0003] The main aim of the present invention is to propose a shoe
with a separable sole and upper particularly easy to realize and to
use without compromising the stability of the coupling between the
sole and the upper.
[0004] This result has been achieved, according to the invention,
by adopting the idea of making a shoe having the characteristics
disclosed in claim 1. Further features of the present invention are
the subject of the dependent claims.
[0005] Thanks to the present invention, it is possible to
manufacture a shoe of the type mentioned above, in which the
assembling and disassembling operations of the shoe, that is to say
the joining and the separation of the sole with respect to the
upper are remarkably simplified so as to enhance the advantages of
this type of shoe, as regards both production and the end
user-utilization. Moreover, it is possible to ensure a perfect
holding of the sole to the upper in any employment condition.
Furthermore, the manufacture of the shoe is simplified and this
contributes to the reduction of its whole cost.
[0006] These and other advantages and characteristics of the
present invention will be best understood by anyone skilled in this
technical field from a reading of the following description in
conjunction with the attached drawings given as a practical example
of the invention, but not to be considered in a limited sense,
wherein:
[0007] FIG. 1 is a perspective top view of a sole for a shoe
according to the present invention;
[0008] FIG. 2 is an enlarged detail of FIG. 1;
[0009] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a handling reel for the
thread which joins the sole to the upper;
[0010] FIG. 4 shows a sole detail, with a knurled portion of the
reel of FIG. 3 jutting out of the front side of the heel;
[0011] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of an upper for a shoe
according to the present invention;
[0012] FIG. 6 shows a schematic partially sectioned perspective
view of a shoe according to the present invention, in which the
sole and the upper are attached to each other;
[0013] FIG. 7 is another view of the reel shown in FIG. 3 in which
it is possible to see the thread destined to join the sole to the
upper;
[0014] FIGS. 8-12 show a further embodiment of a shoe according to
the present invention.
[0015] The attached drawings show a sole (1) which features an
upper surface (2) whose profile is delimited by a raised edge (3).
Said surface (2) exhibits a depression (10) inside which a
plurality of tubular elements (4,40,41) are disposed along a
circuit or path which basically reproduces the sole profile inside
the area delimited by the edge (3). Said tubular elements are
distanced from one another with a predetermined value so that an
empty space is provided between each couple of adjacent tubular
elements.
[0016] In other terms, said tubular elements are positioned in a
basically annular open disposition inside and in proximity to edge
(3) of sole (1), in correspondence of a depression (10) presented
by the upper surface (2) of the sole, so as to form a sort of
annular toothing, with two ends (40,41) of the so formed ring which
are communicating with a depression (200), the latter being
provided on the upper face (2) of the sole and positioned inside
said ring (in the example, nearly in correspondence of the heel
area). In practice, according to example shown in the drawings, two
tubular elements (40,41) positioned at the two ends of the open
annular succession of tubular elements have a side which is
internal to the aforementioned annular depression (10) and a side
turned towards depression (200) provided on the upper face (2) of
sole (1), so that depression (10) and depression (200) are made
communicating with each other through said end tubular elements
(40) and (41). In this way, it is obtained an open annular
succession consisting of tubular elements positioned inside the
sole and communicating with a depression which, in turn, is
provided inside the area delimited by the open annular succession
of tubular elements.
[0017] With reference to the example shown in FIGS. 1-3 and 7, said
depression (200) communicates with the exterior of the sole by
means of a corresponding window (201). According to the example
shown in FIG. 4, said window is provided on the front side of the
heel (11).
[0018] A reel (5) having a vertical axis (x-x) is housed in said
depression (200). Said reel (5) features two throats (50,50')
delimited by three disc surfaces (51,52,53) which are parallel to
one another and orthogonal to the reel axis (x-x). The said reel
exhibits a knurled edge (53') in correspondence of the third disc
(53), that is to say in a position underneath the lower throat
(50'). The intermediate surface (52) features a radial interruption
(54). A thread (9), whose function is described in the following,
is wound on throats (50,50') of the reel (5). The aforementioned
interruption (54) is apt to hold the thread (9) on the reel and to
move it as described more in detail in the following. In practice,
the thread (9) is wound in part in the first throat (50) and in
part in the second throat (50') and features a portion (90) which
passes through the said radial interruption (54).
[0019] Moreover, each of said throats (50,50') is positioned at the
height of a corresponding end tube (40,41) of the open tubular
circuit (4,40,41) presented by the sole (1).
[0020] The upper disc (51) and the lower disc (53) feature
respective axial extensions (510,530) which act as pins which can
be housed in corresponding seats presented by the lower surface (6)
of upper (7) and by sole (1) in correspondence to the
aforementioned depression (200).
[0021] For example, reel (5) can be braked by means of a ring made
of friction material (shown in FIG. 12) which acts on the lower
face (532) of the disc (53), positioned in depression (200) below
the disc (53). In FIG. 12 said friction ring is marked by reference
"531". According to the example shown in the attached drawings, the
reel (5) is housed in the seat defined by depression (200) so that
a part of the knurled edge (53') is outside and beyond said window
(200) in order to allow the manual rotation of reel (5) about axis
(x-x) from the exterior of the sole.
[0022] In correspondence of its external edge, the lower surface
(6) of the upper (7) features a corresponding succession of tubular
elements (8) which are also annularly disposed and distanced from
one another by a predetermined value so as to form a sort of
annular toothing with tubular teeth.
[0023] The annular profile defined by the tubular elements of the
upper (7) is identical to the annular profile defined by the
tubular elements (4) of the sole (1) and it presents an
interruption (zone without tubular elements 8) in correspondence to
the end points (40,41) of the profile defined by the tubular
elements of the sole (1).
[0024] The thread (9) is used to associate the sole (1) to the
upper (7). The said thread, for example, can be made of plastic
material, such as PVC or similar materials and it is passed through
tubular elements (4,40,41,8) of sole (1) and respectively of upper
(7). As further disclosed in the following, the movement of the
thread (9) through said tubular elements (4,40,41,8) is determined
by the rotation of the reel (5) about the axis (x-x).
[0025] With reference to the example shown in FIGS. 8-12, the reel
(5) can be operated from the interior of the shoe instead of being
operated from the exterior as in the example described above. For
this purpose, the upper axial extension (510) features an axial
cavity (512) which can be engaged by a tool such as an allen key
(CB). By using the reel (5) shown in the FIGS. 8-12, the upper
features a corresponding opening which allows the intervention of
tool (CB).
[0026] To assemble the shoe, the upper (7) is positioned on the
sole (1) so that each tubular element (8) is disposed into
depression (10) on the upper part of sole (1) between two tubular
elements (4) of the sole, so as to obtain a basically continuous
tubular structure which has the profile of an open annular figure
(as elements 40 and 41 are in communication with the depression
200). Moreover, the aforementioned annular figure is wholly
internal to said depression (10) and hidden if viewed from the
raised edge (3) of sole (1). As thread (9) is wound on reel (5) as
previously mentioned, by rotating it (with reference to the first
example, by simply intervening on the knurled part 53' jutting out
from window 201 which is provided in the heel; with reference to
the second example, by intervening on extension 510 by means of an
allen key CB and by acting from the interior of the shoe) the two
portions of thread (9) wound on throats (50,50') are pushed forward
as indicated by arrows "F" in FIG. 7 and, by passing through
elements (40) and 41, they run through the whole circuit defined by
the succession of tubular elements (4,8).
[0027] In this way, sole (1) and upper (7) are perfectly anchored
to each other. To separate the sole from the upper, the reel (5) is
rotated in the reverse direction with respect to the previous one,
so that the thread (9) is pulled backward, as indicated by arrows
"G" in FIG. 7 and after having passed through the tubular elements
(4,8), it rewinds onto the reel and assumes the initial
configuration.
[0028] Obviously its length allows thread (9) to run through the
whole circuit (4,8, 40,41) when one wishes to attach the sole to
the upper, without hindering the unthreading when one wishes to
disassemble the shoe. More particularly, the length of thread (9)
is such that, when the thread is completely wound and the
separation of the sole from the upper is allowed, the free ends of
said two portions are inside tubes (40) and (41) which, therefore,
function as guide and housing elements for the thread ends.
[0029] In the example shown in the attached drawings, said end
tubes (40,41) feature a curvilinear axis and their convexity is
turned towards edge (3) of sole (1).
[0030] The tubular elements (4,10,41) of sole (1) are connected to
one another by means of a base track (42) which is stuck on the
bottom of said depression (10) during the manufacturing phase of
shoe (1).
[0031] Similarly, the tubular elements (8) of upper (7) are
connected to one another by means of a base track (80) which is
sewn on the perimeter of said surface (6) during the manufacturing
phase of the upper.
[0032] Both the tubular elements (4,40,41) of sole (1) and the
tubular elements of upper (7) as well as their respective anchorage
tracks (42,80) can be made of plastic material by means of
conventional pressing processes.
[0033] However, said tubular elements (4, 40,41,8) are obviously
applicable to the sole and to the upper in any other suitable
way.
[0034] A shoe according to the present invention is of the type
with a separable sole and upper, wherein the sole (1) features an
upper surface (2) on which a plurality of tubular elements (4) are
applied so as to be distanced from one another with a predetermined
value, wherein the upper (7) features a lower surface (6) on which
a plurality of tubular elements (8) are applied so as to be
distanced from one another with a predetermined value, wherein the
upper (7) is associable to the sole (1) by positioning the lower
surface (6) of upper (7) on the upper surface (2) of sole (1) and
by inserting the tubular elements (8) of upper (7) among the
tubular elements (4) of sole (1), wherein the upper (7) is
reversibly anchored to the sole (1) by passing a thread (9) into
the tubular elements of the sole and of the upper after positioning
said upper on the sole, and wherein said tubular elements applied
on sole (1) are positioned in an open annular disposition with two
tubular elements (40,41) each positioned in correspondence of a
respective end of said open annular disposition and communicating
with a housing (200) in which handling means for thread (9) are
disposed and act.
[0035] Practically speaking, in any case, execution details can
vary equally, regardless of the shape, dimensions, disposition of
elements and materials used, without, moreover, exceeding the
parameters of the idea for the adopted solution and thus remaining
within the limits of the tutelage accorded by the present
patent.
* * * * *