U.S. patent application number 12/741650 was filed with the patent office on 2010-10-21 for semi-finished monoblock for cold weather footwear moulded with two or more materials and directly with internal insole.
This patent application is currently assigned to AL.PI.S.R.L.. Invention is credited to Demetrio Biancucci, Alfredo Brasca.
Application Number | 20100263239 12/741650 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40290024 |
Filed Date | 2010-10-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100263239 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Biancucci; Demetrio ; et
al. |
October 21, 2010 |
SEMI-FINISHED MONOBLOCK FOR COLD WEATHER FOOTWEAR MOULDED WITH TWO
OR MORE MATERIALS AND DIRECTLY WITH INTERNAL INSOLE
Abstract
The present invention concerns the footwear industry and more
specifically it concerns a semi-finished monoblock for cold weather
footwear. The monoblock is made with two or more materials and
directly moulded to an internal insulating insole and subsequently
glued or moulded to an external sole. The external sole is chosen
according to the aesthetic and functional requirements of the user.
The present invention produces a cold weather shoe with functional
and aesthetic characteristics that are better than those currently
available on the market and with the possibility for them to be
moulded also with the accessories required by the relevant
legislation covering the specific use designated for the particular
cold weather shoe.
Inventors: |
Biancucci; Demetrio;
(Civitanova Marche, IT) ; Brasca; Alfredo;
(Civitanova Marche, IT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
EGBERT LAW OFFICES
412 MAIN STREET, 7TH FLOOR
HOUSTON
TX
77002
US
|
Assignee: |
AL.PI.S.R.L.
Civitanova Marche
IT
|
Family ID: |
40290024 |
Appl. No.: |
12/741650 |
Filed: |
January 12, 2009 |
PCT Filed: |
January 12, 2009 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP2009/000106 |
371 Date: |
July 6, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
36/30R ;
36/43 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B 13/41 20130101;
A43B 13/12 20130101; B29D 35/142 20130101; A43B 7/12 20130101; A43B
7/34 20130101; A43B 7/32 20130101; A43B 13/026 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
36/30.R ;
36/43 |
International
Class: |
A43B 13/12 20060101
A43B013/12; A43B 13/38 20060101 A43B013/38 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 16, 2008 |
IT |
MC2008000008 |
Claims
1. Semi-finished monoblock for cold weather footwear for the
purpose of providing effective insulation and waterproofing of the
foot wherein said monoblock is moulded with two or more materials
directly to the internal insole so as to guarantee total insulation
and waterproofing of its interior.
2. Semi-finished monoblock for cold weather footwear as claimed in
claim 1 characterised by the fact that the two or more materials
with which said monoblock is moulded have been chosen in function
of the specific aesthetic and technical characteristics required by
the use of the cold weather shoe, adopting for the external part of
the monoblock materials determined by the various aesthetic
requirements and for the internal part of the monoblock insulating
materials in order to guarantee the thermal insulation of the
foot.
3. Semi-finished monoblock for cold weather footwear as claimed in
claim 1 and characterised by the fact that the two or more
materials with which said monoblock has been made enable the said
semi-finished monoblock to be glued or moulded to an external sole
the tread configuration of which may be chosen in function of the
aesthetic or functional requirements for which the cold weather
shoe is to be used.
4. Semi-finished monoblock for cold weather footwear as claimed in
claim 1, characterised by the fact that its direct moulding to the
internal insole determines cost savings in terms of other accessory
materials and reduces production time by eliminating the strobel
stitching phase.
5. Semi-finished monoblock for cold weather footwear as claimed in
claim 1, characterised by the fact that its direct moulding with
the internal insole improves the insulation function and guarantees
the total waterproofing of the invention.
6. Semi-finished monoblock for cold weather footwear as claimed in
claim 1, characterised by the fact that it can be directly moulded
with special technical devices such as those for accident
prevention envisaged for safety footwear, such as a reinforced or
crush-resistant toe cap or an anti-perforation insole or other
device, so as to enable considerable savings in the production
costs of the finished product.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS
[0001] Not applicable.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not applicable.
NAMES OF PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT Not applicable.
REFERENCE TO AN APPENDIX SUBMITTED ON COMPACT DISC Not
applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] 1. Field of the Invention
[0004] The present invention concerns the footwear industry. More
specifically, it concerns a semi-finished monoblock for cold
weather footwear made with two or more materials and directly
moulded to an internal insulating insole and subsequently glued or
moulded to an external sole. The sole is chosen according to the
aesthetic and functional requirements of the user and in such a way
as to produce a cold weather shoe with functional and aesthetic
characteristics that are better than those currently available on
the market and with the possibility for them to be moulded also
with the accessories required by the relevant legislation covering
the specific use for which the cold weather shoe has been
configured.
[0005] 2. Description of Related Art Including Information
Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98.
[0006] Shoes that are used in cold climates generally include a
semi-finished element, called a monoblock, the interior of which is
then insulated in order to protect the foot from low
temperatures.
[0007] The aforementioned semi-finished monoblock, to the upper
part of which the leg of the shoe upper is applied, or it is glued
to a sole made of a different material from the insulating
semi-finished element or it is directly moulded to the sole,
fitting different materials within its interior in order to
increase the foot's protection from the cold outside.
[0008] If, on the one hand, the aforementioned semi-finished
monoblock of a cold weather shoe guarantees the insulation of its
own interior, on the other it conditions and limits the
configuration of the shoe which depends on the type of insulating
material with which it has been made.
[0009] In fact, although on the one hand the direct moulding of the
sole to the monoblock guarantees effective waterproofing, on the
other it limits the choice of the type of tread, since the tread
sole is an integral part of the mould. With a view to avoiding the
aforementioned problem, the current method employed is to use a
semi-finished monoblock that is moulded in one material only,
devoid of bottom or tread sole to which an insole is inserted with
a special type of stitching technically known as a strobel stitch.
The semifinished monoblock thus obtained is subsequently glued to a
tread sole and then finished off with the application on its upper
part of the leg of the upper.
[0010] The aforementioned second type of monoblock is conditional
on the single material with which it is moulded and by the choice
of the insulating materials which obstruct the realisation of
excellent finishes of the cold weather shoe.
[0011] Another problem with the aforementioned type of monoblock is
that it must be stitched to an internal insole which, in addition
to involving an additional production cost, does not guarantee
total waterproofing and insulation of the foot, for which reason a
further hygienic insole or fusbett has to be inserted inside the
aforementioned monoblock.
[0012] Another problem of both of the aforementioned types of
semi-finished monoblocks available on the market today is that the
choice of the materials is made either with a view to obtaining
good insulation, to the detriment of the shoe's aesthetic
appearance, or with a view to obtaining good physical-mechanical
characteristics, to the detriment, in the latter case, of the
insulation. So, it is not possible today to obtain a monoblock for
cold weather footwear that provides both excellent insulation and
an aesthetic appearance to suit the user's taste.
[0013] The above-described monoblocks for cold weather footwear do
not appear to be protected by any kind of intellectual property
right, the only one found by the applicant company being U.S. Pat.
No. 5,802,740(A), published on 8 Sep. 1998, which in any case
claims a method for insulating the foot from water that is totally
different from the one claimed by the present patent.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] It is this patentable subject-matter resolving the problems
referred to by proposing a semi-finished monoblock for cold weather
footwear moulded with two or more materials, each of which having
its own characteristics, both aesthetic and technical, so as to
provide the shoe with improved functionality and versatility.
[0015] Further, this invention has the aim of providing a
semi-finished monoblock for cold weather footwear moulded directly
with the internal insole in order to make it totally waterproof and
perfectly insulated, eliminating the need for the hygienic insole
or fusbett and its strobel stitching, thereby simplifying the
production process and reducing the cost of production of the cold
weather shoe.
[0016] Further, this invention has the aim of providing a
semi-finished monoblock for cold weather footwear, the
configuration and functionality of which no longer depend on the
insulating material with which the monoblock has been moulded.
[0017] Further, this invention has the aim of providing a
semi-finished monoblock for cold weather footwear that can directly
accommodate within its interior during the moulding phase specific
technical devices such as the accident-prevention devices envisaged
by the safety standards laid down for safety footwear. This allows
considerable savings in their production costs.
[0018] Further, this invention has the aim of providing a
semi-finished monoblock for cold weather footwear that can isolate
and insulate all sides of the foot, the realisation of which takes
place directly during the moulding phase alone.
[0019] Not the last patentable subject-matter is to obtain a
semi-finished monoblock for cold weather footwear with better
technical, aesthetic and functional characteristics than those
presently available on the market.
[0020] These and other objects are achieved according to the
invention that is the object of the present application which
concerns a semi-finished monoblock for cold weather footwear
moulded with two or more materials chosen for their specific
aesthetic, technical and functional characteristics which allow the
direct moulding to an internal insole so as to guarantee total
insulation and waterproofing of its interior and the subsequent
gluing or moulding of the monoblock with its moulded internal
insole to the external sole. The choice of tread material and
configuration for which may be made by the user on the basis of
his/her aesthetic and functional requirements with regard to
resistance, abrasion, better grip, lighter weight etc. according to
the conditions to which the shoe is likely to be exposed.
[0021] According to the specific use of the shoe, such as for
example safety footwear, the invention that is object of the
present application presents the variation of permitting the
monoblock to be moulded directly with the accessories required by
accident-prevention legislation for safety footwear, such as the
fitting of reinforced or crush-resistant toe caps or of an internal
anti-perforation insole.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] Further features and advantages of the invention shall be
better understood from the description of a preferred but not
exclusive embodiment of the present application, illustrated by way
of indicative but non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings
in which:
[0023] FIG. 1 shows a side cross-section of the monoblock that is
the object of the present application;
[0024] FIG. 2 is a side view of the semi-finished monoblock
detached from the external bottom and from the leg of the
upper;
[0025] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the finished cold weather
shoe.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0026] The invention that is the object of the present application
is a semi-finished monoblock (1) for cold weather footwear (9)
moulded with two or more materials that, depending on the use for
which the said type of shoe is configured, may be equipped directly
also with accessories that improve its performance and that are
envisaged by the appropriate accident-prevention legislation
required, for example, for safety footwear.
[0027] Two materials are usually employed to make the monoblock,
but more than two may be used and they may be chosen for each part
of the monoblock. Thus in the internal part of the monoblock, the
material (2) chosen will have the characteristic of being an
expanded and/or insulating type of material in order to isolate the
foot from the harsh external temperatures, while for its external
part materials (4/a) and (4/b) with aesthetic and technical
characteristics will be chosen in order to facilitate its
assembling to the tread sole (3) of the monoblock (1), for the
moulding of which harder or softer materials will be employed
depending on the use for which the finished product is configured,
or that guarantee the specific characteristics required by the
final use of the shoe (9).
[0028] The insulation of the semi-finished monoblock (1) is ensured
by the insulating materials (2) moulded inside it that totally
envelop the foot in order to guarantee the total waterproofing of
its interior.
[0029] The external sole (3) with its tread (10), for which the
materials most suitable for obtaining the specific characteristics
required for its final use will be chosen, is then glued or moulded
to the semi-finished monoblock (1) moulded directly with its
internal insole (7).
[0030] The semi-finished monoblock (1) of this invention also
provides for the possibility of being directly equipped with the
accessories required by the accident-prevention legislation for
safety footwear, such as an anti-perforation insole (6) or a
reinforced, crush-resistant toe cap (5).
[0031] Using various types of fastening (gluing, stitching,
welding, etc.) the top leg of the upper (8) is fitted on the
monoblock (1) with a view to obtaining the cold weather shoe (9)
composed of its three main elements: the leg (8) which is the
uppermost part of the shoe, the external sole (3) with its tread
(10), and the semifinished monoblock (1) as described above.
[0032] The materials and the dimensions of the invention as further
illustrated in the accompanying drawings and later claimed, may be
varied according to requirements. Moreover, all the details may be
replaced by other technically equivalent ones without for this
reason straying from the protective scope of the present invention
patent application.
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