U.S. patent application number 13/502126 was filed with the patent office on 2012-09-13 for method for natural adapting the outline of footwear made of a deformable material.
Invention is credited to Demetrio Biancucci, Alfredo Brasca.
Application Number | 20120227290 13/502126 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42270212 |
Filed Date | 2012-09-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120227290 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Brasca; Alfredo ; et
al. |
September 13, 2012 |
METHOD FOR NATURAL ADAPTING THE OUTLINE OF FOOTWEAR MADE OF A
DEFORMABLE MATERIAL
Abstract
A method for naturally adapting the outline of a footwear sole
made of a deformable material is described. A sole with modified
profile obtained according to the method and a basic kit for
partially carrying out said method are also described.
Inventors: |
Brasca; Alfredo; (Civitanova
Marche, IT) ; Biancucci; Demetrio; (Civitanova
Marche, IT) |
Family ID: |
42270212 |
Appl. No.: |
13/502126 |
Filed: |
October 27, 2010 |
PCT Filed: |
October 27, 2010 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/IT10/00433 |
371 Date: |
May 25, 2012 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
36/25R ; 12/103;
12/146B |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B 3/26 20130101; A43D
3/1425 20130101; A43D 999/00 20130101; A43B 13/16 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
36/25.R ;
12/146.B; 12/103 |
International
Class: |
A43D 5/00 20060101
A43D005/00; A43B 13/14 20060101 A43B013/14; A43D 8/00 20060101
A43D008/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 27, 2009 |
IT |
AN2009A000080 |
Claims
1. A method for controllably modifying an the outline of a footwear
sole made of a deformable material, the method comprising: forming
at least one opening in the footwear sole to be modified; applying
a measured pair of forces acting along the same direction but in
opposite senses to opposite sides of said at least one opening, to
cause an elastic deformation of said at least one opening and a
desired modification of the outline of the footwear sole; and
applying an insert to the footwear sole, said insert being
configured to completely cover said opening under deformation in
order to stabilize the modified outline of the sole.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one
opening is a single opening in a front portion of the sole, the
front portion being a portion opposite to the heel.
3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the forces are applied
to opposite sides of said opening in the front portion of the sole,
said forces having a common direction transverse to a longitudinal
axis of the footwear sole.
4. The method according to claim 3, wherein a single force of said
forces is directed toward the outside of a respective side of the
footwear sole.
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said pair of forces are
applied by introducing the foot into the footwear.
6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said pair of forces are
applied by introducing a shoe tree into the footwear.
7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said insert is applied
onto a bottom surface of the footwear sole, said bottom surface
being the surface intended to contact the ground.
8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said insert is made of
the same material as the sole.
9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said insert is made of
a material different from that of the sole.
10. A footwear sole modified according to the method of claim 2,
wherein the opening formed in the front portion of the sole has an
elongated form in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of
said footwear sole.
11. The footwear sole according to claim 6, further comprising an
annular step formed at said opening, said insert being able to be
fitted inside said annular step.
12. The footwear sole according to claim 11, wherein said annular
step is formed on a bottom surface of the sole.
13. A basic for performing the applying and manufacturing steps of
the method according to claim 1, comprising a sole in which a
suitable opening has already been formed, and a corresponding
insert.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to the footwear manufacturing
field.
[0002] As is known to those skilled in the art, during the footwear
manufacturing process firstly the sole is produced and then the
upper is mounted onto it.
[0003] The provision of the soles, however, nearly always
constitutes a problem since, owing to the need to manufacture shoes
of different types, it is required to provide soles which, for the
same length, have a different foot-sole width. This means that it
is required to keep a large number of soles in stock.
[0004] The main object of the invention is to provide the ability
of modifying simply and rapidly the profile--usually the width--of
a standard sole of a given length so as to adapt it to the needs
arising in a given moment, i.e. a method particularly suited for
made-to-measure shoes where, once a length measurement has been
determined, the sole may be applied to a different size of
foot-sole without having to use soles specifically made to suit the
foot size, and avoiding also applying the same sole to a shoe with
a different size of right-hand foot and left-hand foot.
[0005] To this aim, the present invention proposes a method for
naturally modifying the outline of a footwear sole made of a
deformable material, characterized in that it comprises:
[0006] a first manufacturing step in which at least one suitable
opening is formed in the sole to be modified;
[0007] a second manufacturing step in which a pair of forces acting
along the same direction but in opposite senses are applied to
opposite sides of said opening, for example by introducing the foot
or a shoe tree into the footwear, so as to cause an elastic
deformation thereof and, together therewith, a desired modification
of the outline of the entire sole;
[0008] and a third manufacturing step during which an insert (4) is
applied to the sole, said insert being made so as to completely
cover said opening (3) under deformation in order to stabilize the
new outline of the sole (10); a sole with a modified outline (10)
obtained according to said method; and a basic kit (5) for
partially carrying out said method.
[0009] Preferably, the method according to the invention includes
forming only one opening in the front portion of the sole, i.e. in
the portion opposite to the heel, and applying said pair of forces
transversely to the longitudinal axis of the sole by introducing
the foot or a shoe tree into the footwear, said forces being
directed toward the outside of the respective side of the sole so
as to cause the desired degree of widening of the latter. Still
preferably, the stabilizing insert is applied onto the bottom
surface of the sole, i.e. the surface intended to contact the
ground.
[0010] Furthermore, the present invention includes also the
provision of a basic kit comprising a sole of a given length in
which a suitable opening has already been formed, and a
corresponding stabilizing insert. Thus, this kit allows obtaining
the desired sole with a modified outline performing only the second
and third manufacturing steps of the method according to the
invention. In this way it is possible to perform the first step of
the method according to the invention in one location, for example
in a shoe factory, and the second and third steps in another
location, for example at a shoe manufacturing workshop and in
retail outlets.
[0011] These and other features and advantages of the invention
will become clear from the following detailed description of a
preferred, but non-limiting embodiment thereof, which is provided
with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
[0012] FIGS. 1a, 1b, 1c and 1d show schematically a bottom plan
view of a footwear sole as subjected to sequential manufacturing
steps according to the method of the present invention;
[0013] FIGS. 2a, 2b and 2c show a cross-sectional view, in greater
detail, of the sole according to the preceding figures during the
same steps of the method according to the invention;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a slightly perspective view of the component parts
of the basic kit according to the present invention; and
[0015] FIG. 4, finally, shows a slightly perspective bottom view of
a footwear sole modified according to the method of the
invention.
[0016] FIG. 1 a shows a standard sole whose profile is to be
changed with the method according to the invention. Said sole,
which is denoted in its entirety by reference numeral 1, is
generally made of leather or deformable material as used for the
manufacture of soles. The sole 1, which has a known length,
comprises a rear portion 101 provided with a heel 2 and, opposite
thereto, a front portion 201 with a width D.
[0017] In accordance with the first step of the method according to
the present invention (see FIG. 1b), an elongated opening 3 is
formed in the front portion 201 of the sole 1, the longitudinal
axis thereof substantially coinciding with the longitudinal axis of
said sole. Preferably, the width of said opening 3 is such as to
leave only a relatively thin strip of sole along the periphery of
said opening, except for at the end of the opening 3 directed
toward said rear portion 101 provided with the heel 2.
[0018] The second step of the method according to the present
invention is then performed (see FIG. 1c), consisting in applying
two forces F and F1 to opposite sides L and L1 of said opening,
said forces acting along the same direction but in opposite senses,
for example by introducing the foot or a shoe tree inside the shoe,
so as to cause an elastic deformation thereof and, together
therewith, a desired modification of the outline of the entire
sole. These forces F and F1 have a common direction transverse to
the opening 3, but each of them acts in a sense toward the outside
of the respective sole side. The magnitude of said opposite forces
F and F1 is such as to cause a movement away from each other of the
two sole portions L and L1 by a predetermined amount, thus
resulting in the desired degree of widening (D1) of the entire sole
and a new configuration thereof.
[0019] In order to fix definitively this new outline, it is
required to perform the third and final step of the method
according to the invention (FIG. 1d) which includes applying an
insert 4 onto the sole at the opening 3 while actively maintaining
the stretching forces F and F1, the insert having a width and a
configuration such as to cover entirely the opening. In FIG. 1d,
the finished sole with the new outline is denoted in its entirety
by reference numeral 10. Preferably, said insert 4 is applied
definitively onto the bottom surface of the sole, i.e. the surface
intended to come into contact with the ground. The insert 4 may be
made either of the same material as the sole, i.e. leather or a
similar deformable material, or of a different material.
[0020] The means for forming the opening 3, for applying the
stretching forces F and F1 and for fixing the insert 4 will be
readily apparent to and therefore within the competence of any
person skilled in the art of shoe manufacture.
[0021] The three steps for carrying out the method according to the
present invention are also shown from another viewpoint in FIGS.
2a, 2b and 2c, respectively, which also show a particular
embodiment of the sole according to the invention. In said
embodiment it is contemplated forming an annular step 103 along the
opening 3, having a depth and shape such as to accommodate
completely the insert 4.
[0022] By doing so, it is possible to ensure that the bottom
surface of the sole is virtually continuous. The actual opening 3
may be filled in any desired way.
[0023] The present invention also aims to provide a basic kit as
shown in FIG. 3 and denoted in its entirety by reference numeral 5.
This kit 5 comprises a standard sole 1 of a given length which
already has the opening 3 formed in its front portion 201, and a
corresponding stabilizing and closing insert 4. FIG. 4 shows a
modified sole 10 as manufactured using this kit 5 and by performing
sequentially the second and third steps of the method according to
the invention. In this way it is clear that the method according to
the invention can be performed partially in one location and
partially in another location, and at different times, with the
advantages arising therefrom.
[0024] Obviously, the above-mentioned kit may comprise a pair of
soles, i.e. a right-hand sole and a left-hand sole, with
corresponding inserts.
[0025] From the above, it clearly emerges that the present
invention proposes a method which is absolutely innovative and
simple to be performed, thus potentially revolutionising the
management of warehouse stocks with significant savings of invested
capital as well as simplification of the procedures.
[0026] It is understood that the present invention is not limited
to the sole embodiment described and illustrated above, but may be
subject to numerous variations and modifications without departing
from the underlying principle of the invention as claimed
below.
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