U.S. patent application number 13/963485 was filed with the patent office on 2015-02-12 for air exhaust outsole for safety footwear.
This patent application is currently assigned to LINEAR INTERNATIONAL FOOTWEAR INC.. The applicant listed for this patent is LINEAR INTERNATIONAL FOOTWEAR INC.. Invention is credited to Hayden ADAMS.
Application Number | 20150040425 13/963485 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 52447340 |
Filed Date | 2015-02-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150040425 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
ADAMS; Hayden |
February 12, 2015 |
AIR EXHAUST OUTSOLE FOR SAFETY FOOTWEAR
Abstract
An air exhaust outsole, for safety footwear having an upper with
an air permeable insole having a top insole surface for supporting
a foot of the wearer, the air exhaust outsole comprising: a
midsole, with a top midsole surface engaging a bottom insole
surface of the upper, the midsole including at least one
ventilation channel between a side midsole surface and the top
midsole surface; a puncture resistant layer with a top surface
bonded to a bottom midsole surface, the puncture resistant layer
comprising a puncture resistant core bonded about at least a
peripheral edge in a flexible coating; and a tread layer with: a
top surface bonded to a bottom surface of the puncture resistant
layer; and a bottom tread surface.
Inventors: |
ADAMS; Hayden; (Toronto,
CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
LINEAR INTERNATIONAL FOOTWEAR INC. |
Mississauga |
|
CA |
|
|
Assignee: |
LINEAR INTERNATIONAL FOOTWEAR
INC.
Mississauga
CA
|
Family ID: |
52447340 |
Appl. No.: |
13/963485 |
Filed: |
August 9, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
36/29 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B 13/026 20130101;
A43B 7/082 20130101; A43B 7/125 20130101; A43B 13/125 20130101;
A43B 7/088 20130101; A43B 13/20 20130101; A43B 7/144 20130101; A43B
13/189 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
36/29 |
International
Class: |
A43B 7/08 20060101
A43B007/08 |
Claims
1. An air exhaust outsole, for safety footwear having an upper with
an air permeable insole having a top insole surface for supporting
a foot of the wearer, the air exhaust outsole comprising: a
midsole, with a top midsole surface engaging a bottom insole
surface of the upper, the midsole including at least one
ventilation channel between a side midsole surface and the top
midsole surface; a puncture resistant layer with a top surface
bonded to a bottom midsole surface, the puncture resistant layer
comprising a puncture resistant core bonded about at least a
peripheral edge in a flexible coating; and a tread layer with: a
top surface bonded to a bottom surface of the puncture resistant
layer; and a bottom tread surface.
2. The outsole of claim 1 wherein each ventilation channel includes
an inlet port in the top insole surface and a pair of outlet ports
in opposing left and right side midsole surfaces, the inlet and
outlet ports being in communication via an internal passage formed
within the midsole.
3. The outsole of claim 2 wherein the inlet port has a central
inlet opening to the internal passage and a coaxial peripheral
recess about the inlet opening.
4. The outsole of claim 2 wherein the midsole includes a plurality
of longitudinally spaced apart ventilation channels.
5. The outsole of claim 4 wherein each inlet inlet port has an
inlet opening to the internal, passage, and wherein each inlet
opening is joined to at least one adjacent inlet opening with a
connecting groove in the top insole surface.
6. The outsole of claim 5 wherein the top insole surface includes a
ventilating groove in a ball area of the insole.
7. The outsole of claim 1 wherein the midsole comprises a flexible
compressible material.
8. The outsole of claim 7 wherein the flexible compressible
material comprises injection molded ethylene vinyl acetate
(IMEVA).
9. The outsole of claim 7 wherein the ventilation channel has an
internal passage between an inlet port in the top insole surface
and a pair of outlet ports in opposing left and right side midsole
surfaces, wherein the internal passage has a top wall that flexes
toward a bottom wall thereof under foot pressure and returns to an
initial position when foot pressure is removed, thereby alternately
decreasing and restoring an air volume within the internal passage
to pump air within the internal passage.
10. The outsole of claim 1 wherein the midsole in a heel area
includes one of: a fluid filled bag; and a compression spring.
11. The outsole of claim 2 wherein the top midsole surface includes
an air permeable water resistant membrane covering the inlet
port.
12. The outsole of claim 1 wherein the puncture resistant core
comprises one of: a puncture resistant woven fabric composite; and
a sheet metal plate.
13. The outsole of claim 12 wherein the puncture resistant woven
fabric composite comprises multiple layers of woven fabric bonded
together with a resilient, layer therebetween, and wherein the
resilient layer comprises rubber.
14. The outsole of claim 1 wherein at least one of: the puncture
resistant core; and the flexible coating, are resistant to at least
one of: electric conduction; and thermal conduction.
15. The outsole of claim 1 wherein the flexible coating covers the
bottom surface of the puncture resistant layer.
16. The outsole of claim 1 wherein the flexible coating comprises
thermoplastic urethane (TPU).
17. The outsole of claim 16 wherein the flexible coating is
transparent.
18. The outsole of claim 12 wherein the puncture resistant woven
fabric comprises threads spun from para-aramid synthetic fiber
(Kevlar.TM.).
19. The outsole of claim 1 wherein the tread layer comprises rubber
(RB).
20. The outsole of claim 16 wherein tread layer is opaque and
includes windows through which the flexible coating and puncture
resistant core are visible.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The invention relates to an air exhaust outsole for safety
footwear haying a cushioning midsole with air ventilating channels
to vent the interior of the upper, and a puncture resistant layer
beneath the midsole, to provide a puncture resistant footwear with
a ventilated upper.
BACKGROUND OF THE ART
[0002] The safe use of footwear in many working environments
requires foot protection to avoid common injuries. Protection may
include: puncture protection from sharp objects that puncture the
sole of the footwear; impact and compression resistance for the toe
area; metatarsal protection that reduces the chance of injury to
the metatarsal bones at the top of the foot; electrically
non-conductive properties which reduce hazards that may result from
static electricity buildup, or reduce the possibility of ignition
of explosives and volatile chemicals; and reduce the electric
hazard risk of stepping on a live electrical wire.
[0003] In warehouse operations, manufacturing, heavy industry and
construction, workers are required as a minimum to wear protective
footwear and head protection, fall protection harnesses and other
safety equipment. In general the employer provides, pays for or
reimburses the workers for the costs of safety equipment. Footwear
being personal and individually sized, is usually purchased by the
worker and the costs are reimbursed by the employer. Accordingly
workers exercise a high degree of personal choice over the comfort
features and fashion when selecting safety footwear.
[0004] Safety shoes and boots in particular are widely used
throughout workplaces to avoid easily preventable common foot
injuries caused by stepping on objects that can puncture the sole
of the footwear and injure the sole of the wearer's foot.
Governments have established regulations for worker safety and
footwear must comply with standard puncture resistance test such as
ASTM F241305 (American Society for Testing and Materials) and CSA
Z195 (Canadian Standards Association).
[0005] Modern protective footwear uses puncture resistant woven
fiber layers bonded with rubber or resin. Woven fabric layers use
high strength fibers, such as Kevlar.TM. fibers, spun into thread
and tightly woven to replace metal plates that were used in the
past to protect the sole of the wearer. Resilient plastic toe caps
protect the wearer's toes.
[0006] Since footwear used in the workplace is often worn all day
everyday, and since employers usually reimburse workers for the
cost of safety footwear, comfort is a paramount concern in addition
to safety and durability. Many safety footwear designs imitate the
appearance and comfort of athletic shoes or dress shoes to enhance
comfort as well as to comply with the wearer's fashion choices for
their work clothing.
[0007] Many common designs for non-safety footwear and running
shoes include ventilation of the upper to enhance wearing comfort
by circulating air through the upper portion sometimes creating air
movement through a pumping action as the wearer walks. Shoes for
nurses for example often include superior cushioning, air bags,
heel springs and ventilation for comfort due to the physical
demands of that profession. Examples of ventilated footwear are
described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,127,465 to Byrne et al and U.S. Pat.
No. 4,078,321 to Famolare.
[0008] When wearing conventional safety footwear that include
puncture protective soles, workers often experience discomfort
since the protective sole prevents the escape of heat and moisture
generated by the wearer's foot and motion. The protective sole may
also be made of materials that conduct cold more readily than other
conventional materials of the footwear. Metal plates in particular
create discomfort since the metal readily conducts cold and heat
and therefore modern safety footwear generally uses multiple
puncture resistant woven fabric layers that reduce thermal
conduction as well as electrical conduction.
[0009] Safety footwear are worn outdoors in all weather and are
worn all day everyday in many environments, so discomfort from
heat, cold, moisture, and water penetration is a serious concern.
The protective sole in safety footwear is conventionally located.
In the insole adjacent to the wearer's sole. Discomfort arises from
the use of a puncture resistant protective layer that is relatively
stiff, impedes air circulation, impedes heat dissipation, and
impedes moisture transfer that prevents adequate drying of the
insole adjacent the wearer's foot.
[0010] Accordingly, it is desirable to enhance the comfort of
safety footwear while retaining the puncture protection provided by
a puncture resistant layer.
[0011] Features that distinguish. the present invention from the
background art will be apparent from review of the disclosure,
drawings and description of the invention presented below.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
[0012] The invention provides an air exhaust outsole, for safety
footwear having an upper with an air permeable insole having a top
insole surface for supporting a foot of the wearer, the air exhaust
outsole comprising: a midsole, with a top midsole surface engaging
a bottom insole surface of the upper, the midsole including at
least one ventilation channel between a side midsole surface and
the top midsole surface; a puncture resistant layer with a top
surface bonded to a bottom midsole surface, the puncture resistant
layer comprising a puncture resistant core bonded about at least a
peripheral edge in a flexible coating; and a tread layer with a top
surface bonded to a bottom surface of the puncture resistant layer;
and a bottom tread surface.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] In order that the invention may be readily understood, one
embodiment of the invention is illustrated. by way of example in
the accompanying drawings.
[0014] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a right foot
safety boot where the upper is shown separated from a cushion
midsole, a puncture resistant layer and a tread layer.
[0015] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view, along line 2-2 of
FIG. 4A, of the air exhaust outsole including four ventilation
channels extending transversely through the midsole, with a
puncture resistant layer bonded above to the midsole and bonded
below to the bottom tread layer.
[0016] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the top midsole surface of FIG.
2.
[0017] FIGS. 4(A), 4(B), 4(C), 4(D) and 4(F) are external views of
a right foot example of the outsole, respectively being: a bottom
view; a lateral side view; a medial side view; a front view; and a
rear view.
[0018] FIG. 5 is a transverse cross-sectional view along line 5-5
of FIG. 4(C).
[0019] FIG. 6 is a transverse cross-sectional view along line 6-6
of FIG. 4(C).
[0020] FIG. 7 is a transverse cross-sectional view along line 7-7
of FIG. 4(C).
[0021] FIG. 8 is a transverse cross-sectional view along line 8-8
of FIG. 4(C).
[0022] FIG. 9 is a plan view of the top surface of the puncture
resistant layer of FIG. 2.
[0023] Further details of the invention and its advantages will be
apparent from the detailed description included below.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0024] FIG. 1 shows an air exhaust outsole made of three layered
components, namely, the air ventilating midsole 1, the puncture
resistant layer 2 and the tread layer 3. The puncture resistant
layer 2 is located away from the wearer's foot to enhance comfort
since the midsole 1 can provide air ventilation and cushioning
between the foot and puncture resistant layer 2 as described in
detail below. The safety footwear includes an upper 4 with an air
permeable insole 5 having a top insole surface for supporting a
foot of the wearer.
[0025] As seen in FIGS. 1, 2-3, the midsole 1 has a top midsole
surface engaging the bottom insole surface 5 of the upper 4. In the
longitudinal sectional view of FIG. 2 and transverse sectional
views of FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 it can be seen that the midsole 1 has
four transverse ventilation channels 6 that extend between outlet
ports 7 in a side midsole surface and inlet ports 8 in the top
midsole surface 9.
[0026] Therefore each of the four longitudinally spaced apart
transverse ventilation channels 6 passes transversely through the
midsole 1 and includes an inlet port 8 in the top insole surface 9
and a pair of outlet ports 7 in opposing left and right side
midsole surfaces. The inlet 8 and two outlet ports 7 of each
channel 6 are in communication via an internal transverse passage
formed within the midsole 1.
[0027] In the example shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 the inlet port 8 has a
central inlet opening 10 to the internal passage. Each inlet
opening 10 is joined to at least one adjacent inlet opening 10 with
a shallow connecting groove 12 in the top insole surface 9. As seen
in FIG. 3, the top insole surface 9 can also include a branching
ventilating groove 12 in the ball area of the midsole 1.
[0028] The midsole 1 provides a cushion immediately adjacent to the
air permeable insole 5 of the upper 4. As a result, the wearer's
sole is separated from the puncture resistant layer 2 by a
ventilating and cushioning midsole 1 made of a flexible
compressible material, for example injection molded ethylene vinyl
acetate (IMEVA), commonly known as synthetic foam rubber. The
wearer perceives substantially the same foot comfort as a
ventilated and cushioned running shoe and does not perceive the
discomfort caused by conventional puncture resistant layers that
are generally positioned immediately adjacent or relatively close
to the insole 5 of the upper 4.
[0029] As seen in FIG. 2, and FIGS. 6-8, each ventilation channel 6
has an internal transverse passage joining the inlet port 7 in the
top insole surface 9 and the pair of outlet ports 7 in opposing
medial and lateral side midsole surfaces. Since the midsole 1 is
made of flexible foam material, the top wall 14 of the internal
passage can flex toward a bottom wall 15 under the wearer's foot
pressure during walking. The top wall 14 rebounds to an initial
position when foot pressure is removed, therefore the resilient
action of the midsole 1 during walking alternately decreases and
restores the air volume within the internal passage to circulate
air within the internal passage and ventilate the footwear.
[0030] The midsole 1 in the heel area can also include a fluid
filled bag (liquid or gas) or a compression spring molded into the
foam structure of the midsole 1 in a manner similar to conventional
running shoes. The top midsole surface 9 may also include an
air/vapour permeable and liquid water resistant membrane such as
Gortex.TM. covering the inlet port 8 to impede entrance of liquid
water into the upper 4 from the ventilation channels 6.
[0031] FIG. 9 shows a detail plan view of the top surface of the
puncture resistant layer 2. The puncture resistant layer 2 is
located immediately above the rubber tread layer 3 and is separated
from the wearer's sole by the cushioning and ventilating midsole 1.
The puncture resistant layer 2 has a top surface bonded to a bottom
surface of the midsole 1 and a bottom surface of the puncture
resistant layer 2 bonded to the tread layer 3 which has a textured
bottom tread surface best seen in FIG. 4(C).
[0032] As seen. in FIG. 9, the puncture resistant layer 2 has a.
puncture resistant core 16 bonded about at least a peripheral edge
in a flexible coating 17. The flexible coating 17 in FIG. 9 is
shown as a clear plastic surrounding the periphery of the woven
fabric core 16. The toe area of the coating is recessed to allow
for the fitting of a protective top cap 18 (shown in FIG. 2). The
flexible coating 17 allows the woven fabric puncture resistant core
16 to be bonded to the flexible foam (IMEVA) midsole 1 and also to
the rubber (RB) tread layer 3. By encasing the periphery and
optionally the bottom of the core 16 in a flexible coating 17, such
as thermoplastic urethane (TPU), the mutual bonding of the
materials is possible (IMEVA to TPU, TPU to woven fabric, and TPU
to RB).
[0033] The puncture resistant core 16 can be a puncture resistant
woven fabric composite or and a sheet metal plate if desired. A
puncture resistant woven fabric core 16 can be assembled from
multiple layers of woven fabric bonded together with a resilient
layer such as rubber or other adhesive compatible with the threads
of the woven fabric. Use of a metal plate as a core 16 in some
applications is adequate, however a woven fabric core 16 and/or the
flexible coating 17 can be selected to be resistant to electric
conduction and thermal conduction. The puncture resistant woven
fabric core 16 can be made of threads spun from para-aramid
synthetic fiber (Kevlar.TM.) bonded in multiple layers of rubber as
for example provided by the Italian manufacturer Lonzi Egisto
S.p.a.
[0034] The outsole includes a tread layer 3 best seen in FIG. 4(C)
that may be molded of rubber (RB) and is bonded to the bottom
surface of the puncture resistant layer 2. The flexible coating 17
may cover the bottom surface of the puncture resistant core 16 and
can be molded to include ridges or surface features compatible with
the mold pattern of the tread layer 3. In the example shown in FIG.
4(C), the flexible coating 17 is transparent and has ridges that
match the molded windows 19 in the opaque tread layer 3, through
which the transparent flexible coating 17 and puncture resistant
core 16 are visible. An advantage of using a transparent flexible
coating 17 is that the puncture resistant core 16 with standard
markings is visible to confirm that the footwear is puncture
resistant.
[0035] The outsole described above provides a cushioning and
ventilated midsole 1 adjacent the insole 5 and proximal to the
wearer's foot sole for enhanced comfort, air circulation, heat
dissipation and moisture venting. The location of the puncture
resistant layer 2 enables the footwear to provide puncture
resistance while avoiding problems that arise if a puncture
resistant layer 2 is located close to the wearer's sole, namely,
heat retention and moisture retention within the upper 4.
[0036] Although the above description relates to a specific
preferred embodiment as presently contemplated by the inventors, it
will be understood that the invention in its broad aspect includes
mechanical and functional equivalents of the elements described
herein.
* * * * *